"I suppose so."
Hardy"s manner changed a little. Up to now he had been speaking coldly and sharply, except where once or twice a slightly ironical tone had come into his voice. Now he bent forward a little with his hands upon the table, and his tone became a trifle friendly.
"Now there are just one or two questions that the Council wish me to put to you."
Monsignor glanced up at the circle of watching faces, and as he looked at the President, he could have sworn that a look of displeasure came over the man"s face.
"Well, our first question is this (I dare say you will not answer it; but if you will oblige us, we shall be grateful): Can you tell us whether, when you left Rome, the Holy Father, or the European Powers, showed any signs of yielding?"
The priest drew a breath.
"I am absolutely sure," he said quietly, "that they had no idea of yielding, and that they never will."
"Why did they send envoys then?"
"They were willing to make other concessions."
"What were these concessions?"
Monsignor hesitated.
"I am not an envoy; I have no power to say."
"Do you know what they were?"
"Yes."
"Why will you not say? Is it not the wish of the Powers to come to terms?"
"It was their wish."
"Do you mean that it is so no longer?"
"I cannot imagine it being their wish any longer."
"Why?"
"Because you murdered the two envoys they sent," said the priest, beginning suddenly to shake all over with uncontrollable nervous excitement.
"Have you any reason for saying that?"
"I know what I would do myself under such circ.u.mstances."
"And that is----"
The priest straightened himself, and seized the rail before him to steady himself.
"I would wipe out of existence every soul that was concerned in those murders. I would have no more civilized dealings with savages."
There was a sudden movement and murmur in the circle on the platform. From the intentness with which they had followed the questions and answers, Monsignor saw that they understood English well enough. One man sprang to his feet. But simultaneously the President was on his own, and with a gesture and a sharp word or two restored order.
"That is very deplorable violence," said Hardy. "But it is most Christian."
"I am beginning to think so myself," said the priest.
"Well, well," said the other, tapping the table irritably. "We must get on----"
A door behind him, communicating with the offices behind the hall, opened suddenly as he spoke these words, and he broke off.
Monsignor followed the direction of his eyes, and saw a man enter who was plainly in a state of extreme excitement. He was across the platform in three or four quick steps, and laid a paper before the President, pushing by Hardy to do so. Then he stood back abruptly and waited. The President took up the paper deliberately and read it. Then he laid it down again, and a question too was asked smartly in the same rapid German, and answered as smartly.
Then he turned, and creasing the paper between his fingers as he spoke, uttered a sentence that brought every man to his feet.
(IV)
In the confusion that followed Monsignor stood for a while disregarded. The man who had brought the message, had, after one more sentence snapped at him over the President"s shoulder, vanished once more. For the rest--they were up now, forming into groups, talking excitedly, dissolving again, and re-forming. Only two remained quiet--Hardy and the President; the latter still in his chair, staring out moodily, with the Englishman whispering into his ear. Then Hardy too stood back and stared about him. One or two men came up, but he waved them aside. Then his eyes fell upon the priest, still waiting: he slipped away from the chair, came down the steps, and beckoned to him.
Monsignor was in a whirl; but he turned and came obediently out of his place into the corner by the steps. He noticed as he came that even those who guarded the lower doors were talking.
"There"s news," whispered Hardy sharply. "Another envoy is coming. Who is it?"
The priest shook his head. "I have no idea."
"He"ll be here in ten minutes," said Hardy. "He pa.s.sed the line of guard-boats five minutes ago. Monsignor----"
"Yes?"
"Just come behind here a moment. I want to have a word with you."
As they crossed the platform he slipped off again to the President"s chair, whispered a word to him, and returned.
"Come through here," he whispered.
Together they pa.s.sed through the door at the back, and so into one of the little rooms through which they had come together half an hour before. There he closed both doors carefully and came up to the priest.
"Monsignor," he said, and hesitated.
The priest looked at him curiously. He began to see that a disclosure was coming.
"Monsignor, I have not been hard on you. . . . I came as soon as I could. . . ."
"Well?"
"I . . . I don"t know what"s going to happen. The envoy"s coming at the last hour. The Council is in a very divided state of mind. You saw that?"
"Well?"
"They"re wavering. It"s no use denying it. They"d accept almost anything. It"s perfectly desperate. They see that now."