way? Now, I know you are a gentleman. What would you
advise us to do? I think we are all lost."

Pashinsky started to come back; then a Lett passed, so the voice
stopped. Pashinsky came near me and said, "The Heir never cries when I
tease him. Believe me, he is a hard kid. What do you think if I scare
him more?"

"Yes," I said, "a stubborn child." "I must try again," and he walked
away.

The window again gave way. "Please," the same voice said, "can't
you give any advice to us? We are so frightened! Father is praying;
Mother's very ill; we are all alone."

"I'll write you," I said, (without moving my lips), "what I think and
bring it back."

"Thank you."

I went to Pashinsky, whose teasing was becoming hideous and rough.
He said to the Heir that they had decided to shoot the whole family.
Tears were on the child's face but he kept on bravely; he could not go
away--Pashinsky was at the gate.

I wished: "Just a day or two,--and I will be able to do something. Oh,
God! Send something to stop it right now."

I guess that my prayer was heard.

The tutor's face,--one of those broad Russian faces,--gradually grew
purple and then grey. Slowly, and hypnotising Pashinsky, he approached
the scamp, took him by the collar and pulled him towards the fence.
Then, losing his breath, Derevenko said, "Leave the boy alone,
you scoundrel! You,--you call yourself a Russian sailor? You? Have
this...." and the slap on Pashinsky's face sounded to me like Chopin's
First Nocturne. What divine music!

I expected a clash. But no! The rifle fell out of Pashinsky's hands
and, silent and tamed, with half-closed eyes, he was waiting for
another smash. Then Derevenko saw me and thought I was going to shoot
him, but I made no such move. I slipped away and went innocently
towards the big gate. So, when Pashinsky came to me--he was sure I
had seen nothing, and when I asked how the teasing was going on, he
answered:

"Oh, I let this trash go. It annoys me."

The left side of his face was inflamed and tears were frozen on his
eyes. It was a good one, by God!

After this incident I turned to the quarters "for a drink of water"
and wrote a little note that "nothing bad could happen to the
Princesses when they were alone" and that, "I shall exert all in my
power to prevent any disagreeable happenings." I wrote that I knew
some people were working to save them. My letter, I thought, would
brace them up and would give them an idea that there w