g, exclaimed at last--'O, my love, my dearest
friend, Praskovia Vladimirovna, take a sharp knife, open my white
breast, look what is the matter there!'

"'And wherefore need we take the sharp knife, and wherefore need we
open the white breast, or look upon the rebellious heart? Surely, by
thy fair face all can tell, my child, how that fair face hath been
darkened, how the fresh bloom hath faded, and bright eyes grown dull.
After all, 'tis clear thou lovest some wandering falcon, some
stranger youth.'

"Anastasia answered not a word; she could not speak for tears; and
hid her face in her hands. At last, softened by Selinova's friendly
sympathy, and her assurances that she would be easier if she would
confide her secret to such a faithful friend, she related her love
for the heretic. The episode of the crucifix was omitted in this tale,
which finished, of course, with assurances that she was enchanted,
bewitched.

"Poor Anastasia!

"Snowdrop! beautiful flower, thou springest up alone in the bosom of
thy native valley! And the bright sun arises every day to glass
himself in thy morning mirror; and the beaming moon, after a sultry
day, hastens to fan thee with her breezy wing, and the angels of God,
lulling thee by night, spread over thee a starry canopy, such as king
never possessed. Who can tell from what quarter the tempest may bring
from afar, from other lands, the seeds of the ivy, and scatter them
by thy side, and the ivy arises and twines lovingly around thee, and
chokes thee, lovely flower! This is not all: the worm has crawled to
thy root, hath fixed its fang therein, and kills ye both, if some
kind hand save ye not."

These extracts will enable our readers to judge for themselves of the
merits of M. Lajetchnikoff's style as it appears in Mr Shaw's translation.
A better selection might have been made, had we not been desirous to avoid
any such anticipation of the development of the story as light diminish
its interest; but we are inclined to believe that most of our readers will
agree with us in thinking, that if M. Lajetchnikoff has succeeded in
faithfully illustrating the manners of the age of Ivan the Great, he has
also shown that he possesses brilliancy of fancy, fervour of thought, and
elevation of sentiment, as well as knowledge of the movements of the heart,
revealed only to the few who have been initiated into nature's mysteries.

He does not appe