Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-12-14
~ MINK RESSL4.

why, 1t is MuhRaye ce cher Arthur! |
thought you, mon ami, TO be in Spain still.
What good wind, what wind Of fortune, has
blown you TO us here, in Russia Z"
Such were the words which reached my ears.
as gloved grasp was suddenly laid upon my
arm, while | was traversng the railway plat
form ut Minsk. ! turned TO find myself
confronted by the smiling face Of Demetrius
Nas-ili. Russian whom | had known for
some three or -four years at st. Petersburg
Paris, and wherever diplomatists and birds of
passage congregate. He, this well-whskered
glib-tongued Vassli, belonged to both catego-
ries since when | first knew him, in the
Cars capital. he was Professor of the Uni
vcrsty, while in Paris he was an undcrling of
the Russian Embassy, and at Madrid gentle
man ut large.
] confess that did not much like Demetri-
us Vassili, though | was more than half
ashamed of my prejudice, for the man was
friendly, almost too ostentatiously so was
polite. genial, and one of those aniable per-
sons vino are always taking our good opinion
by storm rs 1t Were, by the graceful render
ing Of some little service or other. Nassili,
when was raw lad, new to the Continent,
had been kind to me once or twice. and | had
repaid his good nature by taking his part
when others spoke evil of him, in Il vague
way, behind his back, for he was not popular
somehow. There he was, at an rate. and ev-
identity delighted to See me.
by the by abruptly put in my old ac-
quaintancc, linking his arm in mine, Il have
to congratulate you, have | not 1t is true
that you are about to marry the beautiful Mile.
Marie, daughter of Count Constantine Orlof,
the young lady who Mt Madrid, when was
there broke all hearts =
1t was true that | was bctrothod to Marie
Orloff indeed | was on my way then to her
fathers mansion, at which it had been ar.
ranged that | should be II guest until the we'd
ding should take place. according to both the
English and Russo Greek forms. at st. Peters
burg. Our engagement had come about in
this wise |. Arthur Musgraye. as an attache
of our legation at Madrid, had been thrown
much into the society OF the daughter of the
Russian Envoy. had learned to love her and
had been lucky enough to teach her 10 love
me. My chief difficulty WAS with the Count.
who was Mt first very much annoyed and dis
pleased. Russia-youngest of nations-has
an aristocracy that in pride and protension
rivals the blue blood of Spain. and every
Muscovite noble is convinced that the English
are. as Napoleon called US, a nation of shop
keepers. quite unfit to mate with their own
upper classes. Fortunately for me- however,
| was heir to an entailed property, small, in
deed. but the reut-roll of which seemed re-
spectacle in Continental eyes while | was
hblt W NbuNlllNt Ntull bIlOu lllut my DOTutT
ancestry had driven off Scottish cattle, and
ridden in warden raids at a time when his own
forefathers were probably unbaptized Tar
tars, for it is curious fact that the titled
families of Russia are Georgian, Tartar, Ger
man. Swedish, anything but Russian.
All now was happily settled, and, as have
said, was on my way 10 my future father-in-
laws country chateau, summer residence in
the lake district of Ostaschkof, near Tyer on
the Upper Nolga. The Counts estates lay
chiefly in that neighborhoods and he had late
ly been appointed, by one of those abrupt
transitions from one service to another, which
are common under the Cars rule, Governor
of the province.
But what chance, VI. Nassili, brings you
here Z" | asked, when We had shaken hands.
II heard of you last in Rome"
Here to day, there tomorrow" answered
Vassili, airily. Il have been in Asia lately,
shall be at Wilma tomorrow, and in St. Pc
tersburg next week. l serve a master who has
dealings in far-away places"
You mean the Emperor Z" | inquired, and
the Russian nodded with look of good-hu-
mored mystery. At this moment up came a
porter to tell me, cringingly that my excel
lency must, he feared, be content to wait six
hours or more for train. There had been II
movement of troops toward Poland, disorder
ing the company's arrangements, and taking
up the rolling stock.
The Emperors orders, noble gospodin, 4"
he added with deprecatory shrug, as he saw
my yeXed face.
Then Demetrius chimed in. His train, too
had been delayed by the concentration of
troops on the Polish frontier He too, had
some hours to spend Mt Minsk He had or
dered dinner at the Black Eagle, hard by.
The landlord knew him well, and would serve
up tolerable repast. Would be charitable
and share what would otherwise be a solitary
! meal?
Vassili gave me good dinner, and we lin
gered 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 think of it," said my host in his
careless way, ION your road to the Count S
chateau you will pass Staritza-yes." :" he ad-
ded, glancing at the open map that lay be-
side me on the table ''of couse you will, and
change horses there. wish, if it be not too
much to ask, that you would kindly give n
message from me to the village priest or pa
| pas. there-Pope John Perovich."
II will, with pleasure" l replied 'but re-
member my Russian is not very fluent and
| presume the priest talks no French"
Vassil laughingly assured me that the words
Were very few and simple, and suggested that
slip of paper which he pushed 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 well now, and,
if he acts promptly, with the blessing of the
Panaga, will succeed He sends his love,
| faith, and duty"
Il saw the Pope's son" explained Deme-
| trius, ''the other day at Odessa. Young Cy-
ril is a con-dealer and hay merchant, n push
ing, speculative fellow, but as honest as the
day. He was recovering from a fever but
hoped to fill his purse by buying up all the
ali! 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 MANI"
1t was not until long after Nassli and | had
parted that it occurred TO me to wonder why
he should have charged me with such mes
sage 1t would have been simpler, surely,
| and more speedy, as n means of communioat-
ing with Pope John, to have relied on the
post But then these rustic priests were ig-
norant, and possibly the eyes of the papas
were not very well accustomed to deciphering
manuscript. At any rate l would make a
point of executing the commission.
Pope John, English lord ?" said the inn
keeper at Staritza falteringly, as l asked foI
a guide to show me the way to the parsonage,
while the slow postllions were embarrassing,
in the tardy fashion in which work is done in
Russia, the tired horses from the carriage.
Certainly" said /, observing his embar,
! rassment s'Is the priest ill or what is there