"Zoya----," she corrected.

He smiled and touched her fingers lightly to his lips.

"Zoya----," he repeated. "Pretty name, that. Zoya! You and I must swear an allegiance."

"I have already sworn it in my heart," she said softly.

"And I can count upon you--whatever happens."

"Yes--for Russia."

"There are many Russias----"

"The Russia of the Constituent Assembly--the Russia of sanity--of reconstruction----"

"Good. We understand each other. A beautiful woman is a power, but a clever, beautiful woman----" he smiled at her gaily, "the world lies at her feet."

Her fingers closed upon his own and she looked past him down into the valley of a little river which flowed past them while her voice seemed to trail away into the beautiful distance.