tands nothing," he thought.

The Prince began to speak loftily.

"Mr. Razumov is a young man of conspicuous abilities. I have it at heart
that his future should not...."

"Certainly," interrupted the General, with a movement of the hand. "Has
he any weapons on him, do you think, Mr. Razumov?"

The General employed a gentle musical voice. Razumov answered with
suppressed irritation--

"No. But my razors are lying about--you understand."

The General lowered his head approvingly.

"Precisely."

Then to the Prince, explaining courteously--

"We want that bird alive. It will be the devil if we can't make him sing
a little before we are done with him."

The grave-like silence of the room with its mute clock fell upon the
polite modulations of this terrible phrase. The Prince, hidden in the
chair, made no sound.

The General unexpectedly developed a thought.

"Fidelity to menaced institutions on which depend the safety of a
throne and of a people is no child's play. We know that, _mon Prince,_
and--_tenez_--" he went on with a sort of flattering harshness, "Mr.
Razumov here begins to understand that too."

His eyes which he turned upon Razumov seemed to be starting out of his
head. This grotesqueness of aspect no longer shocked Razumov. He said
with gloomy conviction--

"Haldin will never speak."

"That remains to be seen," muttered the General.

"I am certain," insisted Razumov. "A man like this never speaks....
Do you imagine that I am here from fear?" he added violently. He felt
ready to stand by his opinion of Haldin to the last extremity.

"Certainly not," protested the General, with great simplicity of tone.
"And I don't mind telling you, Mr. Razumov, that if he had not come
with his tale to such a staunch and loyal Russian as you, he would
have disappeared like a stone in the water... which would have had a
detestable effect," he added, with a bright, cruel smile under his stony
stare. "So you see, there can be no suspicion of any fear here."

The Prince intervened, looking at Razumov round the back of the
armchair.

"Nobody doubts the moral soundness of your action. Be at ease in that
respect, pray."

He turned to the General uneasily.

"That's why I am here. You may be surprised why I should...."

The General hastened to interrupt.

"Not at all. Extremely natural. You saw the importance...."

"Yes," broke in the Prince. "And I venture to ask insistently that mine
and Mr. Razumov's inte