The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-09-05

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shrug, as he saw my ve1ed face.
Then Demetrius chimed in. His train
too, had been delayed by the concentra
ton of troops on the Polish frontier
He, too, had some hours to spend al
Minsk. He had ordered dinner at the
Black Eagle, hard by. The landlord
knew him well, and would serve up 6
tolerable repast. Would I be charitable
and share what would otherwise be Q
solitary meal?
Vassili gave me good dinner, and WE
fingered long over our cigars and coffee,
chatting of other scenes and old times.
Then, at length, word was brought that
the train for Wilma was in sight.
"Now I think of it," said my host, in
his careless way, "on your road to the
counts chateau you will pass Staritza-
yes! !" he added, glancing at the open
map that lay beside me on the table
"of course you will, and change horses
there. I wish, if it be not too much to
ask, that you would kindly give mes
sage from me to the village priest, OF
papas, there-Pope John Petrovich.
II will, with pleasure" I replied,
"but remember, my Russian is not very
fluent, and I presume the priest talks
no French" :"
Vassili laughingly assured me that the
words were very few and simple, and
suggested that I should pencil them,
from his dictation, on a slip of paper
which he pu he'd toward me. These
were the words of the message "Your
son" ("our clergy marry, you know,
like the laity," interjected Demetrius)
"has been i'll, but take comfort. He is
doing we'll now, and, if he acts promptly,
with the blessing Of the Panagia, will
succeed. He sends his love, faith and
duty"
II saw the pope's son. explained
Demetrius, "the other day at Odessa.
Young Cyril is a corn dealer and hay
merchant, q pushing, speculative fellow,
but as honest as the day. He was re-
covering from fever, but hoped to fill
his purse by buying up all the--ah
there is the railway whistle, so we must
be quick You'll do my errand, then,
dear Arthur, will you not, and gladden.
the heart of the good old man %
1t was not until long after Vassili and
I had parted that it occurred to me to
wonder why he should have charged me
! with such q message. It would have
been simpler, surely, and more SPEEDY,
as a means of communicating with Pope
John, to have relied on the post.
"Pope John, English lord ?" said the
inn-keeper at Staritza, falteringly, rs I
asked for guide to show me the way to
the parsonage, while the slow postillions
were embarrassing, in the tardy fashion
in which work is done in Russia. the
tired horses from the carriage.
Certainly" said I, observing his
embarrassment. "Is the priest i'll, or
what is there surprising in travellers
inquiries for him ?"
The landlord bowed obsequiously.
"You'll find the papas in good health,
noble gospodin, " he said, in sugared &C
cents. Yonder is the parsonage, with
the white gable"
"Then I want no guide to conduct me
there" said I, laughing, and at once
walked across to the garden gate. A
neat, snug little dwelling was the par
sonage, with its white walls, it's tiny
garden full of humble potherbs and
hardy flowers, and the sacred pigeons
cooling softly as they summed themselves
upon its red-eaved roof. An ill-looking
fellow opened the door in answer to my
summons, scanned me narrowly, and, rs
I thought, with suspicion, and after
some colloquy conducted me to what I
guessed, and blythe few books and the
many pictured saints on the wall, to be
the priests study. Ten minutes elapsed,
and then in came the master Of the
house, Pope John.
"Forgive ne, noble sir, if I have
kept you waiting" said the priest, with
as low bow as he could have executed
in the presence of his bishop. "You
bring me news, am told, of my dear
son ?"
I cannot say that the reverend gentle
man impressed me very fayorably. Pope
John was corpulent old man, with a
snowy beard that would have done credit
to a hermit; long white locks falling
from beneath his black velvet skull-cap,
a snuffy and frayed cassock, and dark
blue spectacles, from behind which q
pair of keen though half-shut eyes sur
veyed me with watchfulness that had
in it something feline. Twice over did
Irepeat the substance of Vassili's re-
marks concerning the young corn-dealer
at Odessa, and twice, at the old mans
request, did I mention every circum-
stance of my interview with Demetrius,
"his kind and noble PATRON" as he
called him; then I placed the written
slip of paper, on which I had penciled
the message, in the priests hands, and
declining his offer of refreshments, took
my leave of him. As l left the parsonage
I thought I heard some whispered talk,
and then low, sneering laugh.
"I am much mistaken" said to my
self, as I stepped into my carriage, and
gave my postillion the signal to start,
eff Pope John, the good old man., as
VassiG called him, be not as consummate
and greasy humbug as any in Mus
covy." Then my thoughts reverted to
rosy dreams of Marie and the future,
and I sank into reverie, from which 1
only dWakeuCu W perceive tilhG uly uIlfeI
was proceeding in a leisurely manner
that was most unusual, for if Russians
work slowly they drive fast.
"Come, come, my Ind - said good
humoredly; surely three good nags
and a light kibitka ought not to go at a
snail's pace like this p
AsI spoke I heard the gallop of dis
tant horses, mingling with the clank of
steel. We were on sandy road,
traversing one of those huge pine forests,
the sombre gloom of which, alternating
with the glare of the white sand, has oc.
casioned the name of "Black Russia y
to be assigned to these central provinces
of the. ancient Muscovy. Very soon we
were overtaken by the hard riders in ou,
rear, their swords clashing against flank
and stirrup, their horses in foam-ir
all, some twenty-five mounted men.
Most of these, by their long lances and
barbarian equipment, I knew to be Cos
sacks, but others wore the uniform ot
gendarmes, and three at least were
officers.
"Pull up! halt, say!'' shouted he