is was too cosmopolitan to show many of the peculiarities of his
race. He had seen too much of the world and studied and thought too
deeply. Besides, he was a man of real gentleness and simplicity.

As Mildred rode beside him, she too was wondering why she felt so at
ease with so great a person. Why, at home, in New York society, she had
always been awkward and tongue-tied with the most ordinary young man
worthy of no thought. Now she was telling General Alexis the entire
story of Sonya Valesky as she might have told it to her own father. And
she felt equally sure of his sympathy and understanding. General Alexis
would, of course, have no political sympathy with Sonya's ideas. He was
a soldier devoted to his Czar and his country, while in his opinion
Sonya could only be regarded as mistaken and dangerous. But Mildred
knew that he would be sorry for Sonya, the woman, and sorry for them
as her friends.

So she described their original meeting on board the "Philadelphia," and
the suspicion, then wrongfully directed against Sonya, who was at that
time using the name of Lady Dorian. Afterwards she told of Sonya's
appearance at the Sacred Heart Hospital and her work there. Last of all,
of their unexpected coming together in Russia and of the peculiar bond
between Nona Davis and the Russian woman.

At the beginning of her conversation with General Alexis, Mildred had no
idea in mind, except to tell the story that had been weighing heavily
upon her since Nona's confidence. Ever since she had seen the picture of
Sonya, as Nona had last seen her, the beautiful woman with her too-soon
white hair and the haunting beauty of her tragic blue eyes. She, a woman
of rare refinement and not yet forty, to spend the rest of her life
working among the convicts in Siberia. It was as if she were buried
alive!

Suddenly it occurred to Mildred that she might ask the advice of General
Alexis. She did not believe it possible that anything could be done for
Sonya Valesky now, after her sentence had been passed. But still it
would be well to feel they had tried all that was possible.

"You don't think, General, that there is anything that could be done
to have Sonya Valesky pardoned, do you?" she inquired, with unconscious
wistfulness. "You see, my friend, Nona Davis, wants so much to take
Madame Valesky back to the United States with her. Then neither she
nor her ideas would be of any more danger to Russia. Nona says Madame
Valesky is much bro