d already fallen upon the Boulevard
des Philosophes, in the free, independent and democratic city of
Geneva, where there is a quarter called "La Petite Russie." Whenever two
Russians come together, the shadow of autocracy is with them, tinging
their thoughts, their views, their most intimate feelings, their private
life, their public utterances--haunting the secret of their silences.

What struck me next in the course of a week or so was the silence of
these ladies. I used to meet them walking in the public garden near the
University. They greeted me with their usual friendliness, but I could
not help noticing their taciturnity. By that time it was generally known
that the assassin of M. de P--- had been caught, judged, and executed.
So much had been declared officially to the news agencies. But for the
world at large he remained anonymous. The official secrecy had withheld
his name from the public. I really cannot imagine for what reason.

One day I saw Miss Haldin walking alone in the main valley of the
Bastions under the naked trees.

"Mother is not very well," she explained.

As Mrs. Haldin had, it seemed, never had a day's illness in her life,
this indisposition was disquieting. It was nothing definite, too.

"I think she is fretting because we have not heard from my brother for
rather a long time."

"No news--good news," I said cheerfully, and we began to walk slowly
side by side.

"Not in Russia," she breathed out so low that I only just caught the
words. I looked at her with more attention.

"You too are anxious?"

She admitted after a moment of hesitation that she was.

"It is really such a long time since we heard...."

And before I could offer the usual banal suggestions she confided in me.

"Oh! But it is much worse than that. I wrote to a family we know in
Petersburg. They had not seen him for more than a month. They thought
he was already with us. They were even offended a little that he should
have left Petersburg without calling on them. The husband of the lady
went at once to his lodgings. Victor had left there and they did not
know his address."

I remember her catching her breath rather pitifully. Her brother had not
been seen at lectures for a very long time either. He only turned up now
and then at the University gate to ask the porter for his letters. And
the gentleman friend was told that the student Haldin did not come to
claim the last two letters for him. But the police came to i