HavingenteredthecourtyardofalargehousewheretheLodgehaditsheadquarters, andhavingascendedadarkstaircase, , steppingtowardhim, , WillarskiboundPierre'seyeswithitandtieditinaknotbehind, , kissedhim, , witharmshangingdownandwithapuckered, thoughsmilingface, movedafterWillarskiwithuncertain, timidsteps.
Havingledhimabouttenpaces, Willarskistopped.
"Whateverhappenstoyou," hesaid, "youmustbearitallmanfullyifyouhavefirmlyresolvedtojoinourBrotherhood." (Pierrenoddedaffirmatively.) "Whenyouhearaknockatthedoor, youwilluncoveryoureyes," addedWillarski."Iwishyoucourageandsuccess," and, pressingPierre'shand, hewentout.
Leftalone, , asifwishingtotakeitoff, , hislegsalmostgaveway, ; butmostofall, , , : "InthebeginningwastheWordandtheWordwaswithGod," , heexpectedeverythingtobeunusual, , acoffin, theGospel—."God, death, love, thebrotherhoodofman," hekeptsayingtohimself, .
Bythedimlight, towhichPierrehadalreadybecomeaccustomed, , themanpaused, thenmovedwithcautiousstepstowardthetableandplacedonithissmallleather-glovedhands.
Thisshortmanhadonawhiteleatherapronwhichcoveredhischestandpartofhislegs; hehadonakindofnecklaceabovewhichroseahighwhiteruffle, outlininghisratherlongfacewhichwaslitupfrombelow.
"Forwhathaveyoucomehither?" askedthenewcomer, turninginPierre'sdirectionataslightrustlemadebythelatter."Whyhaveyou, whodonotbelieveinthetruthofthelightandwhohavenotseenthelight, comehere? Whatdoyouseekfromus? Wisdom, virtue, enlightenment?"
