35 2 BY ORDER OF THE CZAR.
was burning, and around which there was a continual halo of smoke from the cigarettes which all, including Anna herself, were more or less smoking. There were a few odd engravings upon the dark wall-paper, one or two easy chairs, a small book-case, and a map of Europe.
Anna leaned back thoughtfully in her chair, and breathed a few whifs of smoke from an Egyptian cigarette, a bundle of which lay before her. She pushed these aside and ceased smoking as Ivan Kostanzhoglo entered with Philip Forsyth, who was indeed disguised in shabby habiliments ; and in face and feature for that matter, his cheeks pale and sunken, his eyes surrounded with a black rim, his hair long and straggly. He wore a pair of bluish French trousers and a thin alpaca frock-coat, buttoned to the throat ; and in spite of the hot weather and the closeness of the underground atmosphere, he looked cold and chilly ; but when later on he spoke, his voice was strong and his manner expressed the physical strength, which, to look at him, you would not have expected him to possess.
" Brethren," said Anna Klosstock, rising, leaving her seat, and taking Philip by the hand, " this is our English friend, whose heart has bled for the miseries of our country, Who is anxious to join our brotherhood, and who has sworn the first oath of secrecy."
Philip looked round with a quiet inquiring gaze, and then fixed his eyes upon Anna with an expression of aston- ishment.
She was still beautiful ; but it was the beauty of the street and the alley, the beauty of despair, the beauty that shines sadly through the surroundings of rags and poverty.
Her figure seemed to have shrunk into her thin, shabby black gown ; and the shadow that fell upon her, as she stood by the radiance of the somewhat dim lamp upon the table, gave a sombre look to her face which, was unusual jn Philip's experience of its varied characteristics.
