red
their path, guilt-laden. But there was to be no rebuke to-night for his
disobedience. On the contrary, his mother took him into her arms and
clasped him close, as if his presence brought comfort for much immediate
pain. And the boy, feeling the hot tears from her eyes fall upon his
face, laid his arms about her neck, and yielded himself to a grief and a
terror that he understood vaguely, but could not as yet define.

CHAPTER II

MICHAEL

Up to the time of Prince Gregoriev's marriage, that peculiar man had
used his huge dwelling as a gypsy uses a moor: he had wandered about,
living for three months in the west wing, three more in the east, again
for six high up in the central portion of the great building, taking
with him the rather simple impedimenta of his state, and arranging them
as he chose. The presence of Sophia had, however, made at least one
change in his existence. Little either of time or attention as he gave
her, Michael was driven, by mere consciousness of her proximity, to fix
upon some certain suite of rooms for the pursuit of his personal labors
and his peculiar recreations. And, after the first irritation of
necessity had worn away, he found the arrangement to possess unforeseen
advantages. Unlike his class, he was a man of simple, even austere
habits in his working hours. Luxury at such times meant annoyance to
him; and only the barest necessities of furniture and attire were
admitted to his periods of solitary labor. Upon his establishment in his
now permanently arranged suite in the eastern wing of the palace, he
found that certain papers and written references--kept hitherto under
lock and key, and guarded from every eye--could at last find a permanent
place in that work-room which no one was permitted to enter, even for
purposes of cleaning. For twenty-eight years, now, this had formed one
of his six rooms, of which two on the second floor were connected with
those below by a private staircase. By degrees, his habits had become as
fixed at those of a woman. His many vices were as strong, as severe, as
his few virtues; and more than one man had remarked that, so far as was
known, there was not a single balancing weakness in the nature of this
iron man.

At two o'clock on the morning after the ball, Michael had seated
himself at the great table in his sanctum, and prepared for work.
He had no idea of bed; for sleep in his present state, his brain
afire with the fury of unwonted defeat