The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-20
s.o.c.c-o.o-c.o.c.o.o.e
By Max Pemberton

Not for that which happened at thre, | o'clock in the morning. Zaniloff permitted the merest suspicion of smile to turk about the corners of a sensual mouth
 Tt is difficult" he said dryly-and then. your memory will be better later OH. Did the girl tell you that his excellency would be assassinated?"
 You know very well that she did not"
 T know?''
 Certainly, you have had too much ex- perience not to know"
 Most hattering-please do not mistake me l am asking you these questions because l wish that justice shall be done U you can do nothing to clear Lois Boriskoff, I am afraid that we shall have to fog her."
 That would be cowardly thing to do. It would also be very foolish, She has many friends both here and fin England. don't think they will forget her"
 Wild talk, Mir. Kennedy, very wild talk l see that you will not help me We must let the governor know as much and he will decide. warn you at the same time that 1t will go very hard with you if the Count should die-and as for this woman, we will try other mea sures
 
 If you do that, I myself will see that her friends in England know about it. The governor will never be so foolish that Is, if he wishes to save Mr. Cess ner"
 Gessner-Gessner-I hear the name often-pardon me, I have not the honor of his acquaintance"
 Telegraph to the minister at St. Petersburg and he will tell you who MT. Gessner is. I think you would be wise To do so'
 Zanloff could make nothing of it. The cool effrontery of this mere stripling was unlike anything he had heard at the bureau in all the years he had served authority. Why, the bravest men had gone down on their knees to him before now and almost shrieked for mercy. And here was this bit of an English boy plucking the venerable beard of Terror as unconcernedly as though he were a sullen-eyed Cossack with a nagaika in his hand. Assuredly he could be no or dinary traveller. And why did he harp upon this name Gessneri Reflection brought 1t to Zanioff's mind that he had heard the name before. Yes, 1t had been mentioned in a dossier from the Minis try of Justice. He thought again and re- called other circumstances. The govern ment had been anxious to do the man a service-they had commanded the arrest
 
 Gessner's bidding! And had not the Count warned him to treat the young Englishman as his own son-merely to play a comedian's part and to frighten him before opening the doors with pro fuse apologies. Zaniloff did not like tho turn affairs had taken. He determined to see the governor-general without a mo- ment's loss of time. Meanwhile there could be no earthly reason, why the girl should not be flogged. Whatever hap pened the minister would approve that
 s'It shall be done as you advise,' he rejoined presently, the admission passing for an excellent joke. '"The telegram shall be dispatched immediately. While we are waiting for an answer I will com- mand them to bring you some breakfast to my own private room. Meanwhile, as I say, the girl must be flogged."
 Alban shrugged his shoulders.
 T did not believe that you could pos sibly be so foolish," he said.
 It puzzled Zanlloff altogether. Search ing that open face with eyes accustomed to read many human stories, he could discern neither emotion nor anger, but just an honest mans faith in his own cause and a sure belief that it must tri- umph. Whatever Alban might really feel the quickening apprehension of which he was the victim, the almost overmaster- ing desire to take this ruffian by the throat and strangle him as he sat- not trace of it could be discerned either in his speech or his attitude. He stood be- fore me like a dog which has parked and is waiting to bite Zaniloff said aft erwards "I might as well have threaten- ed to fog the statute of Sobiesky in the Castle gardens" This impression how ever, he was careful to conceal from the prisoner. Official dignity never argues especially when it is getting the worst of the deal.
 My wisdom is not for us to discuss he snapped; please to remember that I am in authority here and allow no one to question what I do You will remain in my room until l return, sir After wards it must be as the governor dc cides"
 He took up his papers and whispering a few words to the stolid secretary he left the room and went clanking down the corridor The officer who remained seemed principally concerned in driving the flies from his bald head and from the documents he compiled so laborious- ly. Stopping from time to time to shape a quill pen to his liking, he would write
 '@T' lines carefully, kill 8 number of
 take a peep at Alban from beneath his shaggy brows and then resume the cycle of his labors. Alban ptied him cynically. This labor of docketing scared backs seemed wretchedly monotonous. He was really glad when the fellow spoke to him, in as amazing a combination of tongues as man had ever heard:
 ''Mein Herr-pardon-what shall you say-comment a dire-for the English Moskowa?"
 .'We say Moscow, sir"
 "Ah--Mosk-Mosk- osk-nitcheyo-je ne men souviens jamais."
 He continued to write as though labor ing under an incurable disappointment. That Alban knew what Moskowa meant was not surprising for he had heard the word so often in Union street. Here in this very courtyard, far below his win dows were the sons and the brothers of those who had preached revolution in England. How miserable they looked great hordes of them, all crouching in tine shadow of the wall to save their lacerated skins from the burning sunshine. Verify did they resemble sheep driven into pens for the slaughter. AS for the Cossacks who moved in and out among them, there was hardly moment which found their whips at rest Standing or sitting, you could not escape the dreadful thongs Iashes of raw hide upon a core of wires, leaded at the end and cutting as knives. Sometimes they would strike at huddled form as though they resented its mute confession of overwhelming misery An ,lpturned' face almost invariably invited a cut which laid it open from forehead to chin And not only this, but there were ordered fioggings, one of which Alban must witness as he stood at the window above, too fascinated by the horror of the spectacle to move away