The Mission of Poubalov — page 176: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

j : 172 WHAT PAUL PALOVNA SAW. : of your veracity. Ushall listen to whatever you have to say, without reference to what you call a confession.”’ | ‘‘Well, then,’’ resumed the spy, speaking rapidly, ‘‘this is what I came to say. I had made investigations in my own way along the lines of the theory laid down with re- spect to the possible operations of Nihilists against Mr. Strobel. I caught Litizki shadowing me, and recognized him as one with whom I had come in official contact in— Russia. It seemed to me child’s play to deal with him, for I had no respect for his intellect. I supposed at first that he was tracking me as the agent of a Nihilistic soci- ety. Then I learned that he was devoted to Strobel. I knew he would come to see me, but not openly. Solsat up for him, and he crept into the house like a thief. We had a conversation that I will not pause to. detail. I did my best to impress him with my power, and then let him go away, for I wanted him to be at large, and I did not want him just then to report to you what I had told him. You see, I purposely allowed him to nurse his suspicions of me, Next day I called at his shop, my sole purpose being to learn who his associates were, and to endeavor to fasten upon them the taking off of Strobel. Among the men in his shop was one Boris Vargovitch, at one time somewhat of a leader among the Nihilists. The rest that I was going to say on that evening I do not need to say now, for I have since become convinced that Litizki was acting irrespon- sibly in pursuing me, and that if Nihilists were active, he was not in their confidence. Furthermore, I am now con- vinced that neither Vargovitch nor any other former Ni- hilist in Boston was concerned in the Strobel matter. I was mistaken in supposing that the Nihilists continued their close organization in this country. They may send revolutionary literature to Russia, but they do not keep up active operations here. I withdraw my innuendoes against them, therefore, and have to confess that you are now just as far along in your painful search as you were five days ago.’’ Clara was deeply impressed by this narreciunc ‘fle secig ©