Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-07
CHAPTER II.

The old Countess Anna FedotoVna was in
her dressing-room, seated before her look &
| glass. Three maids were in attendance.
One held her pot of rouge, another box of
black pins, a third an enormous lace cap,
with flaming ribbons. The Countess had Nd
longer the slightest pretence to beauty, but
she preserved all the habits of ber youth.
She dressed in the style of 30 years before,
and gave as much time and attention to her
toilet as a fashionable beauty of the last
century. Her companion was working at 3
frame in a corner of the window.
GOOD morning, grandmother" said the
young officer, as he entered the dressing
room. "Good morning. Mile. Lise. Grand
mother, L have come to ask you favor"
what is it, Paui?"
81 want to introduce to you one of my
friends, and to ask you to give him an inVi-
tation to your ball"
"BrIng him to the ball and introduce him
to me there; Did you 60 yesterday to the
Princess'?"
Certainly. 1t was delightful We
danced until o'clock in the morning. Mad
emoiselle Eletzki was charming"
my dear nephew, you are really not diff
cult to please. AS to beauty, you should
have seen her grandmother, the Princess
Daria Petrovna. But she must be very old,
the Princess Daria PetroVnap'
"How do you mean old?" cried Tomski
thoughtessly; ''she died seven years ago."
The young lady who acted as com mpaniou
raised her head and made sign to the Off
cer who then remembered that it was an un-
derstood thing TO conceal from the Princess
the death of any of her contemporaries. He
bit his lips. The Countess, however, was
not in any way disturbed on hearing that her
old friend was no longer in this world.
"DeadP" she said, "and 1 never knew It'll
We were maids of honor in the same year,
and when we were presented, the Empress
and the old Countess related for the hun
dredth time an anecdote of her young DAYS.
"Paul" !" she said, as she finished her story,
"help me to get up. Lisabeta, where is my
snuf-box?'
And, followed by the three maids, she
went behind a great screen to finish her
toilet. Tomski was now alone with the
companion.
"Who is the gentleman YOU wish to intro
duce to madame?" asked Lisabeta.
"Naroumof. Do you know him?"
mo Is he in the army?''
"Yes."
SIN the Engineers?"
''No, in the Horse Guards. Why did
YOU think he was in the Engineers?"
The young lady smiled, but made no an
swer.
''Paul," cried the Countess from behind
the screen, "send me new novel; no matter
what. Only see that it is not in the style Of
the present day..
"What style would you like, grand
IA novel in which the hero strangles
neither his father nor his mother, and in
which no one gets drowned. Nothing
frightens me 50 much as the idea of getting
drowned"
"But how is it possible to find you such .
book? Do you want it in Russian?''
care there any novels in Russian? How
aver, send me something or other. You
won't forget?"
'I will not forget, grandmother. 1 am in
great hurry. Good-by, Lisabets. What
made you fancy Naroumof was in the
and Tomski took his departure.
Lisabeta, left alone, took out her en-
oroidery, and sat down close to the window.
Immediately afterwards, in the street. at
he corner of a. neighboring house, sp-
1eared a young officer. The sight of him
made the com panion blush to her ears She
owered her head, and almost concealed il
n the canvas. Atthis moment the Countess
fully dressed.
"Lisabeta," she said, "have the horses
,ut in; we will 60 out for a drive"
Lisabeta rose from her chair, and began
o arrange her embroidery.
"Well, nv dear child, are you deaf? Go
md tell them to put the horses in at once"
81 am going" replied the young lady, az
he went out into the ante-chamber.
A servant now came in, bringing soms
looks from Prince Paul Alexandrovitch.
'Say am much obliged to him. Lisa.