himself, and, above all, he was
disquieted by the disappearance of the orderlies. He gathered from the
gestures of Ermolai that they had passed before the lodge only a
few minutes after the marshal's departure. They had gone together.
Rouletabille set himself to follow them, traced their steps in the soft
earth of the roadway and soon they crossed onto the grass. At this point
the tracks through the massed ferns became very difficult to follow. He
hurried along, bending close to the ground over such traces as he could
see, which continually led him astray, but which conducted him finally
to the thing that he sought. A noise of voices made him raise his head
and then throw himself behind a tree. Not twenty steps from him Natacha
and Boris were having an animated conversation. The young officer held
himself erect directly in front of her, frowning and impatient. Under
the uniform cloak that he had wrapped about him without having bothered
to use the sleeves, which were tossed up over his chest, Boris had
his arms crossed. His entire attitude indicated hauteur, coldness and
disdain for what he was hearing. Natacha never appeared calmer or more
mistress of herself. She talked to him rapidly and mostly in a low
voice. Sometimes a word in Russian sounded, and then she resumed her
care to speak low. Finally she ceased, and Boris, after a short silence,
in which he had seemed to reflect deeply, pronounced distinctly these
words in French, pronouncing them syllable by syllable, as though to
give them additional force:

"You ask a frightful thing of me."

"It is necessary to grant it to me," said the young girl with singular
energy. "You understand, Boris Alexandrovitch! It is necessary."

Her gaze, after she had glanced penetratingly all around her and
discovered nothing suspicious, rested tenderly on the young officer,
while she murmured, "My Boris!" The young man could not resist either
the sweetness of that voice, nor the captivating charm of that glance.
He took the hand she extended toward him and kissed it passionately. His
eyes, fixed on Natacha, proclaimed that he granted everything that she
wished and admitted himself vanquished. Then she said, always with that
adorable gaze upon him, "This evening!" He replied, "Yes, yes. This
evening! This evening!" upon which Natacha withdrew her hand and made a
sign to the officer to leave, which he promptly obeyed. Natacha remained
there still a long time, plunged in thought. Ro