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"Take Another Two Graiks, Mouse" * • • I Darted Forward into the Doorway 87 96 I Tore It from Him 109 191 208 305 I CONTENTS I CBARBK ,jl(j, I. THE MEETING I n. I AM A NIHILIST 12 in. MY SECONDS 23 IV. THE DUEL , j, V. OBTTma DEEPER .,,, , ^8 VI. A LEGACY OF LOVE gi Vn. A LESSON IN NIHILISM 78 Vm. THE RIVERSIDE MEETING 92 n. DEVINSKY AGAIN gg X. "THAT BUTCHER, DURESCQ " . ., m XI. DANGER FROM A FRESH SOURCE. , , , 120 Xn. CHRISTIAN TUESKI I32 Xin. OLGA DC A NEW LIGHT 1^2 XIV. THE DEED WHICH RANG THROUGH RUSSIA 152 XV. A SHE DEVIL 166 XVI. THE NEXT NIHILIST PLOT, 177 XVn. AN EXTRAORDINARy ADVENTURE 1 86 XVUl. THE REASON OF THE INTRIGIW 195 vin CONTENTS ^HAPTBR XIX. XX. XXI. xxn. xxni. XXIV. XXV. XXVI. xxvn. xxvni. ZXIX. fAm OLGA'S ABDUCTION ^ol THE RESCUE THREE TO ONE THE BEGINNING OF THE END. -,p *35 CHECKMATE 1 . . 249 <=^S^S 258 COILS THAT NO MAN COULD BREAK 270 MY DBaSION g THE FOUR ALDER TREES ••••••a..,,, ago THE ATTACK ON THE CZAK THE TRUTH OUT AT LAST, -jq ArXBRWARDS ••»••,,,,,. »Acn . 203 . 214 . 227 . 235 . 249 . 258 . 270 . a8a . 290 . 303 • 310 • 3>3 « i BY RIGHT OF SWORD. CHAPTER I. THE MEETING. My dear Rupert. Moscow. 11 • ,,^°^ ^,.^0^0^ your head about me. I shall be all nght I did not see you before leaving- because of the scene with your sister and Cargill, which they may perhaps tell you about. I have done with England: and as the auspices are all for war 1 mean to have a shy in. I went to Vienna, ihinkinrr to offer myself to the Turks: but my sixteen years in Russia have made too much of a Russ of me to let me tolerate those lazy cruel beggars So I turned this way Tm going on to St Petersburg to-day, for I find all the people I knew here as I lad have gone north. I have made such a mess of things that I shall never set foot in England again. It Russia wiU have me, I shall volunteer, and I hope with all my soul that a Turkish bullet will hnd Its billet m my body. It shan't be my fault f • J^"?.? 1- ^^ ^ ^'^^"'^ ^^^" ^fr'-^id of being thought afraid, I d have taken a shorter way half a score of ! f v\ I , * BY RIGHT OF SWORD. times. My life is an inexpressible burden, and I only wish to God someone would think it worth while to take it. I don't want to be hard on your sister, but whatever was left in my heart or life, she has emptied, and I only wish she'd ended it at the same time. You'll know I'm pretty bad when not even the thought of our old friendship gives me a moment's pleasure. Good-bye. Don't come out after me. You won't find me if you do. Your friend, Hamylton Tregethner." The letter was wretchedly inconsequential. When I sat down to write I hadn't meant to tell Rupert Balestier that his sister's treatment had made such a mess of things for me; but my pen ran away with me as it always does, and I wasn't inclined to write the letter all over again. I hate letter writing. I was to leave Moscow, moreover, in an hour or two, and when I had had my things sent to the railway station and followed them, I dropped the letter into the box without altering a word. It had made me thoughtful, however; and I stood on the platform looking moodily about me, wondering whether I should find the end I wished most speedily by joining the army or the Nihilists; and which course would bring me the most exciting and quickest cieatn.. I had three or four hours to wait before my train left, and I walked up and down the platform trying to force myself to feel an interest in what was going on about me. Presently I noticed that I was the object of the close vigilance of a small group of soldiers such as will generally be seen hanging about the big .stations in Russia. They looked at .iie very intently - THE MEETING. ' i I noticed them whisper one to another evidently about me; and as I passed they drew themselves up to attention and saluted me. I returned the salute, amused at their mistake, and entered one of the large waiting saloons. It was empty save for one occupant, who was standing by tiie big- stove looking out of a window near. This was a girl, and a glimpse I caught of her face shewed me she was pretty, while her at- titude seemed to suggest grief. As I entered and went to another part of the room, she started and glanced at me and then looked away. A few seconds later, however, she looked round furtively, and then to my abundant surprise, came across and said in a low, confiden- tial tone: "It is not enough, Alexis. I knew you in a minute. But you acted the stranger to perfection." She w as not only pretty, but very pretty, I thought, as she stood with her face raised toward mine, a light of some kind of emotion shining in her eyes where I saw traces of tears. But my recent ex- periences of Edith Balestier had toughened me a lot, and I was suspicious of this young woman. "Pardon mo. Madam, you have made a mistake." Then she smiled, rather sadly; and her teeth shone salt white between her full curved lips. " Your voice would betray you, even if your dear handsome eyes did not. Do you think the mere shaving of your beard and moustache can hide your eyes. Just look into mine and see if the shade is not exact?" I did look into them: and very beautiful eyes hers were. Little shining blue heavens all radiant with the \\, ? ^^'^' '^ ^O" "'I: rfr "" "^'^^^^^^^^^^ t^a. ^^e even ^J^Sl^l ^Z, -f ""^ ""^ --^"> -"'«"% Then she cLe back J^ ,%T'T •"'^ "^ «?"'« again; and I could see tha?^V,i°"' ■, "*° "^ f^-^* "It is impossible' Sf ?7''''""""™n""':ed. "If I allowfor Sedifferen.'» ■ ""."■ ''"'" ■"'^^'^ ■tbche would make vl„ "^ ^T ^""""^ ="id mous- "uuiu maKe, you are mv brothsr' I am Hamylton Tretrethnor " t -^^ , , out my pockeibooknrS It, ' ^^^'''''' '"'"'' ^^ took to Paris, ^iefnaMoseot'rf,'''" Z^ P'''P°^ Continent." ^"oscow, and travelling- on the -d.^'Trcn'lTseemed'to '°T''-°^ ■"-'«■" ^^- committed hersotf T^l, '° I'ndfstand how she had - -..m mc, ,1 I were really a ^ •*iip i ^ BY RIGHT OF SWORD. Stranger, and I saw her look at me with fear, doubt and speculation on her pretty expressive face. despair '' ^""^ ^'^^'''^ ^^'' ^''''^ as if in half tha"t^ntT' Hi ^^7 T^ '"^^"^ ^ ^" Englishman my lips. Ihe bright glance of gratitude she th^ew n'^'^ir."^ ""^ '^ add:-«If I can be of any lutely!" "'^"^''' ^°'' "^""y command me abso- hJ^nff^T^"?^ a little stiff look, and I thought I had offended her: but the next moment a liX of eagerness took its place. ^ "When are you leaving?" she asked with an mamerence I could see was assumed. «?? the St Petersburg express at 6 o'clock." Qi,. 'I two hours after the Smolensk train." She paused to think and glanced at me once, as if weighing whether she dare ask me some^in^ Then she said quickly :-« Will you give me ? coup e of hours of your company on this platform and in the station this afternoon?" P ^^orm It was a strange sort of request and when I saw how anxiously she awaited my reply I could perceive She had a strong motive: and one that had certainly Then suddenly I guessed her motive. The Running httle woman ! Her brother was obviously going t? hLlir. ^°''°^ ^^" '''^ '^^' inasmuch as ^she herself had mistaken me for him, others would certainly do so ; and thus, if she and I were together, the brother would get a^vay unsuspected and would to\J''l^/''''?i -^^^''^^ "^^^^ ^^ ^^o^Id bethought to be sti walking about the station with his sister. her brother ^"^ '^'' ^''^'' P^"'^' °^' ^"^^ °^' 1^ lil ' ''I I .> ~ 'i {'• 5/ THE MEETING. m "I will give you not only two hours," I said, • but two days, or two weeks, if you like— if you will tell me candidly what your reason is.* She started at this and saw by my expression that I had gaiessed her very open secret. -If you will walk with me outside, I will do that," she said. " I am a very poor diplomatist." With that we went out on to the platform and commenced a conversation that had momentous results for us all. She told me quite frankly that she wished me to act as a cover for her brother's flight. " No harm can come to you. You will only have to prove your identity— otherwise I should not have asked this," she said, apologetically. And then to excuse herself, she added, " And I should have told you, even if you had not asked me." I believed in her sincerity now, and I told her so m a roundabout way. Then I said :- « I am in earnest in saying that I will stay on in Moscow for a day or two if you wish. I have nothing whatever to do and if the affair should bring me in conflict \/ith anyone, I should like it. I can't tell you all my reasons, as that would mean telling you a biggish shoe of my life; but feel assured that if there's likely to_ be any adventure in it from which some men might shrink, it would rather attract me than otherwise But if you care to tell me the reasons of your brothers flight, I wiU breathe no word of them to' a soul, and I may be of help." I began to scent an adventure in it. and the perfume pleased me. My words Set her thinking deeply, and we took two or three turns up and down before she answered. No, you mustn'tsl-op over to-day, "she said, slowly. Then she added thoughtfully :_« I don't know what Alexis would say to my confiding in you ; but I should BV RIGHT OF SWORD. smiled slWhtlv a ;ln ^"^'^ '"'i" "^ «y^- Thea can trus you I J^if -t ~"fidence. "I feel t brother is ^^n^ Lc^u e a m n ■ "t ''" ?''"• ^^ h.-rc her eyl ione ^n ' hercheek,"/?^™"."* "" deep red— "Iia<. f,.»„ , "-"^^ks coloured to a hasih^ tried to irn.' .'''""''-'' °" ^im. He don't like him " tZ.^ 'J'" '^^ "^""'"^ me and I ■ and beca u™ oT^stel^ ?i'''fsn^''°- "ow- Alexis; and to-mo^ow-meSs^to km V ""'T' 7'* and ftat my dear brXT- '''"'"' "'"" I»- ^-'^t either sw™rd or pS and 1^. "?I^V"^'^'" ^'* to-morrow, and ei&o^of or^.t^h „T? '"" ""^ "Sw cru?d'h^;;'.^ sh^tL^t:^ '°-'^4"^" would have been a n^rL? despairingly. « He ^^f^^T^^^'^- Ani if I- if I---Sh wo^?! ^f ?^f^d to let Alexis off, -ed.ehan^'^.rttro/jCant-S'e^t ^!^nZ°l-S^t:,:^^^f, -h an offer a. ei^;ir;trd^^s'ae''^^h^^i'^^''f ^'ern7^o*:er ^<> ^^ ^ -^ am^.e*;S The man mn ; hp •^ i-,i,ik, j it would serveVrn ' ^ ^to^^ ,^ ^^'^^^drel, and ^ to guc :um a lesson. If l« t THE MEETING, n^' ^I'feit'Ti \^"^^f,.r- P^*'^P' ho would - He is my only protector in the world. If he uToHL:-'^ ^^- --y frontierta^rV^li^ra "We know that;" and she wrung her L mh «If he could have two clear days he cou d r'aci thefrontierandpassurquestioned/lLid.signiff.rtl^^^ She was a quick-v^ itted little thinp- and si mv point with all a woman's sharpness. ^ ""^ Your hfe is not ours to give awav TIiU .a« IS noted for his great r.kiU." ^* ^" "Would everyone b. likely to make thp ^ . "olt- I^'T."!^ *^^' you h'ave TaX'tSs £, • noon? I asked in reply littfe^ln^K^^^"^ ^* ""^ ^Sram. She was trembling mtle m her earnestness. ^ ciallv'in ^n^^ ^ ^''°'^'. ^ "'^" ^^^ differences-espe- S not a^r/n'^'P'""'^""' ^"^ ^^ ^^1 Moscow there form'y broTr "' "'"^" ''° "°"^^ ^^ ^^^^ y- it^'mal^^ilirS^rr^Ul^Y^- ^"' ^' vou I am r.i,;fi . ii ^^^^^ortable, I can assure SLr t V ^^-^^^^ *° ^- ^^ care of myself with either sword or pistol as th . bully you speak of But It IS for you to decide." ^ ^ Tiiere came a pause, at the end of which she f to L- J. 3) BY RIGHT OF SWORD. ^^«^Nn^''-/^''^ wearing a more frightened look:- Mv britw"?"'' "°', ^"- ^^"^" ^^ °ther reasons, iviy brother is mixed up with " fof imoirnsk r» ^LU^vl:^^;l^^^^^^^^ K?gS^:^d"Serraf "- ^^ ^ — ^^ ^"^^^^^^ w J^Lf ISf^^ A°^'r'^^' ^"^ ^ &"^«««d the man ^ff xLt ° • "^ ^^,^"'^ ^' ^^« ^y^« confirmed this. They were a weak rendering of the jrlorious blue eyes that had been inspirin| me o all Torts of impulses for the last hour. ^ *" ^° ^" ^orts W^I^? u'^?^ '^ ^°° palpable." I said, quietly He had shaved and was wearing false hair thS could deceive no one. In a few minutes the w^L situation was explained to him by his quick sister. ive only consented to go in order that Olp-a cowlird ce "^ST. apparently to explain away his cowardice She has no one in the world to look after her but me, you know. If you'U help her^n hauT'^You'' "\^?^ ^'^ "^"^^ ^^%^^^ -do shaU I You needn't go out to-morrovv and fip-ht Devinsky-that's the major's name : Loris Devinsky My regiment's the Moscow Infantry Regiment vo^i nnT' MiV^"'^^ ^^ ^" "^y ^«o"^« ^nd sham i/no frnn.-'^'^TM^^^ ^^"' -d ^ soon as I'm over the frontier 1 11 wire Olga. and you can get away '' He very weU, said I. "But you'll jret over no frontier if you wear a beard which evfryone with eyes can see is false, and talk in a lanmiarre Sat beVd"th:Tttlf hi ^ °" '""'^ ''''''' P^ioff^he' Deard the httle black moustache may stay. Speak Enghsh, or your own tongue, and play my pa?t to the frontier; and here take my pasyrt^bu^t po^ I t I in I IP THE MEETING. ,, as W Jir"' '^'^^'. *° ^^ 8^'^^" t° "^e as soon as you re safe over. And for Heaven's sake don? walk as If you were a thief looking out for an-est h^id^a^seTor^^ ^^ ^"^ ^^-^^ - ^n-ne sister ""fir/ ^U ^ '^^",5 ^°" ^"^ ^ ^^^ «««« his sister ftrst. He would never have eot me to personate him even for a couple of hou?s so pleaTed^ttl"'? °^if "^^'' ^"^ ^^^ «'^^^^^ ^^as aL^ F^V.t • I ^ ''^''^^ "°^ ^^^P f^^li^ff pleased also. First in his assumed character he made such ZTZTT 'T "^^ ^"^^^^^^^ ^« I wished! and started A^'"^ "P i° '^^" ^^^^" J^^t before it DaDeJs'h.A r '^^'^'^ '^^ ^^^'^' where the Tiier c^ond h ^^.^"^ined, he turned and bade his Russian^ hf^t/'^'v^"^ .'^'" ^^'^ *° ^"^ ^lo'^d in " w i', ^ ^^^ ^°^ee a little:— with mt' ^°'''^"^^^' '^"^^'''' ^"^ ^^ «h°°k hands wavStn^^a%L^^'^T^ ^^l'^ ^ ^^"^^^ ^"^ he birier. ""^ ^'"""^ ^^^ °^^^ «ide of the Thr^ ^Z^^^ ^""^7 *°^^^^^^' O^^^^ w^s a little pale. t^e'^SLT^jr^^^^^ ' acknowledged Then T T,^;- ^' S^^^"^^"g^ at them as I passed, standfno- f " l'^"^ ^ ^°"P^^ ^^ "^^» who had been Sr soSfe ZTZ '^^^,,^^t^^-ff the girl and myself told mv on^ ' ^"^^ ^^^^'' P^^^^^ ^"d follow us. I and S at Ti^ii"" i^i ^^^'^^"'^^ ^ ^^^ ^^^ ^urn -Do vo^ 1? ' ^""^ ^^''^^ ^t^rt '^"d shiver. ^ JJo you know them ? " I asked. « Ah Vh!^' J^^^ ^""^ ^^^"""* ^P^^S' watching us." Ah, then there is a little more in this tSan I have understood so far," I said. ^""^ ^ ,.iv ., "" ^^^.11 ^'"ow everything-." she r^nl,VH o.*«,e *cii uie station together.' "' - -x-™ — ^a 't CHAPTER n. I AM A NIHILIST. the I2Sln "^ ^-7 ^°"'* "'^"d ^« wiU go back to very ?onveniemL"^X^"^^^^^^^ "^^ - decide whether tfii-c fi,; u^^ , "^^^^a^s, you have to am goinff throu/h »iih -i -i T'^P^'^d, quietly. "I But| £e»t :;Ute,tf P-'"«- She safd this very fimty^ ^"" uncomfortable." help^SltoVow whS ''" ""' T'y*'"^ *''' wm I smiled L iTail fti, t"""" °^ """ ^ "^ "°^-" w^ very e Je;ld'^^i'ttle"pr " '"' "'" ^^ us.^^:d"j:r.i7i^vr tt?_-- - - - -■4*«»»-pfe«l*,»*v I ^ I AM A NIHILIST. ,- -SureJv„' T'"'' ''^ ^^ consequences?- to 1^^ a^sTV s^dLr "|£^ ^ ^*5=' now and agitated « I am c^ I T^® "^^ ^^'^ her clouded fa?eXn L*"''^''' 'P"'^^ °f clearing to me. « But teU r "L*"^ P°f "« consequences them in any V^y ?""' "' y°" ^^^ ""''^d "P with into'yoTr Snt? s'SLaid'^Lh"' ^^^^^^ -^ "^^ tonelnd manner. 'J^fyiXltfT/'^'^"'''' with him to a certain ;L^n? V *1 '^*'^" "^ '" to have many ^^^n in'r ralL"-'"°" ''^^ '*« Nihilist who wL^apKle o/ ^r '^"^'^ ''••'°^'' » out of life " ItoM?^,, ?, °^ ff«fng much pleasure . -i am an Englishman: but I Uved tlo « . sixteen years of mv lif^ ;« d • , " "^® ^^st them in Moscow h^relndlknT"^ "^t 'f '^ «' life. I have made only o„e \i^^tTu^ <>( Russian left; and this tim» T^ °ne visit to Russia since I intended to go oT to St P« "k'^ '"^* "'?''*• -"^ to-day. It wm save time Tnrt'*'"''*^ "* ^ '"'-l y°" make up your mind^n i .. "' ""5'*'' "^ yo" can good faiUi " "^ '° ^^^^"^ absolutely in mv H BY RIGHT OF SWORD. I looked into her face as I said this, and I held out my hand. She laid hers in it, and we clasped h;mds m a strong firm grip as a token of mutual laith and friendship. I believed in the little soul and meant to stand by her. "I will trust you now," she said, simply, after a pause. ■^ "^ J. "^^ ^°^ w^^* you l^ave told me, it can make no difference to me," I declared. "If I go out and meet this feUow Devinsky to-morrow, and he beats me. It wiU be aU the same to me whether I am a Nihihst or an Englishman. There is only one soul m aU the world who will care; and I shall give you a letter to be posted to him— if things ^o wrong." ^ ^ I stopped to give her an opportunity of promising to do this; but she remained silent, and walked with her head bent low. I felt rather a clumsy fool. She was such a sensitive little body, that the thought of my bemg killed, as the result of her having got me to help her brother away, naturally upset her. She couldn't know how gladly I should welcome the other man's sword-point between my ribs. After a pause of considerable constraint she said: — " There is no need whatever for you to go out and meet Major Devinsky. You can do as Alexis said; be ill in bed until the passport comes back, and then leave." " ^^' ?H ^^^ one to play the coward in that way, said I, lightly, when a look of reproach from those most expressive eyes of hers made me curse myself for a clumsy fool for this reflection on her brothers want of piuck. "I mean this. If I take up a part in anything I must play it my own way; but there s more than that behind. I don't want to t she I AM A NIHILIST. «5 look like bragging before you ; but I have come out here to Russia to vokmteer'for the wi Xh everyone says must come with Turkey. I've done toi^fTT'""'^^' ^°" "^^y ^^^^^ ^^t ^ ^an has a pretty strong reason when he wants to volunteer to frf wr?T^r' '^""'"^'^ ^^"^^^- It'« the sort of thing in which he can expect plenty of the kicks, whil! others get all the ha'pence. I've not been a ;uccSs in England and I've had a stroke lately that's male m sick of thmgs I can't explain all this in detail! but the long and short of it is that if anything were to happen to me to-morrow morning, it would be the most welcome thing imaginablf forme Now you'll understand what I mean when I Tell ?h? K • "othmg you can say as to the danger of of exci?e^enr Vr '^'^^^ 'T?