Part 65 (1/2)
”Then why does he not protest?”
”Protest against a decree of the Council!” the other exclaimed. ”You don't know as much as I do, Evelyn, about that Council. No, I have sworn obedience, and I will obey.”
He had recovered his firmness; he seemed resigned--even resolved. It was his friend who was excited.
”I tell you all the oaths in the world cannot compel a man to commit murder,” Evelyn said, hotly.
”Oh, they don't call it murder,” Brand replied, without any bitterness whatever; ”they call it a punishment, a warning to the evil-doers of Europe. And no doubt this man is a great scoundrel, and cannot be reached by the law; and then, besides, one of the members of the Society, who is poor and old, and who has suffered grievous wrong from this man, has appealed to the Council to avenge him. No; I can see their positions. I have no doubt they believe they are acting justly.”
”But you yourself do not think so.”
”My dear fellow, it is not for the private soldier to ask whether his sovereign has gone to war justly or unjustly. It is his business to obey commands--to kill, if need be--according to his oath.”
”Why, you are taking the thing as a matter of course,” Lord Evelyn cried, indignantly. ”I cannot believe if possible yet! And--and if it were possible--consider how I should upbraid myself: it was I who led you into this affair, Brand.”
”Oh no,” said the other, absently.
He was staring into the smouldering fire; and for a second or two he sat in silence. Then he said, slowly and thoughtfully,
”I am afraid I have led a very selfish life. Natalie would not say so; she is generous. But it is true. Well, this will make some atonement.
She will know that I kept my word to her. She gave me that ring, Evelyn.”
He held out his hand for a moment
”It was a pledge that I should never draw back from my allegiance to the Society. Well, neither she nor I then fancied this thing could happen; but now I am not going to turn coward. You saw me show the white feather, Evelyn, for a minute or two: I don't think it was about myself; it was about her--and--and one or two others. You see our talking together has sent off all that nervous excitement; now we can speak about business--”
”I will not--I will not!” Evelyn said, still greatly moved. ”I will go to Lind himself. I will tell him that no duty of this kind was ever contemplated by any one joining here. It may be all very well for Naples or Sicily; it won't do for the people on this side the Channel: it will ruin his work: he must appeal--I will drive him to it!”
”My dear fellow,” Brand said, quietly, ”I told you Lind has accepted the execution of this affair with reluctance. He knows it will do our work--well, my share in it will be soon over--no good. But in this business there in no appeal. You are only a companion; you don't know what stringent vows you have to undertake when you get into the other grades. Moreover, I must tell you this thing to his credit. He is not bound to take the risk of the ballot himself, but he did to-night. It is all over and settled, Evelyn. What is one man's life, more or less?
People go to throw away hundreds of thousands of lives 'with a light heart.' And even if this affair should give a slight shock to some of our friends here, the effect will not be permanent. The organization is too big, too strong, too eager, to be really injured by such a trifle. I want to talk about business matters now.”
”I won't hear you--I will not allow this,” Lord Evelyn protested, trembling with excitement.
”You must hear me; the time is short,” Brand said, with decision. ”When this thing has to be done I don't know; I shall probably hear to-morrow; but I must at once take steps to prevent shame falling on the few relatives I have. I shall pretend to set out on some hunting-expedition or other--Africa is a good big place for one to lose one's self in--and if I do not return, what then? I shall leave you my executor, Evelyn; or, rather, it will be safer to do the whole thing by deed of gift. I shall give my eldest sister's son the Buckinghams.h.i.+re place; then I must leave the other one something. Five hundred pounds at four per cent, would pay that poor devil Kirski's rent for him, and help him on a bit.
Then I am going to make you a present, Evelyn; so you see you shall benefit too. Then as for Natalie--or rather, her mother--”
”Her mother!” Evelyn stared at him.
”Natalie's mother is in London: you will learn her story from herself,”
Brand continued, briefly. ”In the mean time, do not tell Lind until she permits you. I have taken rooms for her in Hans Place, and Natalie will no doubt go to see her each day; but I am afraid the poor lady is not very well off, for the family has always been in political troubles.
Well, you see, Evelyn, I could leave you a certain sum, the interest of which you could manage to convey to her in some roundabout and delicate way that would not hurt her pride. You could do this, of course.”
”But you are talking as if your death was certain!” Lord Evelyn exclaimed, rather wildly. ”Even if it is all true, you might escape.”
Brand turned away his head as he spoke.
”Do you think, then,” he said, slowly, ”that, even if that were possible, I should care to live red-handed? The Council cannot demand that of me too. If there is one bullet for him, the next one will be for myself; and if I miss the first shot I shall make sure about the second.