For an hour of utter misery, chilled in body and soul, I sat upon
a pile of fagots, my face sunk upon my hands and my mind full of
the saddest thoughts. It was cold enough within those four
walls, but I thought of the sufferings of my poor troopers
outside, and I sorrowed with their sorrow. Then. I paced up and
down, and I clapped my hands together and kicked my feet against
the walls to keep them from being frozen. The lamp gave out some
warmth, but still it was bitterly cold, and I had had no food
since morning. It seemed to me that everyone had forgotten me,
but at last I heard the key turn in the lock, and who should
enter but my prisoner of the morning, Captain Alexis Barakoff. A
bottle of wine projected from under his arm, and he carried a
great plate of hot stew in front of him.
"Hush!" said he; "not a word! Keep up your heart!
I cannot stop to explain, for Sergine is still with us.
Keep awake and ready!" With these hurried words he laid down the
welcome food and ran out of the room.
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