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s assumed character. "And I have learned much since. There is to be a meeting to-night, and if things are as I suspect she will be brought before the tribunal. We must save her if we can. Will you come? To say it will be at the risk of your life is to put it mildly. It will be a forlorn hope." "I'll come; tell me how," I said. "You will go to the place where you met Mishka to-day, dine there, and change your clothes. They will have some for you, and you need not use the formula. They expect you already; I knew you would come! Mishka will join you, and will accompany you to the rank where I shall be waiting with my droshky. You will hire me in the usual way; and we will tell you my plans when we are clear of the city. Have you any weapon?" "No." He felt in an inner pocket of his filthy greatcoat and brought out a revolver and a handful of spare cartridges. "It's loaded; you can have these, too, though if there's any shooting I doubt if you'll have the chance of reloading. Let's hope you won't fall in with the police for the third time to-day! Mishka will join you between nine and ten. We need not start till then,--these light nights are a drawback, but that cannot be helped. The meeting will be held as usual, after midnight. That is all now. I must not stay longer. Give me the note you spoke of. A blank sheet--anything--I will destroy it immediately." I put a sheet of note-paper into an envelope, and addressed it to Lieutenant Mirakoff at his barracks. His was the first name that occurred to me. "You know him?" he asked, pointing to the name. "Very slightly." He nodded and picked up the note, holding it carefully by one corner between his filthy thumb and finger. I unlocked the door as quietly as I had locked it, and a moment later he opened it noisily and backed out, growling guttural and surly thanks; backed right up against the servant, who, as we both guessed, was waiting just outside. Even I was surprised at the altercation that followed. A Russian droshky driver has a bigger command of bad language than any other cabby in the world, and the Grand Duke Loris had evidently studied his part from life. He was letter perfect in it! I strode to the door and flung it open. "Here, stop that!" I shouted. "Be off with you, Ivan; you impudent rascal!" He leered at me and shambled off, but I could hear the coarse voice growling ribaldries all the way down the staircase. It was a masterpiece of
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