On a merchant vessel they
would merely put him in irons."
"I see. Now do you want to earn a few gold pieces?"
"Excellency has been very generous to me already," was the
non-committal reply of the steward, whose eyes nevertheless twinkled
at the mention of gold.
"Well, here's enough to make a jingle in your pocket, and here are two
letters which you are to try to get delivered when you return to St.
Petersburg."
"Yes, Excellency."
"You will do your best?"
"Yes, Excellency."
"Well, if you succeed, I'll make your fortune when I'm released."
"Thank you, Excellency."
That night at dinner the Captain opened a bottle of vodka, and
conversed genially on many topics, without touching upon the
particular subject of liberty. He partook sparingly of the stimulant,
and, to Lermontoff's disappointment, it did not in the least loosen
his tongue, and thus, still ignorant of his fate, the Prince turned in
for the second night aboard the steamer.
When he awoke next morning he found the engines had stopped, and, as
the vessel was motionless, surmised it had reached harbor. He heard
the intermittent chuck-chuck of a pony engine, and the screech of an
imperfectly-oiled crane, and guessed that cargo was being put ashore.
"Now," he said to himself, "if my former sentinel is at the door they
are going to take me to prison. If he is absent, I am to be set free."
He jumped up, threw back the bolt, opened the door.
Pages:
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168