mber what had happened;
I did not recognize you. I thought, at first, that it was Durnief whom
I should assist, and I stood there, watching the struggle for a long
time, trying to remember. Then recollection came, for I heard your
voice. It recalled to me my senses. I remembered who Dubravnik was. Is
it not strange that I should have forgotten? Even for a moment, is it
not strange that I should have forgotten?"

"No, dear, no," I replied.

"Then I found the sword, in the snow. I remembered that I wanted to
kill Durnief, and I put the point against his back. But I could not
press upon it. I tried, but I could not do it. It was horrible,
Dubravnik, horrible. I tried a second time, and the point of the sword
was actually piercing his clothing, when my eyes fell upon the whip. I
secured it. There! See! He is reviving. Seize him, for he must not
escape."

CHAPTER XXIII

WHAT THE CZAR FORGOT

I took Zara back to the house of the prince, where I was well known to
every servant of the establishment, for I had been a constant and an
honored guest, there. From it I despatched messengers to O'Malley, and
to Coyle, and presently sent Durnief away to prison, in charge of the
former, while the latter brought a conveyance which took Zara and me to
the home of my princess. It was a much quicker return than I had
anticipated, at the time we departed from that house together, but the
condition in which we found it, told only too plainly what might have
been my sweetheart's fate, had I trusted to appearances, and left her
there. The nihilists had lost no time in searching for her, when they
were made to believe that she had betrayed them. The place was almost a
wreck. It had been searched, and the searchers had not hesitated to
become despoilers, also. Nevertheless it was a happy homecoming for
Zara, for looking upon the devastation that had been wrought in her
absence, she turned to me with a smile, and said:

"I have lost much, this past night, Dubravnik, in shattered idols and
broken toys, but I have gained the whole world, too, for I have found
you."

When I had seen Zara safely inside her own door, and had given her
every assurance of her entire safety, I had myself driven to the
palace.

Although I had promised to see the emperor as soon as I arrived, I felt
that it was my first duty to interview Prince Michael, in the hope that
the events of the preceding day might be reviewed in a better spirit.
Accordingly, I