her at
which she laughed as if well pleased. He made a way for her through the
crowd gathered about the piano, and escorted her to the door. As they
passed me I heard her say to him: "I told you how it would be," and I
had reason to remember the words afterwards.

This unlooked-for episode being over, and the deputation of ladies
having been dismissed with roaring "vivas," we went back to business. I
noticed that Brunow's earlier awkwardness of manner had given way to a
mood and aspect of great elation. But of course I was without the key
to the understanding of the situation, and his change of temper had no
significance for me. I can understand it now, however, and I know that
he had frightened himself unnecessarily over the baroness's little
experiment. It was he who had taken upon himself the onus of introducing
the ladies' deputation, and the baroness's object is, of course, clear
enough. All she wanted was to make herself favorably known to the
general leaders of the party as a well-wisher to The Cause. Whether
Brunow knew, then, anything of her full purpose I am unable to say with
certainty, but I am inclined to think he did, and I have two or three
proofs which have grown more cogent with time that he already knew the
theme of Austrian money, and had embarked on that wicked and degrading
career which led him to so swift and just a punishment.

Of course little real business was done in those big gatherings of party
of which this night's assembly was one. All the men were true and tried,
as I have already said, but their numbers alone would have made them
unwieldy as an active body, and the real work was performed by a sort
of informal committee, of which I had now for some time been a member.
Almost from the first hour of his arrival in England the count had taken
his place among his party as the natural and recognized leader. I never
knew a man who made less pretence of being dominant, but I never knew a
man either who had in so marked degree that unconscious inner force of
character which gives a man control over his fellows. At any moment
of importance it was his habit to single out among us the men of whose
counsel he had need, and only those thus singled out ever ventured to
stay behind when the public business was finished and the more intimate
discussions of the inner conclave were about to be held. This night, a
little to my surprise, he beckoned Brunow, who, as I fancied, had been
waiting in hope and e