i DARKEST RUSSIA
" - " ' BY II. on.\TTAN DU\ tELLY.
, Copyright , 1896 . by Street & . Smith , All rights reserved
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t : < > ' . CHAPTER VII.
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: : , . . . Iida Barosky.
, . There appeared for a moment a
. young : girl , bearing a violin and bow
. -it was only for a moment-between
" ( < < , . ' the two servants , Azof and Hannjlta.
s With n quick gesture she threW
, . ' aside the servants , and with flashing
. eyes and head erect she advanced ( to
. , . , the center of the room.
"Who Is responsible for this out-
- rage-this insult ? Who is master
here ? " she demaitcled , in quick , Impas-
sioned tones , while her face Indicated
the terrible excitement which IJOS-
sessed her.
. - Paul Nazl1noff advanced qulcleh'
"Stop , girl ! You forget yourself and
_ . who you are. You were commanded
here by me-Paul , Count Nazlmoff- "
, " _ 'Vho and what Is Paul , Count Na-
/ " " ' , ' 7.lmoff , that he should command me ? "
, ' , < : ' : . . : , was the imperious answer. "Am I
" " . - ' your servant , your serf , your child ,
01' your debtor I am 11. frec.born
: ' ; . . Russian ' , no slave , and I shall not
"
. . ' ' , . : . obey you ! "
r , ' ,
J. ' : , , " . Count Nazlmoff , by his command
tJ' : : : , , " : : , ; had thrown down the gage of battle ,
, , . , , , , . , . , . . . : , , . ' , " and I1da Baroskr-for it was the
exile's daughter-had taken It up. Two
strong natures were In conflict. On
the one hand stood Paul Nazlmoff ,
rich , powerful , noble , accustomed all
his life to command and to bo obeyed ,
. . and now humiliated , If beaten , In the
presence of all his guests.
Onn the other , the young girl , proud ,
. haughty and unbending , her woman's
pride stung to the quick by being
" ,4 ' . , . . ' thrust like a serf Into the midst of
" " , the brilliant throng , and commanded
to play , as a master commands a
sla ve. It was not hard to see that
hers was a nature that never would
, ' . yield to force , not even if resistance
. . , , ' . ' . ' -.f' ' , . meant the loss of life itself.
'i' ; - . " " How- was the battle to end ?
, ' ,
; i 0 d , "I shall not obey you ! "
The words that ended the young
girl's speech kept rInging In the ears
. of Paul Nazimoff. "I' shall not obey .
; -ou ! "
No such words had ever been addressed -
, dressed to him before. Could he be-
hove the , evidence of his own senses ?
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aFs 'i'y4
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. - ' ' \ IIIllu1ff ! l1
' " , ; 1. , . : " , 1- : ' , ji " UUftiiEL ( ! ! !
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ISf
LL ! ! t'7 Of. ' YJ7X ! "
Surely everybody In St. Petersburg
' " ' ' ' . knew that he , of all the great nobles
. " , ill lie capital , wa ! ' t'lO one whose
b
, , autocratic ways weru nest lmown. All
- _ " ' his guests knew It-and yet here , an
, i.
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" , . . . unknown girl , an humble musician ,
dared to stand before him , under his
. . own roof , and to fling In ! his face the
bold defiance , " 1 shall not obey you ! "
Paul Nazlmoff's face , flushed be-
' : . ; : - fore , now turned to a ghastly white ,
t. . : : . and his eyes seemed to turn to coals
of fire. Ho no longer shouted. He
appeared calm , but It was the calm-
ness of the tiger about to spring on
, 3' his unsuspecting vIctl1n.
: , " > "And I swear"-tho words came
- . ' slowly , with a hissing sound , from be.
.
-i. : ; : : : ; "
" ; tween the IIps-"and I swear 'ou
; : . ! J ; , you
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shall obey me. You forget who I aID.
I am Paul , Count Nazimoff "
"And I swear I shall not obey you.
I am l1da Barosley , the daughter of an
exile , and I shall not play 'God Save
the Czar I ' "
No one spolto.
The strain was fearfully intense.
Paul Nazlmoff shook for a moment
as the tree shakes when it feels the
first blast of the hurricane ! The storm
was now beyond control. Ho forgot
himself , his guests , his position , manhood .
' . With
hood , nobl1lh'-al1-evprythlng.
an oath ho snatched the whip from
the hands of Hanajlm and raising it
advanced a step toward the girl.
"Father ! "
"Count Nazlmoff ! "
The two expressIons rang out as one
-the first by AlexIs , the other by
Cobb.
Alexis was first-he seized , the up-
lifted hand. "Father , you must not ! "
1\1ust not ! must not ! " shouted
Nazlmoff. He fairly thundered now.
