ying it by a
murmuring chorus, which soon convinced me of the dangerous neighbourhood
into which I had fallen. The words became well known afterwards. No
language excels the Russian in energy; but I must give them in the
weakness of a translation.

The Neva may rush
To its fountain again;
The bill of a bird
Lake Ladoga may drain;
The blast from the Pole
May be held in a chain;
But the cry of a Nation
Was never in vain!

When the bones of our chiefs
Feed the wolf and the kite;
When the spurs of our squadrons
Are bloody with flight;
When the Black Eagle's banner
Is torn from its height;
Then, dark-hearted dreamer!
Beware of the _night_!

I hear in the darkness
The tread of the bold;
They stop not for iron,
They stop not for gold;
But the Sword has an edge,
And the Scarf has a fold.
Proud master of millions,
Thy tale has been told!

Now the chambers are hush'd,
And the strangers are gone,
And the sire is no sire,
And the son is no son,
And the mightiest of Earth
Sleeps for ever alone,
The worm for his brother,
The clay for his throne!

My conviction was complete, when, in the whirl of the dance, a small
roll of paper dropped from the robe of one of the maskers, and fell at
my feet. In taking it up to return it to him, I saw that it was a list
of names, and, at the head, a name which, from private information, I
knew to be involved in dark political purposes. The thought flashed
across me, in connexion with the chorus which I had just heard, that the
paper was of too much importance to be suffered to leave my
possession.--The life of the sovereign might be involved. The group, who
had been evidently startled by my sudden appearance among them, now
surrounded me, and the loser of the paper insisted on its instant
surrender. The violence of his demand only confirmed my resolution. He
grew more agitated still, and the group seized me. I laid my hand upon
my sword. This measure stopped them for the moment. But in the next, I
saw a knife brandished in the air, and felt myself wounded in the arm.
My attempt to grasp the weapon had alone saved me from its being buried
in my heart. But the fracas now attracted notice; a crowd rushed towards
us, and the group suddenly scattered away, leaving me still in
possession of the paper. My wound bled, and I felt faint, and desired to
be led into the open air. My mask was taken off; and this was scarcely
d