He turned his head a little, looked carefully toward the door, at last he said, “Kharlamp!”
“At the service of your highness!”
“What does Stahovich want here?”
The legs began to tremble under poor Kharlamp, for unterrified as he was in battle he was superstitious in the same degree; therefore he looked around quickly, and said in a stifled voice,—
“Stahovich is not here; your highness gave orders to shoot him at Kyedani.”
The prince closed his eyes and answered not a word.
For a time there was nothing to be heard save the doleful and continuous howling of the wind.
“The weeping of people is heard in that wind,” said the prince, again opening his eyes in perfect consciousness. “But I did not bring in the Swedes; it was Radzeyovski.”
When no one gave answer, he said after a short time,—
“He is most to blame, he is most to blame, he is most to blame.”