"Done?" he echoed contemptuously. "Nothing so far. He has only talked and written. It is to provide against his doing anything important that the Committee have decided upon his removal. There was a meeting held last night and the voting was unanimous. Vardri has been condemned as a traitor to his vows, and a danger to everyone connected with our work."
"Condemned without a hearing!" the girl flamed out. "Mon Dieu! Your justice! What has he done?"
"Have you a right to question the judgment of the Committee?" The voice was like a scourge falling on bare flesh. Arithelli drew her shoulders together involuntarily.
"No!" she answered.
"Yet you do it! These womanly inconsistencies are a little fatiguing."
Sobrenski caressed his beard with a narrow, bloodless hand, on the middle finger of which was a curious ring of twisted gold wire.
He waited to see if she would make any further protest, but she set her lips firmly and refused to speak. There was nothing more to be said on her side. Evidently Sobrenski had found the letter, and when or where it had been found mattered not at all. He continued:
"The sentence has been passed and it falls upon you to execute it."
The answer came back swiftly:
"And if I refuse?"