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Chapter 24

           "True!"Iassented;yettherewasaheavinessatmyheart,forherwordsremindedmeofwhatIwouldratherhaveforgotten—namelyherownadmittedlackofallreligiousfaith.‘TheAutocrat,’wasthenexttableau,andrepresentedanEmperorenthroned.Athisfootstoolkneltapiteouscrowdofthestarvingandoppressed,holdinguptheirleanhandstohim,claspedinanguishedpetition,buthelookedawayfromthemasthoughhesawthemnot.Hisheadwasturnedtolistentotheside-whisperofonewhoseemed,bythecourtlybendandflatteringsmile,tobehisadviserandconfidant—yetthatveryconfidantheldsecretedbehindhisback,adrawndagger,readytostrikehissovereigntotheheart."Russia!"whisperedoneortwoofthecompany,asthescenewasobscured;butthescarcely-breathedsuggestionquicklypassedintoamurmurofamazementandaweasthecurtainpartedagaintodisclose"ACornerofHell."Thistableauwasindeedoriginal,andquiteunlikewhatmighthavebeenimaginedastheconventionaltreatmentofsuchasubject.Whatwesawwasablackandhollowcavern,glitteringalternatelywiththeflashingsoficeandfire—hugeiciclesdroopedfromabove,andpaleflamesleapedstealthilyintoviewfrombelow,andwithinthedarkembrasure,theshadowyformofamanwasseated,countingoutgold,orwhatseemedtobegold.Yetascoinaftercoinslippedthroughhisghostlyfingers,eachonewasseentochangetofire—andthelessonthuspicturedwaseasilyread.

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