take his place--who knows?"

"Who knows, indeed?" said Brand. "But I don't covet the honor."

There was something in his tone which made the other look up.

"I mean the responsibility," he said, quickly.

"You see," observed Reitzei, leaning back in his chair, "one must admit
you are having rather hard lines. Your work is invaluable to us--Lind is
most proud of it--but it is tedious and difficult, eh? Now if they were
to give you something like the Syrian business--"

"What is that?"

"Oh, only one of the many duties the Society has undertaken," said
Reitzei, carelessly. "Not that I approve because the people are
Christians; it is because they are numerically weak; and the Mahommedans
treat them shamefully. There is no one knows about it; no one to make a
row about it; and the Government won't let the poor wretches import arms
to defend themselves. Very well: very well, messieurs! But your
Government allow the importation of guns for sport. Ha! and then, if one
can find money, and an ingenious English firm to make rifle-barrels to
fit into the sporting-gun stock can you conceive any greater fun than
smuggling these barrels into the country? My dear fellow, it is
glorious: we could have five hundred volunteers! But at the same time I
say your work is more valuable to us. No one but an Englishman could do
it. Every one knows of your success."

Brand thanked Reitzei for his good opinion, and rather absently took up