Caruth sprang to his feet. “You—you will not tell her that I have—have bought her?” he pleaded.
The other shook his head. “Have no fear,” he answered gently. “Remember! I love her too.”
In a moment the man was back. With him came Marie. When she saw Caruth, she stopped short, gasping, with distended eyes. “You!” she muttered. “You here!”
Caruth caught both her hands in his. “Yes!” he cried. “Yes! And it’s all right! All right! The Brotherhood has given you to me.”
With joy dawning in her frightened eyes, the girl turned to the others.
“YOU!” SHE MUTTERED, “YOU HERE!”
Lermantoff caught her glance and nodded. “Marie Fitzhugh,” he said solemnly, “for reasons that seem good to it, the Brotherhood has decided to send you to America to aid in creating sympathy for the Russian people there. You will go with Mr. Caruth to St. Petersburg, to the American Embassy, and marry him there, and go with him to the United States. You are hereby released from all obligations to the Brotherhood and from all your vows. Such service as you may render hereafter will be purely voluntary. As chief of the Brotherhood, I tell you this in Mr. Caruth’s presence. The other members of the Circle will now confirm it to you.”
He turned and spoke a few words in Russian, and one by one each of the other members repeated what seemed to Caruth to be a set form of words. When they had finished, Lermantoff spoke again.
“You are not entirely out of danger yet, Mr. Caruth,” he warned. “Baron Demidroff is making desperate efforts to capture Marie, and she will be arrested if found. That is why she has remained concealed here. Once you have made her your wife at the American Embassy, she will be measurably safe. Until then, she will be in danger. I think, therefore, that she had better go with you in disguise. Tell me good-by now, my child, and go and get ready. I hope you will be very, very happy.”