The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-15
% y natural that I should give myself {

We natural that I should give myself the
asure OF seeing you Inundated.
ror l see you are humbled, Muller.
not afraid of you. At a single movement
OF my. finger the whole house would rise to
defend me. l am no longer at the phalan-
stery OF the Asiatic. Blu why don't you
laugh, Muller? You look dumbfounded.
You thought was beaten. All, your intel
lect is weakening. promised you all you
asked down there. I was in your power
then. Here, I do not fear you.''
In fact. Schelm's~ imprudence had aston
Ished Muller at first. He had let him talk,
But when Schelm had finished his speech
ne asked ina low and threatening voice:
And what do you hope for, Schelm?"
II hope for that which l have made in
evitable. 1Vladimir's destruction. At this
hour 1T is done. All, you thought you were
strong, and you are powerless I know
Dakou IS in your hands or perhaps you
nave burnt him in the p~halanstery. In
either case, how will you escape? By be-
traying your brethren? No, Muller. I
know that you will not do that. Besides,
If you were to lott ~youswould GO to the
mines. Dar1ne knows who you are; he
would have you arrested in the court and
your title of nabob would not protect YOU.
Ny daughter is at this moment giving her
evidence. She will accuse Vladimir. Your
mllllons! What do you think a paralytic
like myself cares for them? lam rich
enough. l pretended to obey you in order
to be able to rise at the last moment and to
cry out: MULLER, / have my ~reveneeu'
The nabob had gradually mastered his in
d1gnatlon, but his eye, fixed OF Schelm, had
lost nothing of its expression. DO you
know he said very calmly, what has
brought me here?"
"a nice question. You want to call upon
me to fulfill my engagements. Perhaps
you have those five millions in your pocket?
Andr0w pnvnH o1cn SO l. pvn - >.,.a: ---
daughter to declare the count innocent.
Then you have probably another string to
YOUR bow, to save lana's husband without
oetraying the brethren
You are mistaken, Schelm, that is not
what | came for"
be a~pprehensive, for Muller's extreme cool
ness troubled him. lnvoluntarily he
stretched out his hand to his strings. u
Il came, Schelm. because | felt sorry for
you and for Louise. This affair will dis
credit your daughter. who is better than
you are. For myself. I am cast down; l
am very unhappy. | wanted to forgive you.
and if had met with the smallest humane
sentiment in you / should have given way"
Muller spoke very gently and sadly.
"Oh, something vexatious has happened
to you"
has sutficed to destroy all the dreams of my
life and / am dead before descending into
the grave. l feel neither hate any longer,
nor ambition, nor lover Il
Muller's apathy was SO genuine that
Schelm even felt the sincerity of his grief.
"Well,' he said with his horrible smile, IF
that was what brought You here and you
have told me- SO, you have nothing more to
10 here. You have almost excited my pity!
l awe seen enough of you! You can so.'~
"Will nothing prevail on your"
p You see" said Schelm, enjoying hugely
the sight of this strong man in his extreme
detection, 'you soc, this time Vladimir
cannot escape me. 1T seems you do not
mind this now? So much the worse. Come,
we shall not meet again! AS long as know
0 are in st. Petersburg | shall not stir
from this room. You avenge yourself by
your presence here, for YOU keep ME from
breathing tho fresh air."
"You are still mistaken, Sohelm; | shall
ayenge myself in a different way!'
VERY we'll! Avenge yourself. but go!"
He pulled Il string; a door opened upon
the ante-chamber whore two lackeys were
standing, watching the slightest gesture of
their master. With his crooked finger
Schelm pointed at this door.
"You see! If you should take q fancy to
murder mo you would find it difficult.
You would be sent once more to tho mines
i'll Siberia!m
"And if should, nevertheless, determine