The Dark Forest

GROSSET & DUNLAP Publishers , New York
by arrangement with GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY
COPYRIGHT, 1916 BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY

His was the first figure to catch my eye that evening in Petrograd; he stood under the dusky lamp in the vast gloomy Warsaw station, with exactly the expression that I was afterwards to know so well, impressed not only upon his face but also upon the awkwardness of his arms that hung stiffly at his side, upon the baggy looseness of his trousers at the knees, the unfastened straps of his long black military boots. His face, with its mild blue eyes, straggly fair moustache, expressed anxiety and pride, timidity and happiness, apprehension and confidence. He was in that first moment of my sight of him as helpless, as unpractical, and as anxious to please as any lost dog in the world—and he was also as proud as Lucifer. I knew him at once for an Englishman; his Russian uniform only accented the cathedral-town, small public-school atmosphere of his appearance. He was exactly what I had expected. He was not, however, alone, and that surprised me. By his side stood a girl, obviously Russian, wearing her Sister's uniform with excitement and eager anticipation, her eyes turning restlessly from one part of the platform to another, listening with an impatient smile to the remarks of her companion.
From where I stood I could hear his clumsy, hesitating Russian and her swift, preoccupied replies. I came up to them.
Mr. Trenchard? I asked.
He blushed, stammered, held out his hand, missed mine, blushed the more, laughed nervously.
I'm glad ... I knew ... I hope....
I could feel that the girl's eyes were upon me with all the excited interest of one who is expecting that every moment of her new wonderful experience will be of a stupendous, even immortal quality.
I am Sister Marie Ivanovna, and you are, of course, Mr. Durward, she said. They are all waiting for you—expecting you—you're late, you know! She laughed and moved forward as though she would accompany me to the group by the train. We went to the train together.