Next day, however, he came to me with the news that the
charge against my mother had been proved by a statement of the woman
Shiproff herself, and that she had already started on her long journey
to Siberia--she had been exiled to one of those dreaded Arctic
settlements beyond Yakutsk, a place where it is almost eternal winter,
and where the conditions of life are such that half the convicts are
insane. The Baron, however, declared that, as my father's friend, it was
his duty to act as guardian to me, and that as my father had been
English I ought to be put to an English school. Therefore, with his
self-assumed title of uncle, he took me to Chichester. For years I
remained there, until one day he came suddenly and fetched me away,
taking me over to Helsingfors--for the Czar had now appointed him
Governor-General to Finland. There, for the first time, he introduced me
to his son Michael, a pimply-faced lieutenant of cavalry, and said in a
most decisive manner that I must marry him. I naturally refused to marry
a man of whom I knew so little, whereupon, finding me obdurate, he
quickly altered his tactics and became kindness itself, saying that as I
was young he would allow me a year in which to make up my mind.
Pages:
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459