(IV)
In the confusion that followed Monsignor stood for a whiledisregarded. The man who had brought the message, had, after onemore sentence snapped at him over the President's shoulder,vanished once more. For the rest--they were up now, forming intogroups, talking excitedly, dissolving again, and re-forming. Onlytwo remained quiet--Hardy and the President; the latter still inhis chair, staring out moodily, with the Englishman whisperinginto his ear. Then Hardy too stood back and stared about him. Oneor two men came up, but he waved them aside. Then his eyes fellupon 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 outof his place into the corner by the steps. He noticed as he camethat even those who guarded the lower doors were talking.
"There's news," whispered Hardy sharply. "Another envoy iscoming. Who is it?"
The priest shook his head. "I have no idea."
"He'll be here in ten minutes," said Hardy. "He passed the lineof 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 thePresident's chair, whispered a word to him, and returned.
"Come through here," he whispered.
Together they passed through the door at the back, and so intoone of the little rooms through which they had come togetherhalf an hour before. There he closed both doors carefully andcame up to the priest.
"Monsignor," he said, and hesitated.
The priest looked at him curiously. He began to see that adisclosure was coming.
"Monsignor, I have not been hard on you. . . . I came as soon asI could. . . ."
"Well?"
"I . . . I don't know what's going to happen. The envoy's comingat the last hour. The Council is in a very divided state ofmind. You saw that?"
"Well?"
"They're wavering. It's no use denying it. They'd accept almostanything. It's perfectly desperate. They see that now."
He was fingering the priest's sleeve by now, and his eyes werefull of a pitiable anxiety.
"What do you wish me to do?"
"Well, they'll say I was responsible--if the negotiations come toanything, I mean. They'll say I urged them on. They'll sacrificeme--me and the President. They'll say they never would have goneto such lengths----What's that noise?"
Monsignor jerked his head impatiently. He began to see light.
"Well," went on the other nervously, "I want you to speak for me,if necessary--_if necessary_, you understand? You're a Christian,Monsignor. . . You'll stand by me."
The priest waited before answering; as the situation tookshape before his eyes, he began to understand more and moreclearly; and yet----
A voice called out sharply beyond the door, and Hardy leapt tothe handle, beckoning with his head; and as the priest obedientlyfollowed, he gave him one more look of entreaty and opened thedoor. The President stood there. The great man, more impressivethan ever now, as his great height showed itself, ran his eyesslowly over the two.
"Come back to the hall," he said, so slowly that even the priestunderstood it, and turned.
"The envoy's coming," whispered Hardy breathlessly, as he pausedbefore following. "You'll remember, Monsignor? . . ."
It was hardly a minute since they had left, and yet all confusionhad vanished. Every man was back in his seat, with that sameimpassive and yet attentive air that they had worn when Monsignorfirst saw them. Yet, with his new knowledge, it seemed to him asif he could detect, beneath all that, something of theindecisiveness of which he had just learned. Certainly they wereunder admirable discipline; yet he began to see that evensocialistic discipline had its limitations.
The President was already in the act of sitting down, Hardy wasstepping up behind him, and the priest was still hesitating bythe door, when down at the lower end of the hall there was amovement among those who guarded it, the great doors opened, anda figure walked straight in, without looking to right or left.
He came on and up; and as he came the hush fell deeper. It wasimpossible even to see his face; he was in a long travellingcloak that fell to his feet; a travelling cap covered his head;and about his throat and face was thrown a great white scarf,such as the air-travellers often use. He came on, still withoutlooking to right or left, walking as if he had some kind of rightto be there, straight up to the witness-box, ascended the steps,and stood there for an instant motionless.
Then he unwound his scarf, lifted his cap and dropped it besidehim, threw back his cloak with a single movement, and stoodthere--a white figure from head to foot, white capped. . . .There was a great sigh from the men on the platform; two or threesprang to their feet, and sat down again as suddenly. Only thePresident did not move. Then there fell an absolute silence.
The Dawn of All Page 63
