he
information that on the night of my flight from Saint Petersburg, a
domiciliary visit had been paid by the police to our house, and my
father had been dragged off to the fortress prison of Peter and Paul,
and that search was everywhere being made for me.

"I had not the least doubt that this was the work of Count Vasilovich;
but, feeling myself to be quite safe where I was, and knowing the
count's power and influence at the palace, my whole anxiety was on my
father's account, for Vasilovich is not only unscrupulous, he is
mercilessly vindictive, and I feared that, finding himself baulked in
his desire to get me into his power, he would wreak his vengeance on my
father. And, oh, Professor, my fears proved to be but too well founded;
for, five days later, Petrovich appeared again with the information that
my father had been convicted of high treason, and was even then being
hurried away south to Odessa, at which port he was to be placed, with a
large number of other unfortunates, on board a convict-ship for
transportation to Sakhalien.

"Oh, my friend, I cannot describe to you the depth of my despair at this
intelligence, which I soon learned was only too true. In my desperation
I would have returned to Saint Petersburg, sought out the count, and
consented to marry him upon condition of his saving my dear father. But
my friends denounced such a scheme as utter madness, and would not hear
of it; they asserted that the count, having gone to such extremes, would
not now be at all likely to undo his own work--even if that were
possible--and that if I were so imprudent as to enter into negotiations
with him, he would soon find the means to get me into his power and at
his mercy; while, my father having been convicted of high treason, the
whole of his property would certainly be confiscated, and what I had
always regarded as the count's chief reason for desiring to marry me--
namely, the command of the wealth which I should inherit from my
father--would no longer exist.

"These arguments prevailed with me, and I abandoned the mad idea of
appealing to Vasilovich; but I was in despair for my dear father, until
in a happy moment I remembered the words that he had spoken to me about
you only a short time before this dreadful misfortune befell us; then I
felt that, if I could but find you, something might yet be done. I
spoke to my friends about it, and they approved of my proposal to seek
you. But when I mentioned that i