V. BY ROULETABILLE'S ORDER THE GENERAL PROMENADES

"Good morning, my dear little familiar spirit. The general slept
splendidly the latter part of the night. He did not touch his narcotic.
I am sure it is that dreadful mixture that gives him such frightful
dreams. And you, my dear little friend, you have not slept an instant.
I know it. I felt you going everywhere about the house like a little
mouse. Ah, it seems good, so good. I slept so peacefully, hearing the
subdued movement of your little steps. Thanks for the sleep you have
given me, little friend."

Matrena talked on to Rouletabille, whom she had found the morning after
the nightmare tranquilly smoking his pipe in the garden.

"Ah, ah, you smoke a pipe. Now you do certainly look exactly like a dear
little domovoi-doukh. See how much you are alike. He smokes just like
you. Nothing new, eh? You do not look very bright this morning. You are
worn out. I have just arranged the little guest-chamber for you, the
only one we have, just behind mine. Your bed is waiting for you. Is
there anything you need? Tell me. Everything here is at your service."

"I'm not in need of anything, madame," said the young man smilingly,
after this outpouring of words from the good, heroic dame.

"How can you say that, dear child? You will make yourself sick. I want
you to understand that I wish you to rest. I want to be a mother to you,
if you please, and you must obey me, my child. Have you had breakfast
yet this morning? If you do not have breakfast promptly mornings, I will
think you are annoyed. I am so annoyed that you have heard the secret of
the night. I have been afraid that you would want to leave at once and
for good, and that you would have mistaken ideas about the general.
There is not a better man in the world than Feodor, and he must have
a good, a very good conscience to dare, without fail, to perform such
terrible duties as those at Moscow, when he is so good at heart. These
things are easy enough for wicked people, but for good men, for good men
who can reason it out, who know what they do and that they are condemned
to death into the bargain, it is terrible, it is terrible! Why, I told
him the moment things began to go wrong in Moscow, 'You know what to
expect, Feodor. Here is a dreadful time to get through--make out you are
sick.' I believed he was going to strike me, to kill me on the spot.
'I! Betray the Emperor in such a moment! His Majesty, to whom I owe