“We have heard the story of Bova Korolevitch and Erouslana Lazarevitch.”[1]
“My dear Gavril Afanassievitch!” interrupted the old lady, “tell us rather how you replied to the Emperor’s proposal.”
“I said that we were under his authority, and that it was our duty to obey him in all things.”
At that moment a noise was heard behind the door. Gavril Afanassievitch went to open it, but felt some obstruction. He pushed against it with increased force, the door opened, and they saw Natasha lying in a swoon upon the blood-stained floor.
Her heart sank within her, when the Emperor shut himself up with her father; some presentiment whispered to her that the matter concerned her, and when Gavril Afanassievitch ordered her to withdraw, saying that he wished to speak to her aunt and grandfather, she could not resist the instinct of feminine curiosity, stole quietly along through the inner rooms to the bedroom door, and did not miss a single word of the whole terrible conversation; when she heard her father’s last words, the poor girl lost consciousness, and falling, struck her head against an iron-bound chest, in which was kept her dowry.
The servants hastened to the spot; Natasha was lifted up, carried to her own room, and placed in bed. After a little time she regained consciousness, opened her eyes, but recognized neither father nor aunt. A violent fever set in; she spoke in her delirium about the Czar’s negro, about marriage, and suddenly cried in a plaintive and piercing voice:
“Valerian, dear Valerian, my life, save me! there they are, there they are....”
Tatiana Afanassievna glanced uneasily at her brother, who turned pale, bit his lips, and silently left the room. He returned to the old Prince, who, unable to mount the stairs, had remained below.
“How is Natasha?” asked he.
“Very bad,” replied the grieved father: “worse than I thought; she is delirious, and raves about Valerian.”