“I have come to obtain the papers he holds.”

“I fear you will find him difficult to deal with after the police incident to-night. Police spies are to him an abomination. You had none yesterday. Why do you run such risks as to travel quite unattended?”

“I ran no risk. No one knew me,” I answered, rather embarrassed.

“I knew you.”

“Against what were you warning me?”

She read suspicion in the question.

“I am not a Nihilist; but Russia is Russia.”

“You know something of these Nihilists?”

“I know many of them to be reckless desperate men.”

“One has to take chances.”