d Alexander,
irritated at his brother's coldness. Paul laid down the paper, and
stared at him with his hard blue eyes.

"Alexander, you are a fool," he said coolly.

"Look here," said the other, suddenly losing his temper, and rising to
his feet, "I will not submit to this sort of language."

"Then do not expose yourself to it. Are you aware that you do me very
serious injury by your escapades?"

"Escapades indeed!" cried Alexander indignantly. "As if there were any
harm in telling a woman she is pretty!"

"You will probably have occasion to hear what the chief thinks of it
before long," retorted his brother. "There will be a complaint. It will
get to the palace, and the result will be that I shall be sent to
another post, with a black mark in the service. Do you call that a joke?
It is very well for you, a rich officer in the guards, taking a turn in
the East by way of recreation. You will go back to Petersburg and tell
the story and enjoy the laugh. I may be sent to China or Japan for three
or four years, in consequence."

"Bah!" ejaculated the soldier, sitting down on the divan. "I do not
believe it. You are an old woman. You are always afraid of injuring your
career."

"If it is to be injured at all, I prefer that it should be by my own
fault."

"What do you want me to do?" asked Alexander, rising once more. "I think
I will go back to the Valley of Roses, and see if I cannot find her
again." Suiting the action to the word, he moved towards the door. All
the willfulness of the angry Slav shone in his dark eyes, and he was
really capable of fulfilling his threat.

"If you try it," said Paul, touching an electric bell behind his chair,
"I will have you arrested. We are in Russia inside these gates, and
there are a couple of Cossacks outside. I am quite willing to assume the
responsibility."

Paul was certainly justified in taking active measures to coerce his
headstrong brother. The spoilt child of a brilliant society was not
accustomed to being thwarted in his caprices, and beneath his delicate
pale skin the angry blood boiled up to his face. He strode towards his
brother as though he would have struck him, but something in Paul's eyes
checked the intention. He held his heavy silver cigarette case in his
hand; turning on his heel with an oath, he dashed it angrily across the
room. It struck a small mirror that stood upon a table in the corner,
and broke it into shivers with a loud crash. At that moment th