The Secret Of The Night(Fiscle Part 3) by Gaston Leroux (readera ebook reader txt) 📕

Your Own Mother,  Don't You?"

"Like My Mother.  Like My Own Mother."

"You Have Nothing To Hide From Me?  - Tell Me,  Natacha."

"Nothing To Hide."

"Then Why Do You Make Boris Suffer So?  Why Don't You Marry Him?"

"Because I Don't Wish To Leave You,  Mamma Dear."

She Escaped Further Parley By Jumping Up On The Garden Edge Away

From Khor,  Who Had Just Been Set Free For The Day.

"The Dear Child," Said Matrena; "The Dear Little One,  She Little

Knows How Much Pain She Has Caused Us Without Being Aware Of It,

By Her Ideas,  Her Extravagant Ideas.  Her Father Said To Me One

Day At Moscow,  'Matrena Petrovna,  I'll Tell You What I Think

- Natacha Is The Victim Of The Wicked Books That Have Turned The

Brains Of All These Poor Rebellious Students.  Yes,  Yes; It Would

Be Better For Her And For Us If She Did Not Know How To Read,  For

There Are Moments - My Word!  - When She Talks Very Wildly,  And

I Have Said To Myself More Than Once That With Such Ideas Her Place

Is Not In Our Salon Hut Behind A Barricade.  All The Same,' He

Added After Reflection,  'I Prefer To Find Her In The Salon Where I

Can Embrace Her Than Behind A Barricade Where I Would Kill Her Like

A Mad Dog.'  But My Husband,  Dear Little Monsieur,  Did Not Say What

He Really Thinks,  For He Loves His Daughter More Than All The Rest

Of The World Put Together,  And There Are Things That Even A General,

Yes,  Even A Governor-General,  Would Not Be Able To Do Without

Violating Both Divine And Human Laws.  He Suspects Boris Also Of

Setting Natacha's Wits Awry.  We Really Have To Consider That When

They Are Married They Will Read Everything They Have A Mind To.  My

Husband Has Much More Real Respect For Michael Korsakoff Because Of

His Impregnable Character And His Granite Conscience.  More Than

Once He Has Said,  'Here Is The Aide I Should Have Had In The Worst

Days Of Moscow.  He Would Have Spared Me Much Of The Individual

Pain.'  I Can Understand How That Would Please The General,  But How

Such A Tigerish Nature Succeeds In Appealing To Natacha,  How It

Succeeds In Not Actually Revolting Her,  These Young Girls Of The

Capital,  One Never Can Tell About Them - They Get Away From All

Your Notions Of Them."

Rouletabille Inquired:

"Why Did Boris Say To Michael,  'We Will Return Together'?  Do They

Live Together?"

"Yes,  In The Small Villa On The Krestowsky Ostrov,  The Isle Across

From Ours,  That You Can See From The Window Of The Sitting-Room.

Boris Chose It Because Of That.  The Orderlies Wished To Have

Camp-Beds Prepared For Them Right Here In The General's House,  By

A Natural Devotion To Him; But I Opposed It,  In Order To Keep Them

Both From Natacha,  In Whom,  Of Course,  I Have The Most Complete

Confidence,  But One Cannot Be Sure About The Extravagance Of Men

Nowadays."

Ermolai Came To Announce The Petit-Dejeuner.  They Found Natacha

Already At Table And She Poured Them Coffee And Milk,  Eating Away

All The Time At A Sandwich Of Anchovies And Caviare.

Tell Me,  Mamma,  Do You Know What Gives Me Such An Appetite?  It

Is The Thought Of The Way Poor Koupriane Must Have Taken This

Dismissal Of His Men.  I Should Like To Go To See Him."

"If You See Him," Said Rouletabille,  "It Is Unnecessary To Tell Him

That The General Will Go For A Long Promenade Among The Isles This

Afternoon,  Because Without Fail He Would Send Us An Escort Of

Gendarmes."

"Papa!  A Promenade Among The Islands?  Truly?  Oh,  That Is Going

To Be Lovely!"

Matrena Petrovna Sprang To Her Feet.

"Are You Mad,  My Dear Little Domovoi,  Actually Mad?"

"Why?  Why?  It Is Fine.  I Must Run And Tell Papa."

"Your Father's Room Is Locked," Said Matrena Brusquely.

"Yes,  Yes; He Is Locked In.  You Have The Key.  Locked Away Until

Death!  You Will Kill Him.  It Will Be You Who Kills Him."

She Left The Table Without Waiting For A Reply And Went And Shut

Herself Also In Her Chamber.

Matrena Looked At Rouletabille,  Who Continued His Breakfast As

Though Nothing Had Happened.

"Is It Possible That You Speak Seriously?" She Demanded,  Coming

Over And Sitting Down Beside Him.  "A Promenade!  Without The

Police,  When We Have Received Again This Morning A Letter Saying

Now That Before Forty-Eight Hours The General Will Be Dead!"

"Forty-Eight Hours," Said Rouletabille,  Soaking His Bread In His

Chocolate,  "Forty-Eight Hours?  It Is Possible.  In Any Case,  I

Know They Will Try Something Very Soon."

"My God,  How Is It That You Believe That?  You Speak With Assurance."