Rage had dethroned Reason. "Stand
back ! " ho shouted. "Stand back ! , for
I swear this girl shall play or she
shall suffeer. Let no one come between -
tween us. " lIts voice grew louder.
"She has Insulted me , my guests , the
czar-I swear she shall suffer. No
power on earth can save her. Hanajlm ,
Azof-selze her ! Seize her ! "
The servants obe 'ed. They would
have strangled her there and then
had they been so commanded.
"Now , girl , for the last time , " ho
raised the whip , "pla , or I swear to
degrade you by the lash. There is
nothing can save 'ou. Now what think
you of defying Paul , Count Nazlmoff ? "
The lash was uplifted.
It was 11. lace distorted by insane
rage and fury that , with eyes aflame
with devilish resolve , looked Into the
face of IIela Barosk
She never moved. There was no ,
'
sign of fear , whatever she may have
feit. She looked defiance
"Tako hold of her arms and compel .
pel the bow to cross the strIngs ! "
fairly screamed Nazlmoff , as he again
raised time whip
The servants obe 'ed.
Paul Nazlmoff held the whip up-
lifted. "It Is tlrn last time , " ho' '
'el1ed. "What will save you now ? "
"This will ! " The answer of I1da
Barosley , shrill and clear as a trumpet .
sound , rang out , as with a quick mo-
tion she raised the violin far above
her head , and , before anyone could
prevent , dashed the instrument Into a
thousand pieces at the feet of Na-
zlmoff !
He was cd-beaten.
There was a gasp as ho made a mo-
tion with the whip Cobb and Alexis
sprang forward to avert the blow , but
It was needless. The whip fell from
his hands and ho fell - forward. The
strain had been too much , and the
next moment ho was unconscious.
With a quick motion Alexis sprang
to the side bf the girl. "Qulc ! , come
with me , " ho said In a low voice , as
ho grasped her by the arm. In all
the confusion , Cobb seemed to keep
his mind. "Get her away , " ho urged
Alexis , and at time same moment ho
supported the stricken count to a low
couch where several physicians among
the guests attended him. A moment
consultation and the } ' decided that It
was nothIng serious. Paul NazlmolY
was suffering from the effects of a
shock and overtaxed nerves. It n : :
all right. A few hours rest and ho
would be quite himself again
With a word of apology to the
guests for the unhappy affair that had
brought the festivities to such an unpleasant -
pleasant termination , Alexis bid' good
night to such as remained. Cobb ho
aslect' not to leave him.
Alexis Nazlmoff , ImmedIately after
the departure of the last of the guests ,
retired to his own room , accompanied
by General Cobb. He was laborIng
under intense emotion , ant it was
some minutes before he became BUm-
clentty composed to trust himself to
speale. When ho became somewhat
calmer ho turned to the American , .
rtml putting out his hand as tr to asIC
for friendship and s'mlmthy , said , In a
voice that 8tlil Indicated the intensity
of his feelings : "Cobb , my Cato was
decided to-night ! "
Cobb was about to answer , when ,
with a movement , Alexis stopped him ,
and In an impassioned strain broke
out : "You do not lmow-you do not
know that she who stood before my
father to.nlght-sho whom ho would
have degraded by the lash-Is the
woman I love-tho only woman who
will over bo my wire "
.
To say that Cobb was nstounJcd
mildly expresses It.
Ho sat amazed and expectant , not
. knowing what to sa ' . Alexis wont on :
"Threo years ago I first met her ,
when she was a pupil at the Conser-
vatory. She had appeared before 1\
brilliant assemblage , and won the admiration -
mlrntlon of all by her wondrous beauty
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l' J.OE".lZQ lYJn" '
and her genius. I sought and obtained
nn Introduction to her through the
Baroness von Rhlneberg. I loved ! her
madly . passionately , devotelly-I !
loved her then as I love her now. I
offered her my name , I asked her to
become my wIfe. " , .
Cobb started. Ho had anticipated
a different avowal , and In his mind
had framed a reply to Alexis. But .
he was not prepared for his.
i
"lIda refused , " continued Alexis , I
"unless I could gain my father's con-
sent. My marriage with her , she I ,
urged ; would he a blow to my fondest
I
hopes of military distinction : would
ostraclso me In St. Petersburg , and
would alienate the affections of my
father. All this was true , but I cared I
nothing for It. I begged , implored
her to listen to me-to give her con-
sent. I offered to resign my commis-
sion in the army , to leave Russia with
her , to make , In short , any sacrifice
-but all In vain. My father heard
of my love for her and wo had a
stormy scene , whIch ended In my
leaving the house. I went directly to
see IIda.-sho was gone ! In vain I
sought her everywhere : she had disappeared -
appeared as If she were no longer on
earth. A week later I received per
emptory orders to proceed to the
frontier and join the Don Cossacles
for a campaign In 'furleestan , and a
short , t-me after my arrival In Asia
I received a note from my father that
a marrlago' J'ad l been arranged between .
