第26章

He was a fine man, large, solid, clear-eyed.His uniform showed his fine build to advantage.He was generally liked in St.

Petersburg, where his martial bearing and his well-known bravery had given him a sort of popularity in society, which, on the other hand, had great disdain for Gounsovski, the head of the Secret Police, who was known to be capable of anything underhanded and had been accused of sometimes play-ng into the hands of the Nihilists, whom he disguised as agents-provocateurs, without anybody really doubting it, and he had to fight against these widespread political suspicions.

Well-informed men declared that the death of the previous "prime mnister," who had been blown up before Varsovie station when he was on his way to the Tsar at Peterhof, was Gounsovski's work and that in this he was the instrument of the party at court which had sworn the death of the minister which inconvenienced it.* On the other ____________________________________________________________________1Rumored cause of Plehve's assassination.

____________________________________________________________________hand, everyone regarded Koupriane as incapable of participating in any such horrors and that he contented himself with honest performance of his obvious duties, confining himself to ridding the streets of its troublesome elements, and sending to Siberia as many as he could of the hot-heads, without lowering himself to the compromises which, more than once, had given grounds for the enemies of the empire to maintain that it was difilcult to say whether the chiefs of the Russian police played the part of the law or that of the revolutionary party, even that the police had been at the end of a certain time of such mixed procedure hardly able to decide themselves which they did.

This afternoon Koupriane appeared very nervous.He paid his compliments to the general, grumbled at his imprudence, praised him for his bravery, and then at once picked out Rouletabille, whom he took aside to talk to.

"You have sent my men back to me," said he to the young reporter.

"You understand that I do not allow that.They are furious, and quite rightly.You have given publicly as explanation of their departure - a departure which has naturally astonished, stupefied the general's friends - the suspicion of their possible participation in the last attack.That is abominable, and I will not permit it.

My men have not been trained in the methods of Gounsovski, and it does them a cruel injury, which I resent, for that matter, personally, to treat them this way.But let that go, as a matter of sentiment, and return to the simple fact itself, which proves your excessive imprudence, not to say more, and which involves you, you alone, in a responsibility of which you certainly have not measured the importance.All in all, I consider that you have strangely abused the complete authority that I gave you upon the Emperor's orders.When I learned what you had done I went to find the Tsar, as was my duty, and told him the whole thing.He was more astonished than can be expressed.He directed me to go myself to find out just how things were and to furnish the general the guard you had removed.I arrive at the isles and not only find the villa open like a mill where anyone may enter, but I am informed, and then I see, that the general is promenading in the midst of the crowd, at the mercy of the first miserable venturer.Monsieur Rouletabille, I am not satisfied.The Tsar is not satisfied.And, within an hour, my men will return to assume their guard at the datcha."Rouletabille listened to the end.No one ever had spoken to him in that tone.He was red, and as ready to burst as a child's balloon blown too hard.He said:

"And I will take the train this evening.""You will go?"

"Yes, and you can guard your general all alone.I have had enough of it.Ah, you are not satisfied! Ah, the Tsar is not satisfied!

It is too bad.No more of it for me.Monsieur, I am not satisfied, and I say Good-evening to you.Only do not forget to send me from here every three or four days a letter which will keep me informed of the health of the general, whom I love dearly.I will offer up a little prayer for him."Thereupon he was silent, for he caught the glance of Matrena Petrovna, a glance so desolated, so imploring, so desperate, that the poor woman inspired him anew with great pity.Natacha had not returned.What was the young girl doing at that moment? If Matrena really loved Natacha she must be suffering atrociously.Koupriane spoke; Rouletabille did not hear him, and he had already forgotten his own anger.His spirit was wrapped in the mystery.

"Monsieur," Koupriane finished by saying, tugging his sleeve, "do you hear me? I pray you at least reply to me.I offer all possible excuses for speaking to you in that tone.I reiterate them.I ask your pardon.I pray you to explain your conduct, which appeared imprudent to me but which, after all, should have some reason.Ihave to explain to the Emperor.Will you tell me? What ought I to say to the Emperor?""Nothing at all," said Rouletabille."I have no explanation to give you or the Emperor, or to anyone.You can offer him my utmost homage and do me the kindness to vise my passport for this evening."And he sighed:

"It is too bad, for we were just about to see something interesting."Koupriane looked at him.Rouletabille had not quitted Matrena Petrovna's eyes, and her pallor struck Koupriane.

"Just a minute," continued the young man."I'm sure there is someone who will miss me - that brave woman there.Ask her which she prefers, all your police, or her dear little domovoi.We are good friends already.And - don't forget to present my condolences to her when the terrible moment has come."It was Koupriane's turn to be troubled.

He coughed and said: