"Ah! How can I tell? The Cossacks may have caught and killed him. He may be dead," she added hoarsely. "What direction has he taken?" "He was compelled to leave hurriedly at midnight. He came, kissed me, and gave me this," she said, still holding the shining little bomb in her small white hand. "He said he intended, if possible, to get over the hills to the frontier at Satanow." I saw that she was deeply in love with the fugitive, whoever he might be. Outside the awful massacre was in progress, we knew; but no sound of it reached us down in that rock-hewn tomb. The yellow candle-light fell upon her sweet dimpled face, but when she turned her splendid eyes to mine I saw that in them was a look of anxiety and terror inexpressible. I inquired of her father and mother, for she was of a superior class, as I had from the first moment detected. She spoke French extremely well, and we had dropped into that language as being easier for me than Russian. "What can it matter to you, sir, a stranger?" she sighed. "But I am interested in you, mademoiselle," I answered. "Had I not been I should not have fired that shot." "Ah, yes!" she cried quickly. "I am an ingrate! You saved my life,"--and again she seized both my hands and kissed them. "Hark!" I cried, startled. "What's that?" for I distinctly heard a sound of crackling wood. The next moment men's gruff voices reached us from above. "The Cossacks!" she screamed. "They have found us--they have found us!" And the light died out of her beautiful countenance. In her trembling hand she held the terrible little engine of destruction. With a quick movement I gripped her wrist, urging her to refrain until all hope was abandoned, and together we stood facing the soldiers as they descended the stairs to where we were. They were, it seems, searching every house. "Ah!" they cried, "a good hiding-place this! But the wall was hollow, and revealed the door!" and next moment we saw the figures of men. "Well, my pretty!" exclaimed a big, leering Cossack, chucking the trembling girl beneath the chin. "Hold!" I commanded the half-dozen men who now stood before us, their swords red with the life-blood of the Revolution. But before I could utter further word the poor girl was wrenched from my grasp, and the Cossack was smothering her face with his hot nauseous kisses. "Hold, I tell you!" I shouted. "Release her, or it is at your own peril!" "Hulloa!" they laughed. "Who are you?"--and one of the men raised his sword to strike me, whilst another held him back, exclaiming, "Let us hear what he has to say!" "Then listen!" I said, drawing from my pocket book a folded paper. "Read this, and look well at the signature. I am a British subject, and this girl is under my protection!"--and I handed to the man who held little Luba in his arms my permit to travel hither and thither in Russia, which the Ambassador in London had signed for me.