"A new theatre has been opened at St. Petersburg," replied Balgonie (who thought to himself, "the devil is in it, if I cannot speak of _that_!"), "and there was represented an opera, entitled _Charles the Great_." "Ah, I don't quite understand all that; say it again." Indeed, Balgonie might as well have spoken of carbonic gas or the Atlantic cable, had he ever heard of such things; for the mind of the young Prince could not comprehend the most simple matters of every day-life. This was merely the result of his entire seclusion; but the adherents of the Empress, her favourites and lovers, industriously circulated through Russia the report that he was in a state of idiotcy. "And this place that you spoke of?" he resumed enquiringly. "The theatre?" "Yes, Hospodeen; who lives in it?" "One of the actresses performed a magnificent cantata, in honour of the Empress." "Ah! 'tis she, I understand, who keeps me here," said the Prince, with a sad smile; and now in real terror, and quite repenting the introduction he had brought about, Father Chrysostom rose to hurry Balgonie away. As they were retiring, the Prince said:-- "Hospodeen, you have dropped something." It was the locket with Natalie's hair. "What is in this?" asked Ivan, with childlike interest. "A lock of hair, your Highness." "How odd! and you wear it, just as I wear my cross?" "It is the gift, the souvenir of a lady I love, and who loves me: a countrywoman of your own." "A woman?" said Ivan, ponderingly. "Yes, Excellency." "I have never looked upon a woman's face, and know not what it is like, though the Empress (whom God long preserve!) visited me when a child, as I have been told. I have heard that they are not bearded like men. I shall never see one, it is forbidden; yet--yet--as I often tell Father Chrysostom, I have dreams by day--dreams of something else than wild swans and bearded Cossacks--of something to cling to, some one to love and be loved by. It must be this kind of love you speak of--oh yes, it must!" said Ivan, as he gazed with stupid, but reverent wonder at the lock of hair, ere he returned it to Balgonie. "Poor young Prince!" exclaimed the latter, as the chaplain hurried him away, and the portcullis clanged behind them in its grooves of stone. The priest now urged upon Balgonie, that if his visits were to be continued, the affairs of the outer world must in no way be referred to, or the result might be most disastrous for all concerned. "The seclusion in which the prisoner is kept, has, I fear, impaired his understanding," said Balgonie. "Hah! do you think so?" grunted Colonel Bernikoff, who overheard the remark, as they issued from the tower of Ivan. "You must know, that your genuine Russian is like a tiger, as some writer has it--a tiger who licks the hand of his keeper, so long as he is chained; but who tears him asunder when loose. The Empress quite understands this!"