The Argosy — page 129: what you’re looking at

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

BY RIGHT OF SWORD. 321 ‘‘ I understand it pretty well,’’ I said, as lightly as he had spoken. ‘‘ But if you don’t mind I think I’ll keep my own counsel.’’ ‘“ You know what it means ?’’ he asked. ‘To me?”? He nodded.. .‘*T can guess,’’ I said. ‘And to her ?”’ ‘No, I don’t know that. But I know your law is confoundedly hard on women,”’ ‘And this Tueski woman—why did she get this permit for—your sister?’’ He paused on the word. ‘‘ Wanted her out of the way; that’s all.” ‘“Ts what she says true—all true ?’’ ‘‘'That depends on what she says.”’ ‘It’s a strange tale. That you’re not what you call yourself; that you’ve taken the place of Lieutenant Alexis Petrovitch ; that you’re a Nihilist of the Nihilists ; that you murdered her husband ; and that she has the proofs of all this.” ‘ Why did you arrest her?’’ I asked, as an idea occurred to me. ‘“That,’’ he said, pointing to the permit. ‘‘ Did she volunteer her statement ? ”’ A laugh of diabolical cunning spread over his face. ‘“Yes—when she believed you had deceived her and had fled with— your sister. Boy, noone can guard himself against a jealous Russian woman.’’ ‘“ Now, I see a little more clearly. But why did you arrest Olga Petrovitch ? ”’ “Your visit to my sister this afternoon. You were too solicitous for the poor girl’s nerves, and we thought it might be better for you to know that she was in safe guardianship until you had made your decision. ‘There would at any rate be no pressing need for you to think of her leaving the country ; or feel it desirable to go with her to take care of her in her shat- tered condition. And we were right. But even I did not expect a tithe of all that has come from the step. It is indeed seldom that I get so genuine a surprise.’’ ‘‘ And what are you going to do—now ?” ‘“ How much of this woman’s tale is true?” ‘“Qne third of it. I am not Alexis Petrovitch ; but neither am I a Nihilist nor a murderer.’’ ‘Who are you?”’ “An Englishman, Hamylton Tregethner.’’ ‘‘ But your speech—your accent, your Russian ?”’ "I was brought up in Moscow for the first sixteen years of my life.’’ ‘“Tregethner, Hamylton Tregethner,’’ he murmured, repeating the name as if it were not wholly unfamiliar to him. ‘Then after a pause he asked me where the real Lieutenant Petrovitch was ; and questioned me searchingly and very shrewdly as to the whole details of my change of identity. I concealed nothing, (1) CoOTRnicooolkxs (S@)