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"We bavée not done with you yet,” ne
said sternly. “Sit down there.”
ed myself in the chair he pushed to-
wasn me.
- For a fewerinutes he and the old gentle-
men conversed in a jargon that E could not
underséond. e sae brusque
v Le addressed me again.
“Yeu dow't feign ignorance, I suppose?”
he contis e'y. “You understand
Russiaut
Not s
Russian 2s you two have been
togsther,” I replied, speaking, as
1 kabitnally’ did, in French,
“Oh, if you understand French, we can get
on,”-said he language. Now, then,
your name is Awe Solklkoff?
. “a never heard the nat
!and you wero not ora at Kiel?” he
sald, , glancing at @ paper,
“No” 7
t “and of course you hayen’t got any pa-
pers ba ‘
' No. ”* . Oe
h “Phe sa ime old game,” he muttered, with
ashrug, Slancing ft th the old gentleman.
“And also, of course, you have not been
living for nearly a year under the same roof
with Pri ince Borgens ask!”
“Yes, Thaw °T replied, with pride,
‘Oh, cor Tes something to get that
"admission o sat. of you. Well | having lived
nto have
assume, my heart
quaking at the hint,
« “Who is going?” he echoed slowly. “You
are if you're not pru
He gave time for tine threat tosiuk into
aking to his secretary.
“as you value
Who isthe
2
proved, Mademoiselle will see that it can
do her no harm, but be to her Breat am
tage to answer the question.”
I made ‘a_movement to fottow hem, but
: Itudersdorf interp:
© “No, no,” said T. “I won’ i" gay a word,
T'lido nothing to help you.”
started up and said with sav-
age impatience:
“The consequence of refusal you know,
Deportation to a with flogging— sand
and all the You expose yourse
evento torture, = -You may share the fate ped
Nera Otomo and a dozen others,
: went to the door « and called
relactantiy, I thong!
@ under Kavanagh's orders,” con-
tinued Ragersdor in atone of self justifi-
cation. orders are oot ene we
raust, Shey owe have taken pro
tions, and if we are cheated the ‘fault will
ie with the minister for trusting Kava-
aagh,”? :
COPYRIGHT, 1699: BY CASSELL & Ce.
ess *puBLion an, PO GE ry ae
* ‘The same men who had taken Gordon
away came to the door.
“You have secured the prisoner?” asked
Rudersdorf. '
One of the men laid a key. oo the table as
he responded in the affirm:
“Take this iady down to Sopa Otcbkin.
They will share the same cabin, Lock them
in and bring me the key, Keep the door
gratings open and watch the prisoners
closely, Report any movement
picious kind to me immediately.”
CHAPTER XXXL
'N ROUTE FOR BT, PETERSBURG.
‘The mea seized me sav:
down belo
small cabin, and with a few bratal words
the men shut the door and turned the key
upon me. One of them opened a small grat-
na
ophia Otchkin, who
stood with her arms akimbo regarding me.
Sho replied with a short laugh, and then
there was silence. |
A rough deal table stood under the swing
lamp that lit the cabin, and beside it a
cbair, own, ed laying my arms on
the table dropped my face ia my hands,
quite overcome with ‘physical and mental
exhaustip
“Thad matter enough for reflection and
aneculation, Kavanagh had deceived me.
He had not intended that we should co:
the Mariner's Joy. ‘That was of little
fmpostance The more serious point was
that, from the first, he must have deter-
min cat that I should be taken away with
Gor
a ‘why I could not answer that ques-
ae ward morning thestillness of thenight,
emphasized by the heavy breathing of So-
poe Otchkin asleep in her bunk, was broken
by the he busy ound ot preparation for de-
tramped about upon
ie deck adove,a Soe splashed in the water
slongelde, orders were shouted, there was
hoarse hissing of steam, and the violent
rattling of an. engine accompanied the
deeper rumble of achain, The hollow roar
ofasteam whistle followed, and then the
vessel began to vibrate to the shrill hiss of
steam and monotonous thud of machinery
in the engine roo!
“We'reoff; leavenbe pat sed” murmured
Sophia Otchkin, turning ever in her sleep.