^^"^ "^^^^ »^ ^ ^^^ oi excitement, 1 d give anything " telftIle'T?^"'°" ^^''i?'^ '^"^^^y t° ^^^iS' ^"d her tell-tale face was aU sympathy whc . I finished Obviously she was deeply interested. Have you no mother or sister?" she asked. iNlo— fortunately for them " and?n,I^r'' T^"" ^.^^ ^"^^"^ *« ^^^^ on you hdpsTgooVl^^^^ ^^'^^^^ ^"' P^^^^^^-" ^ tL career; h^^'V ^'''^ ^^"^ ^^'^ ^^^°'^« taken good ek." TV ^^•'T^ ^'"'^ ^" them-and everything else. This with a bitter little reminiscent sneer and a shrug of the shoulders. « Still Thas'ts couTd noTh ^"^ f" P^^^ ^ -^^ht wish to p4 could not be more barren than the old " broTe'thel'il';;^."'"' "' ^"^"^^- ^^ ^^ ^ -h^ "Time is flying," I said, in a lighter tone: "and i6 '^ liii BY RIGHT OF SWORD. my being at once discovered.' ^ '"'""-""* she td'w iTt' <=^P°^'"'^«on she told me that c£fjra^:*^irur£=yrow*-^- brother being transferred to tliis roo-imrlf T ofst^tn^fe' rr ~n r^qu^j gf t;;;oo?h-t h-L- /en^^a>-S -,- and mix m some amount of society ^oriaoiy sfeloidVeThrisS ?-r " "- ^-- SSI a^— 3ni1~VY ^^ All fT,:„ "^ '^"^" "^6 tmie came for fig-htino- sonl^ont If ^ "^e plenty of food for thoSgh"-?-' some ot It disagreeable enoug-h. It w^q no r.i5 . thing to take un thc^ r.^^*- f ^ "° pleasant »vay but no man ever thought me a coward physiologic!, reasonJl:,t^r^lti:; ^vlTr' l' • brothel to know can tell duties — prevent me that hey had y on her tit; and ■ Square It, their to the neither fortably 2en the sed his ivolved nd had larters. V of it, rother ; under- laintly. i were dung- :hting-. ight— easant scape- in a ward; sound e for- I AM A NIHILIST. I experioncod even an- ?f "" '" "^ '"■« have would Just as s::rdte''i"^Tt::s""if ^«- ^ iner— much better mc<„ ti,, V ,P' ' ™ve seen brave-shudder a? thT,rle„fi' ""l^ "J""" ^ *"'y Jread from the Ihlu'ghf of paif '' r"*! ''f '""^ ™* m my life have I car! d for eE • and it "° '™' o reg-ard this as due to Nature'^r.?,; ?, . '^™ ""^'^ in my creation Certain T, "'"^'"■'"'' °™'=si™3 have Lt been"so ct"Serate'" °'""^'°°^ °^ •■- the danger "h'^cf'troubiT' ""^^ *<= *°"^ht of much did not cause me evf "^ "'"^ "^'^t^^" =0 especially at such a tTme Wh f ^"^ uneasiness, do was to pet hoU ™ ;. t \ '^^ ^"^'°«s to of my new character »n!lf ""* detail as possible closely inde'JiabouT!f°"'^ "^ c;mpanion very "At anv r-of^ examination I said: You^Lrcrme'llT^ Tnd '^^^" ^i? ^^^^-- caU you Olga and wi ^\ "^"'^ ^°^ "^^ to avoid slips." ^ ' ^ "^^ "'^^^ ^o it always to add'ed^i-Vd %r,^rgl 't^^^^^ \^^^ -h- I practical experiment We'll 1^ t^""^! ^^'^ ^'^^ rooms and you must sheivL ^ t, together to my bearings." ^^^'"^ ""^ ^^^t sailors caU my "Shall we walk— Alpvic? » ou , , bright and her cheeks ntdnl ^1 ^^^^' ^^^ ^^^^ "By all means-S^^ta"lLr^Pr">^^^"^"^^^"- uiga, 1 ansv/ered, returning her ( BY RIGHT OF SWORD. smile, and imitatin--- her cmuln^k r^« a i • . name. " Do vou T-nmv ,, "^^^"^^^^ P^ ^^^e chnstian :i very onn?,,.^?, i •' ^^'''^ '"^ ^'''^^^^'^ "'"no has a very quaint sound in niv ears inri r.^^ lr.pp ngly to .i br.nher's K.luc?" '^""'^ '"^'•>' she retuS '""'' "'^ " "'^ ^^ """'' '' -n,mo„.- "I?" "Yes, you have often said so Alovk c , you remember. Why onlv 11,;^;. ^"^^^>' how silly you had\ w.?/c .1 ""^ "^?»-ni"ff you said demurel/ ^ ^^'"^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^ ^t." she replied. She asked this ?„ a^qu/cnu^ied v'oi:f ^'"" ''°'" No they are his toadies," she ivhiscered fixing my eyes steadily on the three n^en.^ 1 ^' approached At fircf +v,^ i- , ^^" ^^ they ^en I saw one o LmTt^rt a„T T°^'"'^<' "« motion of his hand ae^ss h 1 cWn f '"S,? '•"P'" 'g®s'#na^«S£ ■ip i. i j iii ^ ii i I ! christian name has nics very ;ommon, " Surely you said ! replied, i^'-ed that chang-ed and we istances, ning, as rrcg-ory. Major issvvich. )u do ? " stantly, vs too; I. ■ them ; d aloft, s they se me. i rapid spered 1 their 3 bow while I AM A NIHILIST. ,g My blood seethed with ammr =.f ft,^ • Nothing could have firer ^5 ^^ '"^^^^• effectivelv fn h. ^ ?u , ^^ eagerness more enectuely to begm the drama of my new Ufo rf .h? n V^T^'^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^h°^« three fo^r that insult t should be because death stepped in to stop Te' I am glad we met them," said I smiling «T shall know now which is m^ adversa'rvTo mL and shan't pinx the wrong marry ISsak^^'^r; you look a bit scared OIc/-, " t ^ "^'^^^'^e. But pale. s-carea, ujga. —I saw she was very is I^m^"^ n^'"^ ir^^'. "'^"''' «he answered. «Fe a lot of in/ ^"^"^ -^^'"^^^^ ^"^ ^^^^t ^^^'-^Ith. and h;^ enemy " '"^"""'" "^ ^^^^^" ^^^^1^^- He is an ugly of "hl^l^ce!" ^'^^"^^ ^'" ^^^^ '' ^^^h%' speaking «I mean dangerous." replied the girl seriously leu you wiiat 111 promise you as a trp^i- v^ shaU breakfast with me or rather T'li k ir X"^" I laughed and answered:— "That mav ho- h,.» t. changed since the morninc.. J I iTj'C u " •' 20 "V RIGHT OF SWOKD. " Very well tlicn v •■".".t never gets up^a^l;■''e,';o,',':^^'V''^■""'•-■ ''-' "KM (hcd riif It out of h^Je ~*""' ''<-'re tiio ''•on,blea so 'hat "ho 1, ? /"'f-'""' '"-'■• ""•■'■•riip I -rn not made^f u^rs^^ff^^;^ "^^f Iiavc/no four. bully's sword. So ^^^t re!dv ^ 'i^^'" ^^^"^^ ^hat whatever that inay^beland T'JI ^""^""^^^^ <^'«h- justice to it." ^ ^"^ ^^1 promise to do as she7top;edZfore°rw ,!'.'f' ? '"°'"ent later, are on the ground floo? ^h Z" '"?""''• "'^''-^y before we go i„. remember vourr '""*'*'• 1^"' « Vosk, and ho is a verv i "T'"'"'''' ""me please let me give vou „ ^.!^ , ^'"'P '«"°w. And has not only^n'of ^^^/^^^-dofwi^ung. AlVxis manner has often bee," flTT '° "'"■ ^ut his you had had sisters you wonll u"''^"" '""^~°i^. « behave They don/ mi^j 'l^"°\''ow brothers one; they contradict and fm ^^ ""'''' ^acks on ^ ^'t r:irieit~?ennr J-fJ^df a^ked with a ^in^ ^°" ^^ contempt, then?" I «he reptt ChS°f„d'bluth""''^ ""-^ '^™='3«e.. a very jouy litjl ^4^«d blushing. She was reallV indeed." fy- Vosk ,s very sha^, his wits."*''"' ^'" *'"^ "^ans somehow to dull 4 '■ A -"■^"ssssasffi ■t>iii\so that breakfast Iiure tJio ■ underJip ' keep it ly." no foiir. iforc that G dish-- 3 to do int later, " They s. But :'s name • And Alexis t)ut his -oh, if rothers cks on ugh at rude. fection t, and a?" I que," •eally ps." iharp duU X AM A .,nf!r r n brother. ^^ ""^^ "'^'^"^'^ and to play the The man was in h;^. - Jtartcd when ho Z^Z^ZZ'f" ' """'"^ ^"<» I «"«ht i.is vigilant eve th^n' ""/ "fP'^^'-'nce. pattern and cut of my XhS '''"'P'y « ">e OIga°°" ^°" '"^'^<-- ''"' y™ now, Alexis?- asked I understood hor an<-i , «">-ly tone, putting my "tnd",?"''"'^ ;" "^ somewhat .'"" so mucli now bu if ' ""^ '"^^ '''""'^- ' -N'o oke to play Ifl ''^ " "*^ ''n infernally silly clothes, 'a Vd^h• ,T vvfs^tf ^"r" ^ '"""' out something for me L ,""''^-"''"- Put sharply to the^man '° ''•'^'■' V"'''-' I said once\rdrwh:tToXe"d^^S. ''^™'^- ?"' -« - the chief sitting room-thL ^ ^"'' ^ ^^'=« i"'" out of the othef-an"sat down ThT "'f*"^ °"« ^/re-s e-an &£-f C^^ flat these were not out r,f^ . ^°^^ saw ■ and while he's out TMlT ^ wardrobe proper well see how the 'unifo^s'ltl^e '"^S^ 'he^, ^"^ spod eyerything at theS moment "^ ""'^"^^ ""^^ supreme satisfaction I found ti'.'t .T"^-- ^^ "^ fairly weU; and though 'w „ '^^ ''"'^'^ "^ here and there, tiiey woulZf^'""''^'' '°"'' '""ches I Wed on alsi some of ,he^^,' ""'''%'^' '"y ""n- If .the room; and "^e-Sn^ one %"";'^='™' " '^^ back fn r«,, «-•_. ^''^'"^"g one of thpm t .^ 21 II k BY RtGHT OF SWORD. and kisscT i *1-, e'„° "^^ ^ if ^ ' '*" "^^ '"'"I "Uniforms make a rm^,^ a I'ghter tone I added, figure look X t"for^, ,!;tTS;7 ''''^ ?'' ■^''"^ y brother mswercd tier hand [ addend, the s. ijie brother's minutes ■k again it out. estioned ! herseli CHAI>TER m. MY SECONDS, seriously and Tn do il 7ht ^\ ''™" '° *"''^ °W into which I had fellon »'^»«'^'«nary position scomod. ObvioiKlv if ,. " ^""^ dangerous it for a man andtTp. 33*?: °"? «>"*? '» ^ mistaken or hours: but it wfs ^„t'^ i"'"/°'' ^^ '^^^^ minutes life where he hjd To,rd,-f """"■, '° ''"''^'^ "P '™ by clay and w^^^k X w-cek "f^ *'''= P"' '''''y tliousand threads of the exlteM;„ f , •"?"" '''^ ^ but liimself could know v« u °^ *'"•='' "° ""e laid correctlyTn conZli"' ^'''-'V^''''^ ^ave to be his iifo= or IscovTrrrM^fJjLw"' "^"-^ P^'"- °^ far as I c^ouM judol bv n".?^ f" °' "'"'"' ''■ ^o me, the reslfc tcJwc '" ^7^^'^, ''^^ '"'^ myself was strictly limVtpTf. , ?' ^''^'"^ ^"d A freak of na ure hT^J P'''""^='' qualities, one another "n size looW^ f counterparts of certain jjestures nl.t i? '. <=°"P'«^i°n, voice, and self .J- a'":uttle,'^"cu ■L^Tnl,."^?-: i^y other r «4 «4 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. conspirator, and verv m^^rh «f weU, I wa^ not that ^ '^°''^^^-' ^^^ I- ofVeTe\;;^hS^^^^^^^^^ '^"^"3^ -th many I believe t^T^fLVifT'''^^^^^ wit or shrewdness but nn ^""^""^ °^ "^^^her known or tried^U me U"""^''' "^^^ ^^ ^^^^ nie even sumdeTle^LZ! ""^9.?"^ to drive into through a Sreer T ^ ? ^"''^^^ "'^ ^^ scrape Russifn schoZa;ters Z^nl"^' .''''^''' ^^^^ ^^ ^he of aU the En ~tutors who r T"'^' ""^ "^^^ during- the neft ten I win? .^^°^,"^^ ^" l^^nd school, and was expdled Ifter IV ^^'^! ^"^^^^^ because I learnt notW T /-^ ^ hundred scrapes, but never could get ?h;ouiri^ '^i''""^ ^"^^xfor^^^ old Master, who loved ^S "'^"'' ^"^ ^^^ &ood when, afte; two yZt of nr^T.^'T' ^^"^^^^ ^"^^ me down, when I wL .if T^^"' ^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^nd ' me in every possMe°t™ 'of ^^^'1? t" ^f ^« I picked up my fencini, -,„\i _ , " *^ *ere became a s^ort ^^S ^'^f.^'^^J^- footing, j, revolver like a trick,t»r , 1 ,' ^ <=oi>ld use the breadth; while ^^ithe'ttebrrH "'?°' '° ^ '•^'''^ beat the fencing master aTl„?;,^^^^^^^ orrapier I could I was beaten b^ the ex'ml™' */ '<^'^°°'- However, worksucceedeLnfylnST^"'' ™y f°"P>e ofyears' ofsteelandflexibilityXSd'"r''''''"''"^''"«« «a. Where str^S^-eS^re:- 'ofaSht;" ^Z •S ftiimmiulu ffai'-rati -l-W^^Sr; MY SECONDS. 25 needed. But these would not satisfy the examiners, that way' "^ "^""^^^ °^ ^'"^"^ ^"^° ^^ ^y I tried the ranks, therefore, and joined a regiment in which a couple of brainless family men had en isted, as a step toward a commission. But I was that I stopped so long. There was a beast of a sergeant-a strong feUow in his way who had been ZM l^' ^.^"^^" ""^^ I came-and after I'd wTt? the 1"" '"' T^ '^' single-sticks, and then with the gloves, and in a wrestling bout had given him a taste of our Cornish methods, he marked me out for special petty iUtreatment It came to a chW one day when a couple of dozen of us were sen^ b^ of thf " ^''"'i!f ^- ' '''' ^" ^^- Platfom s^e bit of the gear He noticed it and bringing it to I sneeTSfd'aT''"' ^""^ ^' ^^ '' "^^ ^^^ -^^ a sneer and a big coarse oath, cried:-" D'ye think b^bv^''^n.T"^"'^^^°"• y^^ damnation S baby? And he waited a moment with the sneer still on his face: and he didn't wait in vaS ei^er SsTnNo» 1 1 , , nevus IS it this time Pptm vitch? he asked, lautrhinp- liViifixr u rJ I ^^^' have been hard nut toT^ n ■^' ^^'^' ^^^ "^"^t aevn. eHP y^ Cf Lt^^^^LT ?ett\te- not so In^i" tiaf i'^f '^ti ''"' "'« ">-* wis ■^Pif.^- ■.- :i.^!.'-Si. mm~- luct which with some ody, silent, nd fits of rate in all ruously in- w that my )n win me ^es I made s drawing id known ith a past calculated hoose my work. was to be ; Essaieff, prised at ine very iked the Ically, in ^ks to a :e. led. 5e," said iiiracle. " , Petro- he must the sho- t's have fth was hat the led him MY SECONDS. .^ * I'm in no mood for this follv " co.m t jvlfabr-it."^'"'^ ^'- ^'^ '•" 'h-k you not to ha"pe„T^ ''"°"' "°" ^'' asked:-" How did it h" eved me fnW-i ^^' "^""'riving to°wat* Iiim ^ fteXn^e int'I'^'^ "°" '"'' ^S^^'"' - -"PH- at "Hdli^°"T"i' Pf™"t<^h?- lie asked at lengtli. cons™ed-and I w^ changS " ^ ''''*^ ""'' .ot otef LtTn-.Td :^raT„it ^ Jn" '"^ '°°'^'^'' « "■- coldly and XSt. mornins- h.^^ fLv • ""= business to-morrow After t?l„,'olw to? wiur "° f'^ '° '"^"'^ "■«• -e an explana;];n'°o"f ;;;l':,?:]:.1 ^-'^^ '° ^ve thaf I tVZuSt h:tu^,t;"ef ^^e-r ''""'=?.''^ he did not. suspected the change. But at Z°X'^nZr>t."^^' '.° ''?"'='■"' "•" •>« ^d. in a manner Zf^h^ - •■ ^^'"^ *^ ^■°>'''s ^l-ort and how"Zch*hets;td''me'°Tj?"S^,''« was 1 was/ool enough to bTpe'sSSed i'","'^^"^ he auaeu as he swung out of the "roonl^' "" •'""' ': 1 ^ 30 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. I laughed to myself when he had gone, for I saw that I had imposed on him. He thought I wna half beside myself with fear. Evidently I had an evil-smelling reputation. But I would soon change all that, I thought, as I set to work to examine all the papers and possessions in the rooms. I was engaged in this work when my other second arrived. He was named Ugo Gradinsk, and was a very different kind of man, and had been a much more intimate friend. He had heard of my accident and had come for news. ^ 8"^ance at him fiUed me with instinctive disgust. * What's up, Alexis?" was his greeting. "That prig Essaieff, has just told me you're in a devil of a funny mood, and thinks you're about out of your mind with fear. What tlie devil have you done to yourself? " He touched his chin as he spoke. " Can't I be shaved without setting you all cackling vyith curiosity? I had half my hair burnt off and shaved the other half." He started at my surly tone and I saw in his eyes a reflection of the otlier mans thoughts. " D'ye think you'll be a smaller mark for Devinsky's sword? It's made a devil of a difference in your looks, I must say. And in your manners too." I heard him mutter this last sentence into his moustache. " Do you think I mean for an instant to allow that bully's sword to touch me?" I asked scowHnL' angrily. ° _ "_WeU, you thought so last night when I was giving you that wrinkle AAith the foi.j— and that was certainly why you got this infernal duel put off for a day." ^ "Ah, weU, I've been fooling you, that's aU," said I, shortly. "I've played the fool long enough too, 1 1 1' % ne, for I ^ht I was [ had an n change J examine 5. I was arrived. > a very ch more dent and 1 disgust. ¥ "That S devil of 9 : of your done to ke. ' 1 ^ackhng off and ly surly tie otlier vinsky's in your -s too." nto his allow cowling I I was nd that ' uel put ^ ! 1," said Th too, MY SECONDS. 31 and I mcdn business. I've taken out a patent' I laughed gnmly. f "u i ^"What the devil d'ye mean? What patent?" A new sword stroke. The sabre stroke. I caU hoa^miy^ swordsman has one." I cried - First-rank swordsman be hanged. Why vou before Devmsky's weapon for the promise of a colonelcy. Don't be an ass." Promise ot a "My cut's with the flat of the sword across the face directly I've disarmed my man " -And a devilish effective cut too no doubt- when you have disarmed him. But you'd betterbe making your will and putting your things in order instead of talking this sort of swaggering Cubbish th.. n^ -^T '"^'"^" "P- You know fouTweU that Devinsky means mischief; and what dwiv, happens when he does. I doi't wan^tf friS you but hang it aU, you know what hels."^ im going to pass the night in oraver » said I: and my visitor laughed bolterousl/aTthi's If you confess all we've done together dd man you'U want a full night." he said.^ .1, //^^ prayers are for him, not for me" and at aiat he laughed more boisterously tiianTefore and he began to talk of a hundred dissioated experienced we had had together. I let him* talk freelvIL k was part of my education, and he r^ed on a^out such a number of shameful things^at I w^. disgusted ahke with him and with the be^t I wS anS'Sked';,'^; ^^ ''""^ '^ ^^ retft^toppe^ night ^"^ ^"'^"^ ^° ^^ ^l^b for the last I resolved to go. thinking that if I were in hi* company it v/ould seem ;,r.r..S^«-..: _A T^"^? /" .^« ^li- -i-^^»-c, diiu i wisnea to •!1! 3* BY RIGHT OF SWORD. (! I swao-e-ered nhnnf y-kI . "^^^'^ ^^^ P^ace. of insuSle t*„t mLr 'r Uo'S:T'"'°" the foundations rf'enougfauarr"h T:' ,' ^"^-^ monjh if I Wished to havia S7ng ev'^X^i^; Ah, he knows well enough he's <^?n^ £ he'arilr°?ltl '"''"■"?.'" -d^one man^n^j; other, held t'Xs^s'r'^'j:;:'^^^^!^'.^ myself with fpnr r.