"I would give up my liberty, now, to be assured that she might always
be happy; yes, even to know that she has broken with the nihilists; for
sooner or later they would lead her to Siberia. Will you answer one
question for me, Mr. Derrington?"
"Willingly."
"Has she been arrested?" He did not appreciate the confession involved
in his question.
"No; and she will not be. She has also broken with the nihilists. And,
Morét, I wish you to know that I honor you for not telling me her name.
I know to whom you refer."
He was silent a moment, until with some confusion in his manner, he
said: "I would like to shake hands with you, Mr. Derrington. You are a good
man, and in whatever country Jean Morét finds a home, there you will
always find a friend of yours."
We had some other conversation, and then I gave him his passports,
together with sufficient money for his needs. I personally conducted
him from the place of imprisonment, and we finally parted in the
street. That was the last I ever saw of Jean Morét, but whatever his
ultimate fate, I knew him to be a man of sterling qualities.
From there I made my way to the office of my friend Canfield, where it
was arranged that I should receive the reports of my men, and there,
closeted with Canfield, I remained until daylight. Messengers were
coming and going constantly, and I knew long before dawn that every
plan that I had laid had worked out just as I intended it should. I
knew that when the sun rose, there would not be a half dozen real
nihilists at liberty in St. Petersburg, and that the order would be
paralyzed and broken throughout the empire. To just one portion of the
night's work, I paid particular personal attention, and that was to the
arrest and disposition of those who knew Zara and Ivan, personally, and
who were aware of her condemnation to death by the order. Many of those
who were arrested that night, were sent to Siberia for life, and
others, for long terms of imprisonment; but I could not be criticised
for that, for they one and all deserved to go. I was yet to meet with
an adventure before I returned to the emperor, however.
After leaving Canfield I sought an interview with O'Malley. I found
that without going out of my way, I could pass the residence of the
prince, where I believed Zara to be peacefully sleeping, for I knew
that Durnief must have suffered arrest before there was opportunity for
him to carry out the czar's order. I had taken the precaution to
instruct Coyle, early in the evening, to place a good watch on the
house, fearing there might be a chance that one of the spies of the
nihilists had succeeded in following us, and that they might attempt an
attack upon her, there. Of Durnief, I had not thought again, for when
the czar told me that he had been sent after the princess, I had every
confidence that the man would be arrested before he could gain
admittance to Zara's presence. Later, at Canfield's office, I had
received the report that he had been taken.