had been thinking more about Natalie; and it was the most
natural thing in the world that some thought of her should now
intervene.

"Another thing, Mr. Lind," said he, though he was rather embarrassed.
"Even if I were to make such a sacrifice, as far as I am concerned; if I
were to run the risk for myself alone, that might all be very well; but
supposing I were to marry, do you think I should like my wife to run
such a risk--do you think I should be justified in allowing her? And
surely _you_ ought not to ask _me_. It is your own daughter--"

"Excuse me, Mr. Brand," said the other, blandly but firmly. "We will
restrict ourselves to business at the present moment, if you will be so
kind. I wrote to you all that occurred to me when I had to consider your
very flattering proposal with regard to my daughter; I may now add that,
if any thought of her interfered with your decision in this matter, I
should still further regret that you had ever met."

"You do not take the view a father would naturally take about the future
of his own daughter," said Brand, bluntly.

Lind was not in the least moved by this taunt.

"I should allow neither the interests of my daughter nor my own
interests to interfere with my sense of duty," said he. "Do you know me
so little? Do you know her so little? Ah, then you have much to learn of
her!"

Lind looked at him for a second or two, and added, with a slight smile,

"If you decide to say no, be sure I will not say a word of it to her.
No; I will still leave the child her hero in her imagination. For when I
said to her, 'Natalie, an Englishman will do a good deal for the good of
the people--he will give you his sympathy, his advice, his time, his
labor--but he will not put his hand in his pocket;' then she said, 'Ah,
but you do not understand Mr. Brand yet, papa; he is with us; he is not
one to go back.'"

"But this abandonment of one's property is so disproportionate in
different cases--"

"The greater the sacrifice, the greater the merit," returned the other:
then he immediately added, "But do not imagine I am seeking to persuade
you. I place before you the condition on which you may go forward and
attain the highest rank, ultimately perhaps the greatest power, in this
organization. Ah, you do not understand what that is as yet. If you
knew, you would not hesitate very long, I think."

"But--but suppose I have no great ambition," Brand remonstrated.
"Suppose I am quite content to g