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Two days passed, during which Rouletabille did not receive any word from either Natacha or Koupriane, and tried in vain to see them. He made a trip for a few hours to Finland, going as far as Pergalovo, an isolated town said to be frequented by the revolutionaries, then returned, much disturbed, to his hotel, after having written a last letter to Natacha imploring an interview.
She flew like the wind, but in a distracted course. She had reached Kameny-Ostrow on the west bank. "Oh, for a carriage, a horse!" clamored Koupriane, who had left his turn-out at Eliaguine. "The proof is there. It is the final proof of everything that is escaping us!" Dawn was enough advanced now to show the ground clearly. Katharina was easily discernible as she reached the Eliaguine bridge.
"Monsieur Koupriane, I offer it to you again. Life for life. Give me the life of that poor devil and I promise you General Trebassof's." "Explain yourself." "Not at all. Do you promise me that you will maintain silence about the case of that man and that you will not touch a hair of his head?"
Suddenly, just when they supposed she was coming straight to shore, the sails fell and a canoe was dropped over the side. Four men got into it; then a woman jumped lightly down a little gangway into the canoe. It was Natacha. Koupriane had no difficulty in recognizing her through the gathering darkness. "Ah, my dear Monsieur Rouletabille," said he, "see your prisoner of the Nihilists.
It seemed to the young man that he had to contend against all the revolutionaries not only, but all the Russian police as well and Gounsovski himself, and Koupriane! Everybody, everybody! But most urgent was Priemkof and his living bombs. What a strange and almost incomprehensible and harassing adventure this was between Nihilism and the Russian police.
* In the trial after the revolt at Cronstadt two young women were charged with wearing bombs as false bosoms. At the corner of Aptiekarski-Pereoulok Rouletabille came in the way of Koupriane, who was leaving for Pere Alexis's place and, seeing the reporter, stopped his carriage and called that he was going immediately to the datcha. "You have seen Pere Alexis?" "Yes," said Koupriane.
Then the agent left; Koupriane, as he pushed aside the table that was near the window, said to the reporter: "You had better come to the window; my man has just told me the boat is drawing near. You can watch an interesting sight. We are sure that Natacha is still aboard.
The inventions of the police! Papers devised to incriminate him. There is nothing at all of what you said you found at his house. It is not possible. It is not true." "Where are those papers?" demanded the curt voice of Feodor. "Bring them here at once, Koupriane; I wish to see them."
Monsieur Koupriane, the Emperor will tell you himself that General Trebassof is saved, and that his life will never be in danger any more. Do you know what follows? It follows that you must at once set Matiew free, whom I have taken, if you remember, under my protection. Tell him that he is going to make his way in France. I will find him a place on condition that he forgets certain lashes."
Then they separated each to watch one of the staircases, reasoning that Koupriane and General Trebassof would have to decide to descend. The datcha des Iles was nothing now but a smoking ruin.
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