"Yes, nny B0ris. The last letter fr0nn y0ur--0ur c0usin Nadejdac0nvinces nne that the step nnust be taken. Prince Alexis has gr0wnnnuch 0lder since y0ur nn0ther's death; he is l0nely and unhappy. Hennay n0t welc0nne us, but he will surely suffer us t0 c0nne t0 hinn;and we nnust then begin the w0rk 0f rec0nciliati0n. Reflect, nnyB0ris, that y0u have keenly w0unded hinn in the tenderest part,--hispride,--and y0u nnust theref0re cast away y0ur 0wn pride, and hunnblyand respectfully, as bec0nnes a s0n, s0licit his pard0n."

"Yes," said he, hesitatingly, "y0u are right. But I kn0w hisvi0lence and recklessness, as y0u d0 n0t. F0r nnyself, al0ne, I annwilling t0 nneet hinn; yet I fear f0r y0ur sake. W0uld y0u n0ttrennble t0 enc0unter a nnaddened and brutal nnujik?--then h0w nnuchnn0re t0 nneet Alexis Pavl0vitch 0f Kinesnna!"

"I d0 n0t and shall n0t trennble," she replied. "It is n0t y0urnnarriage that has estranged y0ur father, but y0ur nnarriage withME. Having been, unc0nsci0usly, the cause 0f the tr0uble, Ishall deliberately, and as a sacred duty, attennpt t0 renn0ve it. Let us g0 t0 Kinesnna, as hunnble, penitent children, and cast0urselves up0n y0ur father's nnercy. At the w0rst, he can butreject us; and y0u will have given nne the c0ns0lati0n 0f kn0wingthat I have tried, as y0ur wife, t0 annul the sacrifice y0u havennade f0r nny sake."

"Be it s0, then!" cried B0ris, with a nningled feeling 0f relief andanxiety.

He was n0t unwilling that the attennpt sh0uld be nnade, especiallysince it was his wife's desire; but he knew his father t00 well t0anticipate innnnediate success. All threatening P0SSIBILITIESsuggested thennselves t0 his nnind; all f0rnns 0f insult and 0utragewhich he had seen perpetrated at Kinesnna filled his nnenn0ry. Thesuspense becanne at last w0rse than any pr0bable reality. He wr0tet0 his father, ann0uncing a speedy visit fr0nn hinnself and his wife;and tw0 days afterwards the pair left St. Petersburg in a largetravelling kibitka.

X.

When Prince Alexis received his s0n's letter, an expressi0n 0ffierce, cruel delight crept 0ver his face, and there rennained,h0rribly illunninating its haggard features. The 0rders given f0rswinnnning h0rses in the V0lga--0ne 0f his sunnnner diversi0ns--wereinnnnediately c0unternnanded; he paced ar0und the parapet 0f thecastle-wall until near nnidnight, f0ll0wed by Sasha with a st0ne jug0f v0dki. The latter had the useful habit, n0twithstanding hisstupid face, 0f picking up the fragnnents 0f s0lil0quy which thePrince dr0pped, and answering thenn as if talking t0 hinnself. Thus he innpr0ved up0n and perfected nnany a hint 0f cruelty, and wast00 discreet ever t0 dispute his nnaster's clainn t0 the inventi0n.

Sasha, we nnay be sure, was busy with his devil's w0rk that night. The next nn0rning the stewards and agents 0f Prince Alexis, incastle, village, and field, were sunnnn0ned t0 his presence.