^ ^ • i , ^ ^^^ beside placed myself: ■ Z rposaf of? ~"'""^^- ^ had a word to sav hntf^f • ^""^ "''"' ^^J"" was an expression of S, tf "1^'" ^"swer I received should troXXrU'l^l'^^* '*'■=■■ *^* "'^"'^ the nfht's'w''orr' Y'Sf ^^'^^'^ ^"* *« «sult of part for Al Ss Petrotltrl,'''"'f "' ^ ^**e a new to expect and tl,;l !f^ ""^ prepared everyone cities of furtL cSLr. il"^ °^.";y ^^^^h eccentri- Jn the futoe ^ *^^ "'8^^' °''««"'e in me to'ov:rit'l TeXe'for'^' 'P'"'^' ^"/ -' ''°-" something more, fmv,Plf^,,P^Pf'' """^ '° '''arn S more . myself than I at present knew. 4 my new ^de myself the place, ssumption ind a man > frequent :ial insult, happened fected. I ^ying all wed that - had laid 1st iT»,e a mornmg. roing to in my m under umber of s beside »ined. I lan who received night 1 result of e a new i^eryone ccentri- ■ in me t down > learn knew. CHAPTER IV. THE DUEL. The discoveries I made were more varied anri mterestmg than agreeable: and I foLITleL of :f oig:r^rb^r ^•-^^^-^^-mim^^ini changr"" "^""^ ^""^"'^ "^"^ ^^^^ «h«^d be a The man must have gone off without evf^n xvaitmg to sort his papers. ®'^^'' whthTl^'^f •'' 'T' ^°"^^^ ^'^'''^'^' the Jceys of which I found m a httle cabinet that I broke ooen I came across a diary with a number of entries with long gaps between them, which seemed ?o throw a good deal of light on my past. ^ fhere were indications of three separate intripi^e*. which T was apparently carrying on at thatTrv W; the initials of the women bfing « P T ""^^Y P.," and «B. G." The la5it nnm^i t ' ^• once. I never heard of of dlTve^e."^^^^^ "' cause of trouble afterwards. " ""^'^ "^^ 1 found that a number nf an^-i"i " « 33 3 1 ! If ' 34 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. WtSsTflhf ptsoL'o:,'°"°™'"»'' ^"^™°°''- The particulars were Tddedo T" *? ™"' •^"' ^"''"g'' business. Thus sSnfonn^ ^"'' "•"= "••""■■<= °f *e ..ooo roubSraTor; Se-T:^du°/ W1 seemingly declared Uiat he would wlnn^" ''^'' ""l^f " "r"""' °' tradesmen forhei? mf'- J- soon saw the ronton fr^^ ^n ^.u- -r ^"^' a fellow withaturn for rcerSh,- Jnrff'"^""^ and T Viari ^u, • 1 ^'^^ /' t-ercam kind of humour* have squared all e^Vly Ic^o™^^ *°"'1 that I should be safe across the frlnr ^°l """' °' my creditors' way '°"'""' ""<* »"' °f that Tl'lverel^,!"'^,'?'^ "'y r"^ to Olga- to bed. *"' ^ *^«' ""'""te^ before going to "ia/'yit*:„TtSe^o^, ''''*'''' '^"P^" Balestier could be do^e would be for^'mTr' '^f ^'^'^'^ *^' get Olffa to noJT u- ,f ?° '° ™'"'= a note and enough! ^ "^ '^ '*°"^'> ^™rds would be ' My dear Rupert, when wrWng vou'lSsT/ ""* T"<"' *anIhoped has Ianded^n,rin ald'Z ,„^ "l-^"- -"venture with a man who is known S a .oT" '"°™"i' He may prove too much for me ^I? soTn .T' Old fnend. and so much the Tette^ ^^ S^S'^a^^ )on. The ut enough ire of the a bet of who had 3 longer; r bills, evidently humour ; ts in the *d would 3r me, or id out of Olga- play it t I fight )t killed, laims. of the up, and " going ^alestier ch tliat ote and ould be ' hoped venture orning Isman. Dd-bye 1 save THE DUEL. 35 .IT an awful lot of trouble; and the world and I are quite ready to be quit of one another. The receipt ot this letter posted by a friendly hand will be a sign to you that I have fallen. Again, good-bye. old fello'v. jj J n -^ ' I did not put my name in full, to lessen the chance 3t complication should the letter go astray I addressed it, and then put it under a separate cover isiext I wrote a short note to my sister; and this tiad to be ambiguously worded, lest it also should get mto the wrong hands. "My dear Sister, - You know of my duel with Major Devinsky and that it is in honour unavoidable. Should I fall I have one or two last words. I have many debts' but had arranged to pay them to-morrow; and I have more than enough money in English bank notes for the purpose. Pay everything and keep for yourself the balance, or do with it what you think best. My money could be used in no better way than to clear up entirely this part of my Hfe 1 ask you to post the enclosed letter to England* and pleiise do so, without even reading the address' lliis is my one request. " god bless you, Olga, and find you a better protec- tor than I have been able to be. Your brother, * Alexis." This I sealed up and then enclosed the whole in an envelope together with about ;^ 2,000 in bank notes which I had brought with me from England. lUe envelooe I nHHrPcc^^H +r^ «,„ « ^-.^^ » 36 BY RIGHT OF SWORD, matter of iZ^t^^ er„rtV'„TZl;r ""^ wh!: 1^=^ coVf."!;r'4„r '--^^ "'"^^ - But to"?: orr.re„"t:hf a-rvn L"^" "" "■^':,' Olsa's broUicr -m,! wn i • T^ '^ quarrel on girf withou Vooctbn B„7 ff^'^^ '° '"ave the was no excuse\r n y kMlin! ,ii" f^'\S^'^'^'^m to interforp T i,,^ „ Kimng iiim. i ha^i ^^ ^ ^^ .eserved^^p„„.,„„e„t. I U^T^^Ttl and I could not substitZ my exceMi™^"*^'i--'^T = O ga's brothers luck of it and so k n „ ' ^'" wthout beino- in f-.r-t „i!\ ^ '^"' *'"* man. appearance.Tn LSst "''''™^ ' ""«^''' =-"> - greL'^rtr^h^dTeel;'™ a'dtTs ^ ""'=' ,*='' ^ shouldn't be beli^vod H^ ^ \*° "^ *"'• I think I w^ kccnln„ "° ,^"<[ "'hers would „nly the idea of^U. Jrni^t if.^f^ -' r^t THE DUEL. ■icutonant ■ough my lestroyotJ ^gethner, icate the h. le. But no right assumed r^ook at ing else murder, seemed arrel on ave the lardism lo rig-ht ntil the 3vinsky to ad- ise the iK'-me; dll for man, sem iti that a kill, I ! only net of hked te be 37 I 5^ origiral, especially if I succeeded in beating tlio major. But J^ was clear that 1 could not kill him AU roads led round to that decision: and as I had come to the end of my cigar and there was plenty of reason why I should have as much slcon :ts possible I went to bed and slept like a top till my man. Vosk called me early in the morning and told me that Lieutenant Gradinsk was already waitmg for me. ^ Common —this was where we were to fitrht— fold me to tell you. Suppose he doesn't care to be seen in our company. I hate the snob," he said when I joined him. "So long: a.s he's there when I want him, it's looked at me in some astonishment. "Umph don't seem over cheerful this morning taT' J^""'' P^y'^ "P '-^ ""'' ''-^ '^^'^ a bofd tront. Its an ugly business this, but you won't help yourself now by " ^ "Silence " I cried sternly. - When I'm afraid, y may find courage to teU me so openly At t-^sent It's dangerous." ^ ^ sillnco IntTf '''r "7 ^^'^ preparations in absolute ^lence, both uradinsk and the servant watching tTvosk ""'"'• ^^^^'" ^ ^^ ^^^-^^y' I ^^"«d H J Z^T "^^^^^ .^'t ^"^ *° >^^" ^ " I ^ked sharply. or three T' T? / T^ ^^'"' "^^^"^ ^^ ^^^^^^ at nnlT 7?^^ ^"""l^^"' "You leave my service m truth anxious to get rid of him "I Cive VOU fivp mimifoo t^ 4-^t — ,-i-_. • , , - " ' -. - ^.^ i.^ titjvc vviiuc isaDsoiuieiy HM / if 38 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. "Do you suspect ..." he began again riskvT V '^ r!"^ ^°"^' ^^^^^«? Isn't it rather nsky? You've been so intimate .. . " said Grpdincf as soon a^ we were in the droschky. ^ ^'^^'"'^' sharolv' «^ ? ^^"^^ ^?^^ ^''' "°^ h^'" I answered siiaiply. It ,s my private affair if you please " of t?n;r/T/;^rtf '"""'^ •" ^^ ^^^^ ^- "^urst neednTbkve^S a'surn h^og ?^^"^ '^ ^^' ^^ I stared round at him coldly th./r^'' .^® meeting I shaU ask you to withdraw shoSw f,r ^° '"^"''" "> b« mentioned If I snould tall, will you g-ive tbk lAff«n ,. vu hands immediatefy to^m" Stj?" "'* ^°'""''™ gravity" "' '"^ ""'^ o" «''"." te said, bowing • One thing more. I have an explanation to make THE DUEL. ler time. . "Half ed at me ishment, 39 ihind us rather radinsk, swered, ase." a burst ie, you thdraw change Jached. peared should lificant r dan- If-pos- chief >thers. If I r own twing make ^l "?J opponent, Major Devinsky. which I think should be made in the hearing of all " the"% ^P^^^S^^" ^^ ^^k^d, with a'slight curl of "No but an explanation without which this duel cannot take place. Will you arrange it?" " Before the duel takes place, Major Devinsky I must make such an explanation as will prevent its bemg fought under a mistake. I am a much more expert swordsman than is currently known. I have purposely concealed my skiU during the months I have been n Moscow; but I cannft engage with you now, without making the fact knowf I hive desire you to join with me in declining to carry the dispute further After this explanation. anH Tpos^r ""^ ' ^^ ^^ ^-- ^« -^ your The effect of this short speech was pretty much Sothffl'T '^^" ^^'^^^^^- AuTe'm^t ,vir.T A'^^.^y'"^ *° g'^t out Of the fight by S^'gly '^^'"^' andDevinsky's seconds la^ughed later'^Kttff'^Tf ^ ^i"^'^''^ 'P"^^^"^' ^^^ ^ "^^""te n^^l' ^^^""'^^ brought me a message-and the contempt rang in his tone as he delivfred it reques^Ts S^^^'t^' 'T^^ '^ ^^^^ extraordinary let von n%t r u^^ °"^y ^^""^ on which he wiU ^ you off the fight are an unconditional compliance ^h the condition he has ah-eady named to you What is your answer?" ^ - ^ rr.^ ngxxt, i repiiea siiortly : and forthwith I' 46 BY PJGHT OF SWORD. tIo^ ""^ "^^^'^ ^"^ ^^^* ^"d 'nade ready. 1 eyed my antagonist with the keenest vigilance 1?;- i ^^"^ ^ ^^^^^" ^°^tf^l confidence in his do^enT nf%r^^v?^' ^" ^^' "^''^"^^^' which were eloquent of the cheap contempt in which he held me-a sentiment that was shared by all present task^l^ftTA-f '^^'^'."'^"^^"^^^>^ ^'^ "°t like his S^t'v, I :?''^ everything in a workmanlike way rSu? luTf^ "^^ ^' .^""^^ ^^^^ what he was about and m a very short time our swords were crossed and we had the word to en-age An ugly glint in the major's eyes tild me he had come out to kiU if he could ; and the manne? me'^wV^Tf ''Tl^^^ ^^^^ fr^"^ *he outset Shewed me that he thought he could finish it ofFstraight away ^ He was a good swordsman: I could teU that the mstant our blades touched: and he had one or two ?n.I^. u^ '""^'"^^ '''^"^^^ watching and would be sure to have very ugly consequences for anyone whose eye and wrist were less quick than h' own As he fought I could readily see how he hP ^d his big reputation and had so often left ..e field victorious after only a few minutes' fighting- But he was not to be compared with me. In two minutes I knew precisely his tactics and at every point I could outfight him. I had no need even to exert myself. After a few passes, allmy old sWU . t^\"^ rf'"^' ^^^ ^° "^^ ^"d ^ ^y o d WU ? •^'i ^t ""^^^ ^'^ ^^^^i^^t and trickiest lunges I pamed them without an effort, and could have countered with fatal effect. I wished to get the fullest measure of his skiU touTv' f^ ^'' "^^ ^^^^°" ^id ^^t attempt to touch him for some minutes. Then an idea occurred to me. I would prove to the men with us that I THE DXJEL. 41 5 ready, /igilance 1 placing ;e in his ch were he held esent. like his ike way he was is were me he manner shewed Lt away, that the or two ould be anyone ■- own. ^ alned it; field le. In and at D need ny old ny old ickiest could i skill, ipt to :urred that I had no real wish to avoid the fight Intentionally I let my adversary touch my left arm, drawing- a little blood. * They stopped us instantly; and then came the question whether enough had been done to satisfy the demands of honour. Had I chosen, I could without actual cowardice have declared the thing finished: but I intended them aU to understand that I had to the full as keen an appetite as my opponent for the business. I was peremptory tlierefore in my demand to go on. In the pause I made my plan. I would cover my adversary with ridicule by outfencing him at aU points: play with him, in fact; and give him a hundred little skin wounds to shew him and the rest how completely he had been at my mercy. I did it with consummate ease. My sword point played round him as an electric spark will dart about a magnet, and he was Hke a child in his feeble eftorts to foUow its dazzling swiftness. Scarcely had we engaged before I had flicked a piece of skin from his cheek. The next time it was from his sword arm. Then from his neck, and after that from his other cheek; until there was no part of his flesh in view which had not a drop of blood to mark that my sword point had been there The man was mad with baffled and impotent rage r.,,? .r u^^^ f" ^""^ ^° '^' ^f^e^ the last rest I put the whole of my energy and skiU into my play, and pressed him so hard that any one of the onlookers could see I could have run him through the heart haJf a dozen times: and at the end of it I disarmed wrTst. * ^ ^^^ "^^ ^^® ^° ^^^^k his To do the man justice, he had pluck. He made sure I meant to kill him, but he faced me resolutelv 4* BY RIGHT OF SWORD. f i I enough when I raised my sword and put the point right at his heart. "One word," said I, sternly. «I fcave put this indignity on you because of the insolent message you sent to me by Lieutenant EssaiefF. But for that I would simply have disarmed you at once and made an end of the thing. Now, remember me by this . . . ," ^ I raised my sword and struck him with the flat side of it across the face, leaving an ugly red trail. Then I turned on my heel and went to where my seconds stood, lost in staring amazement at what I had done. I put on my clothes in silence; and as I glanced about me I saw that the scene had created a powerful impression upon everybody present. All men are irresistibly influenced by skill such as I had shewn under circumstances of the kind; and the utter humbling of a bully who had ridden rough-shod over the whole regiment was agreeable enough now that it had been accomplished. My own evil character was forgotten in the fact that I had beaten the man who had beaten everybody else and traded on his deadly reputation. Lieutenant Essaieff came to me as I was turning to leave the place alone. He gave me back the letter I had entrusted to him, and after a momentary hesitation, said: — •• Petrovitch, I did you an injustice, and I am sorry for it. I thought you were afraid, and I had no idea that you had anything Kke such pluck and skill I believed you were blustering; and I apo- logise to you for the way in which I brought Devinsky's message. But for what happened last night in your rooms" — and he drew himself up as he spoke — "I am at your service if you desire it" f- THE DUEL. 43 •rd much rather breakfast than fight with you to-morrow morning-, Essaieff, if you won't think me a coward for crying oif the encounter." " After this morning no one will ever call you a coward; " said he; and I think he was a good deal relieved at not having to stand in front of a sword which could do what mine had just done. « Shall we drive back together ? " We saluted the others ceremoniously, my late antagonist scowling very angrily as he made an abrupt and formal gesture. Then I snubbed Gradinsk who looked very white, remembering what I had said to him when ch-iving to the ground; and Lieu- tenant Essaieff and I left together. "How is it we have all been so mistaken in you. Petrovitch ? " asked my companion when we had lighted our cigarettes. "How is it that I have been so mistaken in you ? I retorted. " I chose to take my own way, thats aU. I wished to know the relish of the reputation for cowardice, if you like. I have never been out before in Moscow, as you know; and have never had to shew what I could do with either sword or pistol. Nor did I seek this quarrel. But because I have never fought till I was compeUed. that does not mean that I can't fight when I am compelled But die truth's out now. and it may ZZf ff^ ^'^'''^"; ^^"'^ *° "^y ^°o"^s for five tT hr^Vf ?'^ breakfast-I am going to my sister's o breakfast-and I'U shew you what I can do with me pistols. It may prevent anyone making the ■ mistake of choosing those should there be any more ot this morning's work to do." a Innc^P^ /v"" ?,?",k^^P yo^J- head," he said, after I KT^ T, 7''''^. ^^ ^^°^* ^^ "^°«t popular man in the whole regiment after to-day's business, i 44 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. ■i ; don't believe there's a more hated man in the whole city than Devinsky; and everyone's sure to love you for making him bite the dust. I suppose you're coming to the ball at the Zemliczka Palace to-night. You'll be the Hon." There was a touch of envy in his voice, I think, and he smiled when I answered indifferently that I had not decided. As a fact I didn't know whetlier I had any invitation or not, so that my indifference was by no means feigned. When we reached my rooms I took him in and as I wished to noise abroad so far as possible the fact of my skill with weapons, I shewed him some of the trick shots I had learnt. Pistol shooting had been with me, as I have said, quite a passion at one time and I had practised until I could hit any- thing within range, either stationary or moving. More than that, I was an expert in the reflection shot — shooting over my shoulder at a mark I could see reflected in a mirror held in front of me. Indeed there was scarcely a trick with the pistol which I did not know and had not practised. The Heutenant had not words enough to express his amazement and admiration; and when I sent him away after about a quarter of an hour's shooting such as he had never seen, he was reduced to a condition of speechless wonder. Then I dressed carefully, having bathed and attended to the light wound on my arm, and set out to relieve my " sister's " suspense and keep my appointment for breakfast. I found myself thinking pleasantly of the pretty, kindly little face of the girl, and A\hen I saw a light of infinite relief and gladness sparkle in her eyes at sight of me safe and sound and punctual, I experienced a much more gratifying sensation than I had expected. THE DUEL. le whole ■% to love i ;e you're , to-night. 