Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 16, 2025
Here Rouletabille watched Madame Trebassof and was much mortified at the undoubted ignorance that showed in her frank face of either the yellow room or the black perfume. "My young friend," said she, in a voice more and more hesitant, "you must excuse me, but it is a long time since I have had good eyes for reading." Tears, at last, ran down her cheeks.
Were they Koupriane and Rouletabille, or were they the others? They had revolvers in their hands and drew back a little when the footsteps sounded near the door. Behind them Trebassof was quietly seated in his chair. The door was opened and Koupriane and Rouletabille perceived these death-like figures, motionless and mute. No one dared to speak or make a movement until the door had been closed.
Rouletabille was just about to risk speaking of Annouchka to him, in order to approach the subject of Natacha, when Gounsovski said suddenly, with a singular smile: "By the way, do you still believe in Natacha Trebassof?" "I shall believe in her until my death," Rouletabille thrust back; "but I admit to you that at this moment I don't know where she has gone."
Rouletabille got down the embankment and slowly, taking infinite precautions not to reveal his presence by making the least noise, made his way to where the river is widest. Seen through the blackness of the night the blacker mass of the Trebassof villa loomed like an enormous blot, he stopped. Then he glided like a snake through the reeds, the grass, the ferns.
Meanwhile the little group about the general's rolling-chair had attracted attention. Some passers-by saluted, and the news spread quickly that General Trebassof had come for a promenade to "the Point."
Would they still have three minutes' patience? Ermolai went ahead of Koupriane and Rouletabille. At the moment they reached the foot of the veranda steps the servant said loudly, repeating his lesson: "Oh, the general is waiting for you, Excellency. He told me to have you come to him at once. He is entirely well and Madame Trebassof also."
Madame Trebassof looked at Rouletabile, who turned as red as the comb of a rooster and was rather embarrassed at his fatuity. "That deserves a rebuff, I know, madame, but from the moment the Emperor of all the Russias had desired to see me I could not admit that any mere man with glasses had not the curiosity to see what I looked like. It was not natural.
Very well, then, I am going to say this to you: 'If I ward off this blow if, after having been the unintentional cause of Natacha's arrest, I have the daughter of General Trebassof set at liberty, and that within twenty-four hours, what do you say? Would you still hang me?"
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.
For having denounced to Koupriane the identity of the two "doctors" who had been assigned to kill General Trebassof. For having caused the arrest of Natacha Feodorovna. It was a list longer than was needed for his doom. Rouletabille kissed his ikons and handed them to Annouchka along with the letters.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking