"In a large, brilliantly illuminated room in the palace at St. Petersburgh, were seated two persons. The first was a man of tall, commanding presence. He was dressed in the uniform of a Russian general, with this exception, that his epaulettes were formed of black cord, instead of gold. The hilt of his sword was also black. On the middle finger of his left hand he wore a signet ring. It needed but a slight pressure of that ring to sign the death warrant of any one, or what was worse, (...)"

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