“My Clémence perhaps will wonder that I said nothing to the Czar about our future--about my plans, hopes, or prospects. Truly I had intended, if the opportunity offered, to have spoken of these. But to-day I could not--I could think of no subject save one. Forgive me this delay. “It is late, but I am still sitting at my desk with that precious sketch before me which your father’s hand transferred to paper, and your hand placed in mine. My dear mother’s face seems to look upon me and to say, ‘I too am comforted concerning all I love. Here or elsewhere they are in God’s keeping. Never, even in their darkest days, did he wholly take away his loving-kindness from them.’ “To-morrow General Soltikoff is to tell me more. Not _much_ more, I suppose. Few particulars of the life and death of a man degraded to the ranks are ever likely to be known. But had _he_ told me what I know now, how different everything would have seemed to me to-night! “Now it is not late, but early. That is really the light of dawn, our Northern dawn, which is stealing in pale and faint. I must put out my lamp and lie down, first thanking God for all his mercies, and praying him to keep me, and those a thousand times dearer than myself, in the hollow of his hand. Good-night,--my Clémence, my queen, good-night!” “_Thursday Morning._ “I take my pen in haste to add a few lines which will change everything for thee and me, Clémence. No, not _change_, only clear away our perplexities, and make the crooked places straight before us. My last night’s vigil made me rather a late sleeper this morning, and I woke to find my servant standing by my side, with a large packet in his hand bearing the Imperial seal. You may be sure I lost no time in opening it. Two separate parchments fell out--one the patent renewing in my favour my father’s title of ‘Prince’ Pojarsky, the other the title-deeds of his estate, Nicolofsky.[58] “I cannot to-day write commonplace words about this; _you_ will read between the lines, and share the emotions that fill my heart. Surely God has dealt well with me--infinitely better than I deserve. It only remains now for estate, title, and all else that I have and am, to be laid at your feet by your happy, grateful, and devoted IVAN.” CHAPTER XXXII. TWO RETURNS, ONE OF THEM NOT EXPECTED. “I keep my master’s noble name For warring, not for feasting.”