CHAPTER XXII.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 379, 22 June 1889, Page 3

CHAPTER XXII.

1 J BACK TO RUSSIA. What Wat had seen through fche crack of the door was the countess with a small satchel in her hand, packing papers into ib. With a flash like divination ifc had come into his' mind what she intended to do, and he had 'decided on his own course in the same instant. He had hardly reached the lower floor," where the servants' quarters were, than the I footman's bell rang. Instead of allowing the footman, whose duty ifc was, to answer the summons, he returned at once to the countess and asked i her wishes. ' Take this note fco the Counb Chernigoff,' she commanded. He ran to his own room and dexterously opened the envelope. 'I am going fco Fonfcainebleau for a day or two. If you need me for anything, send thither.' So fche note read. •For Fonfcainebleau, read Russia, and this note fcella the truth,' said Wat to himself. He at once re-sealed fche envelope and gave ifc to ono of fch'e footmen with fche countess's instructions. Then he ran out and consulted a timetable, and finding he had nearly two hours before the train' would leave, changed his disguise so that he might pass for a middleaged American gentleman. Hie next step was to go to the telegraph office near his hotel and ask for telegrams. , There was one for him, which he eagerly read. Ifc was from Gresser, arid said, when \ translated by the key : 1 Triumphant ! Czar saved ! Vera saved ! Come on here at once. Very important.' Writing a note fco Ivan, informing him of Veras safety, he posted ifc and then wenfc to watch Sofia. His task was now very much simplified, for he knew thafc G,resser would never have penfc for him unle^ifc was necessary for him to be there. ' ",,„ * If hewas wrong in his calculations as to Sofia, he would go anyhow ; but if he were right, then he would be able to keep his dangerous enemy under his eye all the time. The result proved thafc he was right. Accompanied only by her trusted maid, whom she had brought from Russia with her, she leffc fche house aoon after Wafc took up his station near ifc. She and the maid were dressed alike, in simple travelling suits, and instead of taking her own carriage, she stepped into a hack which she hailed when she was a short distance from her house. ' , She drove first to the Russian Consulate, where, as Wat understood at once, she went fco have a passpof t'.made out. She wenfc into the consulate heavily veiled, and came out' in the same condition, with the consul showing her such attention as proved that he knew with whom he was dealing, <

1 From the consulate she was driven to *the depot, and there, -having purchased her. tickets, she waited for the train to 'leave. She was not travelling in the state | usually employed by the Countess Alraazoff, jand it was plain from all her movements .that she was afraid of- being recognised. . Wat might r have travelled in the same compartment with her, as he discovered ' when the passengers were admitted to the cars, but he preferred to be in the adjoining one. , The countess travelled with such haste that, merely on general principles, Wat determined co get ahead of her in the race to St. Petersburg. At Berlin, in pursuance of this design, he bribed her haekman to delay on the way to the depot, and so make her lose her train. The simple ruse was successful, and Wat was on his way at least six hours in advance of her. Instead of a passport he used the order of the Minister of the Interior at the frontier, and had no difficulty in passing into Russia without detention. The ride to Sfc. Petersburg: passed without incident, and Wat, on his arrival, went ab once to the chief of police.