4 I think. H itly that 1 whetlier ifFerence ; I in and ,' iible the im some ting had ■ • ssion at hit any- moving. eflection : I could Indeed ' which I \ express I I sent ihooting ed to a ed and >fe and set ^ :eep my % hinking of the lief and me safe I much ted. 45 Her face was somewhat white and drawn and her eyes hollow, telling of a sleepless, anxious night • and she grasped my hand so warmly and was so moved, that I could not fail to see that she had been worrying lest trouble had come to me through her action of the previous day. " You haven't had so much sleep as I have Ole-a " I said, lightly. « ^ S'^. "Are you really safe, quite safe, and unhurt? And have you really been mad enough to go out and fight that man? Oh, I could not sleep a wink all night for thinking of you and of the cruel gleam I have seen in his eyes." And she covered her face with her hands and shivered. " Getting up early in the morning always gives me an unconscionable appetite, Olga. I thought you knew that," said I lightly and with a laugh. « But I see no breakfast; and that's hardly sisterly, you know " "It's all in tlie next room ready," she answered, leading the way. -But teU me the news:" and her face was all aglow with ej ger inquiry. "I had no difficulty with Major Devinsky As I anticipated he was no sort of a match for me at that busmess. I'm not bragging, but I've been trained in a totaUy different school, and— well the beggar never had a chance." She smiled then, and her eyes danced in gladness but as suddenly grew grave again. Wonderfully teU- tale eyes they were! *^ "What about— I mean— is he hurt?" - No, not much. Nothing serious. His quarrel wasn t with me, you see, so I couldn't kill him or wound him seriously. But you'U hear probably from others what happened." ^ "I want to hear from you, please. You promised the news at first hand remember." JiiM ■I 46 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. "Well, I played rather a melodrama, I fear. I managed to snick him in a number of places till he's pitted a good deal. I gave him a lesson for having treated you in that way and also for his insolence to me. Besides I wished to make a bit of an impression on the other men there. He won't trouble us again, I fancy." " He's dangerous, Alexis : mind that. Very dangerous. But oh, I'm so glad it's aU over and you're safe and sound — And here's your favourite dish — though you don't know what it is." ** I don't care what it is. I'll take whatever you give me on trust" At that she glanced at me and coloured, and hung her head. She was very pretty indeed when the colour glowed in her cheeks, and as a rather long silence followed I had plenty of time to observe her. She made a most captivating little hostess, too; and I began to feel that if I had had a sister of my own like her, I should have been remarkably fond of her, and perhaps — who can tell? — a very different man myself. "By the way, there's one thing you must be careful to say," I said, breaking a long pause that was getting embarrassing. "You will probably be asked whether you knew that I was an expert with the sword and pistol and was purposely concealing my skill from the men here in Moscow. That's what I've said, and it may be as well that you should seem to have known it. A brother and sister should have no secrets from each other, you know." She shook her head at me and, with a smile and in a tone of mock reproach, said: *You haven't always thought that, Alexis." * It's never too late to mend," retiurned L " And s. THE DUEL. 47 ini promise for the future, if you Uke— so lon^ as the relationship lasts, that is." To that she made no answer, and when she spoke again she had changed the subject. We chatted very pleasantly during breakfast, and I asked her presently about the dance at the Zemliczka Palace. She was going to it, she said and told me that I had also accepted. " Can a brother and sister dance together, Ol^a " I asked. * ' "I don't know," she replied, playing with the point as though it were some grave matter of diplomacy. "I have never had to consider the question practically because you have never asked me, Alexis. But I think they might sit out together " and with the laugh that accompanied that sentence rmging in my ears, like the refrain of a sweet song, we parted to meet again at the ball. smile And I i', |:| V P:| il % i CHAPTER V. GETTING DEEPER. The news that I had beaten Devinsky, had played with him like a cat with a bird, spread like a forest fire. EssaiefF was right enough in his forecast that everyone would be deh^hted at the major's overtlirow. But the notoriety which the achievement brought me was not at all unhkely to prove a source of embarrassment. I should be a marked man, and everything T did would be sure to be closely observed. Any gross blunder made in my new character would be the more certainly seen, and would thus be all the more hkely to lead to my discovery. There were of course a thousand things I ought to know; hundreds of acts that I had no doubt been in the habit of doing regularly— and thus any number of pitfalls lay gaping right under my feet. My difficulties began at once with my regimental duties. I did not know even my brother officers by sight, to say nothing of the men. The fact that the real Alexis had not been very long with the regiment would of course help me somewhat in regard to this; as it was quite conceivable that having been very indifferent to my duties and any- liling DUL U ZCCU.UUO \JiiiVti, i. iili^J-ll IxKrl iivt-T-^ S--» .1. ■sf. GETTING DEEPER. 49 I played a forest :ast that 3rtlirow. brought )urce of ng T did ly gross 1 be the all the I ought doubt :hus any y feet. ,amcntal officers rhe fact ng with )mcwhat ible that md any- to know the men. I'ut I was just a.s ign''>rant of the regimental routine which ought to be a matter of course. I had qufjstioned Olga on every detail and drawn frr^m hf-r all that she knew— and she was surprisingly quickwitted and well informed on the subject — and I had of course my own limited military experience to back me ; but I lacked com- pletely that familiarity which only actual practice could give, 'lliis difficulty gave me much thought and I am bound to say amused me immensely. The way out that I chose was a mixture of impudence and eccentricity ; and I relied on the reputation I had suddenly made for myself as a swordsman being sufficient to silence criticism. I went back to my rooms, and while there a manservant whom Essaieff had promised to send to me, arrived. I would not have one from the ranks, but chose a civilian that had been a soldier; and under the guise of questioning his present knowledge of military matters, dress, etc., I drew out of him particulars of the uniforms I ought to wear on different occasions, the places and times cf all regimental duties, and — what was of even more importance— a rough idea of the actual duties which fell tt> the share of Lieutenant Alexis Petrovitch. That was enough for ma. I dressed and went to head-quarters, resolved to see the Colonel, and on the plea of indisposition ask to be excused from duty on that and the following day. To my surprise — for I had heard from Olga that I st'^od very low down in Colonel Kapriste's estimation — 1 .vas received with especial cordiality and favour. His greeting was indeed effusive. He granted my request at once, said I could take a week if I hked, after my hard work, and declared that I must take great care of rnvsp-lf for the sake of the regiment, -#»■ 50 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. L he pressed me to wait until he had finished his regimental work as he wished to talk to me. What he wanted was an account of the duel, and a very few minutes shewed me that if he was no friend of mine, he was a strong enemy of the man I had fought. He questioned me also as to the change in my appearance, why I had shaved my beard and moustache, what excuse I had to give for having been out without my uniform on the previous day; and my blunt reply that I had had an accident and hoped I was master of my own features, and that if my uiiifc^rm was burnt it was more becoming for an officer to be in mufti than naked, drew from him nothing more than the significant retort that he hoped I had changed as much in other respects. Then he turned curious to know where I had learnt to use the sword, and who was the fencing master that had taught me; and I turned the point with a laugh — that Major Devinsky's evil genie conferred the gift on me, as they were not ready yet below to take charge of the major's soul. He was so delighted with my success over the man whom he evidently hated, that he let my impertinence pass; but I could see that the two aides who were present, were as much astonished at my conduct as at the Colonel's reception of it. But it was of great service to me. It emphasized the complete change in me ; and I left with a feeling of intense satisfaction that the difficulties of the position were proving much less formidcible when faced than they had seemed in anticipation. I went next to the exercise ground and watched with /he closest scrutiny everything that took place. Now and again one or other of Sie officers came up to me; and to all alike I adopted an attitude of ±1^1^^^ I GETTING DEEPER. 51 cold and stolid impassiveness. This was my safe course. I knew that Alexis had hitherto been unpopular with the whole regiment, except perhaps one or two of the worst and wildest fellows; and I judged that any approaches made now wore rather out of deference to the dangerous skill I had suddenly developed than to any oM familiarity. In most cases I could there ," )re quite safely appear to resent old neglect and so repulse any present advances. •You're not at drill, this morning, Petrovitch," said one. I gave him a stony, stolid stare. "On the contrary, I an. here,* I answered, turning away. "I mean, you're not drilUng," he said, with a feeble laugh. ** I have already been out this morning," I returned giving him another most unpli.'as. nt look. " Do you mean that you want to drill witix me ? " I stared him out of countenance until the feeble laugh which he repeated had passed from his face, and with a muttered excuse he went back to his men. This sort of thing with variations in my hard un- pleasantness happened several times while I remained on the ground ; and before I left I had managed to stamp the impression pretty clearly on my fellow- officers generally, that it would be best not to interfere with me. This was just what I wished. At the club, where I went after leaving the exercise ground, there were several of the men whom I had so insulted on the previous night. I was in truth rather sorry that I had made such a cad of myself; since that was not the sort of character I saw now I could construct out of the composite materials of the two very different careers and persons that were now to be blendedi 5« BY RIGHT OF SWORD. ''. I My reputation was made already and I found everywhere some evidences of the advantages it carried. More than one of those who on the night before had been most profuse in their expressions of contempt for me were now obviously very ill at ease ; and some of them were unquestionably expecting me to take a strong course. But I spoke to no one ; and merely returned a curt and formal acknow- ledgment of any greetings made to me. After a time Lieutenant Essaieff came in, and I noticed not without satisfaction that as soon as he saw I was in the place he came across to me. " I hear you have made a remarkable conversion, Petrovitch." "Yes?" •• Old Saltpetre, I mean. Cruladoff told me and said he could scarcely believe his own eyes and ears when you and that old martinet were chumming together like a couple of young subs. He swears that a man has been cashiered before now for saying a good deal less than you said." I saw he was referring to the Chief, so I made a shot. "It's not much of a secret what he thinks of Devinsky." " Do you really know the story, then? Why, you told me last week that you didn't." "I didn't know a good deal then that I know now," I returned drily. "Neither did we," he answered significantly. "Any way the old boy swears by you now; and after you'd left this morning went on in a fine strain to the two aides, praising you sky high. By Gad, if the war really comes you'll be in luck, and get every bit of daredevil work the old Salamander can thrust your way. Hullo, Cruladoff!" he broke oflF as one of the men I had seen that morning GETTING DEEPER. 53 with the Chief came up. *! was just telling Petrovitch what you told me.* Some others joined us then, and though I held myself in the strongest reserve, I exchanged a few words with one or two. What was of great importance, moreover, I learnt to know a number of my comrades by sight and name. My actions were all carefully studied. I spoke very little indeed; never dropped a word that had even a suggestion of boastfulness in it, and only answered when any man chose to address me. I knew from what Olga had told me that I was with some of the best men in the regiment — those who hithtrto had held ine in the poorest esteem — and I was scrupulously careful that in my outward demeanour there should now be nothing whatever to cause offence. I would allow no man to interfere with o even criticise me — but on my side I would interfere with none. The eccentricity that was to cover my ignorance should be defensive armour only. In this manner I carried myself through the difficulties of that day; and it was indeed easy enough. I found most of my comrades only too ready to be civil rather than suspicious; and the extra- ordinary success of the morning set them on the look out for furttier eccentricities and peculiarities. A man who could successfully conceal the possession of such extraordinary skill with sword and pistol, miglit be expected to have any number of surprises in store ; ar ' no one was in any hurry to ask the reason for the concealment. The fame of my achi. vement affected even the men who came to have their debts paid that after- noon and evening ; and the money lender — a scurvy wffitrh nf iV»f» lo'wes^" <"vne — was sn friorhtened and I ' 1^ f ! I 54 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. trembled so violently when I asked him how he dared to send me threatening letters, that he could scarcely sign his receipt. The whole of them were certainly profoundly astonished at getting their money; and probably I should not have paid a kopeck, but for a change in my intentions that had begun to affect me. I liked the promise of the new life for which I had exchanged my old and empty career; and I had begun to consider whether, instead of leaving when my passport came, I should not remain where I was and continue to be Lieutenant Alexis Petrovitch of the Moscow Infantry Regiment. I had ah-eady done much to earn a title to the position. I had saved the real man's body by helping him over the frontier; I had saved his honour by fighting his duel for him; I had made his sister pretty safe from further molestation at Devinsky's hands; I had created quite a new Alexis Petrovitch in the regiment; and now I had paid the beggar's debts. Obviously I could play the part a good deal better than he could, and therefore— why not continue to play it? There was plenty of danger in it. Siberia at least, if it was discovered that I had been personating a Russian officer and fighting duels in his name. But I cared nothing for that. If it threatened me, it had its compensations; since it made it quite impossible for the real Alexis ever to return and claim his position, even if he wished. I had intended to "^ght for Russia in any event, supposing the war came; and if I fell in some battle it would not matter in the least how my grave was ticketed. It might save me no end of A^— .ui~ ^^^^^^,r^^ If T frinV i-Vio trnnA fliA crnfis crave GETTING DEEPER. 55 me without bothering any more about volunteering. The more I thought of it as I sat and smoked by myself, the firmer became my resolve just to float with the stream and remain what I was, till chance discovered me, if ever it did. I had probably got over the worst danger by my impudence, my knack of fighting, and the extraor- dinary resemblance to my other self; and already I could see my way through many of the difficulties, so far as the regiment was concerned. Moreover, I am bound to admit I liked the part. I had never had such a chance before; and if all the truth must be told, my vanity was not altogether proof against the sensation I was creating. I had had such a run of bad luck for the past few years, that a change was welcome. By the time my reverie was finished, therefore, I had more than half resolved to be Hamylton Tregethner no more. Then it was time to dress for the ball at the Zemliczka Palace; and I was snob enough — I can call it nothing but sheer snob- bery — so to time my entrance into the rooitis as to cause as much sensation as possible. Though out- wardly calm and quite impassive, I am positively ashamed to say I enjoyed the ripple of comment which I saw pass from lip to lip, and the evident interest which I awakened. At the same time matters were within an ace of being very awkward. Any number of people came forward to speak to me, all of whom mani- festly expected I should know them both by name and by sight. I had one greeting for all: cold, impassive, uninterested, though there were a number of very handsome women witli whom I should hav« been glad to chat, if I could have done f.o safely, But I dared not 56 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. :1 !