time longer Godfrey took his leave. As soon as
he had gone the girl's manner changed.

"Do you think you are wise to have him here, Akim?"

"Why not?" the student asked in turn. "He is frank and agreeable, he is
respectable, and even you will allow that it would be safer walking with
him than some we know; we do not talk politics with him."

"For all that I am sorry, Akim. You know how it will be; we shall get
him into trouble. It is our fate; we have a great end in view; we risk
our own lives, and although for the good of the cause we must not
hesitate even if others suffer, I do hate with all my heart that others
should be involved in our fortunes."

"This is not like you, Katia," Petroff said. "I have heard you say your
maxim is 'At any cost,' and you have certainly lived up to it."

"Yes, and I shall live up to it," she said firmly; "but it hurts
sometimes, Petroff; it hurt me just now when I thought that that lad
laughing and chatting with us had no idea that he had better have thrust
his hand into that stove than have given it to us. I do not shrink; I
should use him as I should use anyone else, as an instrument if it were
needful, but don't suppose that I like it."

"I don't think there is any fear of our doing him harm," Akim said; "he
is English, and would find no difficulty in showing that he knew nothing
of us save as casual acquaintances; they might send him out of the
country, but that would be all."

"It would all depend," she said, "upon how he fell into their hands. If
you happened to be arrested only as you were walking with him down the
Nevski Prospekt he would be questioned, of course, but as soon as they
learned who he was and that he had nothing to do with you, they would
let him go. But if he were with us, say here, when we were pounced upon,
and you had no time to pull the trigger of the pistol pointing into that
keg of powder in the cupboard, he would be hurried away with us to one
of the fortresses, and the chances are that not a soul would ever know
what had become of him. Still it cannot be helped now; he may be useful,
and as we give our own lives, so we must not shrink from giving others'.
But this is not what I came here to talk to you about; have you heard of
the arrest of Michaelovich?"

"No," they both exclaimed, leaping from their seats.

"It happened at three o'clock this morning," Katia said. "They
surrounded the house and broke in suddenly, and rushed down into the
cellar a