I know what you can do when it comes to a
fight! Well, this is the 'sport' I offered you! Do you care to go in for
it? If not--"

"You know I care!" I exclaimed, half indignantly; and on that we gripped
hands.

We talked for a good while longer. He gave me much information that I
need not set down here, and we spoke often of Anne. He seemed much
interested in my cousin, Mary Cayley,--naturally, as she was Anne's
friend and hostess,--and seemed somehow relieved when I said Mary was
still in complete ignorance of all that had happened and was happening.

"I should like to meet your charming cousin; but that will never be, I
fear; though perhaps--who knows?--she and her friend may yet be
reunited," he said, rousing himself with a sigh and a shiver.

I slept late when I did get to bed, and was awakened at last by Nicolai,
who had breakfast ready, and informed me that Mishka was in readiness to
escort me to his father's house.

For a time life went smoothly enough. I was out and about all day with
the Pavloffs, superintending the trial of the new farming machines and
the distribution of the implements. During the first day or two Grodwitz
or one of the other officers always accompanied me, ostensibly as an act
of courtesy towards a stranger,--really, as I well understood, to watch
me; and therefore I was fully on my guard. They relaxed their vigilance
all the sooner, I think, because, in my pretended ignorance of Russian,
I blandly endeavored to press them into service as interpreters, which
they found pretty extensively boring.

They treated me quite _en bon camarade_; though even at dinner, and when
we were playing cards at night, one or other of them was continually
trying to "draw" me, and I had to be constantly on the alert. I had no
further public audience with the Duke, though he came to my room several
times by the secret stair.

But one evening, as Mishka and I rode towards the castle, a pebble shot
from a clump of bushes near at hand, and struck his boot. With a grunt
he reined up, and, without glancing in the direction whence the missile
came, dismounted and pretended to examine one of the horse's feet. But
I saw a fur cap, and then a face peering from among the bushes for an
instant, and recognized Yossof the Jew. Another missile fell at Mishka's
feet,--a small packet in a dark wrapping. He picked it up, thrust it in
his pocket, swung into the saddle, and we were off on the instant.

All he condescended