Prince Zilah -- Volume 3

nstantly before his eyes, sometimes in the silvery shimmer of her bridal robes, and sometimes with the deathly pallor of the promenader in the garden of Vaugirard; Marsa, who had taken possession of h

vily upon weary humanity; and not on

rd of a Menko had deceived her! Who knows? He might have pardoned her, perhaps, and accepted th

: "If he were dead!" That is, if there were not between

Menko w

e same time Marsa, crouching at his feet, and giving no other excuse

nish or pardon. But he had punished, since he had inflicted upon her that living death-insanity. A

still ill and feeble, and that she lived there like a nun, doing

or for

ed, when she asked, implored, besought death fr

her, but-I have the right to

Menko w

g Varhely, uneasy at his prolonged absence, and never succeeding in driving

one morning to his valet; and, going out

w, gazing mechanically at this lively corner of Paris, at the gray facade of the church, the d

to see before him, with his hand outstretched, as if he were

breakfasting over there, and my accursed paper must h

the matter?"

me! I must be a

a letter from Odessa, in which there was a detailed description of the execution of three nihilists, two of them gentlemen. It told how they were dragged, tied to the tails of horses, to the open square, each of them bearing upon his breast a white placard with this inscription, in black letters: "Guilty of high treason." Then the wretched General shivered from head to foot. Every detail of the melodramatic execution

ot as to relate such things i

priest present the cross to the condemned men, and Froloff, before putting on t

to recover his self-control. It seemed to him that Froloff was there behind him, and that the branches of the candelabra, stretching over his heated head, were the arms of gibbets ready to s

the newspapers

ead another! All that stuff is absurd!

his sword had been broken upon it and left a contusion, and glancing timid

ince Zilah, and rushed up to him with the j

enormous quantity of kummel he had absorbed, together with the terror produced by the article he had r

see myself here! But I am so bored down there at Maisons, and I rust, rust, as little-little-ah! Stephanie said to me once a

ed Andras,

have displeased the Czar. And to displease the Czar-Brr! Imagine the open square-Odessa-No, no, don't let us talk of it any more!" glancing suddenly about him, as if he feared the platoon

been drunk to address

in

t responsible for what he was saying, Andras rose to leave the restaurant, and the General with difficulty stumbled to his feet, and instinctively gr

or-the slightest bit of light-makes her ill. The days drag-they drag-yes, they do. No one speaks. Most of the time I dine alone. Shall I tell you?-no-yes, I will. Marsa, yes, well! M

ras, striving to c

w staggering violently,

d the boulevard, and An

instructed the coachma

o, after all, I should like to know? It wasn't anything so horrible. I stayed, against the Emperor's orders, five days too long at Odessa-that was all-yes, you see, a little French actress who was there, who sang operettas; oh, how she did sing operettas! Offenbach, you know;" and the General tried to hum a bar or two of the 'Dites lui', with ludicrous effect. "Charming! To leave her, ah! I found that very hard. I remained five days: that wasn't much, eh, Zilah? five days? But the devil! There was a Grand Duke-well-humph! younger than I, of course-and-and-the Grand Duke was jealous. Oh! there was at that time a conspiracy at Odessa! I was accused of spending my time at the theatre, instead of watching the conspirators. They even said I was in the conspiracy! Oh, Lord! Odessa! The ga

Andras, turning q

trying to give to his heavy face an ex

ked the Prince. "Is she

ou! absolutely insane

s ago,

at? two d

, two da

hat is it? Spe

h," stammere

desp

spatch from

ved a despatch

d-no; those miserable bits of paper, it is astonishing how they alarm you. There are telegrams

spatch? Whom was it fr

now, at last, whether I am to live!' Queer, wasn't it? I don't know what she meant! But it is certain-yes, certain, m

?" cried Andras

d Vogotzine in alarm, w

had seized him by th

ed General gasped out something unintelligible, his intoxica

arsa such emotion? "In two days I shall know, at last, whether I am to live!" Who could make her utter such a cry? Who, if

not? it is Menko?" r

otzine

anything i

ded, despite his inebriety, that he was in

you have told me too m

told me that-without meaning to. She was excited-very excited-talked to herself. I did not ask her anything- but-she is insane, you see, mad, mad! She first wro

cting him!" crie

n't k

o be this evening. Th

as if he had been before a military

this e

sons-La

wearies me-wearies me. Was it for this I decided to come to Par

made no

a brief "Thank you!" walked rapidly away, leaving Vogotzine in bl

to leave me here, old man?

l, with comic twitchings of his eyebrows a

ve you, Monsieur?"

gotzine, modestly, with an appealing look at