"Was dead to me."
"Did not the Government give you any trouble?"
"The Russian Government knew that Countess Yarnova could be of great help."
"And was she?"
"Even more than had been expected."
The Countess paused a moment. "It happened that my enemies, Aleksij
Orsinski, were also those of my country, so I crushed them."
The Baron trembled perceptibly.
"But that is their own tale, not mine. We came back to Russia, my husband worshipping me as a superhuman creature."
"And you loved him?"
"I loved but once."