wift, warning gesture, and glanced towards
the door, muttering:

"There is no need of names or titles."

"Or of precautions here!" I rejoined impatiently. "Remember, we are
in England, man!"

"True, I forgot; but still, caution is always best. About this
information. What do you wish to know?"

"Why, everything, man; everything! How did you escape? What
is--he--doing at this place; have you news of _her_? That first,
and above all!"

"That I cannot give, for I have it not. I think he knows somewhat,
and if that is so he himself will tell you. But I have heard
nothing--nothing! For the rest, I crawled further into the forest, and
lay quiet there. I heard enough through the night to know somewhat at
least that was befalling, but I kept still. What could I have done to
aid? And later, I made my way to a place of safety; and thence, in due
time, to Zostrov, where I joined my master. It is one of his estates,
and he is banished there, for how long? Who can say? Till those about
the Tzar alter their minds, or till he himself sees reason to go
elsewhere! They dare do nothing more to him, openly, for he is a prince
of the blood, when all is said, and the Tzar loves him; so does the
Tzarina (God guard her), though indeed that counts for little! It is not
much, this banishment,--to him at least. It might have been worse. And
he is content, for the present. He finds much work ready to his hand. We
get news, too; much more news than some imagine,--the censor among them.
We heard of your deliverance almost as soon as it was accomplished, and,
later, of your--what do you call it?"

"Acquittal?" I suggested.

"That would be the word; you were proved innocent."

"Not exactly; there was not sufficient evidence of my guilt and so I was
discharged," I answered; and as I spoke I remembered that, even now, I
was liable to be rearrested on that same charge, since I had not been
tried and acquitted by a jury.

"We know, of course," he continued, "that you did not murder that swine
Selinski."

"How do you know that?" I demanded.

"That I may not tell you, but this I may: if you had been condemned,
well--"

He blew a big cloud of smoke from his cigar, a cloud that obscured his
face, and out of it he spoke enigmatically:

"Rest assured you will never be hung for the murder of Vladimir
Selinski, although twenty English juries might pronounce you guilty!
But enough of that. The question is will you return with me, or will you
no