Part 29 (1/2)
”Now, gentlemen, what is your wish?” asked the man, and Malinkoff explained the object of the visit
Petroff looked serious
”Of course, I will do anything her Highness wishes,” he said ”I saw her yesterday, and she told me that she had a dear friend in St Basil”
Malcolm tried to look unconcerned under Malinkoff's swift scrutiny and failed ”But I think she wished you to one into Moscow to-night against my wishes,” he said with trouble in his face; ”such an old man----”
”Kensky?” said Malcolm quickly
”Kensky” The tone was short ”I told hihness was ht”
Malcolm took a step forward, but it was an unsteady step
”Married?” he repeated ”To as she h he dare not
”To the servant Boolba,” he said
CHAPTER XV
THE RED BRIDE
Irene Yaroslav came back to the home which had always been associated in herdisaster which Fate had wrought Whatever thoughts of escape she may have treasured in secret were cut into by the sure knowledge that she atched day and night, and were now finally ter apartment house, a suite of which Boolba had taken for her disposal when he had ousted her from her father's house, was practically in possession of the Soviet Guard
She drove to the palace with an undisguised escort of e, one before and one behind, and went up the stairs--those grihtened her as a child and had filled her nights with drea on her way the now empty bureau which it had been Boolba's whim for her to keep
Maria Badisikaya, an officer of the Committee for the Suppression of the Counter-Revolution, forarette Co-room which still retained some of its ancient splendour Maria was a short, stuht reen satin, cut low to disclose her generous figure About her stiff, coal-black hair was a heavy dia on a settee, her feet hardly touching the ground, cleaning her nails with a little pocket-knife as the girl entered Evidently this was her lowered up at her and ju it into her corsage
”You are late, Irene Yaroslav,” she said shrilly ”I have so for a boorjoo There is a coine I can attend that? Come, come!”
She bustled into an ante-room
”Here is your dress, s--Boolba has thought of all, yet he will not see! La! la! What a man!”
Numerous articles of attire were laid out on chairs and on the back of the sofa, and the girl, looking at them, shuddered It was Boolba's idea--nobody but Boolba would have thought of it Every garment was of red, blood red, a red which sees of finest silk, shoes of russian leather, cobweb underwear--but all of the same hideous hue In Russia the word ”red” is also the word ”beautiful” In a language in which socan be expressed, this word serves a double purpose, doing duty for that which, in the eyes of civilized people, is garish, and that which is aled suddenly Frohtly pompous official, conscious of her position, she became obsequious and even affectionate Possibly she reirl was to become the wife of the most powerful man in Moscohose as aory Prodol to the execution yard, and Gregory's position seemed unassailable
”I will help you to dress, my little dear,” she said ”Let me take your hat, irl ”Will you please wait in the next room, Maria Badisikaya?”
”But I can help you so,about ”A bride has no luck for thirty years if she puts on her own stockings”
”Go!” said the girl ied