He  squatted  there  like  a  gigantic  toad,  with  his  legs
doubled  under  him  in  strange  Mongolian  fashion,
and  his  eyes  fixed  apparently  upon  the  window  of  the
room  in  which  the  young  girl  and  the  housekeeper
slept.  The  light  fell  upon  his  upturned  face,  and  I
saw  once  more  the  hawk-like  grace  of  his  countenance,
with  the  single  deeply  indented  line  of  care  upon  his
brow,  and  the  protruding  beard  which  marks  the  pas-
sionate nature.  My  first  impulse  was  to  shoot  him
as  a  trespasser;  but,  as  I  gazed,  my  resentment
changed  into  pity  and  contempt.  "Poor  fool !"  I  said
to  myself,  "is  it  then  possible  that  you,  whom  I  have
seen  looking  open-eyed  at  present  death,  should  have
your  whole  thoughts  and  ambition  centred  upon  this
wretched  slip  of  a  girl — a  girl,  too,  who  flies  from
you  and  hates  you  ?  Most  women  would  love  you—
were  it  but  for  that  dark  face  and  great,  handsome
body  of  yours — and  yet  you  must  needs  hanker  after


THE  MAN  FROM  ARCHANGEL.  517

the  one  in  a  thousand  who  will  have  no  traffic  with
you."  As  I  returned  to  my  bed,  I  chuckled  much  to
myself  over  this  thought.  I  knew  that  my  bars  were
strong  and  my  bolts  thick.  It  mattered  little  to  me
whether  this  strange  man  spent  his  night  at  my  door
or  a  hundred  leagues  off,  so  long  as  he  was  gone  by  the
morning.  As  I  expected,  when  I  rose  and  went  out,
there  was  no  sign  of  him,  nor  had  he  left  any  trace  of
his  midnight  vigil.
It  was  not  long,  however,  before  I  saw  him  again.