tween Olga Karslchoff and myself , the
ceremony to take place on my return .
turn ta St. Petersburg. Broleen-heart-
ell at the loss of Uda , I made no objec ,
Lion , and you know the rest. I never
saw I1da Barosle from the time I
left st. Petersburg until to-night. Now
all my love has returned ! with tenfold
strength , and I swear that no other
woman shall ever be my wife ! "
"But your father , after to-nlght- "
"Ho docs not ] crow that 1 * . was Ihia
-ho never saw her. Carried away by
his rage at her refusal , ho knew nor
cared not who It was that dared to
thwart a will that all through life
had never been galns ld. To-night , "
and Alexis arose , "to'nlght has de-
Bided my fate. I am going to find
I I1da Barosk-l am going to make
I
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her my wife ! 1 am going : o RIIC !
,
'ou- "
'ouA
A Imoc1e at the door hlterr\lltoll
him.
' "Como in I"
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, A servant entered , and bowing [ rc
Bpectlvey ! said n word or two , and In
answer to Alexis' Quick response
i withdrew to reappear a moment Inter
I with a soldier wearing the uniform of
time same regiment as that to which
Alexis belongod.
1'hen followed a few words ( of dla.
logue In a language Cobb could not
understand , r.nd the soldier wlthl1row.
When they wore once more alone
} lexis turned to Cobb. "I am going '
to trust you fully and freely , " ho
said. "My servant has just returned ,
having followed Udn to tier destina
tlon. I know where she Is and I am
going there to-night. If my father
should awake , 1 ask you , In the name
of our friendship , to maltO such explanation -
planation of my absence as will cause
him no uneasiness until my roturn.
You will do this for me , will you not ? "
said the young soldier , holding out his
hanl !
Cobh could say no more. Ho grasped -
ed the proffered hand of Alexis r.nd
five minutes later was aloJe.
Alexis was on his way to seee ! lit : : l
Barosley.
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CHAPTER VIII.
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The Nihilist Rendezvous.
A long , low room , with heavy wooden -
en rafters supporting time ceiling ,
which was grimed and blnclcod by
the smolco of a dozen oil lamps.
A room with n hot , stlfilug , suffocating .
catlng atmosphere-tho result of the
smoltlng lamps , the fumes of tobacco
and an almost red-hot stove , which
had raised the temperature to an un-
comfortable , almost an unsupportable
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degree.
A long table , upon which was scattered -
tered a miscellaneous collection ott
Implements , a couple of rude benches ,
a chair or two , and some rough boxes ,
utlllzod as Boats , constituted most at
the furm ishings.
The half.dozen steps , leading . up to
11. heavily barred door , Indicated that
time room was a cellar , and the two
small wIndows , both with heavy shut.
tel'S of solid wood , whIch were only a
few Inches higher than the bottom of
the door , were 'of apparently little
practical use , either for light or ven-
tIIation.
Within this underground apart-
ment for such It really was , were
gathered , on the same evening ns that
on which time events described in the
last chapter occurred , somme twelve or
fifteen men and three womon. Their
faces , darleened even beyond their natural .
ural color by the smolco and grime ,
were marked hy suppressed excitement .
mont , while their conversation , animated .
mated In the extreme , was carried on
In that suppressed way suggestive of
extreme caution and ceaseless appre-
hension
Not that all were tal1t1ng
There were workers there , men who
tolled and delved and whose grImy
hands , hard and knotted , gave evidence -
denco that theirs had been no child's
pIa } ' . A long coil of wire , some elec.
trlcal Instruments , and some curiously
sllggostive metal globes , were some
of the objects on time table of whIch
mention has already been made.
The conversation , after an Interval
of silence , hall begun again.
( To be continued. )
Sure Sign of Death.
The doctors who seethe time demon
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of drink In ! the alcoholic ward of a
New York hospital have recently (115-
covered nn unfailing hllllcation of the
approaching ) death of patients. One
of them described It In ! tits ! way :
'rho great majority of alcoholic patients .
tlents In this city are truck drIvers
Naturally , when they are drivIng 11.
team and are continually urging their
steeds aheal1. It's nil right as long
as the } ' ltcep driving aheao , hut the
moment we hear them bogie to back
their horses we know It's all off , and
we might as well order their shrouds.
In dozens of cases I never Imew this .
sign to tan : "
