The Mission of Poubalov — page 76: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

72 LATIZKEDP?S LESSON. feature of the furniture had not been let down. Poubaloy noticed Litizki’s glance and understood: | ‘‘No, my friend,’’ he said suavely, ‘‘I did not go to bed. I expected you, and sat up to receive you.”’ | Litizki groaned. Until then he had hoped desperately that even as a prisoner he would be able to accomplish something; now, convinced that the spy had prepared for his coming, he realized that his effort had been in vain. The awful sense of the unshakable power this man represented and wielded came over him as it did in those gloomy days in Russia when he had to choose between voluntary exile and certain banishment, | Poubalov drew a chair to a little table in the middle of the room, and sat down opposite the tailor, ‘Nicholas Litizki,’’ he said, ‘‘you have surprised and grieved me! I would not have supposed that even a resi- dence of several years in America could have made you forget that Alexander Poubalov never takes a step until] he is thoroughly prepared for it. I, who hardly know what the word emotion means, am almost hurt. Surely j¢ must be that contact with republican institute deadens | & man’s sensibilities and affects his memory.’ Litizki’s small eyes had been fixed upon those of his os versary from the beginning. They had relapsed to their customary dull expression, but they glowed faintly with new life, for, the first edge of his disappointment dulled, he recalled the two great purposes for which he had in-- vaded the house: vengeance and the rescue of Ivan Stro- bel. Neither purpose might be lost, and if he must forego or postpone vengeance, he would not prejudice what means others might have at command for saving his ben- efactor. ‘*Poubalov,’’ said the tailor, ‘‘l am an American citi. zen,’’ ‘“‘I bow to your discretion,’’ responded the spy, “but I knew it. You think to hide behind the generous skirts of your adopted country’s goddess. Good! I admit the effi- cacy of the refuge, for the accredited agent of tha czar—