Year: 1868

While the general was listening to the
more or less important revelations made to
him by Boutkoyitch, Nathalie, in tho next
room had been reading letter which had
been given to her by her maid, which had
been given to the maid by the waiter in
attendance upon the Gontchalins, which
had been given to the waiter by Stanislas
Ferrari, together with necessary instructions
and an equally necessary half crown. The
instructions had been faithfully acted up to,
and the letter, in less than five minutes
after Ferrari had left the hotel, was in
Nathalie's hands.


"Natalia Ivanovnal" it began, 81 take
the liberty of writing to you because l shall
not save the opportunity again of speaking
to you,and cannot bear to think that at this
moment you despise ME. And for what ?
Because | am unfortunate enough to bear
the name of Ferrai. If you knew what
my life has been since childhood you would
perhaps think that have already been suf-
ficicntly punished for the acts committed by
my father. OF the nature of those acts 1
was Ignorant when, ten years ago, entered
a gymnasium at Warsaw. had even been
taught that my father had rendered import
ant services to his sovereign, both in Russia
and in Poland. What these services were l
now know only too well.


was about to say, though l scarcely
can venture to hope that it will interest you
m11rh that of I haI
the gymnasium, a boy, whom l had offended,
called me a Ferrari, an insult which did
not understand at the time, but which was
soon made to understand only too well. 1t
was cowardly attack, for it left me utterly
unable to reply to it. Nevertheless, every
one in the school took part with the boy
who had insulted me. The presence of a
Ferrari' was odious even to these children.
My father wished to complain to the head
master, but begged him not to do so.
could fancy heard the master saying, But
he is Ferrari after all his companions
only tell him the TRUTH


"By bearing the reproaches heaped upon
me us patiently as could, | cndeavoured to
prove that l at least was not proud of my
rame. More than that could not do with
out insulting my father.


''One day a boy with whom had had a
slight dispute called me spy. told him
that was no more spy than he or any
other boy in the school


"'Well,if you are not spy yourself, your
father was, he replied struck him. We
fought, and the end of it was, that my father
was privately advised by the head d-master to
take me away from the school,


81 need not say that l was by no means
sorry to leave, and for two years led
comparatively happy life. continued my
studies at home with a private tutor, and
though had no society did not regret it.
| was at least free from taunts.


eat the end of two years I was sent to
the university of Kieif-which, as you pro-
badly know, is attended by Russians and
Poles in about equal numbers There
though, to tel you the truth, have never,
with some remarkable exceptions, liked the
Russians-1 though that my only chance of
being left in peace lay in associating with
them, ard avoiding altogether the society of
the Piles. But soon discovered that my
name was equally hateful TO the Russians
you, as Russian, will not need to be told
why. After spending one miserable year at
the university, left it, as l had left the
gymnasium, and returned to Warsaw. As
my quarrel at Kieff had been with Rus
sian, and as it had led to a regular conflict,
in which he was wounded, was better re-
ceived in Warsaw than had expected. l
made few friends among my poor moth
er's relations. But it was evident, all the
same, that they were ashamed of me; and
when my mother died, now six years ago.
resolved to leave Warsaw altogether.


'.khave no more to say except to cntreat
you once more to pardon the liberty have
taken in writing to you, and TO endeavour,
if you should ever by chance think of me at
all, not to think of me with contempt"


Perhaps if Nathalie had felt quite sure
that an answer would reach Ferrari without
the possibility of its falling into any one
else's hands, she would have committed the
impropriety of sending him ore word of
consolation. As it was, she read the letter
with much sympathy, carefully observed the
address, read the letter again, and then, that
no one else might ever she it, threw it into
the fire.


As for Stanislas, as soon as he had deliv-
cred his letter into the hands of the waiter,