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He was not separated from Natacha by more than four or five persons when a great jostling commenced. Annouchka was coming out. Cries rose: "Annouchka! Annouchka!" Rouletabille threw himself on his knees and on all-fours succeeded in sticking his head through into the way kept by the police for Annouchka's passage.
It does not appear to have come from without, whereas the living bombs will have to come from without. And Priemkof is mixed up in it." "Yes, yes," approved Madame Gounsovski again, "he is committed to it. There have been stories about him, too. Other people as well as he can tell tales; it isn't hard to do. He has got to make some showing now if he is to keep in with Annouchka's clique."
Was it for Annouchka to return for a luncheon or dinner in that place that she sometimes frequented? And did he at the same time keep watch upon Annouchka's apartments just across the way? If that was so, he could only bewail his luck, for Annouchka did not appear either at her apartments or the hotel, or at the Krestowsky establishment, which had been obliged to suppress her performance.
Just then the curtain fell on the first part of Annouchka's performance. The friends were soon rejoined by Thaddeus Tchitchnikoff, the great timber-merchant, who came from behind the scenes. "I have been to see the beautiful Onoto," announced the Lithuanian with a great satisfied laugh. "Tell me the news. All the girls are sulking over Annouchka's success."
"Oh, yes, a little of everything for a livelihood. I have a little well down Bakou way, nothing big; and a little house, a very small one for my small business." "What a monopolist Thaddeus is," declared Athanase Georgevitch, hitting him a formidable slap on the thigh with his enormous hand. "Gounsovski has come himself to keep an eye on Annouchka's debut, eh?
He tried to keep from looking at the other sack. He took the two ikons, of Saint Luke and of the Virgin, from his pocket and prayed to them. He thought of the Lady in Black and wept. A voice in the shadows said: "He is crying, the poor little fellow." It was Annouchka's voice. Rouletabille dried his tears and said: "Messieurs, one of you must have a mother."
The soldiers did not wish to fire at him. He had to summon them again to fulfill their duty, and obey their chief. Then they fired again, and he fell. He looked at his sister with his eyes full of horrible suffering. Seeing that he lived, and wishing to appear charitable, the captain, upon Annouchka's prayers, approached and cut short his sufferings by firing a revolver into his ear.
When they had entered, those present made place for them, and Rouletabille, who for some moments had been showing marks of fatigue and of a giddiness natural enough in a young man who isn't in the habit of drinking the finest champagnes, profited by the diversion to get a corner of the sofa not far from Prince Galitch, who occupied the place at Annouchka's right.
"Koupriane, our dear Koupriane," interrupted Gounsovski, slightly troubled at hearing his wife pronounce Annouchka's name, "Koupriane ought to be able to understand that this time Priemkof must bring things off, or he is definitely ruined." "Priemkof knows it well enough," replied Madame as she re-filled the glasses, "but Koupriane doesn't know it; that is all we can tell you. Is it enough?
Only he goes into Onoto's dressing-room, the rogue." "Oh, he doesn't trouble himself. Do you know who he is to have supper with? With Annouchka, my dears, and we are invited." "How's that?" inquired the jovial councilor. "It seems Gounsovski influenced the minister to permit Annouchka's performance by declaring he would be responsible for it all.
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