wild; but he was a courteous gentleman, and could always be
depended upon.

"Mon cher," said Margaret, "I need not tell you I am enchanted to see
you, but what is the meaning of the things you wrote me this morning?
Are you really in trouble?"

"Helas, yes. I am in the worst kind of trouble that exists for a
Russian. I am in political trouble--and that entails everything else."

"Tell me all about it," said she. "Perhaps I may help you."

"Ah no! you cannot help. It is not for that I am come. I have a
confession to make that concerns you."

"Well?" said she, with a smile. She did not suppose it could be anything
very bad.

"You will be angry, of course," he said, "but that is nothing. I have
done you an injury that I cannot repair."

"Enfin, my dear Nicholas, tell me. I do not believe anything bad of
you."

"You are kindness itself, and I thank you in advance. Wait till you have
heard. I am 'suspect,'--they think I am a Nihilist I am exiled to the
mines, and everything is confiscated. Voila! Could it be worse?"

Margaret was taken off her guard. She had herself been in more than easy
circumstances at the time of her marriage, but the financial crisis in
America, which occurred soon after that event, had greatly crippled her
resources. She had of late looked chiefly to her jointure for all the
luxuries which were so necessary to her life. To find this suddenly
gone, in a moment, without the slightest preparation, was extremely
embarrassing. She covered her eyes with one hand for a moment to collect
her thoughts and to try and realise the extent of the disaster. Nicholas
mistook the gesture.

"You will never forgive me, I know. I do not deserve that you should.
But I will do all in my power to repair the evil. I will go to Siberia
if they will consider your rights to the estate."

Margaret withdrew her hand, and looked earnestly at the young man.

"Forgive you?" said she. "My dear Nicholas, you do not suppose I
seriously think there is anything to forgive?"

"But it is true," he said piteously; "in ruining me they have ruined
you. Mon Dieu, mon Dieu! If I only had a friend--"

"Taisez vous donc, mon ami. It is everything most bete what you say. You
have many friends, and as for me, I do not care a straw for the money.
Only if I had known I would not have left Europe. Voila tout."

"Ah, that is it," said Nicholas. "I escaped the police and hurried to
Baden. But you were gone. So I took the first steamer a