By Right of Sword

sc

EAR R

rned this way. I'm going on to St Petersburg to-day, for I find all the people I knew here as a lad have gone north. I have made such a mess of things that I shall never set foot in England again. If Russia will have me, I shall volunteer, and I hope with all my soul that a Turkish bullet will find its billet in my body. It shan't be my fault if it doesn't. If I hadn't been afraid of being thought afraid, I'd have taken a shorter way hal

fri

N TREGE

ngs for me; but my pen ran away with me as it always does, and I wasn't inclined to write the letter all over again. I hate letter writing. I was to leave Moscow,

me, wondering whether I should find the end I wished most speedily by joining the army

and I walked up and down the platform trying to force

he big stations in Russia. They looked at me very intently; I noticed them whisper one to another evidently about me; and as I passed they d

king out of a window near. This was a girl, and a glimpse I caught of her

and then looked away. A few seconds later, however, she looked round furtively, a

ew you in a minute. But you act

e, a light of some kind of emotion shining in her eyes where I saw traces of tears. But my recent

dam, you have

and her teeth shone salt whit

t. Do you think the mere shaving of your beard and moustache can hid

ity to feel. Fascinating eyes, very. But I had not lived the first sixteen years of my life in Russia without getting to know tha

but I have not the h

ttle gesture of impatience, sufficient to rem

r-and by the way, what madness is it that makes you loiter about here in this public way, out of unifor

stranger. You must not tell me these things. My na

t you are my brother Alexis, going to leave me perhaps for ever, and that when I want to scold you for running this risk-for you know there are police,

you are my br

enough not to play this comedy any

elligence breaking over her features. "I forgot. Of course, I am compromising your disguise by thus speaking to you. I am sorry. It was my love for yo

or was involuntary. I give you my honour, Madam, that you are under a complete mistake if you take me for any relative of your own. I am an Englishman, as I say, and I arrived in Moscow only last ni

t and stood that she might co

und to get a view of my figure. Then she came back and looked in

h. "If I allow for the difference your beard

my pocket-book and shewed her my passport to Paris,

how she had committed herself with me, if I were really a stranger, and I saw

ted her hands as i

aid shall pass my lips." The bright glance of gratitude she threw me inspired me

ought I had offended her: but the next mo

e asked with an indifferen

ersburg expres

as if weighing whether she dare ask me something. Then she said quickly:-"Will you give

awaited my reply I could perceive she had a strong motive: and o

d mistaken me for him, others would certainly do so; and thus, if she and I were together, the brother would get away unsuspected and would be flying fro

"but two days, or two weeks, if you like-if

by my expression that I had

a very poor diplomatist." With that we went out on to the platform

t she wished me to act as a c

I should not have asked this," she said, apologetically. And then to excuse

in conflict with anyone, I should like it. I can't tell you all my reasons, as that would mean telling you a biggish slice of my life; but feel assured that if there's likely to be any adventure in it from which some men might shrink,

, and we took two or three turns

u. I will risk it and tell you. My brother is flying because a man in his regiment"-here her eyes shone and her cheeks coloured to a deep red-"has fastened a quarrel on him. He has-has tried to-well, he has worried me and I don't like him"-the blush was of indignation now-"and because of this he has picked a q

nd made the eyes look more b

ur brother ref

tch would have triumphed over him. And he knows this, because he offered to let Alexis off, if

such an offer as this sin

old me. But I could not do

dently talked his sister round. What I thought of most wa

ad not recognised me, perhaps he would not. I felt that I should like to try. There was no reason why I sh

us for your brother

d. If he gets away now to Berlin or

d in a few hours. A single telegram from Moscow wil

;" and she wr

could reach the frontier and pass

le thing and saw my point w

give away. This man is n

same mistake about me that you have

She was trembling a li

n your expression; but in all Moscow there is not a

able, I can assure you I am quite as able to take care of myself with eith

of which she said, her face w

e are other reasons. My b

olensk?" asked a man who came up and interrupted us,

at his eyes confirmed this. They were a weak rendering of the glorious blu

nd was wearing false hair that could deceive no one. In a few min

know. If you'll help her in this matter, she will be very much obliged; and so shall I. You needn't go out to-morrow and fight Devinsky-that's the major's name: Loris Devinsky. My regiment's the Moscow Infantry

ff the beard: the little black moustache may stay. Speak English, or your own tongue, and play my part to the frontier; and here take my passport; but post it back to your sister to be

sister first. He would never have got me

ade such arrangements for my luggage as I wished, and then we hurried up to the train just before it started. As we reached the barrier whe

Alexis;" and he s

gh: and he waved an adieu to us f

together, Olga w

I acknowledged the salute grave

girl and myself for some time, leave their places and follow us. I told my comp

now them?

are Nihilist sp

e more in this than I have

ng," she replied as we l