Page:Leskov - The Sentry and other Stories.djvu/188

 172 had thrown off the priest's feather-bed and stood before us.

"Yes, there is nothing more to be done," said he. "You have won; you can take me to the torture, but she is in no way to blame. I carried her off by force."

Then he turned to the priest, and all he did was to spit in his face.

"My dear children," said the priest, "do you see how my sacred office and faithfulness are outraged? Report this to the most serene Count."

The steward answered him:

"Never mind, you need not fear, he will have to answer for all this." And then he ordered Arkadie and me to be led away.

We were all placed in three sledges: in the first Arkadie, with arms and legs bound fast, was seated with the huntsmen, and I with a similar guard was driven off in the last sledge while the rest of the party were in the middle one.

All the people we met made way for us; perhaps they thought it was a wedding.