traced it to an inner
chamber, and he there beheld the lovely singer kneeling in the costume
of a Polish serf. She rose, greeted Leon with a touching smile, and
stepped forward with serious bashfulness. Leon extended his arms; she
sank into them; and in that fond embrace all past wrongs and sorrows
were forgotten! Anielka drew from her bosom a little purse, and took
from it a piece of silver, It was the rouble. Now, Leon did not smile
at it. He comprehended the sacredness of this little gift, and some
tears of repentance fell on Anielka's hand.

A few months after, Leon wrote to the steward of Olgogrod to prepare
everything splendidly for the reception of his second wife. He
concluded his letter with these words:

"I understand that in the dungeon beneath my palace there are some
unfortunate men, who were imprisoned during my father's lifetime. Let
them be instantly liberated. This is my first act of gratitude to God,
who has so infinitely blessed me!"

Anielka longed ardently to behold her native land. They left Vienna
immediately after the wedding, although it was in the middle of
January.

It was already quite dark when the carriage, with its four horses,
stopped in front of the portico of the palace of Olgogrod. Whilst the
footman was opening the door on one side, a beggar soliciting alms
appeared at the other, where Anielka was seated. Happy to perform a
good action as she crossed the threshold of her new home, she gave him
some money; but the man, instead of thanking her, returned her bounty
with a savage laugh, at the same time scowling at her in the fiercest
manner from beneath his thick and shaggy brows. The strangeness
of this circumstance sensibly affected Anielka, and clouded her
happiness. Leon soothed and reassured her. In the arms of her beloved
husband she forgot all but the happiness of being the idol of his
affections.

Fatigue and excitement made the night most welcome. All was dark and
silent around the palace, and some hours of the night had passed,
when suddenly flames burst forth from several parts of the building at
once. The palace was enveloped in fire; it raged furiously. The flames
mounted higher and higher; the windows cracked with a fearful sound,
and the smoke penetrated into the most remote apartments.

A single figure of a man was seen stealing over the snow, which lay
like a winding-sheet on the solitary waste; his cautious steps were
heard on the frozen snow as it crisped bene