as by chance she was seated with her back to the light, the
general noticed nothing.

Breakfast passed in relating and listening to an account of this strange
campaign which began under the burning sun of Italy and ended in the
glaciers of Switzerland. As there are no journals in St. Petersburg
which publish anything other than that which is permitted by the emperor,
Souvarow's successes were spread abroad, but his reverses were ignored.
Foedor described the former with modesty and the latter with frankness.

One can imagine, the immense interest the general took in Foedor's story.
His two captain's epaulets and the decorations on his breast proved that
the young man had modestly suppressed his own part in the story he had
told. But the general, too courageous to fear that he might share in
Souvarow's disgrace, had already visited the dying field-marshal, and had
heard from him an account of his young protege's bravery. Therefore,
when Foedor had finished his story, it was the general's turn to
enumerate all the fine things Foedor had done in a campaign of less than
a year. Having finished this enumeration, he added that he intended next
day to ask the emperor's permission to take the young captain for his
aide-de-camp. Foedor hearing this wished to throw himself at the
general's feet, but he received him again in his arms, and to show Foedor
how certain he was that he would be successful in his request, he fixed
the rooms that the young man was to occupy in the house at once.

The next day the general returned from the palace of St. Michel with the
pleasant news that his request had been granted.

Foedor was overwhelmed with joy: from this time he was to form part of
the general's family. Living under the same roof as Vaninka, seeing her
constantly, meeting her frequently in the rooms, seeing her pass like an
apparition at the end of a corridor, finding himself twice a day at the
same table with her, all this was more than Foedor had ever dared hope,
and he thought for a time that he had attained complete happiness.

For her part, Vaninka, although she was so proud, at the bottom of her
heart took a keen interest in Foedor. He had left her with the certainty
that he loved her, and during his absence her woman's pride had been
gratified by the glory he had acquired, in the hope of bridging the
distance which separated them. So that, when she saw him return with
this distance between them lessened, she felt b