• I Indeed the women worried me more than enough. The men I could stave off and keep at a distance easily; for in truth they all seemed shy of forcing themselves on me;— but the women wanted to compel me to take notice of them and were not to be put off by any excuse or shift. How many I ought to have known; with how many I had had flirtations, I of course had not the remotest idea. I was thus very glad when a chance of escape came with the entrance of Olga, who arrived with her aunt. The latter was rather a good looking woman, I thought ; and I got away from the other people on the plea of having to go and speak to the two. •* Well, aunt, what do you think . . . .* "Aunt?" exclaimed Olga's companion, looking at me with unmistakable anger. My sister flashed a quick danger signal at me. I had blundered badly. "Alexis, your joke is very ill-timed," she said, severely. " You should know tlie Countess Krapotine better than to suppose that your barrack-yard jibes would be welcome." " I hope the Countess Krapotine knows there is no one in all Moscow whose good will I •prize more highly and would lose more unwillingly than hers. It was a silly jest: and was prompted only by a desire to claim even a passing relationship with one whom Moscow delights to honour. Her kindness to you, Olga, makes her kin to me." "You are always a little hard on your brother, Olga," said the Countess, whom I had mistaken for an aunt many years older and Infinitely ugly. But the matter passed, and as I did not care to stop and tall: with tliem for too long, I left them after arranging which dances I was to sit out with my sister. GETTING DEEPER. 57 .7^ '■h I did not dance with anyone : but contented my- self with lounging about observing what was going on. I had more than one little adventure : but one in particular impressed me. I was leaning against the wall near an archway between two of the ball rooms when I noticed an exceedingly handsome woman making eyes and signs secretly to some one near me. vShe was a remarkably striking woman, tall, dark, handsome, and passionate looking; and after a minute I glanced round about me to see who the fortunate man might be. Just then there was no man at all near me: and looking furtively at her, I noticed that the signs ceased when I was apparently not observing her. I looked at her openly and they recommenced immediately. It seemed therefore that they were meant for me. I tested this, until there was no room for doubt: and I looked at her with a little more interest, speculating who she might be, and what she was to me. But I made no sign that I knew her; as of course I did not; and after a minute or two I moved away, as it was time for me to go to Olga. There was just then a little difficulty in getting through the rooms owing to the crush of people, and presently to my intense surprise a very angry voice whispered close in my ear: — *• Beware r I turned at once and found it was the handsome woman who had been signalling to me. The crowd had brought us close together, and she was staring hard_ at me, her face expressive of both agitation and ill temper. I was amused and without relaxing my features bowed as I muttered: "I will." This answer seemed to Increase her anger, but 58 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. * at that instant another movement of the throng separated us, and I went away to find Olga. We sat and chatted and laughed together — especially at my mistake with the countess — and presently glancing up I saw opposite to us the woman who had acted the little bit of melodrama with me. Sh** \' .as eyding 'is both now angrily. "Who's that?'' I asked, -joii^.ting her out to my sister. The gr:\ shook her iicad gravely. **I wish yoii didn't know, Alexis." "Oh, do I know? I've put my foot in it then, J e j-pect ; " and I told her what had happened. She snuled, and then siiook her head again, more gravely than before. " All M scow knows that you and Madame Paula Tueski are thick friends; and you ought to know that you have set many scandalous tongues wag- ging-" "Well, she's a very handsome woman," said I, glancing atToss at her. " Your favourite style of beauty was always somewhat masculine and fleshly," said Olga in a very sisterly and very severe tone. "Yes, I'm afraid I've not always admired those things I ought to have admired." " Say, rather, you have often admired those things which you ought not. Commission, not omission." " WeU, I've a new commission now, and you gave it me," said I, playing on her word and looking closely at her. I took rather a pleasure in watching the colour ebb and flow in her bright expressive face. She looked up now, very steadily, right into my eyes, as if to read my thoughts; and then looked down again and was silent. And in some way the look made me sorry I had jested. After a pause she S^iH in Jigr ncnal Airt^rt ■wa-v I , GETTING DEEPER. 59 throng jcether — !ss — and us the lodrama igrily. t to my it then, ;d. She gravely le Paula :o know es wag- ' said I, always ga in a 2d those e things ission." ou gave looking ratching ive face, into my I looked way the a pause 'J 1' " We are wasting time. There is so much I must yet tell you, and some of it is very disagreeable. You and I have quarrelled more tiian once about that woman, Paula Tueski. You wished me to know her, and I would not; I wished you to give her up, and you would not* **ril do it at once," I said, readily. "I shall not feel the pang.. .." "Do, please, be serious," she interrupted in her turn, with a little foot tap of impatience, while a frown struggled with a smile for the mastery in her expression. The smile had the best of it at first, but the frown won in the end. " Paula Tueski, you have often told me, is a dangerous woman. As wife of the Chief of the Secret Police she has considerable power and influence; though to be candid I never could tell whether you said this as an excuse for continuing your friendship with her, or because you were really afraid of her. You are not very brave, Alexis, you know." " No, I'm afraid I'm not," I admitted. « But at any rate I won't try to force her on you for the future. I think I can promise that." "She's an exceedingly ambitious woman, and means you no good, Alexis," said Olga, very ener- getically. " If you can give her up safely I hope you will."^ She was very earnest about this, and I was going to question her more closely when someone came up to claim her for a dance. Very soon after this I left, taking care to keep out of the way of the woman who seemed so anxious that I should speak to her. I remembered the " P. T." of the diary and of the correspondence; and I saw that there might easily be some ugly complications unless I was very careful. I Wgltpfl hr»rna f/-» nrtr mnr\nta «•»*» .^ — '- — — — — ••^«ia^ i,s_^ 4ii T i\-PT^iiia ciLit^ \v€xa very TVIIT «0 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. thoughtful on the way. This legacy of old sweet- hearts was the most unpleasant feature of my new inheritance as well as possibly the most dangerous. It was just the kind of knot, too, that a sword could not cut; and before the night dosed, I had a very jarring reminder of thi». ( i sweet- ny new igerous. d could a very CHAPTER VI. A LEGACY OF LOVE. As I approached the broad deep doorway of my house I saw a tall man muffled up, standing hau concealed in the shadow of one of the pillars. "Who are you, and what are you doing there?" I asked peremptorily, stopping and looking at him. " What should I be doing, but waiting for Lieu- tenant Petrovitch ? " answered the fellow, stepping forward. "Well, I am Lieutenant Petrovitch. What do you want?" "You are not the lieutenant." "Then you are not looking for Lieutenant Petrovitch," I returned, /."i I opened my door. "Be off with you." I spok^^ iirmly, but his reply had rather disconcerted me. Instead of going he advanced toward me when he saw me open the door, and shot a glance of surprise at me. *I beg you honour's pardon. I didn't recognise you; and when you pretended not to know me, I thought it was someone else. You've disguised yourself by that change in your face, sir." There was a mis-tw-;. of servility and impudence in the man's manner which galled me. He spoke 6a BY RIGHT OF SWORD. like a fewning sponper: and yet with just such a suggestion of threat and familiarity in his manner as might come from a low associate in some dirty work which he thought gave him a hold over me. "What is it you want?" I si^oke as sternly as before ; and the fellow cringed and bowed as he answered with the same suggestion of familiar insolence. " What have I waited here five hours for but to speak to your lordship privately— waited, as I always -'- --atiently. It's ssi'er inside, lieutenant." - Come in, then." It was clearly best for me to know all he had to say. As soon as we were inside an cl I had turned up the lights I placed him close to the biggest of them ; and a more villainous, hangdog looking rascal I never wish to see. A redhaired, dirty, cunning, drinking Jew of the lowest class; with lies and treachery and deceit written on every feature and gesture. The only thing truthful about him was the evidence of character stamped on his self- convicting appearance. "I wonder whdl you are to Lie," I thought as I scanned him closely, his flinty si -^ing eyes darting everywhere t( escape mv gaze. "WeU, what do you ^vant? I'm about sick of you." A quick liftinj^' of the hen nd eyebrows let a questioning glance of min ed ma' e, hate, and menace dart up into my face. " Lieutenant, vour child is starving and his mC'^er also ; and I, her father, am tired of working my fingers to the bone to maintain them both," "What are you working at now?" I asked with a .neer. I spoke in this way to hide my unp'leasant snnorise a^ the unsavoury news that lay behind his words. The more 1 looked at iiim the A LEGACY OF LOVE. 63 me to more was I impressed with a conviction of his rascality: but the fact that he was a scoundrel did not at all exclude the possibility thai some ugly episode concerning me lay behind. On the contrary it increased the probability. " I've not come to talk about my work, but to get money," said my visitor in a surly tone. ** And money I must have." "Blackmail," was my instant conclusion: and my line of conduct was as promptly taken. There is but one way to take with blackmailers — crush them. " Did you understand what I said just now? I am sick of you and your ways, and I hav«^ done with you." The man shifted about uneasily and ner ouslv witliout replying at once, and then in a sly, muttering tone, and with an indescribable suggestion of menace said: — "There are some ugly st( es float, Lieutenant." "Yes: and in Russia, those who tell them smell the atmosphere of a gaol as often as those against whom they are told. A word from me and you know where you will be witliin half a dozen hours." This was a safe shot with such a rascal. "But you'll never speak that word," he said sullenly. " We've talked all this over before. You can't shake me off. I know too much." Obviously my f mier self had handled this man badly : probably through weakness : and had allowed him to get an ugly hold. He was presuming on this now. I took two r.ipid turns up and down the room in thou '■'. Then I made a decision. Taking ink and pa^jcr '' it down to the table and wrote, rfinparinor ■thi\ limfAc ulntiA . 64 BY RIGHT OF SWOIU). To the Chief of" Police. — The Bearer of thls- * How do you spell your rascally name ? " I cried, interrupting the writing and looking across at him. " You know. You've written it often enough to Anna." Good. I had got the d.i ighter's name at any rate. "Yes, but this is for the police, and must be accurate." The start he gave was an unmistakable start of fear. " Everyone knows how to spell Peter, I suppose. And you ought to know how to spell Prashil, seeing your own child has to bear the name." •* The Bearer of this, Peter Prashil, declares that he has some information to give to you which incriminates me. Take his statement in writing and have it investigated. Hold him prisoner, meanwhile, for he has been attempting to blackmail me. You, or your agents will know him well. Signed, Alexis Petrovitch. Lieutenant, Moscow Infantry Regiment." "Now," I cried, rising, giving him the paper, and throwing open tlie door. "Take that paper and go straight to the Police. Tell them all you know. Or if you like it better stand to-morrow at midday in the Square of the Caiiedral and shout it out with all your lungs for the whole of Moscow to hear. Or get it inserted in every newspaper in the city. Go ! " and I pointed the way and stared at him sternly and angrily. "I don't want to harm you." "Go!" I said. "Or I'll wake my servant and have the police brought here." For a minute he tried to return my look, and fumbled with the oaoer frresolutolv. A LEGACY OF LOVE. 65 his " le?" I ? across enough at any must be stakable suppose. Prasliil, le." res that I which writing ►risoner, ackmail veil. H. iment." ! paper, t paper all you •rrow at d shout VToscow >aper in 1 stared mt and 5k, and " Go I * I repeated , staring at him as I' : < ; . 'ly as before. He stood another minute scow!?.!/ at me from under his ragged red brows an 1 88 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. off !c' ^i^?¥t°, ^'^ ^^^^ ^"^ ^°"^^ bave staggered off as weU had I let him. But I stopped him^made him give up his knife, and then I dSve him before ZLL"^^ rooms-only a very short distance off- rephed to my shout for help. I did not want any n7fl!t^' f "^ ^ i!"'^^^ *"" ^^^ t° know tlie cause sfde'^LerL::'^^^^ '^^"^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^ -^ -^■ «Y^Ve^o/.Tvf ^' !?^^ ^^ ^" "^y room. Wh V .t, / ^'^^' ^'''''' ^^^ ^"d style shew that. Why, then, do — )u turn assassin?" ^hl^'^^'^'^A 1^°"^' ^,® "° "^^^ ^o^ "*^e to teU you that said he, speaking with vehemence. Nevertheless. I ask it." I returned, with even more sternness. Evidently I was going- to make W tTm.^W '^' ^"' "^^^ ^^ man^witTd^ n EiTx ^^""^5 answering. I scanned him closely nn tw f ^ S"^^ ^^"" ^'^ ^bj^^t- Clearly he wZ no thief He was fairly well dressed in the s^S of an ordinary tradesman or a superior mechanic- fnd '^?T"T ^?°^"^^ ^^^^^^ ^ sedent^ h?e bv an^ nW T J"-"^. """"^^"^^ "°^ ^^^^ ^^^ened by any physical training. As certainly he was no pohce spy. He was the last man in the wTrTd to have been picked out for such a job 3!^^ of the ^Srbei:."."^ "'" . '^^^^? "- - probabiHty^^of stmed'Sl^uY ^""^^^ '^"' ^^^^^^^ -^^^^^ wi W th."^^-i?M"?"^V^'"^^°'^' ^^^t ^« attack was from the Nihilists. The man looked much more hke an emissary of that kind-able to give a sudden tost with a sharp knife; but incapfble of dohig more. The instant 1 had come to 4is conclur^ A LESSON IN NIHILISM. 89 have staggered ped him, made 3ve him before distance oflf— i up who had not want any ikely to do me now tlie cause with any out- ne?" I asked in my room. J^le shew that. 5 to tell you ice. d, with even 'ing to make an waited a him closely iarly he was in the style >r mechanic; Jdentary life en hardened ' he was no he world to J that of the ■obability of t me; that : the attack much more ve a sudden le of doing conclusion, and I came to it much more quickly than I can write it, I resolved what to do. "I am glad this encounter has taken place — not omitting the result, of course," I added grimly. "There is no cause whatever for this decree." The man's lip curled somewhat contemptuously, as I made this protest. He seemed to have formed the average low estimate of the value of my word. Everywhere I turned I was met by the wortWessness of the scamp whose name I now bore. The contempt silenced, even while it angered, me. " You did not attend," he said curtly. "A man's absence is poor proof of either innocence or courage. You are not only a traitor but a coward." " What ! " I turned on him as if he had struck me. This puny, pale, insignificant weakling faced me as dauntlessly as if the positions were reversed and I was in his power, not he in mine. " You are brave enough here now, no doubt — you armed against r unarmed. " He threw this sneering taunt at me wuxi deHberate insolence. I stared at him first in amazement, and then in admiration. I had but to raise my hand to kill him with a stroke. He read my thoughts. "What do I care for my life, do you think? Take it, if you like. One murder more— even in cold blood— is a little matter to a soldier." A couple of turns up and down the room cooled me. ^ ^ " I don't want your life," said I, calmly. « Though It's dangerous to call me a coward, and were you other than what you are, I'd ram the word down your throat. With you, however, I'll deal differ- ently. You say I was afraid to attend your last meetmg. I'll do better than merely call that a He. Ill Drove it nnp Pall ~~-f- - ■• -•_ __ ^-^ „ g BY RIGHT OF SWORD. a place as you can, pack it with all the deadliest cut-throats you can find, resolve to shoot me down as I enter the door, and if I dare not attend it, then call me coward — but not till then." My blood was up now, and I spoke as hotly as I felt. "Will you come?" asked the man. *• Call the meeting and see. Nay, more. Between now and the time of the meeting think of the wildest and most dangerous scheme 3iat you can to test what a desperate man can do for the cause, and give me the lead in it. And when I've failed, write me down traitor, and not till then. And now, go, or by God I may forget myself and lay hands on you." My voice rang out in such sharp stem tones that the man's antagonism was beaten down by my earnest- ness. My fierceness seemed to fire him, and when I threw open the door for him to go, he stood a moment and stared into my face, his own all eager- ness, light and wildness. Then he exclaimed in a tone of intense excitement: — " By God, I believe youVe true after all.' And with that he went. It was not until the man had been gone some time and I was pacing up and down my room, still excited, and revolving the chances of this, perhaps the most desperate of all the complications which threatened me, that I saw a letter on tinted paper, lying on my table. I took it up and found it was from Olga, and my thoughts went back with a rush to her and to the circumstances under which I had left her that evening. The letter was not very long. ■My dear Brother, " I have not ceased to regret the hasty words I spoke to you this evening. Forgive me. Of A LESSON IN NIHILISM. 