lently
from time to time. Matrena made Rouletabille sit in a corner of the
sofa, near her, and, counting on her fingers like a careful housewife
who does not wish to overlook anything in her domestic calculations, she
said:

"There have been three attempts; the first two in Moscow. The first
happened very simply. The general knew he had been condemned to
death. They had delivered to him at the palace in the afternoon the
revoluntionary poster which proclaimed his intended fate to the whole
city and country. So Feodor, who was just about to ride into the city,
dismissed his escort. He ordered horses put to a sleigh. I trembled and
asked what he was going to do. He said he was going to drive quietly
through all parts of the city, in order to show the Muscovites that a
governor appointed according to law by the Little Father and who had in
his conscience only the sense that he had done his full duty was not to
be intimidated. It was nearly four o'clock, toward the end of a winter
day that had been clear and bright, but very cold. I wrapped myself
in my furs and took my seat beside him, and he said, 'This is fine,
Matrena; this will have a great effect on these imbeciles.' So we
started. At first we drove along the Naberjnaia. The sleigh glided like
the wind. The general hit the driver a heavy blow in the back, crying,
'Slower, fool; they will think we are afraid,' and so the horses
were almost walking when, passing behind the Church of Protection and
intercession, we reached the Place Rouge. Until then the few passers-by
had looked at us, and as they recognized him, hurried along to keep
him in view. At the Place Rouge there was only a little knot of women
kneeling before the Virgin. As soon as these women saw us and recognized
the equipage of the Governor, they dispersed like a flock of crows, with
frightened cries. Feodor laughed so hard that as we passed under
the vault of the Virgin his laugh seemed to shake the stones. I felt
reassured, monsieur. Our promenade continued without any remarkable
incident. The city was almost deserted. Everything lay prostrated under
the awful blow of that battle in the street. Feodor said, 'Ah, they give
me a wide berth; they do not know how much I love them," and all through
that promenade he said many more charming and delicate things to me.

"As we were talking pleasantly under our furs we came to la Place
Koudrinsky, la rue Koudrinsky, to be exact. It was just four o'clock,
and a l