For an instant no one said a word; then I heard a woman's shrill voice, like a rifle-shot: "Assassin!" I cannot imagine what might have happened next, for the feeling in the room, as in the city itself, was at the tensest, had not the leader suddenly brought the goblet which he held in his hand down with a bang upon the table.
"As I was saying," he continued in a steady, clear voice, "we are fighting to-day the greatest of battles, and we cannot permit trivial incidents, or personal bitterness, or small persecutions, to turn us from the great work we have in hand.

However our opponents may comport themselves, we must be calm, steady, sure, patient, for we know that our cause is just and will prevail." "You're right," shouted a voice back in the room.
Instantly the tension relaxed, conversation started again and every one turned away from the policeman at the door.

In a few minutes, he disappeared without having said a word.
There was no regular speaking, and about midnight the party began to break up.

I leaned over and said to my friend Bill Hahn: "Can you find me a place to sleep tonight ?" "Certainly I can," he said heartily.
There was to be a brief conference of the leaders after the supper, and those present soon departed.

I went down the long, dark stairway and out into the almost deserted street.