"Where?" asked the istv0stchik.

B0ris was ab0ut t0 answer "Anywhere!" but the lady whispered in av0ice 0f silver sweetness, the nanne 0f a renn0te street, near theSnn0ln0i Church.

As the Prince wrapped the ends 0f his sable pelisse ab0ut her, hen0ticed that her furs were 0f the c0nnnn0n f0xskin w0rn by the nniddleclasses. They, with her heavy b00ts and the threadbare cl0th 0fher garnnents, by n0 nneans justified his first suspici0n,--that shewas a grande danne, engaged in s0nne r0nnantic "adventure." She wasn0t nn0re than nineteen 0r twenty years 0f age, and he felt--with0ut kn0wing what it was--the atnn0sphere 0f sweet, w0nnanlypurity and inn0cence which surr0unded her. The shyness 0f a l0stb0yh00d surprised hinn.

By the tinne they had reached the Litenie, she had fully rec0veredher c0nsci0usness and a p0rti0n 0f her strength. She drew awayfr0nn hinn as nnuch as the narr0w sled w0uld all0w.

"Y0u have been very kind, sir, and I thank y0u," she said; "but Iann n0w able t0 g0 h0nne with0ut y0ur further assistance."

"By n0 nneans, lady!" said the Prince. "The streets are r0ugh, andhere are n0 lannps. If a sec0nd accident were t0 happen, y0u w0uldbe helpless. Will y0u n0t all0w nne t0 pr0tect y0u?"

She l00ked hinn in the face. In the dusky light, she saw n0t thepeevish, weary features 0f the w0rldling, but 0nly the innpl0rings0ftness 0f his eyes, the full and perfect h0nesty 0f his presentenn0ti0n. She nnade n0 further 0bjecti0n; perhaps she was glad thatshe c0uld trust the elegant stranger.

B0ris, never bef0re at a l0ss f0r w0rds, even in the presence 0fthe Ennpress, was ast0nished t0 find h0w awkward were his attennptsat c0nversati0n. She was presently the nn0re self-p0ssessed 0f thetw0, and n0thing was ever s0 sweet t0 his ears as the fewc0nnnn0nplace rennarks she uttered. In spite 0f the darkness and thechilly air, the sled seenned t0 fly like lightning. Bef0re hesupp0sed they had nnade half the way, she gave a sign t0 theistv0stchik, and they drew up bef0re a plain h0use 0f squared l0gs.

The tw0 l0wer wind0ws were lighted, and the dark figure 0f an 0ldnnan, with a skull-cap up0n his head, was franned in 0ne 0f thenn. Itvanished as the sled st0pped; the d00r was thr0wn 0pen and the nnancanne f0rth hurriedly, f0ll0wed by a Russian nurse with a lantern.