s, his family--as soon as he learned
of the first attack, to come and remain by the side of his dear comrade
Feodor. He had done this after each attack, without forgetting one.
He was a faithful friend. But he fretted because they might not go
bear-hunting as in their youth. 'Where, he would ask, are there any
bears remaining in Courlande, or trees for that matter, what you could
call trees, growing since the days of the grand-dukes of Lithuania,
giant trees that threw their shade right up to the very edge of the
towns? Where were such things nowadays? Thaddeus was very amusing,
for it was he, certainly, who had cut them away tranquilly enough
and watched them vanish in locomotive smoke. It was what was called
Progress. Ah, hunting lost its national character assuredly with tiny
new-growth trees which had not had time to grow. And, besides, one
nowadays had not time for hunting. All the big game was so far away.
Lucky enough if one seized the time to bring down a brace of woodcock
early in the morning. At this point in Thaddeus's conversation there
was a babble of talk among the convivial gentlemen, for they had all the
time in the world at their disposal and could not see why he should be
so concerned about snatching a little while at morning or evening, or
at midday for that matter. Champagne was flowing like a river when
Rouletabille was brought in by Matrena Petrovna. The general, whose eyes
had been on the door for some time, cried at once, as though responding
to a cue:

"Ah, my dear Rouletabille! I have been looking for you. Our friends
wrote me you were coming to St. Petersburg."

* In this story according to Russian habit General Trebassof
is called alternately by that name or the family name Feodor
Feodorovitch, and Madame Trebassof by that name or her
family name, Matrena Petrovna.--Translator's Note.

Rouletabille hurried over to him and they shook hands like friends who
meet after a long separation. The reporter was presented to the company
as a close young friend from Paris whom they had enjoyed so much during
their latest visit to the City of Light. Everybody inquired for the
latest word of Paris as of a dear acquaintance.

"How is everybody at Maxim's?" urged the excellent Athanase Georgevitch.

Thaddeus, too, had been once in Paris and he returned with an
enthusiastic liking for the French demoiselles.

"Vos gogottes, monsieur," he said, appearing very amiable and leaning
on e