ophia simply drew the covering from her breast
and let him look upon the hideous source of her pain. The man bent over
her, stared for a moment, shuddered, and, turning on his heel, left the
room without a word. Early upon the morning of the following day, that
of March thirty-first, to Sophia's amazed displeasure, the two most
eminent physicians in Moscow met at her bedside. At the conclusion of
their examination they were ushered below, to the Prince's cabinet,
where they gave Michael their decision as to the necessary course of
action. There must be an immediate operation. That was the one possible
hope. Even so--it was a pity, a very _great_ pity, that the _gnaedige
Frau_ had waited so long. By now, every day--almost every
hour--diminished the chance of recovery.

After this explanation, made by the German doctor and entirely
corroborated by his Russian colleague, there was a silence. Prince
Gregoriev sat bent over the table. A grayish tinge, absolutely foreign
to it, had overspread his face. His eyes were flaming. His teeth gnawed
savagely at the ends of his mustache. The two physicians waited,
considerately, till the lowered head was raised, the eyes lifted:

"There is--no other way? She--she has got to submit to the knife?"

"Gewiss! Nor can we promise--recovery--even so. Without it--two weeks--a
month, perhaps!" he shrugged, helplessly. "You understand, it is
medullary: the most rapid, the most malignant variety of all. It is not
a case that promises credit to us. Therefore, if the Herr Graf would
wish to try another physician, I should be glad that it were so. I would
resign the case willingly; for this disease gives little satisfaction to
us who love our work."

"At the same time," broke in Monsieur Petchkoff, the Russian doctor,
with some asperity, "we must remind our client, Herr Weimann, that
operations to-day do not mean what they did before the recent great
discovery of anaesthetics. I have been using chloroform now for more than
three years; and in every case where the heart permits, it has
obliterated entirely the pain of incision. You understand that the
patient may go to sleep in her bed and awaken there again, a few hours
later, without the slightest knowledge that she has ever been removed
from it. Consider that, your Highness!"

Gregoriev leaped to his feet. "Is it possible? I never believed those
tales. Do you corroborate this statement?" he added, turning to Weimann,
who sat approvingly nodd