This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1912 Excerpt: ...and, on their return, the archduke stopped to chat with Natka in Russian, and he roared with laughter over something, and bowed to us formally in recognition as he took his leave, much to the relief of the one who had called me Bill. "He is very tall, is he not?" said Natka, turning to me. "Good old Romanoff! He was so ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1912 Excerpt: ...and, on their return, the archduke stopped to chat with Natka in Russian, and he roared with laughter over something, and bowed to us formally in recognition as he took his leave, much to the relief of the one who had called me Bill. "He is very tall, is he not?" said Natka, turning to me. "Good old Romanoff! He was so good to my peasants--poor people. In my country house near Moscow, you know what I did? Very well. I had built a large room for my peasants--a sort of great hall, and with big fires at each end, and long tables of good clean wood. Do you not love the smell of clean, fresh wood? I adore it! And there they could come and have a good dinner when they pleased--whole families. Ah, it is not easy for them; they are so cruelly poor, and so ignorant; and in winter it is terrible--always the snow. They are like overgrown, unhappy, children. And they are so grateful." "And the house near Moscow?" I ventured, pressing her hand in reverence. "Ah, my dear friend!" She shrugged her shoulders, and a little sigh escaped her. "Gone," she said simply. "My dogs, too. I should not have minded the house. There is an end to everything that is dear, that becomes dear. But my dogs, they were my children." For an instant she lowered her fair head, covering her eyes with her white, ringless hands--the hands that had steered the Nargeala safe into port. Then she turned to amuse the one who had called me Bill. Presently she turned to me, and said softly: "My house? Very well. An old friend of mine was in great trouble, so many rubles he lost at that stupid gambling. No, you don't know him. His mother was old, and his sister very sad, for she wished--what you say?--to be married." And, without waiting ...
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