whisper under his breath--

"Come, Gregory, take courage!"

"You remember your promise?" replied the culprit, with an indefinable
expression of entreaty.

"Not for the first lashes, Gregory; do not count on that, for during
the first strokes the aide-de-camp will be watching; but among the later
ones be assured I will find means of cheating him of some of them."

"Beyond everything you will take care of the tip of the lash?"

"I will do my best, Gregory, I will do my best. Do you not know that I
will?"

"Alas! yes," replied Gregory.

"Now, then!" said the aide-de-camp.

"We are ready, noble sir," replied Ivan.

"Wait, wait one moment, your high origin," cried poor Gregory,
addressing the young captain as though he had been a colonel, "Vache
Vousso Korodie," in order to flatter him. "I believe that the lady
Vaninka's window is about to open!"

The young captain glanced eagerly towards the spot which had already
several times claimed his attention, but not a fold of the silken
curtains, which could be seen through the panes of the window, had
moved.

"You are mistaken, you rascal," said the aide-de-camp, unwillingly
removing his eyes from the window, as though he also had hoped to see it
open, "you are mistaken; and besides, what has your noble mistress to do
with all this?"

"Pardon, your excellency," continued Gregory, gratifying the
aide-de-camp with yet higher rank,--"pardon, but it is through her
orders I am about to suffer. Perhaps she might have pity upon a wretched
servant!"

"Enough, enough; let us proceed," said the captain in an odd voice, as
though he regretted as well as the culprit that Vaninka had not shown
mercy.

"Immediately, immediately, noble sir," said Ivan; then turning to
Gregory, he continued, "Come, comrade; the time has come."

Gregory sighed heavily, threw a last look up at the window, and seeing
that everything remained the same there, he mustered up resolution
enough to lie down on the fatal plank. At the same time two other serfs,
chosen by Ivan for assistants, took him by the arms and attached his
wrists to two stakes, one at either side of him, so that it appeared as
though he were stretched on a cross. Then they clamped his neck into
an iron collar, and seeing that all was in readiness and that no sign
favourable to the culprit had been made from the still closely shut
window, the young aide-de-camp beckoned with his hand, saying, "Now,
then, begin!"

"Patience, my l