been touched this time either, but our furs were ruined by the blood
of the dead soldiers which they had forgotten to clean out of the
sleigh. That was the first attempt, which meant little enough,
after all, because it was fighting in the open. It was some days
later that they commenced to try assassination."

At this moment Ermolai brought in four bottles of champagne and
Thaddeus struck lightly on the piano.

"Quickly, madame, the second attempt," said Rouletabille, who was
aking hasty notes on his cuff, never ceasing, meanwhile, to watch
the convivial group and listening with both ears wide open to
Matrena.

"The second happened still in Moscow. We had had a jolly dinner
because we thought that at last the good old days were back and
good citizens could live in peace; and Boris had tried out the guzla
singing songs of the Orel country to please me; he is so fine and
sympathetic. Natacha had gone somewhere or other. The sleigh was
waiting at the door and we went out and got in. Almost instantly
there was a fearful noise, and we were thrown out into the snow,
both the general and me. There remained no trace of sleigh or
coachman; the two horses were disemboweled, two magnificent piebald
horses, my dear young monsieur, that the general was so attached to.
As to Feodor, he had that serious wound in his right leg; the calf
was shattered. I simply had my shoulder a little wrenched,
practically nothing. The bomb had been placed under the seat of the
unhappy coachman, whose hat alone we found, in a pool of blood.
From that attack the general lay two months in bed. In the second
month they arrested two servants who were caught one night on the