“Give this to the American officer if you find him at the Dauria. If he has come for us, let him tell you so. But you are not to come back here to our house—Wassili will meet you at the _sobrania_ at midnight, and you are to tell Wassili what the American says. Do not tell the American where we are but let him send a message and the name of the friend who has sent him. That will be our proof that he is not an enemy. Talk with no one about this—and when you have told Wassili what the American says, go home to bed and do not drink. If you give a true message to Wassili you shall have fifty rubles more to-morrow.” “He will be drunk as an owl ten minutes after he gets to the Sofistkaya and the first _kabak_,” grumbled Michael. “And if he finds this American, how is the American to read Russian?” “If he come from friends, he must know something of Russian, else he would not have come by himself—and perhaps he has with him some man who can read it for him.” “You are wasting your breath and my ink,” said Michael. “I think nothing of this business.” “God’s blessing on you, mistress,” said Ilya, crossing himself twice and turning to follow Wassili out of the room. “I shall be very secret and do as you command—and I shall not go drinking wine with the money.” Wassili lighted his candle from the flame of the one burning on the table and opened the door. Ilya went out before him, and they both descended the stairs. “It is all a trap, as I have said,” Michael went on again, staring disconsolately into the flame of the candle, his head bent forward on his breast. “This is the Ataman’s work—and he will come again in the morning to mock us.” “I have faith that God has saved our lives,” said Katerin. “If an American is in the city who seeks us, I shall go to him myself in case Ilya fails us.” “Then you would be going to your doom, my daughter,” and Michael dropped his face into his outspread arms upon the table to conceal the dejection which had come over him again since he believed that Ilya had come on a fool’s errand. “Hope is greater than fear, my father,” said Katerin, and lifted his head from the table to kiss him. “Who knows? By dawn we may be safe with this American. We must pray that Wassili will bring us a message at midnight which means the end of our troubles. Zorogoff will not dare defy an American officer.” “Zorogoff will defy the devil himself,” said Michael. “I put little hope in this fool’s tale, but if it will make you happy, I will hope and believe till we know that there is nothing to be gained from this Ilya and his foolishness. And what you have just said about going to the hotel yourself—that must not be. I shall not let you out of my sight.” “Then perhaps we may both go,” said Katerin. “We would be in no greater danger if we tried to find the American than if we waited here for Zorogoff.”