Page:By order of the Czar.djvu/46



34

BY ORDER OF THE CZAR.

" We are no reptiles, may it please your Excellency," Nathan Klosstock replied.

tl Dog of a Jew ! " exclaimed Petronovitch, " how comes it then that my Imperial master's mandate is treated with contempt, and his trusted officer murdered in thy house, and by the hands of thy guests, traitors to His Imperial Majesty ? "

" If I may be permitted to answer I would say we are no traitors to His Imperial Majesty, but humble, loving subjects."

" Loving subjects? I spit upon thee, thou cursed Jew ! " and he spat accordingly.

" Nay, sir, have mercy upon my daughter ; she has been trained to pray for His Imperial Majesty, and to honor her father."

" Has she so ? " said Petronovitch, turning his cruel eyes upon her ; she does not honor thee in her handsome face, nor in her graceful figure. Stand up, girl, thou needs not fear ; where is the man to whom thou art betrothed, as they tell me thou art ? "

" The rabbi Losinski, your Excellency," said Anna, in a voice trembling with agony and distress, " was driven forth."

" The Jew Losinski," said the officer, " we thought it well your Excellency, to keep apart from the other prison- ers. He is without."

" Bring him before us," said Petronovitch.

Two soldiers appeared with Losinski.

" The rabbi Losinski ? " said Petronovitch with a note of interrogation.

The rabbi bowed his head.

" The famous student of St. Petersburg ? "

" Your humble servant," said the rabbi, " and your Imperial Master's faithful subject."

" For the present, to show that we are the merciful