! I did not close my eyes till after the
ight
the round porthole, but while my compan-
jon was dressing I fell asleep and did not.
awaken ‘until she shook my shoulder,
“It is nearly midday,” said she. “Your
brought down soon, It is
of the cot and stood looking
about. me stupidly, NM, ed terri-
bly. It was with Tameclty that I realized
my situation.
“Are we there?” I asked stupa, ob-
serving that the re was no sound of engine
or movem:
She laughed and told me we were still in
ried to move; but, overcome by adeadly
fee wag of nae giddiness, yt fll to
"That wa as the beginning of a1
iingoonich lasted nearly a week. For halt
that time I was unconscious, and I think
this was nature’s means of obtaining rest
for my overtaxed faculties,
‘he first day that was strong enough to
rise and dress myself, the old
who had fisted me frequently a
ness and consideration than I
might have expected came in to
see me just ‘after Thad “dished a basin of
bro!
"Comes" said he, after a na me
on my recovery, “we a! the
week well, After groping our way oD hig
execrable river at @ snail's pace, hero
are at last in the open sca, frith’a bright
sun and acloar sky overhead, I thought
rubbing his
hands as if the prospect were the cheerfal-
est in the world—“now we can count upon
reaching St, f.ckersburd without any further
hitch, all safo a)
Seeing that this promise failed to exbil-
arate me, he asked me if i would like to go
upon deck for a little while, I accepted the
offer eagerly.
The old gentleman placed a seat forme
in asheltered corner and made me com-
fortable with rugs, trying his utmost to
charm away the deep dejection which my
wretched face betrayed, Rudersdorf cama
I want o be alone that I might loosen
my arief a ant ery and cry without restraint,
A white bird skimmed over the calm blue
water
~ “Taras wo@?tell me its name,” I said to
ect
4
3
B
a
>
BR
5
2,
3
4
3
a
3
came me that I was fain to cover my bowed
face eit my hands to conceal my lack of
a lesdendort and the old gentleman with-
drew in silence. Then, ashamed of myself,
I dried my ‘yes, resolv! ing that theyshould
not see such an exhibition again,
Presently I beard a quick step approach-
ing, and looking up with choking eagerness
rdon coming toward me with
tocieey in his kin
head with leaden disappotutwont for in
hat one moment I bad conceived it possible
that Taras had come to satisfy my yearn-
ing.
“My dear mademoiselle,” he said with
tender solicitude as he held my hand, ea
hear you have been t awfully ill, I can
“thats all over—I’m ail right now,” I
replied,
“Begad, a week down below in an atmos-
phere of pea soup! It’s enough to knock any
th
one out, But will soon bring you
und, eb? By Jove! he added, throw-
ing up his h drawing a deep breath
of the pure air, “this is like rising from the
dea
He seated himself on a coil of rope by my
side and with cheerful encouragement in
his voiee continued:
“Don’t you take it to heart, mademoi-
is police outrage
Bill simply give us a jolly, nice little holt
xpense of the Russian govern-
feats Ta thought it all out while I've
been stewing down below, and i's just the
certainty of taroing the tables on these
muddle bi eddling officials that has
kept me from knocking down my jailers—
or trying? toat any rate—and making adash
for free
“Te “thought the whole thing out, and I
rsburg, we shall be received
princes—not . Russian princes, you
know, The minister will wait upon us
with a thousand and one apologies, for of
course he has learned already by telegraph
of the blunder. these fellows Nave made.
the way of Berlin and Paris, with a day or
two’s rest bere and there to make the Jour.
ney pleasa Then one fine mornin:
will wake YD old Tai aras by marching inte
to the pane of ‘See the Congaer-
ing Hero—and Heroine—Come.’