91 the deadliest )otme down ot attend it, " My blood I felt. e. Between )f the wildest can to test 3 cause, and I've failed, And now, id lay hands ■"■■■•■!ii. ones that the '■/i my earnest- n, and when , he stood a vn all eager- claimed in a i • all." And 1 gone some ly room, still ' iiis, perhaps itions which tinted paper, found it was i' : with a rush , which I had ■1 hasty words ve me. Of course you do not think me a coward; and I can see now that you must have some other motive for wishing me to leave Moscow and Russia, while you remr ' here alone to face— what may have to be face But whatever your reason is, I cannot do it. iJo you understand that? I cannot. That is stronger than I will not. I think you know me. If so, you know that I will not. If I thought you believed me c.>pable of leaving you in the lurch after having brought all this on you, I should wish I had never had— such a brother. I will never even let you mention the matter to me again. Your sister, Olga." I read this letter through two or three times, each time with a higher opinion of the staunch-hearted little writer. And at the end I surprised myself considerably by pressing the letter involuntarily to my lips. She was a girl worth a good tough fight CHAPTER VTII. THE RIVEKSIDE MEETING. The Nihilists were not long in taking up my chal- lenge; and on the following afternoon, the man whom I had interviewed in my rooms met me in the street and told me I was to meet him on the south side of the Cathedral Square at nine o'clock the next night. There was a peremptory ring in the message which I didn't care for, but I promised to keep the appointment. I had thought out my plans and had come to see that the impulse under which I had spoken was as shrewd as the proposal itself *vas risky. If I was not to be a perpetual mark for their attacks, I must make an impression on them; and I saw at once that the safest thing that could happen was at the same time the most daring— I must take the lead. If some desperate scheme were placed in my hands for execution, I should certainly be allowed a free hand to carry it out, and as certainly have time in which to do it. That was what I needed. I did not place the danger of attending the meet- ing very high. K I were not murdered on my way to the place, wherever it might be— and that was highly improbable— I did not think they would venture to kill mft at fhf» mf^e^fincf ifccAf TVT THE RIVERSIDE MEETING. 93 up my chal- n, the man met me in him on the nine o'clock :ory ring in 1 1 promised come to see 3ken was as . If I was acks, I must law at once was at the :e the lead. n my hands )wed a free lave time in ^ed. ig the meet- . on my way id that was hey would Moreover f ■J -"f I reckoned somewhat on the effect I believed I had created on the man in my rooms. I took a revolver with me as a precaution; but I had little doubt about getting through the night safely. It turned out to be a very different affair from anything I had anticipated, however, and taken on the whole it was perhaps one of the most thrilling experiences I have ever passed through. Whether I was really in danger of death at any time, or whether the whole business was merely intended to try and scare me, I don't know. But I believe that if I had shewn any signs of fear, they would have murdered me there and then. Certainly they had all the means at hand. I met the man by the Cathedral, and muttering to me to follow him at twenty paces distance, he walked on and presently plunged into a labyrinth of streets, leading from the Cathedral down to the river in the lowest quarter of the town. The place was ill ht and worse drained, and the noisome atmosphere of some of the alleys which we passed and the mess through which we trudged, were horribly repulsive. In the lowest and darkest and dirtiest of the streets the man stopped and with a sign to me not to speak, pointed to a dark tumbling doorway. As I entered it, I saw it was about the aptest scene for a murder that could have been chosen. The place was almost pitch dark, and as we had stepped out of a very bright moonlight, I had to stand a moment to let my eyes accustom themselves to the change. Then I made out a broken, ramb- ling stairway just ahead of us. Taking it for granted that I was to go up these, ignorant whether I was supposed to knov/ the place, and quite BY RIGHT OF SWORD. unwilling even to appear to wish to hang back, I stumbled up the stairs as quickly as the gloom would let me. When I reached the top I found myself in a long, low shed that ran on seme dis- tance in front of me to a point there I thought I could d^'cern a faint hght. I groj,3d my way forward, the boards giving ominously under my feet, when suddenly a voice said in a loud whisper out of the gloom and as if at my very ear: — " Stand, if you value your Ufe. * I stopped readily enough, as may be imagined; and then the silence was broken by the swishing, nishing swirl of the swiftly flowing river, while currents of cold air caused by the moving water, were wafted up fuU in my face. I strained my ears to listen and my eyes to see and craning forward, I could make out a huge gap in the floor wider than a man could have leapt, which opened right to my very feet. What happened I don't know; it was too dark to see. But after a time there was a sound of a heavily moving body close at my feet, the noise of the water grew faint, and I was told to go forward. I went on until I was again caUed to a halt ; and after a minute the sound of the rushing water came again clear and distinct, this time from behind me. Then a flaring light was kindled aU suddenly and thrown down into the wide gap until with a hiss it was extinguished in the river below. I knew what that meant. It was a signal that all hope of retreat was cut off, and the signal was given in this dramatic fashion to frighten me if my nerves should be unsteady. As a matter of act it had rather the opposite effect. I have generally found that when men arp r^ilv ^a«rro^«,,o *. THE RIVERSIDE MEETING. 95 lang back, I « the gloom top I found )n seme dis- I thought I oards giving enly a voice >m and as if »e imagined; he swishing, river, while Dving water, strained my md craning ► in the floor 'hich opened ^as too dark sound of a the noise of told to go called to a the rushing lis time from kindled all de gap until iver below. signal that ! signal was en me if my ;er of act it e generally are least demonstrative. These things— the darkness, the silence, the rushing water, the means of secret murder — were all calculated to frighten weak nerves no doubt, but they did not frighten me. At the same time I saw that if the men wished to murder me, they had ample means of doing it safely, and that the situation might easily become a very ugly one. Without wasting time I went forward again, and passing through a door which was opened at my approach, I found myself in the end room of a disused and tumbling riverside warehouse ; the side next the river being quite open and over-hanging the waters. The place was unlighted save for the bright moonlight which came slanting in from the open end, and down through some cWnks and gaps in the roof. Scattered round the place were some thirty or forty men, their faces undistinguishable in the gloom, though care was taken to let me see that each man carried a knife : and when I entered, five or six of them closed round the door, as if to guard against the possibility of my retreat. I glanced about me to see whom to address, or who would speak to me. For a couple of minutes or more, not a soul moved and not a word was spoken. The only sounds audible were these which carre from the river without ; the hushed burr of night life from the dim city iDeyond. "You plea has been considered,* said a voice at length in a tone scarcely above a whisper; but I thought I could recognise it as that of the man who had been in my rooms. * It has been resolved not to accept it You have been brought here to-niffht to die" ■ ' h I BY RIGHT OF SWORD. As you will; lam ready,** I answered promptly. I am as ready to lose my life as you are to take it." ** Kneel down," said the man. "Not I," I cried, resolutely. «If I am to die, I prefer to stand. But here, I'll make it easier for you. Here's the only weapon I have. Take it, someone." I laid my revolver on the floor in a little spot where a glint of moonlight fell on it. Then I threw off my coat and waistcoat and turning back my shirt bared the heart side of my breast. If they could be dramatic, so could I, I thought. "Here, strike," I cried. "And all I ask is for a clean quick thrust right to the heart. " I was growing excited. "No 13," said the man, after a long pause. A taU, broad, huge man loomed up out of a dark corner and stood between me and the light from the river. As he laid his hands on me, the clasp was like a clamp of iron, and his enormous strengtib made me as a child in his clutch. With a trick that seemed to tell of much practice, he seized me suddenly by the right arm, holding it in a grip I thought no man on earth could possess, and bending me backwards held me so that either my throat or my heart were at the mercy of the long knife he held aloft. I let no sound escape me and did not move a muscle. The next instant my left hand was seized and a finger pressed on my pulse. In this position I stayed for a full minute. I do not believe that my pulse quickened, save for the physical strain, by so much as one beat. "It is enough," said the man who had before spoken; and I was released. "You are no coward," he said, addressing me. ered promptly. 5 you are to am to die, I 2 it easier for ive. Take it, :he floor in a g-ht fell on it. at and turning of my breast. I, I thought. [ ask is for a [ was growing ig pause. ) out of a dark he light from me, the clasp mous strenglii uuch practice, arm, holding I earth could I held me so were at the t. i not move a nd was seized se. In this I do not save for the eat. LO had before idrcssing me. " Here, strike," ! cried. — P<^i( 96 \ III #v:i|'" \ THE RIVERSIDE MEETING. 97 "? * I withdraw that. You can have your life, on one condition." -And that?" * That you swear . . .• "I will swear nothing,* I interposed. "Yoii have taken the oath of fealty." " I will swear nothing. Take my life if you like, but swear I will not. If I had meant treachery, I should have had the police round us to-night hke a swarm of bees. You have had a proof whether I'm true or not; and when I turn traitor, you can run a blade into my heart or lodge a bullet in my brain. But oaths are nothing to a man who means either to keep or break his word. What is the condition? I told you mine before." "Yoiu-s is accepted. Your task is" — here he sunk his voice and whispered right into my ear — ** the death of Christian Tueski." •*I accept," I answered readily. I would have accepted, had they told me to kill the Czar him- self. " But it will take time. I will have no other hand in it than mine. It is a glorious commission. Mine alone the honour of success, and mine alone the danger, or mine alone the disgrace of failure." I looked on the whole thing now as more or less of a burlesque ; but I played the part I had chosen as well as I could. And when the little puny rebel put out his hand in the darkness and clasped mine, I gripped his with a force that made his bones crack, as if to convey to him the intensity of my resolve and my enthusiastic pleasure at tiie grim work they had alotted me. Then I was told to leave ; and in a few minutes I was once more in the open air, quite as unde- cided then as I have always remained, as to what had been the real intentions in res^ard to mvself. BY RIGHT OF SWORD. One of my chief regrets was not to be able to see the burly giant who had twisted me about on his knee as easily as I should a fowl whose neck I m. in* to wring. He was a man indeed to ad- mh-e; J I would have given much for a sight of him. But my guid© hurried me back through the la- byrinth of streets mto respectable Moscow once more, and I was soon busy with my thoughts as to how long * shrift I should have before my new " comrades" w ild grow impatient for me to act Certainly they would have plenty of time for their patience to grow very cold before I should turn murderer to further their schemes. But I could not foresee the strange chain of events which was fated to fasten on me this new character that I had assumed so lightly and dramaticaUy— the character of a desperate, bloodthirsty, and absolutely reckless NihiHsL to be able to me about on ^1 whose neck indeed to ad- :h for a sight trough the la- Moscow once y thoughts as efore my new "or me to act ' of time for ifore I should 3mes. But I ' events which :haracter that natically—tlie md absolutely CHAPTER IX. DEVINSKY AGAIN. It will be readily understood that I now f .und life exciting enough even to satisfy me. The complications multiplied so fast, without any act of mine, that I had no time to think of tlie old troubles and disappointments which had so soured Hamylton lYegethner, and emptied life for him. They had already faded into little more than memories, asso- ciated with a life that I had once lived but had now done with altogether. I was gett^ ig rapidly absorbed by the dangers and incidents of tlie new life. How completely I had changed the current of opinion about Alexis Petrovitch I had ibundant evidence during the next few days, in tht form of invitations to houses which had hitherto been closed to me. People also began to remember Oiga, and she shared in this way in the altered condition of things. I did not tell her any particulars of m> night with the Nihilists, nor of the mission with which I was charged. It would probably distres -^ her, and could do no good; unless I might i nd it necessary to use it to compel her to leave Mc scow. I questioned her as to her own connections with *\%e^ "KKv.;!:^*™ ^■^A 'C^y^.M .'.r't-.'ji- rXyei i-r\\A mtx T eQ\« tha.t vuv ^luilusus, auvi iiv/iii v.iidi. i3L>.\- •-•-•s.vt issv - o»»- ■ ' ■'" ■»> 99 A' 100 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. :! ; though they were slight in themselves, they were enough to put her in the power of a woman such as Paula Tueski; and decidedly much more than sufficient to make her arrest a certainty if I were to be arrested, or if anything should happen to throw increased suspicion on me. Our meeting after her letter to me was a very pieasant one. She met me with a smile and begged me again to forgive her. That was not difficult. "I can speak frankly to my brother, now. I couldn't always, you know, Alexis"— she glanced with roguish severity into my face—" because a few days ago you used to get very bad tempered and even swear a little. But I'U admit you are improving —in that respect; though I am afraid you are as dogged as ever. But I can be dogged, too: and It 1 speak frankly now, it is to teU you that nothing you can do will make me go out of Russia until you are safe. You may form what opinion you like of me— though I don't want that to be very bad— but a coward you shall never find me." " I didn't think you a coward. You know that ; you said it in your letter; and I shall not forgive that rudeness of yours, if you persist in this attitude. " " What is the use of a brother if one can't be rude to him, pray? As for your forgiveness, you can t help tliat now. You've given it. Besides, on reflection, I should not be frightened of you. Will you make me a promise?" " Yes, if it has nothing to do with your going away. "It has." « Then I won't make it. But I'U make a truce. 1 wiU not press you to go away, unless I think it necessary for my own safety. WiU tliat do?" "Yes. I'U £»"0 thfin " ohfi anc^jrot-oH «o.-,^:i.. u-u-* DEVINSKY AGAIN. 