Argosy, Vol. 1 (December 9, 1882) — page 143: what you’re looking at

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

- a = 136 THE ARGOGSY. “T believe you, Mr. Derrington; forgive me. You shall have the mes- senger.” “ You forget one thing, princess.” What? ” “Your own danger.” “In what way am I in danger?” “If those men are arrested, they will know that you have betrayed them to me. Their friends will know it also.” “You mistake. I had not forgotten that. The Nihilists could not do me a greater mercy than to killme. They would only save me the trouble of per- forming the act myself.” Then she raised her eyes and looked at me, and they were moist with un- shed tears. There was that same indescribable pain in them that I had noticed several times since the interview began; that same expression which I could not fathom. “ T have found that there comes a time in a woman’s life,” she said slowly, “when all her pet theories fall flat and useless, when every idol that she has worshiped is demolished. Let us not talk of the danger to me. Let us in- stead prepare the message for my servant to carry’” “ Before we discuss that farther—and we must return to it again—I want to remind you of one point that I think you have forgotten, concerning this proposed arrest.” “Well? What is it?” “Your brother, Ivan.” “What of him?” “Ts it not more than probable that he is one of the men out there waiting for me? ”’ “Yes. It is. I had forgotten that.” ‘He would be caught in the net with the others. He would suffer the same fate that fell to them. Are you willing to run the risk of his being there? ” “No, oh, no!” she cried. “You see, then, princess, how impossible it is for you to give me a mes- senger.” She wrung her hands together in agony. She walked the length of the room two or three times, and then she came and stood before me. ‘“ T cannot let you be murdered in this way,” she said brokenly. “I cannot sacrifice Ivan. I know by what you have already said that if you knew that Ivan was not there you would still refuse to accept the use of my messenger, knowing the danger that such an act would bring upon me—yes, even though I tell you that I shall take my own life before the dawn of another day, whether that danger exists or not. Cannot you see how I am suffering? Even though I try with all my strength to conceal it, can’t you see it? Is there not some other way? Is there not something that can be done? Will you not telp me? Great God! Can you not see why I suffer, my friend? ” “ Olga,” I replied, deliberately taking a step backwards and outting my hands behind me, fearing that I might clasp her in my arms in spite of my s GOH GoOOO ‘SS COLNT