lt angry with the Levinska woman for her taunt. She, and such as
she, who were like so many undisciplined children, and whose ideas of
revolution were practically limited to acts of violence committed in
defiance or reprisal, could not even begin to understand the ideals not
merely held, but maintained, by Anne and Loris, and the few others who,
with them, knew that permanent good could never be accomplished by evil
means. Those two were dreamers, dreaming greatly; theirs was the vision
splendid, though they saw it only from far off, and strove courageously
but unavailingly to draw near to it. That vision will some day become a
reality; and then,--I wonder if any remembrance of those who saw it
first and paved the way to its realization, will linger, save in the
minds of the few who knew, and loved, and worked beside them, but who
were not permitted to share their fate? I doubt it, for the world at
large has a short memory!

Anne made no comment on Madame Levinska's last remark, while I kept on
with my work. I wished the woman would go, for we had much to get
through this afternoon, and at any moment some serious interruption
might occur; or the news we were awaiting might come.

The streets were unusually quiet to-day, hereabouts at any rate, and a
few timid folk who had kept within doors of late had again ventured out.
On the previous day several big meetings had been held, almost without
opposition, for, although martial law was proclaimed, and thousands of
soldiers had entered the city, "to repress disturbances" many of the
troops, including a whole regiment of hussars from Grodno, had refused
to fire on the people. Since then there was a decided abatement of
hostilities; though one dared not hope that it meant more than a mere
lull in the storm.

The railway and telegraph strikes were maintained, but plenty of news
got through,--news that the revolution was general; that Kronstadt and
Riga were in flames; Petersburg and Moscow in a state of anarchy; that
many of the troops had mutinied and were fighting on the side of the
revolutionists, while the rest were disheartened and tired out. During
the last few hours persistent rumors had reached us that the Tzar was on
the point of issuing a manifesto granting civil and political liberty to
the people; a capitulation on all important points in fact. If the news
were true it was magnificent. Such of us as were optimists believed it
would be the beginning of a new and gl