Page:The Career of a Nihilist.djvu/155

They were to meet that morning in the public gardens. Half-an-hour before the time Audrey was on the bench at the bottom of a secluded walk. He saw between the trees Zina's light-brown dress, and went to meet her half way.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

She did not answer at once. A gentleman taking his morning stroll happened to pass by at the moment. For some time they walked in silence. Zina's face was grave and pre-occupied; something had evidently happened, though Andrey was unable to guess of what nature.

"Well?" he asked, when they were out of anybody's hearing.

"All is ruined again," Zina answered, looking him in the face. "The passage has been discovered by the gaolers."

Andrey stopped, aghast.

"Discovered!" he exclaimed.

"Last night. But let's go to that bench. I'll tell you everything."

They sat upon Zina's favourite bench. It was secluded, and at the same time allowed any person approaching from a distance to be seen.

Here the young woman related briefly how the thing happened. Kunitzin had just descended into the passage to dig out the last few feet of earth, when a row occurred among his fellow-prisoners. They were playing at cards. One of the players had cheated, and another flew at him with a knife and wounded him in the shoulder. The guards ran in at the noise. Kunitzin had hardly time to jump into his bed; but he had not time to put back properly the board that covered the opening of the passage. One of the guards stumbled against its projecting edge, and in a moment had discovered the passage.