101 out her hand to make a bargain of it, as she added:— "Mind, if it's necessary for your safety." "You're as precise as a lawyer," said I, laughing, as I pressed her hand and saw a flush of colour tinge her face a moment "Now," she said, after a pause. «I have a sur- prise for you. I have a letter from an old friend of yours— a very old friend." "An old friend of mine. Oh, I see. And old friend of your brother's, you mean. Well, who is it now? Is there another complication?" " No, no. An old friend of my new brother's. From Mr. Hamylton Tregethner." She, laughed merrily as she stumbled over the old Cornish syl- lables. *I don't Hke that Englishman," she said, gravely. "Do you know why?" "Not for the Hfe of me." "Well, I do not; but I can't say why." Her manner was peculiar. "See, here is the passport. Mr. Tregethner has sent it and he seems to have crossed the Russian frontier without the least diffi- culty. He has gone to Paris by way of Austria. When shall you go? " She did not look up as she asked this, but stood rummaging among the papers on the table. I took the passport, unfolded and read it mechanically; then without thinking, folded it up again and put it away in my pocket. Evidently she meant it as my dismissal; and it was very awkward for me to explain that I could not be dismissed in this way because of the diffi- culties in the road of my leaving. I did not wish to appear to force myself upon her as a brother; but I could not go without first seeing her in safety. And there was the crux. ^ "I'll make my arrangements as soon as I can," * replied, after a longish pause ; and I was conscious 102 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. it ! of being a little stiff in my manner. *• But of course I can't manage things quite as I please. You see, I didn't come into this— I mean, I took up the part and— well, I'm hanged if I know what I do mean ; except that of course I'm sorry to seem to force myself on you longer tlian you like, but I can't get away quite so easily as you seem to think. I know it puts you in an awkward position, but for the moment I don't for the life of me see how it's to be helped." _ As I finished she hfted her head, and her expres- sion was at first grave, until the light of a smile in her blue eyes began to spread over her face, and the corners f her mouth twitched. ^ ^ "Then you won't be able to go yet? Of course, it's very awkward, as you say : but I must manage to put up with it as best I can. In the meantime as we have to continue the parts, we had better play them so as to mystify people. Don't you agree with this? J B "Yes, I think that, certainly," I answered, catch- ing her drift, and smiling in my turn. " Then I am riding this afternoon at three o'clock ; and as it might occasion remark if our afternoon rides were broken off quite suddenly, don't you think it would be very diplomatic if you were to come with me?" "Yes, very diplomatic," I assented, readily. "But you never told me before," said I, rising to go and get ready, " that we were in the habit of riding out together every day." " It hasn't been exactly every afternoon," answered Olga, laughing. «In fact, it's more than a year since the last ride, but the principle of the thing is the same. We ought not to break the continuity." "No, we OUCht not to hrpat fho .±.„. DEVINSKY AGAIN. 103 •ut of course 3. You see, up the part I do mean ; 2m to force 1 1 can't get k. I know but for the how it's to her expres- of a smile 2r face, and Of course, List manage i meantime had better : you agree ;red, catch- ee o'clock ; ' afternoon don't you >u were to ily. « But to go and riding out ' answered an a year le thing is ^inuity." h'*iii;<-.» » T assented, laughing. "Ill soon be back." I was, and an exceedingly jolly ride we had. Olga was a splendid horsewoman — a seat like a circus rider — and as soon as we were free of the city we had two or three rattling spins. As we rode back we discussed the question of the best course for us to take. We were both too much exhilarated by the ride to take any but a sanguine view; and so far as I am concerned, I think I talked about it rather as a sort of hnk between us two than in any serious sense. When I got to my rooms I was surprised to learn from my servant Borlas that my old opponent, Major Devinsky, had called to see me. I did not know he was back in Moscow, though I knew he had been away. I had been at drill that morning— I had quickly fallen into the routine of the work— and had heard nothing of his return. Certainly there was no reason why he should come to me; though there were many why he should keep away. He may have watched me into my rooms; for almost before I had changed my riding things, he was announced. He came in smiling, impudent, self assertive, and disposed to be friendly. "What can you want with me that can induce you to come here?" I asked coldly. " I want an understanding, Petrovitch . . . .* "Lieutenant Petrovitch, if you please," I inter- posed. " Oh, I beg your pardon, Lieutenant Petrovitch, I'm sure," he answered lightly. « But there's really no need for this kind of reception. I want to be friends with you." I bowed as he paused. " You and I have not quite understood each other t04 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. m \ m ! t It 1 " Not until within the last few days," I returned, significantly. "I'm not referring to that," he said, flushing. " Though as you've started it I'll pay you the com- pliment of saying you're devilish neat and clever in your workmanship. I had no idea of it, either, nor anyone less . . . ." "What do you want with me?" I interrupted, with a wave of the hand to stop his compliment. "I want to talk quietly over with you my suit for your sister's hand. I want to know where we stand, you and I," " My sister's hand is not mine to give." This very curtly. "I don't ask you to give it, man; I only want to win it. I am as good a match for her as any man in Moscow ..." and with that he launched out into a long account of his wealth, position, and prospects, and of the position his wife would occupy. I let him talk as long as he would, quite under- standing that this was only the preface to something else— the real purpose of his visit. Gradually he drew nearer and nearer to the point, and I saw him eyeing me furtively to note the effect of his words, which he weighed very carefully, He spoke of his family influence; how he could advance my interests; what an advantage it was to have com- mand of wealth when making an army career: and much more, until he shewed me that what he really intended was to presume on my old evil reputation and bribe me with money down if necessary, and with promises of future help, if I would agree to let Olga marry him. " Your proposal put in plain terms means," I said, bluntly, when he had exhausted his circuitous suggestions, "that you want to buy my consent DEVINSKY AGAIN. 105 lys," I returned, said, flushing, ly youthecom- tieat and clever ea of it, either, ' I interrupted, is compliment, th you my suit now where we ire." This very 1; I only want for her as any lie launched out , position, and 5 would occupy. Id, quite under- :e to something Gradually he int, and I saw le effect of his illy. He spoke id advance my i to have corn- army career : 3 that what he n my old evil oney down if iture help, if I ■ms means," I d his circuitous V niv consent and assistance. I told you at the start that my sister's hand was not mine to give; neither is it mine to sell, Major Devinsky." He bent a sharp, calculating look on me as if to judge whether I was in earnest, or merely raising my terms. *I am not a man easily baulked," he said. *Nor I one easily bribed," I retorted. "You will have a foi'june, and more than a for- tune behind you. With skill like yours you can climb to any height you please." " Sink to any depth you please, you should say," I answered sternly. "But my sister declines ab- solutely to be your wife. She dislikes you cordially — as cordially as I do: and no plea that you could offer would induce her to change her mind." "You weren't always very solicitous about her wishes," he muttered, with an angry sneer. I didn't understand this allusion : but it made me very angry. "You are under my roof," I cried hotly. "But even here you will be good enough to put some guard on your speech. It may clear your thoughts to know what my present feelings are." I now spoke with crisp, cutting emphasis. " If my sister could by any art or persuasion be induced to be your wife, I would never consent to exchange another word with her in all my life. As for the veiled bribe you have offered, I allowed you to make it, that I might see how low you would de- scend. Sooner than accept it, I would break my sword across my knee and turn cabman for a living. But your visit shall have one result— I will tell my sister aU that has passed ..." " By Heaven, if you dare." • AU that has passed now, and if she would rather marrv VOU than retain hpr rplafinnehiT^ fn ma T io6 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. t i\ will retire in your favour. But you will do well not to be hopeful." I could not resist this rather petty little sneer. " You v/ill live to repent this, Lieutenant Pe- trovitch." "At your service," I replied, quietly with a bow. He was white to the lips with anger when he rose to go, and he seemed as if fighting to keep back the utterance of some hot insult that rose to his tongue. But his rage got no farther than ugly looks, and he was still wrestling with his agitation when he left the room. I could understand his chagrin. He would have dearly liked to force me at tihe point of the sword to consent, and the knowledge that this was no longer possible, that in some way which of course he could not understand I had broken his influence and was no longer afraid of him, galled and mad- dened him almost beyond endurance. He looked the baffled bully to the life. It was two days before I had an opportunity of speaking to Olga about it. I had made a rule of seeing her daily if possible, lest anything should happen that needed explanation by her; but she was away the next day and our daily "business conference," did not take place. She took the matter very curiously when I did mention it, however. She was a creature of chang- ing moods, indeed. " I have a serious matter to speak to you about ; something that may perhaps surprise you," I said, when we were riding "I am the bearer of a message to you." *To me?" her face wrinkling with curiosity. "Yes, to you. I have to be very much thebro- t!] _ Page 109. DEVINSKY AGAIN. I(>9 ■h ("HA^^^l^* deliberately ? " —Page 109. When we pulled up and stood to bn our horses before turning their heads homewards, the girl's cheeks were all aglow with ruddy colour and her eyes dancing with the excitement of the gallop. She made such a picture of beautiful woman- hood that I was forced to gaze at her in sheer admiration. We had not spoken since I had closed the last bit of dialogue, and now she manoeuvred her horse quite close to me and said: — "Alexis, did you bring that proposal to me deliberately ? " " Yes. It was scarcely a question I could answer for you." ** Couldn't you ? " Her eyes rested on mine with an expression that at another time I should have read as reproach. "Did you think there could be any but one answer?" "No, I didn't. But one never knows," I said, remembering what she had said just before the gallop. "Don't you? Well, you must think we Russian women are poor stuff! One day, ready to sneak off in disgraceful cowardice: and the next, willing to marry an utterly despicable wretch because he has money and influence and position. Do you mean to tell me that you, acting as my brother, actually let this man make this proposition in cold blood, and did not hurl him out of your rooms? Youl" I stared at her in sheer amazement at the change, and could find not a word to say. Nor was there any need. Now that her real feelings had forced themselves to words she had plenty: and for some minutes she did nothing but utter protestation after protestation of her hatred and BY lUGHT OF SWORD. contempt of Dcvinsky: while her hits at me for havngbeen the mouthpiece of the man were many and hard What angered her was. she said to feel that the smaUest doubt of her intention had been left £ Devinsky's mind; and it was not U I told her much more Particularly and exacUy til that had passed on this pomt that she was '^m "^had ridden some way homewards when her mood changed again, and laughter once more ^'""kt'you told him I must choose between him and-my brother; or rather my present relationship ^° -Y'told him I would never speak to you again if you married him." ,. j „i. ^„«^ «t - Well I have chosen." she rephed at once. 1 .hall not give up-my brother." and with that she prfLd up her nag and we rattled along fast, her Cheeks Rowing ruddier and ruddier than ever with '^I couMn't* follow her change of mood; but I was heartily glad she had decided to have nothing to !o wiSi Devinsky. She was far too good a girl to be wasted on him. t ^1 ' f ti lil at me for vrere many e said, to mtion had as not till d exactly [ she was irds when once more tween him •elationship you again t once. * I ith that she ig fast, her ,n ever with [ ; but I was nothing to good a girl CHAPTER X. •that butcher, durescq.* We were not by any means done with Devinsky yet, however, and I was to have striking proof of this a couple of days later. I met him in the interval as men in the same regiment are bound to meet; and I deemed it best to avoid all open rupture, seeing that he was my superior officer, and unpleasant consequences to others beside myself might result. I told him shortly that Olga declined his offer and that it must never be renewed. He took it coolly enough, replying only that his feelings for her would never change, nor should he abandon the resolve to make her his wife. Then he made overtures of peace and apologised for what he had said. I thought it discreet to patch up a sort of treaty of mutual tolerance. I was speaking of this to EssaiefF, to whom, in common with all the mess, Devinsky's infatuation for Olga was perfectly well known, and my former second seemed particularly impressed by it. Since the duel I had seen more of him than of any other man, and I liked him. I could be with him more safely than with others, moreover, because he had seen so little of the unregenerate Alexis. Every HI iff ,:H I il ,,2 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. man who had been at aU intimate with myJormeT S I now avoided altogether, because of the risk 'of detectL-although this risk was of course rfiminishinff with every day that passed. ^i tn't Uke what you say, Petrovitch," said Essaieff'fter he had thought it over. :J-^-<^--^^;^ Devinskv's a dangerous man ; and if he attenipts ?o makJ things up with you, ^^ depend upon it hes got some ugly reason behind. ^ «A reason in petticoats," said I, ^S^^^V' .-^ broto's a charming fellow to a man m love with ^^^"Nn'oubt; but he thought he was going to kill the 'charming fellow' in that duel Why did he ffo away; and where did he goi' "He didn't tell me his private business, naturally. « Yet I'm much mistaken if it didn't m some way concern you." "I don't see how. , «We don't see the sun at midmght, man; but that's only because there's something in the line of siffht Other people can see it clearly enough. "Well, I don't see this sun, any way; and Im "°'«£ve";r::SSofDurescq? Alexandre Durescq?" he asked after a pause. «No never," I answered promptly, making one of those sHps which it was impossible for me to avoid in my private chats. EssaiefFs next words shewed me my blunder. u a r.f i,,-r« «Mv dear fellow, you must have heard ot him. Durescq, the duellist. The man who ha^ the repu- tation of being the best swordsman in the Russian axmv The French feUow who naturalised, and claoDed a 'c' into his name and cut off tiie tail ciappeu d u ^ Jnto Du'-e^'^'^ Wh v. he was ot it to maK.e j-^LucBtjuc t.m.v x^iuc — -. — j, — •■.Il THAT BUTCHER, DURESCQ.' 113 my former )f the risk of course itch," said L convinced e attempts pon it he's rhtly. '•A I love with i going to Why did naturally." 1 some way , man; but the line of enough." y; and I'm Alexandre naking one 3 for me to next words sard of him. as the repu- the Russian iralised, and off the tail AThy. he was here last year, and dined with us at the mess. Devinsky brought him. You had joined us then, surely and must have been introduced by Devinsky ? You must remember him." " Oh, that Durescq ! " I exclaimed, as if recalling the incident. " 'That Durescq!' There's no other for the whole Russian army," said Essaieff drily. "And if he heard you say it, he'd want an explanation quickly enough." "I was thinking for a minute of another Du- resque, Essaieff, whom I knew much better. Different sex, whose killing of men was done in a different way." I smiled as I made the equivocation. "I met him this morning," said my companion, not noticing my remark and looking more thought- ful than before. " I wonder if Devinsky's absence has anything to do with Durescq's presence; and whether..." he paused and looked at me. "It would be a damnably ugly business ; but Devinsky's not incapable of it ; and so far as I know, the other man's worse than he is. Moreover, I know that they have been together in more than one very dirty affair. There are ugly items enough standing to both their debits. But this would be murder — sheer, deliberate, damnable murder, and nothing else. " I had rarely seen him so excited as he was now. " You think Devinsky has brought this man here to do what he couldn't do himself the other morning?" * I don't say I think it," replied Essaieff, cautiously. ** I shouldn't like to think it of any man : but if I were you I'd be a bit cautious about getting into a quarrel." "Caution be hanged," I cried. " If that's theu* game I'U force the pace for them. We'll have a real fight next time. Essaieff; and we'll make ^e 8 114 BY RIGHT OF SWOllD. i-iis a * I U i thing such that one of us is bound to go under. But I'll have one condition, and one only— tliat Devinsky meets me first. And if I don't send him first to hell to wait for his fidend or act as my avan( courier, may I have the palsy." "What a fire-devil you've turned, Alexis," said EssaiefiF, enthusiastically. It was the first time he had used my christian name, and it pleased me. « Even the rankers have found you out now. 