The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-08

nnurew fopof, had 0 to the house Of
Connt Lanin. Akoulina Ivanowa's son
house, which he had so suddenly left and
mis- mother-but he had to obey the nabob.
~ was the prOdieal son, who returned.
Iana LETT Nicholas Popof's brother kiss her
nand and the old mother, deeply moved,
to reconcile the old lady to the idea Of a
marriage between her con and Schelm's
daughter; But Muller represented to her
that Schelm had not been the direct author
OF her eldest sons death and that such a
marriage might Eelp the husband of her
benetactress. Since the count is to be
benefited by it and my son wishes it 80 ar
ranged, I consent" Then, kissing Inna,s
hand, she said: ''This is the greatest sacri-
nee l can make for you. Inlways hated
ochelm and his daughter. You will not
compel me, l trust, to live with themY"
My dear, Louise is not bad!' Said the
But Akoulina said aside, 'sThat girl sells
herself. Oh! she is indeed the child Of her
parents!'
sc Muller and Popoft next went to see
apartments, where Louise received them
formally. She could not help showing her
surptite at seeing Popoff, but presented her
fathers excuses to the nabob, who plead
severe indisposition.
MY mother" she continued. lis obliged
= SSSy WAVA H. AnUAO1S WIZ l6 btlll DAVluQ
the penalty for his irrational indulgence
Yesterday. Your highness will be pleased,
! hope, to excuse him.
Il shall withdraw, but l leave you nv
young friend Andrew Popoff, who desires to
speak to you and has your fathers leave to
do SOL"
n without giving Louise time to answer
ne went away, leaving the two young poop Q
alone. Louise coldly and carefully exam
lned the young man, whom she had not
seen since the unlucky evening of the ma
bab's ball. and found that he was no more
like a mental servant than like the little
street boy she remembered as her compan-
ion IN the games of her Childhood! The
hostile and almost s~cornful smile with
which she had at first received him left her
lips. Andrew was deeply moved; at last he
gathered courage and said:
II have once upon a time let you guess
my sentiments for you, but / have never
uttered a WORD. To-day, however, the
leave given me by. your father emboldens
me somewhat. / love yon-"
Louise drew back and haughtily, purple
With indignation, snid:
" is you, is II, who. means. to purchase
my conscience by paying me five m~iiiions?''
And as he bowed his head she continued:
lime ago, when you were nothing but a
servant, | appreciated your daring. But do
you the right to despise me? All! You are
a man! And you come and tell mo you love
me! Do We generally love those we think
we can buy? You thought for a moment,
dld you, that I would sell myself for mon
She was grand in her wrath. Andrew.
forgetting the advice and the orders of the
na6ob, subdued, dazed, blinded, threw him
sclf on his knees before her. "Well-no!n
ne cried. II do not come to make n con-
dltlons. come to pray you on my knees
not to testify against Count Lanin and /
offer Won in rofurn INV xvi,oIo 1ifcBS |
And what could l do with your life? |
Why do you wish me to act contrary to my
duty! All! 1t il he who sends YOU to me-!
Ihat shows that he is guilty! He knew l
loved Vandine-he handed me the cup with
him! And it is you-you, whom, / despised
already at their house, whom they send me
to negotiate! Why. they must be ~insane!
Why did this nabob bring you to me-? All!
My father consented"
Louise" murmured the young man, 'do
You hate them so bitterlyY Have YOU for
gotten the kindness of the countess, the ca
ressing love of her d~aughter?"
mo! ! do not hate them, but this man
who fancied that his title as the emperor's
aide-de-camp permitted him to commit a
crime. But, who are you, to come here and
inquire into my motive?"
"Oh! | beseech you, hear me-! You loved
Prince Gromoff-you despise me. Permit
me only to love in your presence, to breathe
the same air with you, to love you on my
knees! do not wish you to marry me; I
not worthy of such bliss. But your
father accepts this money which the nabob
has given me; he will cease to pursue Count
Lanln. Permit me, beseech yon: to prove
"He-rot guilty! After the declaration
OF the doctor! After what l have seen! You
dare declare him innocent!"
Hear me, l implose you"
well. but do not hope to deceive me! III
have no hatred for Count Lanin; an irwin
chile sympathy, the memory of our former
relations, draws me to Alexandra, but moth
ing shall help me from doing my duty. For
everything proves to me that the count did
poison. the man l loved"
THAT is absurd! The count is too rich
why. then, should he have wanted his
own daughter to marry Vandine, when he
knew that we loved each other? No! You
little know where the heats of the
great of this world are nowadays! l know
it. for my own father is one OF them!'
And you say this?'
What do they want of me after ALP
Count Lanin. What can / say
he went into an adjoining room to get
draught, that this draught was poison,
that he had, a few minutes before that,
turned the physician out of the house!
This is the fact. l shall tell the truth! But
S"hS V AV oouAp 1l0uAA kullVV1
Now, does il, in any way, change his posi-
lion? Does not DR.. Kakouss testify and ia
not his written evidence before the courtp
Now tell me. what do you want me to dor"
What we want of you ia not to crushI by
'our evidence this man, who, l swear to ]
wear to you, is innocent-that is to saw in !
,ourt, ns you have said at the inquest: i :
I'm convinced Count Lanin is the guilty
nan" The Countess Lanin begs YOU. q
me, merely to resist the blind re. I
continent which you have shown no far. i
She does not wish you tell u falsehood. .
father, you know, is not easily salts. '
led" he added with much painful hesitu- c
land the money which he has men, a
Toned to you, is q
Never mind that" she Ont hin, short. y
udely. 500 '
Louise, " lie almost whispered, '.ths ma .
lob III very, very rich. and with such a for !
une his will is power. Dakouss may testi- j
y as no wants to do, but over you he has y
All depends on your evidence, md i
swear to you once more that the count is !,
innocent. | ask nothing" Here ahe in I
errupted him, saying: ?
II have been often troubled with doubts. il
Everything il possible in this world. 1t v
nay very we'll be that ! have been falsely :,
nhuenced-1 fear there are truly internal q
played - may have been too rash or
- 49,