Chancing to glance into a mirror at this moment, I caught sight of Katinka listening, white-faced, in the doorway. At this avowal of Volna’s she threw up her hands and hurried away.
“You admit you tricked me?” said Bremenhof between his clenched teeth.
“Call it what you will, I have told you now the truth.”
“You understand what this means?”
“I am not afraid of you. Say what you will and do what you will. I will save my mother in spite of you. Unless she is set free, your part in this shall be made known. How you have constantly held over me the threat of my mother’s arrest; how at my instance you have failed to do your duty—if it was your duty to arrest me—and how you have abused your official power to serve your personal ends with me. You have done your worst now; and have failed. And if justice is not really dead in Russia and we Poles are aught but your serfs, I will see that if we are to be punished, you, our accomplice, shall not escape your share of that punishment.”
“My God!” he exclaimed under his breath, abashed for the moment by her magnificent boldness. Then anger rallied him. “We will see,” he muttered, and turned to leave.
I stepped between him and the door.
“Let him go, if you please, Mr. Anstruther. Let him do what he dare.”
Without even another glance at her he went out.
“Thank Heaven the truth is out at last,” she said.