There was a general expression of approval around the table.

“There is another party here to-night,” continued the Prince.  “He is a very shrewd and cunning spy; a member of our secret police service.  He goes by the name of Stephen Andrews in his intercourse with me.  What his real name may be I know not.

“You are aware we have had great trouble to ascertain anything definitely about this new organization, and have succeeded but indifferently.  Their plans seem to be so well taken, and their cunning so great, that all our attempts have come to naught.  Many of our spies have disappeared; the police cannot learn what becomes of them; they are certainly dead, but none of their bodies are ever found.  It is supposed that they have been murdered, loaded with weights and sunk in the river.  This man Andrews has so far escaped.  He works as a mechanic—­in fact, he really is such—­in one of the shops; and he is apparently the most violent and bitter of our enemies.  He will hold intercourse with no one but me, for he suspects all the city police, and he comes here but seldom—­not more than once in two or three months—­when I pay him liberally and assign him to new work.  The last task I gave him was to discover who are the leaders of the miserable creatures in this new conspiracy.  He has found it very difficult to obtain any positive information upon this point.  The organization is very cunningly contrived.  The Brotherhood is made up in groups of ten.  No one of the rank and file knows more than nine other members associated with him.  The leaders of these groups of ten are selected by a higher power.  These leaders are again organized in groups of ten, under a leader again selected by a higher power; but in this second group of ten no man knows his fellow’s name or face; they meet always masked.  And so the scale rises.  The highest body of all is a group of one hundred, selected out of the whole force by an executive committee.  Andrews has at length, after years of patient waiting and working, been selected as one of this upper hundred.  He is to be initiated to-morrow night.  He came to me for more money; for he feels he is placing himself in great danger in going into the den of the chief conspirators.  I told him that I thought you would like to question him, and so he has returned again to-night, disguised in the dress of a woman, and he is now in the library awaiting your pleasure.  I think we had better see him before we hear what Quincy has to say.  Shall I send for him?”

General assent being given, lie stepped to the door and told Rudolph to bring up the woman he would find in the library.  In a few moments the door opened and a tall personage, dressed like a woman, with a heavy veil over her face, entered.  The Prince said: 

“Lock the door and come forward.”

The figure did so, advanced to the table and removed the bonnet and veil, disclosing the dark, bronzed face of a workman—­a keen, shrewd, observant, watchful, strong face.