She knew he was amusing himself with her, and that he could probably have put his hand on the necessary papers in five minutes at any time, had he chosen to do so. Questions always, endless questions, she might have been a criminal and he the examining magistrate by the number and irrelevancy of his questions, and she found it more and more difficult to retain her equanimity under it all. Then, to her great annoyance, he took to calling upon her at her apartments, to ask still further questions, and to convey trifling scraps of information which only kept her hungry for more. With all her might she strove to keep her anger down, and to close the eyes and ears of her understanding to the meaning of the Colonel's distasteful attentions. But it was desperately hard work. It grew beyond her bearing, and at last one day she broke out stormily, "Colonel Zazarin, if you have anything to tell me, tell it me, and let me be gone. If not, pray say so, and I will try elsewhere," and the Colonel gazed at her admiringly. "Quite so, quite so," he said. "But you are so impetuous"--she had been in St. Petersburg a month, and knew just as much of what she wanted to know most, as on the day she arrived, and of some things much that she would have been glad not to know. "A matter such as this needs time, my dear young lady, time and much careful inquiry. It would not do to make any mistake. Is it your intention to follow your husband--that is, in case we should find that he has been sent away?" "Certainly I shall follow him. Where should a wife be but with her husband? Where has he been sent?" "In certain cases condemnation cancels all obligations of the kind," said the Colonel smoothly. "What do you mean?" "Supposing, for example, your husband should have been sent to Siberia, the law sets you free. Your husband has no further claim upon you." "The law, the law!" she fired. "Your law! I hold myself under something higher. If you will not help me----" "Well, well! I have not said I would not help you----" "Where have they sent him?" "----To the Kara mines," said the Colonel at last. She had feared it and had been prepared for it. Yet Kara was better than the grave. But then she had never been to Kara. "I shall follow him." "Have you money?" "The law--your law has seized my money," she said bitterly. "I must go as I can." "Will you permit me to----" "No, no," and she started up in haste. No woman could mistake what that meant. "Well, well! But you are so impetuous. If you will go you will have to get a permit to travel with a convoy." "That I have a right to--even by your law." "Certainly." "Then I will avail myself of it. To whom shall I apply?" "I will see to it for you, if you will not permit me to----" "Where can I get it? How soon can I start?"