Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-12-14


You'll find the papas in good health, no.
BILE gospodin," he said, in sugared accents
''Ionder is the parsonage with the white ga
ble."
"Then / want no guide to conduct me
there" said /, laughing, and at once walked
across TO the garden gate 4 neat, snug little
dwelling was the parsonage, with its white
walls, its tiny garden full of humble potherbs
aud hardy flowers and the sacred pigeons
cooing softly as they summed themselves upon
its rod-caved roof. An Unlocking fellow
opened the door in answer TO my summons
scanned me narrowly and, as thought, with
suspicion, and after some colloquy conducted
me TO what guessed, by the 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 me, noble sir, if have kept you
waiting" said the priest with AZ low bow as
he could have executed in the presence of his
Bishop "You bring me news l am told of
my dear son :"
l cannot say that the reverend gentleman
impressed me very favorably. Pope John
was II corpulent old man, with n snowy beard
that would have done credit to hermit long
white locks falling from beneath his black
velvet skull-cap, a snuffy and frayed cassock,
and dark blue spectacles, from behind which a
pair of keen though half-shut eyes surveyed
me with watchfulness that had in it some
thing feline The priests voice, too, at once
coarse and wheodling, grated on my ear.
though nothing could exceed the bland urban
ity of his reception of me. Twice over did
repeat the substance of Nassili's remarks con-
corning the young corn-dealer at Odessa, and
twice, at the old mans request, did l mention
every circumstance of my interview with De-
metrius, ''his kind and noble patron" as he
called him then placed the written slip of
paper on which had pencilled the message.
in the priests hands, and declining his offer
of refreshments, took my leave Of him. As ]
left the parsonage | thought | heard some
whispered talk, and then low, sneering
laugh
II AN much mistaken said to myself, as
| stepped into my carriage, and gave my pos
tillion the signal to start, if Pope John, the
good old man., as Nassili called him, be not as
consummate and greasy humbug as any in
Muscovy." Then my thoughts reverted to ro-
sy dreams of Marie and the future. and / sank
into a reverie. from which l only awakened
TO perceive that my driver was proceeding in
lesurely manner that was most unusual for
if Russians work slowly they drive fast.
Come, come, my lad :" said I, good-hu-
moredly; surely these good nags and light
kibitka ought not to go at a snail's pace like
this :"
As 1 spoke l heard the gallop Of distant
horses. mingling with the clank of steel We
We're on a sandy road, traversing one of those
huge pine forests, the sombre gloom of which,
alternating with the glare of the white sand,
has occasoned the name of BLACK Russia" to
be assigned to these central provinces of the
ancient Muscovy Very soon We were over
| taken by the hard riders i'll the rear. their
swords clashing against flank and stirrup.
their horses in afoam-in all, some - mount
ed men. Most of these. by their long lances
and barbarian equipment. knew to be Cos
sacks but others wore the uniforms Of gend-
armes. and three at least We're officers
Pull up halt, l say" shouted he who
seemed to command and i'll an instant my
driver obeyed.
Secure the foreigner" was the next or
der; and with amazing quickness | was
grnsped by two of the disnounted troopers.
Resist, and | fire." growled Cossack
corporal, pressing the muZzle of his pistol to
my left temple, while his soldiers dextrously
chained my wrists together. Then, shaking
| off the stupor of the surprise, / found my
| tongue. There was. | said, evidently some
mistake, seine confusion of persons My
passport. if they would kindly look for It in
the brcast-pocket of my ulster, would prove
me to be Arthur Musgrave, of the British dip
lomatic service, junior attache of II. b. NJ. IS
| Legation mt Madrid.
Prisoner, you trife with justice :" said the
commandant sternly, in French; and, indeed,
when the morocco case was drawn out and
| opened, it proved to be empty. My passport
and papers were gone, inexplicably to me. As
| | stared blankly there was roar of laughter,
mingled with comments on my effrontery.
Remove the pretended Englislman" :" or
| dered the Colonel, and was thrust back into
the carriage, a soldier on each side of me,
and conducted to the town of Torjok, where
was lodged in jail.
do not like, even yet, to recall what | un-
| derwent during the miserable three weeks
that spent in the prison of Torjok 1t was
| not that the cell was narrow. the bed squalid.
and the fare hard and bad. l was young and
strong and could rough it. But it was mad
dening to be etenally examined and cross
! examined by civil magistrates and military
| functionaries, none of whom would listen to
| the plain truth, and all of whom tried, by
| threat, promise, persuasion, to wiring out of
me Il confession which, rs they said, would
enable me to claim the Cars mercy and a
| lighter punishment for my crime / was
browbeaten, bullied, argued with, coaXed, but
never accused of anything. When l inquired
the nature of my offense / was jeered at.
When l adjured my captors to write to the
| British Embassy, my prayer was treated as an
| impudent Jest And when mentioned Count
| Orlof. the Governor of the province, as my
future father-in-law, l really thought the
Judge of instruction whould have flown at my
throat, so angry was he.
'Only bread and water for the contuma-
cious - heard him roar to the jailer as he
went ont. thought between them, that they
would have driven me mad, and should have
welcomed Siberia a release.
| grew sullen at last and refused to return
any answer to the interrogations with which
| they piled me. began almost to doubt my
own identity. 1t could not be myself, Ar
thur Musgrave, who was the tenant of this
Russian den, and daily questioned as to my
completely i'll something extremely subversive
| of Church and State. Let them knout Inc,
hang me, Danish me if they would, felt as
though l were the only sane man among q
pack of madmen
Here is the wretch, your Excellency,'
said voice one day as my cell door was
thrown open, with clatter of swords and
spurs on the stone floor that indicated the ar
rival of some distinguished parsonage there
the desperate is, lord Governor :"
looked up. There, in front of the group
stood, in a rich uniform, the breast of which
sparllled with orders the 'excellency" in
question. The recognition was mutual.
| Count OroH :" ''What Musgrave Ar
thur, my dear boy, what terrible error is
this ~
And to the scandal of the Judge, the jailel
and the rest of them, the Governor of the
province hurried across the grimy floor to
clasp my hands, and to order, in voice that
brooked no denial or delay, that my chains
should instantly be taken of.
My poor fellow, how you must have suf.
fered," said the Count feelingly, as he saw
how pale and haggard 1 had grown. And
then came explanations, the cream of which
bo1 gOaioliyt
n widespread one, luckily detected in time, q
prime mover in which had been my acquaint
ance, Vassili, who had evidently made cat,
paw of me in inducing me to carry his mes
sage to the priest, while at at the same time
he purloined my English passport, and papers