The Argosy — page 272: what you’re looking at

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

The Missing Rubves. 255 Keep your hands still, Michael,” pleaded the unfortunate auditor, with a suppressed groan. ‘‘ And do not curse any more than you can help.” “We who stayed in Warsaw were thinking of you continually,” Michael went on. ‘‘ But we were watched always, watched so that we hardly dared to speak to each other in the streets. At that time Gradizoff had not returned to St. Petersberg ; he was living still in the house that had belonged to that unfortunate Lorenski, who was exiled two years earlier. He had taken young Paulina Lorenski, as you know, to live with his wife; and in those days he was newly married and had no child. ‘The girl seemed to live not unhappily in her strange home. She was allowed to go about freely here and there and see the people who had been her father’s familiar friends. And so it came to pass that she was often at the house of old Wouriski.” Vordenberg was listening now in spite of himself. Michael, more self-controlled than usual, was telling his story fairly well. Old Wouriski lived, as you may remember, with his two daughters, Nathalie and Marie, and his son John. My brother Paul was paying court to Nathalie, and went every day to the house. I did not go so often ; my mind was wholly occupied with our great schemes. Even then, under the very eyes of the Muscovites, we were working—work- ing always; and we would not give up our hope. And John Wouriski was one of our boldest spirits, ever cogitating and planning ; we put much trust in him and in his active brain. But there came to us, from a sure source, the news that John was about to be arrested ; and he fled—there was nothing to be done but to fly.” ** Poor John,” Vordenberg softly murmured. ‘Things went on just in the same way with the Wouriski house- hold after he was gone. We missed him, but we dared not speak much of our absent friends. We were always silent about our beloved ones at a distance in those days. Paul still faithfully courted Nathalie; little Marie was the inseparable companion of young Paulina Lorenski, who came daily to complain of the Countess Gradizoff’s temper. We all pitied the girl whose father was wearing out his weary life in Siberia. ‘There was not one of us, who would not have given his right hand for the brave Lorenski’s child.” ‘It is true, Michael; I believe you.” ‘‘ Paulina was not pretty in those days; she had not the proverbial beauty of our Polish women. But her dark eyes were large and soft, and she was gentle, and won our hearts by her submissive sad- ness. She was young and weak, and had not the strength to struggle, she said. But her heart was full of wrath against those who had taken away her father; and she would often ask the Wouriski girls whether the Poles had given up all hope? Paul told everything to Nathalie—alas ! Casimir, it is a dangerous thing for a patriot to trust in a woman! and Nathalie had few secrets from Marie and Paulina. And so the end came.” LAOQO () COM Ss (GO) an