Page:By order of the Czar.djvu/25

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BY ORDER OF THE CZAR. 13

Moscow revelers, his mother falling a victim to grief at her husband's death.

Apart from these inducements to revenge, Andrea Ferrari had imbibed the doctrines and some of the hopes of the latest propaganda of the Nihilists of Russia ; but this he kept a strict secret in his own breast, he well know- ing that in Russia even a secret so well guarded as his sometimes gets out, not by open or private confession, but through a keenly interpreted look, a sudden interrogation, or an ill-considered remark.

The somewhat sinister expression of Andrea's face, a habit he had of dropping his eyes, an introspective manner, was very much in contrast with the frank, open countenances of the host, the rabbi, and the young girl who was not only known within the Pale of the Settlement as the Queen of the Ghetto, but outside the Jews' quarter as the good daughter of the Liberal Jew.

Anna loved to hear Andrea Ferrari talk of his travels, and the rabbi, by whose side she sat, an attentive listener to the general conversation, was also much interested in him.

" Tell Anna," said the rabbi, " of Venice ; of those olden days of our people, and how our brethren have progressed in wealth, in power,^and in freedom ; moreover, such advancement is an encouragement for hope, even here in Russia."

" Would to God that all our neighbors, far and near," said Klosstock, lighting his big German pipe, u were as well considered and as justly protected in their rights as we of Czarovna ! "

" Rights ! " exclaimed Andrea, in a fierce but suppressed tone, " what rights, my father? "

" The right to live without being beaten the right to pray to the God of our Fathers the right to buy and sell."

" Yes, we are well off at Czarovna," remarked the