Petersburg.
"I think a candle can be managed, Excellency. Shall I bring a cup?"
"I wish you would."
The door was again locked and bolted, but before Lermontoff had
finished his soup, and bread and cheese, it was opened again. The
gaoler placed a tin basin, similar to the former one, on the ledge,
put a candle and a candle-stick on the table, and a tin cup beside
them.
"I thought there was no part of Russia where bribery was extinct,"
said the Prince to himself, as the door closed again for the night.
After supper Lermontoff again shined his table, stood upon it, lit his
candle, and resumed his tunnelling, working hard until after midnight.
His progress was deplorably slow, and the spraying of the rock proved
about as tiring a task as ever he had undertaken. His second
basin-full of solution was made a little stronger, but without
perceptible improvement, in its effect. On ceasing operations for the
night he found himself in a situation common to few prisoners, that of
being embarrassed with riches. He possessed two basins, and one of
them must be concealed. Of course he might leave his working basin in
the upper tunnel where it had rested when the gaoler had brought in
his supper, but he realized that at any moment the lantern's rays
might strike its shining surface, and so bring on an investigation of
the upper tunnel, certain to prove the destruction of his whole
scheme.
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