The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-10-27
CHAPTER XIV.


understood now the meaning OF Mere
Lucas ominous headshakings, of her en-
deavor to promote an attachment between
me and Gordon, and of this last measureby
which she had shown me that Taras would
never marry. She feared that my affection
for him was ripening into love and that
should expect him to make me his wife.
The relation quite stupefed me- and
sank down silently on the stool by his
bench, with tears that l could not account
for gathering in my eyes and feeling of
desolation and loss in my heart.
Mere Lucas kissed me and went away
with little sob of sympathy. "He will
never marry me-" said to myself, trying
to realize my situation and find an explana-
tion of the sadness that oppressed me. I'm
doubtedly love, unknown to me, had been
smoldering in my breast from the first
moment that Taras smiled at me, and to
burst up into flame it only needed that un-
fortunate touch by which old Mere Lucas
attempted to stife it.
"1e will not marry me,n said, repeat
ing her words with little addition Of my
own. Then slowly the graver import of
her warning dawned upon me. His reason
for avoiding marriage was not because he
could not love, but because he would not
doom his wife to widowhood or exile to
Siberia-because he knew that ere long he
must die or be taken prisoner to Russia.
At this perception a cold sweat burst out
upon my brow, as IL had become aware
for the first time of this impending fate
Going to my room, ] took myself to task
for my want of vigilance. What had |
done to guard his life since the night when
learned that it was in dangerp Nothing
beyond carrying weapons In my pocket for
few weeks and listening when l found
the chance to scraps of conversation that
could not understand, and even these fec
BILE attempts had been abandoned lately,
and had suffered myself to be lulled into
a state of carelessness by the absence of
any open sign of hostility toward Taras
and by his own disregard of precaution.
But this apathy on the part OF the secret
enemy had been led to expect from the
conversation of 1aras and his friend Kava-
nagh. They had said that probably no
further attempt would be made for some
months. Those months were now passed.
The critical time was at hand for had
gathered from one or two remarks that any
fresh offense to the cZar would be the sig
nal for renewed and final effort to silence
Taras. That fresh offense was about to be
committed. The group of statuary was fin
ished. The work Of casting and burning
done, the striking allegury would be public
ly exhibited for all the world to talk Of
recalled now, almost with stupefaction
at my incredible Indifference, an incident
which proved that the secret enemy was on
the alert and fully acquainted with Taras'
design. The proprietor Of the pottery at
which IL was intended to burn the clay
group had called to inquire If the subject
was off political character. Taras of course
admitted frankly that it was, and when Mr..
H, for commercial reasons, had begged
to decline to give any assistance in the pro-
duction he asked Mr.. H what reason
he had for suspecting that the work was a
political one.
MY information, SIR" said Mr. H,
'came in the form of an anonymous letter,
and for that reason felt that in justice to
you / ought to have personal ycritication
of the fact before declining the commits
sion"
When Gordon heard of this, he laughed
and declared that there was not word of
truth in the statement
No anonymous letter was needed, Old
H has found out that you are Bergen
sky, the nihilst, and with the hope of
before him and the dread Of
losing sale or two in Russia he thinks it
best to decline the job
At the time that explanation was ac-
cepted by me as readily as 1t was by
Taras, but it was different with me now. /
felt sure that the secret enemy had made
this communication.
Who could he be? Clearly some one who
had seen the group, and, not less obviously,
one of the Russian visitors who called on
Taras. But which of them2 To my ewes
they seemed all pretty much alike-meek,
gloomy, unhappy looking men, dreadfully
out at elbow, and the shrug of pity or frown
of discomfort with which Mere Lucas ex-
pressed her feeling regarding them was
usually accompanied with a significant
of the thumb and finger, which
led me to understand that their object was
10 get money out OF Taras. There was none
who looked like traitor, and could not
believe that any would be base enough to
betray him to the police, for, however
unhappy they looked on arriving, not one
went away with disappointment in his
face and though Taras was careful to con-
zeal his generosity l had reason to know
that he gave away to his distressed coun.
trymen infinitely more than he spent upon
himself.
All through the night taxed my brain
with conjectures and surmises without ar
irving at any definite conclusion with re-
gard to the identity of this dreaded enemy,
md all l could do to silence my self re-
proach for past neglect was to vow that I
l.. r..