“No,” said I, shaking my head, vsthat
will never be,”
CHAPTER XXXII,
. T CONFESS DON,
“My dear girl,” remonstrated Gordon, “is
any onelyingill inastuffy cabin, with noth-
ing to breathe but yellow fog, ae & position
to see thin; ig but a gloomy
light? Are you yet in a condition to form
an impartial judgment ontheaffair? Now,
if you had been pondering the matter with
a clear head, asl have been doing for the
7
“But you u don't Know all the facta,” I
said, Jnterrapting bi
Pulling his bead, he rel
ted t! hat Sehis was true, “And,” he added,
“it’s true that I’ve had to draw a good deal
on my imagination to square things com-
fortably, However, we are pot going to
liscuss the matter today. can easily
stand oer till you are nner and then
if it’ we'll have all the facts and
make the best we may of 'em.”
sented to this asigh,
knowing that thetruth must be ‘ola but
I was grateful for x the delay, feeling 80 fee
ble and downhea
'e staid upon ook until the sun sank
in the golden sea, but the kind hearted fel-
low said not another word on the subject
that obviously cansed me such depressing
anxiety, Ile knew a great deal about ships
and the sea and told me many stories of his
adventures in a yacht with so much humor
that more than once I was foreed to smile,
were watched by Rudersdort
and the old gentleman, who, seeing by the
openness of our mapver thet we ware not
actantly admit-
NUMBER 37
Liaiching plots, marked thelr éatiufaction
by promising hat we should come on deck
the following day if the weather held fair.
The wind freshoned in tbe night, but the
was not rough enough to pre
going on dee! y breakfaste thous
found it difficult to a tern my fegt under this
novel gondition ¢ of tl
siting for me at the head
of the stairs rina a fur jacket he bad bought
from one of the sailors, Ie hada pipe in
his my ibis face was radiant with
boyish ¢ aaiee
“T’'m glad te see you have not been il,”
said he, taking my arm to steady
“Ob, that’s al pa
“Seasic
“I don’t know ho how any one can be sick
on the sea,” I replied, looking out over the
“We glanced at me in perplexity as be
8 me across to the corner he had
ready prepared. We seated ourselves, so
Raderad of reowen
tarpaatin, with which we made carslves
very s0ug 8 pod comfort
coxple
“Tm a bit. puzzled, + mademoiselle,”” said.
Gordon, whew Ri Rudersdot rf and bis secre-
wary eft us, “4 “from one gr
marks you made terday, al t you -
said just now, one “rout think you had *
never been on the sea be!
“T saw it for the first re me ne yesterday.”
“Then how in the world did you ae
across from Russia?’ he said in ami
ment.
“I have never beenin Russia. I fancy I
was born in Shadwell, Anyway I lived
there as long as I can remember and never
left it till last year.”
“But—you speak French like a native.”
Tis ptpe went out as he listened,
“That’s because I speak nothing ¢ ue at
lis!
ome, because I could not speak E:
like you or anyone elae who has been e edu;
ted, becar ‘aras Wil wo ‘in a
new life, and break away from all that had
gone before’? —
“Look here, mademofselie,” Gordon said,
pping me with apprehension in his tone,
“if this sort of thing will upset you; you
now —— wos
“No, no. I'mstrong now. I must tell
you what I had not the courage to tell you
yesterday, Iought to have told youthe
frst thing, because I’ve no right to profit
by: your kindness until I know whether you
n forgive me or not.’”
nob, I say ¢ don't you know”—Gordon ex-
Ppostalated ui rs
PSisregarding bh ae remonstrance, I told m:
myself truthfully and with a desire tosay
nothing which might bias his judgments,
ipe went out as he listened, aston-
jsbment holding» him spellbound. We
looked each other straight in the eyes un-
til Th bad spoken the last word. Then
ead and waited: in trembling
certainty for bis verdict, -
pte did not leave me jong ia doubt, asto
his Present f feeling.
@ brick,” he said; “a regular.’ J
bk a taking my hand he pressed it’
“ae ‘didn't expect you to think £0,
a!
eanem you don’t think I could have any
gradge against you for making me useful,
do you? You have led me to ‘do no more
than I tnould willingly bave done to save
old Taras if I had asked, and if it
were otherwise that would not alter my
esteem for you~not a bit, It's this devo-
tion that I admire you for, A real, Seonine,
womanly v woman, don’t you ould
stick at n g, but go pang throngh thick
and thin Toran man, Ji
we .
Sudith, that’s all, Don't give way, little
woman,” he continued, seemg my _ lps
? . <
mF