"Madame,  It Is Necessary To Do Everything I Tell You,  To The Letter."

"But To Have The General Go Out,  Unless He Is Guarded - How Can You

Take Such A Responsibility?  When I Think About It,  When I Really

Think About It,  I Ask Myself How You Have Dared Send Away The Police.

But Here,  At Least,  I Know What To Do In Order To Feel A Little Safe,

I Know That Downstairs With Gniagnia And Ermolai We Have Nothing To

Fear.  No Stranger Can Approach Even The Basement.  The Provisions

Are Brought From The Lodge By Our Dvornicks Whom We Have Had Sent

From My Mother's Home In The Orel Country And Who Are As Devoted To

Us As Bull-Dogs.  Not A Bottle Of Preserves Is Taken Into The

Kitchens Without Having Been Previously Opened Outside.  No Package

Comes From Any Tradesman Without Being Opened In The Lodge.  Here,

Within,  We Are Able To Feel A Little Safe,  Even Without The Police

- But Away From Here - Outside!"

"Madame,  They Are Going To Try To Kill Your Husband Within

Forty-Eight Hours.  Do You Desire Me To Save Him Perhaps For A Long

Time - For Good,  Perhaps?"

"Ah,  Listen To Him!  Listen To Him,  The Dear Little Domovoi!  But

What Will Koupriane Say?  He Will Not Permit Any Venturing Beyond

The Villa; None,  At Least For The Moment.  Ah,  Now,  How He Looks At

Me,  The Dear Little Domovoi!  Oh,  Well,  Yes.  There,  I Will Do As

You Wish."

"Very Well,  Come Into The Garden With Me."

She Accompanied Him,  Leaning On His Arm.

"Here's The Idea," Said Rouletabille.  "This Afternoon You Will Go

With The General In His Rolling-Chair.  Everybody Will Follow.

Everyone,  You Understand,  Madame - Understand Me Thoroughly,  I Mean

To Say That Everyone Who Wishes To Come Must Be Invited To.  Only

Those Who Wish To Remain Behind Will Do So.  And Do Not Insist.  Ah,

Now,  I See,  You Understand Me.  Why Do You Tremble?"

"But Who Will Guard The House?"

"No One.  Simply Tell The Servant At The Lodge To Watch From The

Lodge Those Who Enter The Villa,  But Simply From The Lodge,  Without

Interfering With Them,  And Saying Nothing To Them,  Nothing."

"I Will Do As You Wish.  Do You Want Me To Announce Our Promenade

Beforehand?"

"Why,  Certainly.  Don't Be Uneasy; Let Everybody Have The Good News."

"Oh,  I Will Tell Only The General And His Friends,  You May Be Sure."

"Now,  Dear Madame,  Just One More Word.  Do Not Wait For Me At

Luncheon."

"What!  You Are Going To Leave Us?" She Cried Instantly,  Breathless.

"No,  No.  I Do Not Wish It.  I Am Willing To Do Without The Police,

But I Am Not Willing To Do Without You.  Everything Might Happen In

Your Absence.  Everything!  Everything!" She Repeated With Singular

Energy.  "Because,  For Me,  I Cannot Feel Sure As I Should,  Perhaps.

Ah,  You Make Me Say These Things.  Such Things!  But Do Not Go."

"Do Not Be Afraid; I Am Not Going To Leave You,  Madame."

"Ah,  You Are Good!  You Are Kind,  Kind!  Caracho!  (Very Well.)"

"I Will Not Leave You.  But I Must Not Be At Luncheon.  If Anyone

Asks Where I Am,  Say That I Have My Business To Look After,  And

Have Gone To Interview Political Personages In The City."

"There's Only One Political Personage In Russia," Replied Matrena

Petrovna Bluntly; "That Is The Tsar."

"Very Well; Say I Have Gone To Interview The Tsar."

"But No One Will Believe That.  And Where Will You Be?"

"I Do Not Know Myself.  But I Will Be About The House."

"Very Well,  Very Well,  Dear Little Domovoi."

She Left Him,  Not Knowing What She Thought About It All,  Nor What

She Should Think - Her Head Was All In A Muddle.

In The Course Of The Morning Athanase Georgevitch And Thaddeus

Tchnitchnikof Arrived.  The General Was Already In The Veranda.

Michael And Boris Arrived Shortly After,  And Inquired In Their Turn

How He Had Passed The Night Without The Police.  When They Were Told

That Feodor Was Going For A Promenade That Afternoon They Applauded

His Decision.  "Bravo!  A Promenade A La Strielka (To The Head Of

The Island) At The Hour When All St.  Petersburg Is Driving There.

That Is Fine.  We Will All Be There."  The General Made Them Stay

For Luncheon.  Natacha Appeared For The Meal,  In Rather Melancholy

Mood.  A Little Before Luncheon She Had Held A Double Conversation

In The Garden With Michael And Boris.  No One Ever Could Have Known

What These Three Young People Had Said If Some Stenographic Notes In

Rouletabille's Memorandum-Book Did Not Give Us A Notion; The Reporter

Had Overheard,  By Accident Surely,  Since All Self-Respecting

Reporters Are Quite Incapable Of Eavesdropping.

The Memorandum Notes:

Natacha Went Into The Garden With A Book,  Which She