e entering her room she once
more turned, and, pressing her fingers to her lips, wafted kisses in the
air toward her friend.

"Good-night, Paulo!"

"Good-night, Natalie!"

The door closed behind her, and the smile instantly vanished from
Paulo's lips. With impetuous haste, beckoning Cecil to follow him, he
strode through the corridor leading to his own apartments.

When he had arrived there, and Cecil had closed the door behind him, the
count with a deep sigh threw himself upon a chair, whilst Cecil silently
busied himself in lighting the wax-candles and placing them upon the
table beside his master.

"Will not your grace now read the other letter?" he timidly asked, as
Count Paulo still remained buried in his silent reflections.

"Oh, this unblessed letter!" exclaimed the count, with a shudder. "I
tell you, Cecil, I feel that it contains misfortune. It has lain with
a heavy weight like a nightmare upon my breast and I yet felt not the
strength in me to draw it forth and read it in Natalie's presence!"

"That was well!" said Cecil, "and it was for that reason that I told you
in advance that the letter was from Russia, that you might be on your
guard. But now, Sir Count, we are alone, and now you can read it!"

"Yes, away with this childish fear!" cried the count, with resolution.
"I will be a man, Cecil, and whatever this letter may contain, I will
bear it like a man!"

Drawing forth the letter, he broke the seal with a trembling hand, and
threw the cover across the room. Then unfolding the letter, he
read. Behind him stood Cecil, involuntarily trembling with anxious
expectation.

The letter fell from the count's hands, and a deadly paleness spread
over his face, which bore the expression of utter despair.

"Oh, my prophetic soul!" he sighed.

"Your presentiment is then fulfilled!" anxiously asked Cecil.

"Yes, it is fulfilled! My property is sequestrated; they refuse to send
me the money I required; they command my immediate return to Russia, as
my _conge_ has expired and my respite is at an end!"

"And you are lost, my lord, if you do not obey this command!" said
Cecil.

"And Natalie?" reproachfully asked the count. "Can I, dare I leave her?"

"She is much safer without than with you! They may not yet suspect who
she is! It is very possible that it in reality only is because your
leave of absence has expired, as the laws of Russia require that every
absentee should return to his country once in eve