What the Czar Forgot

I took Zara back to the house of the prince, where I was well known to
every servant of the establishment, for I had been a constant and an
honored guest, there. From it I despatched messengers to O'Malley, and
to Coyle, and presently sent Durnief away to prison, in charge of the
former, while the latter brought a conveyance which took Zara and me to
the home of my princess. It was a much quicker return than I had
anticipated, at the time we departed from that house together, but the
condition in which we found it, told only too plainly what might have
been my sweetheart's fate, had I trusted to appearances, and left her
there. The nihilists had lost no time in searching for her, when they
were made to believe that she had betrayed them. The place was almost a
wreck. It had been searched, and the searchers had not hesitated to
become despoilers, also. Nevertheless it was a happy homecoming for
Zara, for looking upon the devastation that had been wrought in her
absence, she turned to me with a smile, and said: "I have lost much, this past night, Dubravnik, in shattered idols and
broken toys, but I have gained the whole world, too, for I have found
you."

When I had seen Zara safely inside her own door, and had given her
every assurance of her entire safety, I had myself driven to the
palace.