Page:By order of the Czar.djvu/67



BY ORDER OF THE CZAR, 55

" He is to be envied," said Petronovitch, stealing his arm round her. >

" Your Excellency is pleased to be merry after your act of goodness," Anna replied.

" I am pleased with you, too, and I hope you are not displeased with me ? "

" You are very good ; I owe you a deep debt of grati- tude."

" It is easily paid," he said, taking her hand in his hot grasp.

" It can never be sufficiently acknowledged," she said, now moving a little way from him ; " my father and my future husband will never cease to bless you."

" I prefer to be in your thoughts," he said, his hot lips close to her own, " and in your arms," and he kissed her roughly, brutally.

She struggled free from his grasp, but did not lose her self-control nor upbraid him, as he expected she would.

" You propose too much honor for a poor Jewess ; pray now, sir, permit me to withdraw," was all she said.

" You are worthy of an emperor," he said : " no Chris- tian is more beautiful."

" But your Excellency knows I am to be married to one of my own people."

She would not allow him to think for a moment that she believed he intended anything more than to make love to her with a view to marriage. "You may not marry a Jewess, be she ever so wealthy."

" Oh yes, I may," he said, " we are not so particular when beauty is in the case such beauty as yours."

She retreated before him ; he followed her.

" I frighten you. Nay, let us talk about that release I have only to write it."

She stood still and allowed him to approach her ; she permitted him to take her hand ; he led her to a couch of skins.