BY ORDER OF THE CZAR. 271
ofit so near? Well, well, and yet we go on trusting wo- men in the Brotherhood. Then the English youth must be one of us, eh ? Is that what you mean ? f "
" No, no ! Not for worlds ! "
" What then? "
" I know not; but have no fear about the cause and the work. I feel better for what I have said. And now to sleep and dream."
" And get rest, the needful armor of battle and victory."
She took from a small cabinet a phial, poured a few drops into a wineglass of water.
"Au revoir," she said. "Order the gondola one hour before midnight. We shall take him on board at eleven."
' Him ! " said Andrea, his thoughts on Philip.
" Him ! " said the countess.
" But whom ? " asked Ferrari.
" General Petronovitch," she replied, laying her hand upon Ferrari's arm.
" Yes," he said.
" Paul will find a person in the dress of a civilian stand- ing near the ferry by the Rialto ; when the gondola appears he will raise his right hand ; Paul will take him on board and row towards the Lido until I tell him to return. The general will alight here."
" Here ! "
" At the front entrance of the palace, and will then take his leave ; he will desire to enter, but I shall give him the rendezvous for Monday night an hour before the recep- tion."
" Yes, yes ; that is understood. Countess, forgive me if I doubted you for one moment, your courage, your word, the fulfilment of your oath to me, and to the dead."
u Call me Anna, friend/' she replied. " I forgive you, Andrea Ferrari. Send Marie to me at ten, I shall sleep until that hour."
