The Portland daily press., 1898-04-12
(Chapter XVII
ADVICE GRATIS.


and was uahered into the private room OF
my friend Paul Verblioudovitch, the
Secretary to the urbane old gentleman
who acted as the Cars representative at
the Court of St. James. 1t was large
but rather gloomy room, we'll stocked
with books, containing wrlung taple
and several easy chairs, into one of which
I sank after the hall porter, gigantic
liyeried Russian, had conducted me thith.
or. and announced the immediate arrival
of my official friend.
While waiting l reflected that my errand
was scarcely one that would commend
itself to the favor of Lord Warnham.
Official relations between the Russian
EN- bassy and the British Foreign Office,
never very cordial, were, owing to our
knowledge of the suppressed declaration
of war, now seriously strained. Never
theless, Paul and 1 We're very intimate
friends, I had first met him in ST. Peters,
burg, where for six months had occu-
pied an unimportant post in the British
Embassy. Being compelled to pay fire.
ouent visits to the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, was always seen by Verbliou-
tiovitch, an official who spoke excellent
English. Then I left and returned to
London under Lord Warnham, and for
nearly two years entirely lost sight of
him. until I was one day delighted to
find he had been promoted as Secretary OF
Embassy in London. Since that time our
friendship had been renewed, and we had
spent many pleasant evening together.
"Ah, my dear fellow!" he cried, almost
without any trace OF accent. as he sud
denly openod the door and interrupted my
reflections "You're an early visitor
he laughed, shaking hands cordially.
i.Well, what is it? A message from your
interchangeable chief,
mo, not exactly smiled. sinking
again into my comfortable chair as he
walked to the opposite side of his writing
table, afterwards seating himself at it.
He was well-preserved man, of about
forty-five, tall, erect, of military bearing.
with closely cropped iron-grey hair,
vel. trimmed moustache, and face that
was an index to his happy, contented dis
position. The Cars officials are sup
posed to be a set of the most stern, hard
hearted rufaans on earth, nut there was
certainly nothing of the heartless perse-
cuuor about him. Indeed, he was quite
the reverse, q devil-may. care easy going
fellow, who enjoyed q joke hugely, and
when outside the sombre walls OF the En-
bassy was full of genuine good-humor
and buoyant spirits. He may have been
able to disguise his careless deneanor
beneath the stern, strictly business-like
manner of offlcialdom, but l, for one, had
never seen him assume the holiness of his
position as secretary of the chief among
the Embassies in London.
"Our people at home have recently been
playing an amusing little game at your
passing over to me his silver cigarette
case and selecting one hilpself when
gave 1T back to him.
II believe they have" answered.
81 would have given anything to have
seen the look on your old CHIEFS lace
when first he heard that we were going
to declare war; he laughed. 'How did
10 +oI-a Won had a ronrc half-hO1lr
I expect"
''0f course" smiled. "F;fings looked
so Serious
"Yes, so they did, he arnsted, his
face growing grave. 81 quite expected
that we should have to pack TIP our bag
fact is it's puzzle to us why the I'M
perisl declaration wasn't mutually pub
iished. A hitch somewhere, I suppose"
fortunately for us-eh?" observed,
lighting up calmly. He i1Hcorted his
own cigarettes, and they weiG always ex'
osllent
moments reflection, "but a,&y have you
come to me now that we aro officially at
daggers drawn?" :.
s'Only officially are we f.ss friends"
I said PERSONALLY we shall be on good
terms always. l hope, Pau. 1t was be
cause know can count ugan your as
favor
twisting his cigarette In his sahgers, after
wards placing it between his yips.
~ have friend who wasts to go to
Russia, and desires passport.
"Well. he can get one at Gse Consul
give you a note. if you like. ~
mo" said. "First, it A5yot man
", want passport vised by tEe Embassy
In a name other than the real aame ct its
bearer"
ing Il saais n e st he. "someSass SHADY,
eha Nho's the woman'P'
'.Wcda, she's hardly wosSan 5ea." l
answered. "a pretty girl vita has lost
her father and desires to re3vgn to her
friends in Petersburg"
"Whats her nameP"
'YsM know her." said Ssnwly. 81
came o. you on her bshalf soalS time ago
when warrant was out for the arrest of
her and her father. l."
"Of course, 1 quite remembaS," he an
swerei quickly, interrupting &He. An
ton Ksrolenko escaped with I.A daughter,
that Ingenious little nymph Sonia. who
came and gave you a long. almost
idyllfp, yarn, and you came heis to inter
y
their fleedom by endorsing tne report of
the asant of police told off to Watch them
BY q Gtatement that both father and
daughter were dead. I theE Kept my
promAs by returning the waasSSnt, but 1
fell you l narrowly escaped Gstting into
devil of a scrape about it,"
but you can manage to give me a
false Vassport for her, caaN you"
urged.
8Wf.sres her father? If he goes back
their t:1ole game will be givrs away"
"Hep father is dead answered
"Deed Well. the grave IL, think,
about the best place for such al enterpris-
ing OLD scoundrel. and as for Ei6 daughter,
hang To- old chap, ten years in Nerchinsk
wouldn't hurt her. What story has she
been telling you this time, ehf' hs asked:
"Shs rs lonely without her fRther, and
In ordsf to secure her property, which is
about to be seized by her uERle, she is
bound 10 be in Petersburg within four-
aFourteen days" repeated my friend
refectigely. Lets see, to-day's the
twelfth" and he made some rapid calcu-
Iations upon his blotting- pad. "Well,
what else?" he inquired. looking up at