he had encountered at the prince's. The remarks and
exclamations of the spectators here were of so irritating a nature that
Keller was very near making them a speech on the impropriety of their
conduct, but was luckily caught by Burdovsky, in the act of turning to
address them, and hurried indoors.

Nastasia Philipovna was ready. She rose from her seat, looked into the
glass and remarked, as Keller told the tale afterwards, that she was "as
pale as a corpse." She then bent her head reverently, before the ikon in
the corner, and left the room.

A torrent of voices greeted her appearance at the front door. The crowd
whistled, clapped its hands, and laughed and shouted; but in a moment or
two isolated voices were distinguishable.

"What a beauty!" cried one.

"Well, she isn't the first in the world, nor the last," said another.

"Marriage covers everything," observed a third.

"I defy you to find another beauty like that," said a fourth.

"She's a real princess! I'd sell my soul for such a princess as that!"

Nastasia came out of the house looking as white as any handkerchief; but
her large dark eyes shone upon the vulgar crowd like blazing coals.
The spectators' cries were redoubled, and became more exultant and
triumphant every moment. The door of the carriage was open, and Keller
had given his hand to the bride to help her in, when suddenly with
a loud cry she rushed from him, straight into the surging crowd. Her
friends about her were stupefied with amazement; the crowd parted as she
rushed through it, and suddenly, at a distance of five or six yards
from the carriage, appeared Rogojin. It was his look that had caught her
eyes.

Nastasia rushed to him like a madwoman, and seized both his hands.

"Save me!" she cried. "Take me away, anywhere you like, quick!"

Rogojin seized her in his arms and almost carried her to the carriage.
Then, in a flash, he tore a hundred-rouble note out of his pocket and
held it to the coachman.

"To the station, quick! If you catch the train you shall have another.
Quick!"

He leaped into the carriage after Nastasia and banged the door. The
coachman did not hesitate a moment; he whipped up the horses, and they
were oft.

"One more second and I should have stopped him," said Keller,
afterwards. In fact, he and Burdovsky jumped into another carriage and
set off in pursuit; but it struck them as they drove along that it was
not much use trying to bring Nastasia back by force.