“Well, I should say so! There’s Siberia with just the very finest and
choicest material on the globe for a republic, and more coming–more
coming all the time, don’t you see! It is being daily, weekly, monthly
recruited by the most perfectly devised system that has ever been
invented, perhaps. By this system the whole of the hundred millions of
Russia are being constantly and patiently sifted, sifted, sifted, by
myriads of trained experts, spies appointed by the Emperor personally;
and whenever they catch a man, woman or child that has got any brains or
education or character, they ship that person straight to Siberia. It is
admirable, it is wonderful. It is so searching and so effective that it
keeps the general level of Russian intellect and education down to that
of the Czar.”
“Come, that sounds like exaggeration.”
“Well, it’s what they say anyway. But I think, myself, it’s a lie. And
it doesn’t seem right to slander a whole nation that way, anyhow. Now,
then, you see what the material is, there in Siberia, for a republic.”
He paused, and his breast began to heave and his eye to burn, under the
impulse of strong emotion. Then his words began to stream forth, with
constantly increasing energy and fire, and he rose to his feet as if to
give himself larger freedom. “The minute I organize that republic, the
light of liberty, intelligence, justice, humanity, bursting from it,
flooding from it, flaming from it, will concentrate the gaze of the whole
astonished world as upon the miracle of a new sun; Russia’s countless
multitudes of slaves will rise up and march, march!–eastward, with that
great light transfiguring their faces as they come, and far back of them
you will see-what will you see?–a vacant throne in an empty land! It
can be done, and by God I will do it!”
He stood a moment bereft of earthy consciousness by his exaltation; then
consciousness returned, bringing him a slight shock, and he said with
grave earnestness:
“I must ask you to pardon me, Major Hawkins. I have never used that
expression before, and I beg you will forgive it this time.”
Hawkins was quite willing.
“You see, Washington, it is an error which I am by nature not liable to.
Only excitable people, impulsive people, are exposed to it. But the
circumstances of the present case–I being a democrat by birth and
preference, and an aristocrat by inheritance and relish–”
The earl stopped suddenly, his frame stiffened, and he began to stare
speechless through the curtainless window. Then he pointed, and gasped
out a single rapturous word:
“Look!”
“What is it, Colonel?”
“IT!”
“No!”
“Sure as you’re born. Keep perfectly still. I’ll apply the influence–
I’ll turn on all my force. I’ve brought It thus far–I’ll fetch It right
into the house. You’ll see.”
He was making all sorts of passes in the air with his hands.
“There! Look at that. I’ve made It smile! See?”
Quite true. Tracy, out for an afternoon stroll, had come unexpectantly
upon his family arms displayed upon this shabby house-front. The
hatchments made him smile; which was nothing, they had made the
neighborhood cats do that.
“Look, Hawkins, look! I’m drawing It over!”
“You’re drawing it sure, Rossmore. If I ever had any doubts about
materialization, they’re gone, now, and gone for good. Oh, this is a
joyful day!”
Tracy was sauntering over to read the door-plate. Before he was half way
over he was saying to himself, “Why, manifestly these are the American
Claimant’s quarters.”
“It’s coming-coming right along. I’ll slide, down and pull It in. You
follow after me.”
Sellers, pale and a good deal agitated, opened the door and confronted
Tracy. The old man could not at once get his voice: then he pumped out a
scattering and hardly coherent salutation, and followed it with–
“Walk in, walk right in, Mr.–er–”
“Tracy–Howard Tracy.”
“Tracy–thanks-walk right in, you’re expected.”
Tracy entered, considerably puzzled, and said:
“Expected? I think there must be some mistake.”
“Oh, I judge not,” said Sellers, who–noticing that Hawkins had arrived,
gave him a sidewise glance intended to call his close attention to a
dramatic effect which he was proposing to produce by his next remark.