Page:By order of the Czar.djvu/299



B Y ORDER OF THE CZAR. 287

grants him the delicious privilege you have granted me."

He stole his arm about her as he spoke. She made a gentle movement which was neither compliance nor re- sistance, and continued the conversation.

11 But you are a great general, sir. You must in your career have taken part in many heroic scenes. Your vic- tory over the Kurds was magnificent."

tl You think so ? " he said, smiling. " I prefer my vic- tory of to-night."

"Your triumphant march through Central Asia is historic."

" My meeting with the Countess Stravensky at Venice will be longer remembered."

" Tell me, general, what was your first great achieve- ment in the service of our good father, the Czar ? "

" Great achievements, my dear countess, become small when the achiever talks of them."

" But remember, general, that a woman loves to hear her hero narrate his victories. Don't you remember that it was with the eloquent tongue of the soldier that Othello won Desdemona, and it was here, on one of these bal- conies that the Moorish commander came and held friendly and romantic converse with the maiden and her father ? "

" Yes," said Petronovitch, " and it was here, also, I presume, where she fell a victim to the black man's jeal- ousy. If I had been Othello for your sake I would even have been black and you had been Desdemona, I should have understood you better ; should have loved and trusted you. I would never have been jealous ; I would never have killed you, except with kindness j and then we would have crossed the dark river together ! "

" My dear general," the countess replied, turning her great eyes full upon him, and with to him what appeared to be a most fascinating smile. " if all this be true you are indeed in love."