“You are a thankless man,” I said; “few could have had so lovely a woman to plead for them. Now that you have your liberty, you must make good use of it;” and I told him briefly of the perils of the situation and the possibilities of evading the czar.
Mentchikof’s proposal of a speedy marriage met with instant approval, as I had anticipated, and he was all impatience to urge it upon Najine. In a few words he told me of his capture, which fitted in with Apraxin’s story of it, and he gave a clear view of the discomforts of a Russian prison; yet he had been treated with tolerable moderation although in solitary confinement. His worst fear had been of an attempt to poison him, since he had not anticipated any actual violence on account of his nationality. On the whole, the rumors which had reached Madame de Brousson and Najine had evidently been exaggerated; but he had had but little food, and had been kept in rigid imprisonment, which would have speedily accomplished the work without the aid of more open measures.
As we approached my lodgings, we both scanned them eagerly for indications of Madame de Brousson’s return; but when we reached the door, found that she was still absent, and there was nothing to do but wait. We entered one of the lower rooms, and Pierrot went at once for food and wine for our returned prisoner, while I laid aside my cloak and sword and sat down by the fire. M. de Lambert was still standing by the table, when the outer door was suddenly opened, without a summons, and we heard a quick step in the hall, and in a moment Apraxin rushed into the room and confronted M. de Lambert. I looked at the intruder in amazement; he was without hat or cloak, and his disordered dress told of a recent struggle, and he carried a naked sword in his hand. How had he escaped the guards? He looked at M. Guillaume with furious eyes.
“So!” he exclaimed, “I find you at last! You have evaded me and baffled me at every turn, but you shall fight me now.”
M. de Lambert gave him a cold glance, measuring him with a contemptuous face.
“I do not fight with assassins and traitors,” he replied with cutting scorn.
Apraxin took a step forward, and struck at his face with his open hand.
“You are a coward!” he exclaimed.
M. de Lambert caught him by the throat and flung him back against the wall with a force that made his sword fly from his hand; then Guillaume folded his arms upon his breast and looked at him with a smile.
“If you need further chastisement,” he said coldly, “you can have it.”