it
is certain that he had had the constant _entree_ to places where a
man of his opinions would presumably be looked upon with round-eyed
horror. And yet he owned to never concealing his views from any man.
"The sublime importance of our end, Monsieur Cospatric," said he,
"justifies any means taken to attain it. We are associated with
dynamite? Justly. Dynamite is a deplorable necessity."

If Taltavull had merely kept on in this strain, I should have put him
down as one of those human paradoxes a man is bound to meet if he
vagabondizes much, and should have forgotten him and his gruesome
schemes and ideals by the next day. But he touched upon a theme which,
in view of the purpose which had brought us to Minorca, made me cock my
ears with a new interest.

"It is this dynamite," he said, "that is at once our strongest weakness
and our greatest weapon. Were it not for terrorism, the official
upholders of old _regimes_ would crush us out of existence as
venomous reptiles. For instance, you noticed a guard of soldiers at the
door as you came in? At the least disturbance down here those men would
fire mum-chance amongst the throng, and be delighted at the chance of
doing so. You see our school of thought is recognized, and though hated
it is respected. They, thanks to their dread of certain reprisals,
recognize the truce so long as we are not engaged in active and open
war against society. This is a great advance, monsieur, is it not?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"You are not in sympathy with us?"

"Not in the very least," I told him frankly. "Your principles are far
too explosive for my taste."

Taltavull waved a bony hand deprecatingly. "The universal complaint,
monsieur. It is the one great drawback to our Cause that we have as yet
discovered no means of propagating it save only by the theory of
devastation. It is only strong men and, I regret to say it, desperate
men who can accept the gospel of dynamite. There are teeming millions
of others ready enough to blow up society as it is at present
constituted, but who shrink from the only means we have to propose."

"Then in your heart of hearts," said I, "you must know that you can
never succeed."

The man smiled. "If even dynamite were taken away from us, I should not
despair of success, monsieur. With it I am confident; the end is only a
question of time. But I hope to hasten the consummation. There is
another method, which if attained and properly applied, could,