t of appealing to him."

"But it is on my account they are to die," said that stupid woman,
Natalia Ivanovna. "And I forgive them."

The constable laughed. "Well--send a petition to the Czar."

"May I do it?"

"Of course you may."

"But is it not too late?"

"Send it by telegram."

"To the Czar himself?"

"To the Czar, if you like."

The story of the hangman having refused to do his duty, and preferring
to take the flogging instead, suddenly changed the soul of Natalia
Ivanovna. The pity and the horror she felt the moment she heard that the
peasants were sentenced to death, could not be stifled now, but filled
her whole soul.

"Filip Vassilievich, my friend. Write that telegram for me. I want to
appeal to the Czar to pardon them."

The constable shook his head. "I wonder whether that would not involve
us in trouble?"

"I do it upon my own responsibility. I will not mention your name."

"Is not she a kind woman," thought the constable. "Very kind-hearted,
to be sure. If my wife had such a heart, our life would be a paradise,
instead of what it is now." And he wrote the telegram,--"To his Imperial
Majesty, the Emperor. Your Majesty's loyal subject, the widow of Peter
Nikolaevich Sventizky, murdered by the peasants, throws herself at the
sacred feet (this sentence, when he wrote it down, pleased the constable
himself most of all) of your Imperial Majesty, and implores you to grant
an amnesty to the peasants so and so, from such a province, district,
and village, who have been sentenced to death."

The telegram was sent by the constable himself, and Natalia Ivanovna
felt relieved and happy. She had a feeling that since she, the widow of
the murdered man, had forgiven the murderers, and was applying for an
amnesty, the Czar could not possibly refuse it.

XI

LISA EROPKIN lived in a state of continual excitement. The longer she
lived a true Christian life as it had been revealed to her, the more
convinced she became that it was the right way, and her heart was full
of joy.

She had two immediate aims before her. The one was to convert Mahin; or,
as she put it to herself, to arouse his true nature, which was good
and kind. She loved him, and the light of her love revealed the divine
element in his soul which is at the bottom of all souls. But, further,
she saw in him an exceptionally kind and tender heart, as well as a
noble mind. Her other aim was to abandon her riches. She had first
thought of givin