The Mission of Poubalov — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

76 LITIZKEL S LESSON, friend, may yet assist in liberating him. Understand me, Nicholas Litizki: 1 have not come to this country for nothing. I havea mission to perform, and nothing shall prevent me from performing it, and in my own way.”’ ‘*You will then keep Strobel a prisoner,’’ muttered Li- tizki, ‘‘until you have wrung from him by cruelty what you have come for?”’ ‘‘T shall perform my mission. Now it would be vyer- fectly easy for me to remove you, for you are making yourself an obstacle, a slight one, to my plans. It pleases me better, however, that you should live, and you may yet be an assistance to me. I will show you to the street door whenever you feel ready to depart.”’ Litizki shot a glance full of evil at his captor, but Pou- balov ignored it, and calmly lighted the inevitable cigar- ette. : ‘*Very well, Alexander Poubalov,’’ said Litizki after a moment, ‘‘you may let me go, but expect no gratitude from me. I know only too well that you think to serve your foul purposes by my liberty, but, weak asl am, I shall not rest until Strobel is restored to us or his fate made known, and even after that I shall pursue you! You teach me a lesson, Poubalov, a hard one, but I shall learn it.’’ ‘IT hope you will. Life will be easier if you dv. Must you.go now? Permit me,’’ and witha fine pretense at courtesy he unbolted the door and accompanied Litizki to the street door, which he also opened. ‘*Good-night, Nicholas Litizki,’’ he whispered as he withdrew again into the house. It was Litizki’s purpose to go at once to the house where Paul Palovna lodged, rouse him, and tell him his experi- ence, with all the admissions that Poubaloy had seemed to make, and all the inferences that were to be drawn from his remarks and innuendoes; but as he hurried along in the cool night air he felt as if something were leaving him. He slackened his pace, halted irresolutely, went on a few steps, and at last leaned heavily agawmonniaichicAcargy