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BY ORDER OF THE CZAR. 37

telling his flock that he himself had already had bitter proof that neither in charity, religion, nor justice had they anything to hope from General Petronovitch. He did not say this in any bitterness of spirit ; he was content to leave himself to the hands of God ; but he said it that they might understand how they stood ; that the reign of security was at an end, but that the day of tribulation might be at least mitigated by circumspect conduct, patience, humility and prayer.

CHAPTER VL

A SENTENCE.

DURING the remainder of the day, Czarovna was like a place torn with some internal calamity, and full of a dread of worse to come. To typify the community as one man, it w.as as if he was stricken with the first symptoms of the plague, and knew that his hours were numbered, and that he would die in dreadful agony. Police and soldiers ostentatiously paraded the little town. The Governor and his staff took up their quarters at the old house of the Ghetto. "It is on the scene of hostilities," said Petronovitch, " and will serve as a convenient court of justice ; for we must needs have prisoners. Unless these cursed Jews give up the murderer, Ferrari, they shall smart for it ; he cannot have left Czarovna ; he is in hiding. I will whip every cursed man and woman of them, but I will have the ruffian they are concealing."

Anna was permitted her liberty on condition that she held no communication with her father or with Losinski. Petronovitch had her watched in the hope that she might unconsciously lead them to their quarry. How could she the Governor's inhuman order ! The sentinels who