The Mission of Poubalov — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

14 LATIZKI’S LESSON. wildly foolish had been his course, but his conviction re- mained unshaken. ‘*Have it so, then,’’ he hissed; ‘‘respect for law is not in your character. You have unlawfully taken possession of Ivan Strobel.”’ ‘*Yes?’’ responded Poubalov quietly; ‘‘you are very sure of that?”’ ‘‘I know it, yes; I did come here to find him, to inal ate, ay, to kill you if need be!’’ ‘‘Indeed! the same, familiar antagonism to the author- ity of Russia, I suppose. The Russian agent is to you like the red flag to the bull. Yes, very interesting. Well, Li- tizki?’’ ‘‘Alexander Poubalov!’’ exclaimed the tailor, rising and speaking with all his long-treasured bitterness, ‘‘you have Ivan Strobel, an American citizen, in your power; you re- strain him illegally of his liberty, with what purpose it matters not. I, as an American citizen, demand that you release him.”’ Poubaloyv looked with mock admiration at the fierce but grotesque figure before him, and said: ‘Good! very good! Iam not certain but that demand is good law. I shall have to think of it. When, Nicholas Litizki?’’ ‘‘T cannot tolerate your smart language,’’ returned Li- tizki; ‘‘give him up now. It will be worse for you if you fool with me. You threw me down in the dark because I was taken unawares. Inthe light I can make my own fight, Alexander Poubalov! Come! Ivan Strobel is in that room, behind that door, and if you have not stopped his ears as you have gagged his mouth and bound his limbs, he hears my voice now and knows it. I should be less than man should I not take evena desperate step to res- cue him, my friend, my benefactor!’’ . Even to the cynical spy the grotesqueness of the little tailor’s figure and make-up disappeared in the exaltation up to which his emotions bore him. He took one deter- | mined stride toward the door to the little cbooks.com