Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1904-04-23
CHAPTER XXI.

lie Balgonip when on the evening OF the
10Th of September. that which was sub
sequent to the episode at Schussclburc.
he saw the domes and towers Of 1t.
Petersburg glittering In gold and bronze
In green and fiery or fantastic colors,
amid the rich glow Of n ruddy sunset.
and where rising from the haze of the
vast city. the polished cupoa of ST.
1saac's Cathedral. and the slender spire
of the Admiralty. like needle of flame.
seemed to float in midair.
AS he entered the first guarded bar
rier he met party of lnncers at n trot.
their tall fur caps having large pumes.
their lances each with n long bannerole
waving in the wind. They escorted
covered wagon. and were led by Bal
main. n Scottish officer. who In after
years stormed Kaffa in the Crmea.
"Whithcr 20 your" asked Balgonie.
"I'or Schlusselburg--thc palace of sor-
row."
with n prisoner. Of course
Eyes. | regret to say. will, the niece
Of Mierowitz. with Mile. Mnrolizza. She
Is to he confined under n warrant from
the Grand Chancellor-poor girl.
Sadder and heavier grew the honest
heart of Balgonie ms the escort and its
hearsc-like carriage passed on. and as he
looked after II the fair. merry face. the
graceful figure. the gay manner OF the
betrothed Of poor Basil. ms he had seen
her at I.ouga. came back wildly to mem.
DRY.
Bngonie was AZ st. Petersburg when
MierOwitz was executed. when his father
died. and when other horrors followed.
Moreover. he was closely and repeatedly
Intercepted by the Grand Chancellor.
the Privy Councillor and by Gen. 'Wey-
marn Ms to all he knew and had seen of
the conspirators---so closely that nothing
surprised him 40 much as to find that no
suspicion WINS attached to himself. But
being u soldier Of fortune. who possessed
nothing in the world but his sword and
his cpaulets. he was not worth suspecting
by the imperial government.
Ere long the name Of Natalie came he
fore the Secret Chancpry as q prisoner
In Schlussclburg. and. like the Test. she
was tried and condemned IN her absence.
undcfcndcd and unhcard--nnd sentenced.
too. amid the solitude Of her prison.
To Balgonie the charm of life seemed
to have passed away. aud during the
week or two that followed his return to
IT. Petersburg. drenry. weary aud un-
meaning indeed seemed the routine of
his duties ms aidc-de-camp at the vast
paradcs. the brilliant receptions. the
courts martial. and other public affairs
to whicl, he followed his chief, Gen.
Wcymurn. at the palaces Of Tsarsky
Selo, or Oranicnbaun, and elsewhere.
while ignorant Of the fate of Natalie
while the very life of her he loved hung
In the balance.
Charlie. In his desperation. applied 10
Ala 1sruu.n aud Rrit-
min: and both received his verbal pray
rrs: but they were UNDECIDED: and the
ministers replied only by bows. grim
aces and sl,rigs Of their diplomatic shout
hers. Their interference was impossible
quite: and. unfortunately. his old pat
ron, Admiral Thomas Mackenzie. was
with the fleet.
Balgonic. returning from Cronstndt.
whittier he had been sent by Gen. Wcy-
mnrii. suddenly met Captain Whistler face
face to face near the palace OF the
to face near the palace OF the favoritc
Lnnskoi
This parsonage he would have avoided
like u toad or II leper: hut from him only
might he learn something Of her he loved
In Schlusselburg. that hateful place Ia
which the captain was returning: So
overcoming or rather conccnling his re-
pugnance, he adjourned with him to n
rafe.
II dare say you have heard" said
Vlnsfcf, with II strange l"cr In his eyes,
Ms he tossed his hat and sabcr on the
sofa aud deposited his jack-bootcd limbs
on another, show the estates Of the Mic
rowitz and those Of t'snkoff have been
sold or gifted away; pillaged and raw
aged by I.nnskoi with n party Of Cos
sacks; and that the plumber has been
stored up IN SchlusselburgT'
Something Of all this | have heard. y
replied Balgonie. "and--and--but you
have there two ladies' Of the family
.''True---one beautifully fair. the other
black. haired like Pole. Poor girls!
remember them both In happier and
brighter times; hut those who play with
IRE will, YOU know, he burned. The sen
fences on all have been found. recorded
and. In two instances. executed; ana they
are truly terribie!"
"Executed-the sentence" replied Bal
gonie. In faint voice..
"Yes: ali! he Is stern old fellow
Panim!"
"iIow-what? VlnsRef. you Jest"
""ris no Jest: we don't Jest on such
matters IN Russia" replied Nlasfef
on arc Scots INV uuiuiu"' "hu "e
the Turks say, truly, Those who have
never seen the world think It IL all like
their fathers house. In short, the-the
two ladies'. In the wildness OF their grief
--Mariolizzn especially-on hearing OF
the death Of Mierowitz, permitted Their
tongues to run riot. and to say such
things of her Imperial Majesty and some
Of the fayorites rs no woman would par
don; so they are to he given in success
sion to the master of the shoulders"
Explain. ! implore yo'i. explain" ask
cd Bnlgonie, with luiyering lips.
"Mudemoiselle Mariolizza has received
six blows Of the kn0ut. The torturel
IL II new man, and mangled her cruelty
She has had her tongue cut out, aud hel
forehead branded with the eXecutioner's
mark, and she goes to Siberia as soon ns
she RECEIVERS; but she will never reach II
alive. The other will undergo exactly
similar punishment, and there ends the
house Of MierOwitz, which bonsts of it.
descent from Ruric the Naragian of Old
J.ndoga"
With wonderful GOODNESS Of manner
almost an occasional jest, the cruel and
snakelke Vlashef-who, as u parvenu
of the founding hospital hated the he
reditary aristocracy- these mat
tiers; and Balgonie felt as II black CLOUD
envelOped him. He heard the captain