chael trembled. "What is it?"

"Father, it is that I want Irina's pardon.--Listen! Sergius Lihnoff has
been her undoing. Freed from his fanaticism, his fascination, she will
be as dangerous as a baby.--She always hated the treachery.--Before that
supper she even begged me to give it up, or to postpone it to Sunday--a
day when Ternoff wouldn't leave the offices at his hour.--I am willing
to give myself as guarantee for her. If ever again she involves herself
in a plot, I will come here and surrender."

He was interrupted by his father's harsh laugh. "Useful act!" he said.

Ivan flushed, but nevertheless repeated, steadily:

"Give her her pardon!--I've not asked much of you in my life. Do this
thing for me.--I won't want another."

Gregoriev frowned, but seemed to ponder the question. Finally, leaning
across the table, he growled: "Don't you know that never, in my life as
a Russian official, have I done such a thing as you ask? In all the
years of my service, a criminal hunted has been a criminal sentenced."

"And now I ask you to prove your rule by this one exception.--I swear
to you that the only person Irina is dangerous to, is--herself."

There ended Ivan's fight for the girl. The rest of the struggle, and it
was a fierce one, passed silently within his father's breast. Ten
unbearable minutes, and then, Michael raised his hand.

* * * * *

That conference with the last of the four prisoners, ended in one of the
profoundest sensations ever experienced by Prince Michael's entourage.
For the young man, a Nihilist "political" of the type the Chief hated
with a hatred undying, emerged from the cabinet alone, unguarded,
bearing a pass of complete freedom, signed, "Michael." Two of the men,
examining it, rushed back to the inner cabinet to discover if their
Chief had been foully murdered, as he had so often been warned would
happen when he persisted in interviewing, unattended, desperadoes of the
lowest class. But to-night the Prince was not only alive, but also, Ossa
upon Pelion, in a good humor!

The guards in-doors had by no means finished gaping over this fact, when
one of the soldiers who, on examination nights, stood at the outer gate,
came hurrying in with a fresh item. The freed "political," so evidently
under the special protection of all the saints, had paused as he reached
the bottom of the entrance stairs of the palace, and burst into a fit of
uncontrollable, hysterical la