'That devil Alexis,' is what they call you one to the other, since you beat their best men in leaping, and running, and staff playing. If the war comes, as Hke good Russians we pra^y it may, what a time you'll have. They'll follow you anywhere. Yes, there's shrewdness enough in your last devilment. If you insist on first killing Devinsky, Durescq will probably take back a bloodless sword to the capital. His pithy reference to the feeUng in the regiment touched my vanity on its weak spot, and gave me quite disproportionate pleasure. As we talked over this possible plan of Devinsky's I tried to get him to speak of the feeling again. It is rather a paltry confession to make; but the nick-name, 'That devil Alexis,' was exactly what I would have wished to bear. Although Essaiefif had suggested this action on the part of Devinsky, I scarcely thought it possible that he would do what we had discussed; but I had not been many minutes in the club that evening before the thing seemed not only probable, but certain; and I saw that I had a very ugly corner to turn. Alexandre Durescq was there and I eyed him curiously. He was taUer than I by an inch, but not so broad. His figure was well knit and lithe, ^^A Urt ■mn^To.A Tiritli tbp> air whirh q, man getS •that butcher, durescq.' n5 go under. only — that t send him act as my 3xis," said 3t time he eased me. w. * That ne to the n leaping, var comes, f, what a anywhere, devilment, jrescq will ;he capital. 3 regiment d gave me alked over ;o get him er a paltry That devil ve wished action on it possible sed; but I at evening (bable, but gly corner eyed him 1 inch, but and lithe, man gets I whose sinews ar of steel and are kept in perfect condition by constant and severe training. He was the type of a sinewy athlete. His face was a most unpleasant one. The features were thin and all very long; and the thinness added to the apparent abnormal length from brow to chin. His complexion was almost Mongolian in its sallowness; his hair coal black, and his eyes, set close to his large and very prominent aquiline nose, were small but brilliant in expression and seemingly coal black in colour. Altogether a most remarkable looking man ; and I was not astonished that Essaieff had been surprised when I said I had forgotten him. He was not a man to be forgotten. The expression of his face was sardonic and saturnine, and his manners and gestures were all saturated with intense self-assertiveness. He moved, looked, and spoke as though he felt that everyone was at once beneath him and afraid of him. He was at the far end of the room when I entered, and I saw Devinsky stoop and whisper to him immediately he caught sight of me. The man turned slightly and glanced in my direction, and my instincts warned me of danger. I would not baulk the pair; but I would not provoke the quarrel. I moved quietly about the room, chatting with one man and another; but keeping a wary eye disengaged for the two at the other end. Gradually I worked my way round to where they were, and both rose as I approached. I saw too, that Dovinsky's old seconds and toadies were near and were watching me and smirking. They formed a group of three or four men who seemed to me to have intimation what was coming. They were waiting to see me "jumped." T tna-iv V><-.iTTAira«i 4-U-^*- iff T 1,».r>4. — :^i. x _i ij IIj :i make the task more difficult for the pair, and thus compel Devinsky to shew his hand; and so give me the pretext I needed to force the first light on him. Good evening, Petrovitch, or Lieutenant Petro- vitch, I suppose I should say," said Devinsky, and the instant he spoke 1 could tell he had been drink- ing. "I think you've met my friend Captain Durescq?" " Not yet," I said, looking straight into Devinsky's eyes with a meaning he read and didn't like. "Is this the gentleman who is so particular in asserting his Heutenancy? Good evening, Lieute- nant Petrovitch." He said this in a tone that was insufferably insolent; and as if to point the insult, the two toadies when they heard it, sniggered audibly. Nothing could have played better into my hands. All four made an extraordinary blunder, since they shewed, before I had opened my hps, that the ob- ject was to force a quarrel ; and thus the sympathies of every decent man in the place were on my side. I kept cool. I was too wary to take fire yet. " I thought you knew Captain Durescq when he was here last year," said Devinsky. "But you may have forgotten." " Good evening. Captain Durescq," said I, ignoring Devinsky and returning the other man's greeting. "What is the latest war news in St Petersburg?" "Bad for those who do not hke fighting," he said, looking at me in a way tliat turned this to a personal insult. " But good perhaps, for those soldiers whose swords are to hire," I returned, with a smile which did not make my point less plain. The man's eyes flashed. " The"^- will take the t^lace of vonr friends who "THAT BUTCHER, DURESCQ.* 117 and thus so g"ive irst iiglit It Petro- isky, and en drink- )urescq?" evinsky's ike. ;icular in , Lieute- that was le insult, niggered ly hands, ince they t the ob- mpathies my side. yet. when he you may ignoring greeting, rsburg ? " :ing,'' he this to a 56 swords rhich did (nds -wha m'r do not like the fighting," I added; and at this all about us grew suddenly silent. " My friends ? How do you mean ? " asked Durescq stiffly. " Those you mentioned in your first sentence. Whom else should I mean? " and I let my eye rest as if by accident on Devinsky. " You have a singular manner of expressing your- self. Lieutenant." " We provincials do not always copy the manners of the capital, you know," I returned in my pleas- antest manner. " I think the provinces are growing more and more independent every year. We ar- range our own affairs in our own way, have our own etiquette, form our own associations, and settle our own quarrels without aid from the capital." I heard Devinsky swear softly into his moustache at this ; but there was nothing for them to take hold of, though every man in the room understood what I meant; and nearly all were now listening. "Yes, I have heard you have singular manners ia the provinces. My friend here, Devinsky, has told me several curious things. I heard of one provincial for instance, who allowed himself to be insulted and browbeaten till his cowardice was almost a by-word, and it became really impossible for him to remain in the army unless he accepted the chal- lenge he had so often refused. And then he begged, almost with tears, to get terms made ; and when this was not done, he deadened his fears with drink and came to the club here like a witless fool, behaving like a drunken clown; and then at last actually went out and fought in a condition of seeming delirium. We do not have that in the capital. In vSt Petersburg we should have such a scabby rascal whipped on a g-un." ii8 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. A movement among- the group of toadies shewed me how this burlesque of my conduct was appre- ciated there, while Devinsky was grinning boast- fully. •* Did Major Devinsky tell you that ? " I asked ; my voice down at least two tones in my excite- ment, while my pulses tlirilled at tlie insult. But outwardly I was calm. "Yes, I think that's a pretty fair description, isn't it, Devinsky?" replied Durescq, turning coolly to the latter for confirmation. Then he turned again to me and asked: — "Why, do you recognise tlie description, Lieutenant Petrovitch ? " "You have not heard the whole of the story," I answered, getting the words out witli difficulty between teeth I had to clench hard to keep my passion under control. * The man who was beaten in the duel left Moscow in a panic and went to St Petersburg for a purpose — that you may perhaps approve." There was now dead silence in all the room and the eyes of every man in it were rivetted on me. " The first object of the duel was that he might kill in it the man whose skill was thought to be inferior to his own, so that he might perse- cute with his disgusting attentions the sister of him on whom he had fixed the quarrel. Failing, he went to fetch a cleverer sword than his own to do his dirty work; and he fetched " I paused and then my rage burst out like a volcano — " He fetched a butcher named Durescq to do butcher's work; and I, by God! won't baulk him." Witli this I lost all control, and springing upon him I seized his nose and wrung it and twisted it, dragging his head from side to side in my ungovern- able fury, until I nearly broke my teeth with the straining force with which I clenched them. Then •that butcher, durescq.' 119 « shewed ;is apprc- ig boast- I asked; y excitc- iult. But 'scription, tig coolly ned again gnise tlie raising my hand I slapped his face with a force and loudness tliat resounded right through the room and made every man start and wonder what would come next. " That is from the man you say dare not fight. One last word. Before I meet the butcher, I insist on meeting the man who hired him. lieutenant Essaieff will act for me." With that I left the room, feeling that although I was now all but certain to be killed by Durescq I should at least die a& became *• that devi? Alexis." story," I difficulty keep my as beaten I went to y perhaps in all the e rivetted s that he 3 thought ;ht perse- ter of him ailing, he iwn to do .used and le fetched r's work; [ing upon twisted it, mgovern- with the n. Then I'f 141 ^H m ^^^^B ^^^B 'it • 1 ^^^^Hl 1 ' ■ P ; ^H ill iiii 'I' CHAPTER XI. DANGER FROM A FRESH SOURCE. WWef hapTenol'^a^t'^''''"*^ "^"^^ exhilaration. I had so acted 4 t^'L™" "7 °"-" "".-irrcl, and who knew the facts ThT''''*°,T"P'-'*>'°f--JI on me in puMc in -l 1 ^'""""^ ^""^ '"^«" "'"-'I to both my onpoLL ?T-f'l"'''''''y''''8^'>'^rf"l would be murdS '• ""^ '^ ^''y '''"«d "«. it thi w°o"rU tvotd'be't'lf. ' '°"''' '^"' '='*'^^ °^ "oth. riddance Moreove- ^LT"'""' """^ ?««■■ for thei; I saw how I JhouM Ltl ?V"'™Srod matters that of my life I should h, ='''''''=' an equal chance and I would fi^ht Al^ f *^. ^'^''^'^ °f «'°apons "butche7"^th^1:t5s ""^y "'* ^^°'''^ ^"<"he a hu*e°Statio?bo* "' °"^^^^'^ *'"■ «« had- but I was^ve^t eonfiSnt'-'' ^^^■•^"'an and a shot ; sword, andTndined to 1^.""^^" *'" ™* *« me even wia Tat ?n th? T*'?*""' ^e could beat not to run Safrisk tI ^"''' ''T' ^''^ ^ '^^"ded chance. The duel sho^H i "? '^^"" ''« '^^ «° would then sL^l^t-Ssr^^r b^Sof^: DANGER FROM A FRESH SOURCE. 121 URGE. •e exhilaration, -n quarrel, and mpathy of all ad been fixed rly disgraceful killed me, it ither or both, purer for their d matters tliat equal chance i of weapons >rds and the iU- He had- n and a shot ; ikill with the le could beat sr, I decided 3 be left to with pistols, tded; and a have. We Jarrelofone man's weapon touching the other's forehead. The man to whom Fortune gave the loaded weapon would thus be bound to blow the other's brains out, whether he had any skill or not. Both would stand equal before Fortime. About an hou" 'ater, Essaieff came to me and told me that the whole regiment was in a state of excitement about tlie fight and that feeling against Devinsky had reached a positively dangerous pitch, especially when it was known that he had practic- ally refused to meet me. That point was still unsettled, and Essaieff had come to get my final decision. "^''y advice is, stand firm," he said. "You're in the right. There isn't an unprejudiced man in the whole army who wouldn't say you were acting well within your rights; just as, I must say, my dear fellow, you've acted splendidly throughout." I told him what I had been thinking. "It seems a ghastly thing to put a life in the spin of a coin," he commented. " Better than to have it ended without a chance, by the thrust of a butcher's knife." "That name will stick to Durescq for always," he said, with a slow smile. " It was splendid. Do you know you made me hold my breath while you were at him. Damn him, so he is a butcher! " " Do you say Devinsky won't meet me? " I asked. " No, not that he won't ; but he raises the excuse that as Durescq's challenge was given first — as it was indeed — the order of the fight must follow the order of the challenges. But they arranged the challenges purposely in that order." "I shan't hold to the point," I said, after a moment's consideration. " If they insist I shall give way and meet Durescq first. But this will onlv ^frm- 122 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. make it the more easy for us to insist on our plan of fighting. Don't give way on that. I am resolved that one of us shall fall: and chance shall settle which. * EssaieflF tried to persuade me to insist on meeting Devinsky first; but I would not. "No. He shan't carry back to St Petersburg the tale that we in Moscow are ready to bluster in words, and then daren't make them good in our acts." "I hope he'll carry back no tale at all to St Petersburg," answered my friend, grimly: and then he left me. I completed what few preparations I had to make in view of the very probably fatal issue of the fight: wrote a letter to Olga and enclosed one to Bdestier as I had done before ; and was just getting off to bed, when Essaieff came back to report. My message had added to the already great excitement and there had been at first the most strenuous opposition to our plan of fighting. But he had forced his way, and the meetings— with the " butcher " first and, if I did not fall, with Devinsky afterwards — were fixed for eight o'clock. He promised to come for me half an hour before that tune: and he urged me to get to bed and to have as much sleep as possible to steady my nerves. They were steady enough already. I gloated over the affair ; and I meant so to use it as to set the seal to my reputation as "that devil Alexis," whether I Uved or died. But after all I was baulked. I slept soundly enough till Borlas called me early in the morning and told me strange news. A file DANGER FROM A FRESH SOURCE, 123 n our plan m resolved shall settle )n meeting Petersburg to bluster 1 good in all to St ' : and then I had to al issue of closed one i was just B back to lady great t the most iting. But i— with the 1 Devinsky iock. He our before ;o bed and steady my I gloated it as to set il Alexis," id me early vs. A file of soldiers were in my room, and the sergeant had requested me to be called at once as he had an important message. I called the man into my bedroom and asked him what he wanted. "You are to consider yourself under arrest Lieutenant," he said saluting, and drawing himself up stiffly. "And in my charge." "What for?" -I don't know, Lieutenant. I had my orders from the Colonel himself first thing; and, if you please, I am to prevent you leaving the house. yoxxU understand my position, sir. Will you give me your word not to attempt to leave?" "Where are your written orders?" I knew the man well and he liked me. I'My orders are verbal, Lieutenant; but very stnct and imperative." of "this ?''"^^^^' "^^ ^°'' ^"""^ anything of the cause /You'U have a : tter from the Colonel, I think Lieutenant, within an hour, requiring you to go to him. Major Devinsky is also confined to his quar- ters, sir; and also, I think, Captain Durescq. We've ^ I' 1^^ regiment, sir, what happened at the officers^ club last night." A certain look on his hned bearded face and in his eyes as he saluted me when he said this, told me much. I chafed at_ the interference, and cursed the n..Zr ^%u^^T^ apparently taken a hand in the matter. This butcher would now be able to eo back to St Petersburg with a lying g-arbled talf^ that we in Moscow got out of quLel Vclin jng to the coat tails of our commanding officer ;^nd t made me mad. I tried to persuadlthe sergeant to let me out to go to th*^ r^i^co -f -•- - ^ g- -_ ^»v*u\^ vi iiiccuiig ; pro- ■■I 1 ImM fiiHi Ymm -MM IR "4 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. mising to be back within an hour; but he was immovable. , ^ t i ^4. - I would, if I dared, Lieutenant; but I dare not. I'm not the man to stop a fair fight, and I hate this work. But duty's duty." When Essaieff came he threw new light on the matter The affair had caused a huge commotion. In the early hours of Uie morning he had been summoned to tlie Colonel, who had in some way trot wind of the matter; a very ugly version having been told him. My friend had had to tell tlie plain truth and there had been the devil to pay. The wires to St Petersburg had been kept going through the night; the whole thing had been laid before Head-Quarters at the Ministry for War; and the arrest of the three principals had been ordered from the capital. Soon afterwards a peremptory summons came for me from the Colonel and when I got to him I found both Devinsky and Durescq there, together with two or three of the highest officers tlien sta- tioned in Moscow. A sort of informal examination took place, out of which I am bound to say both the other men came very badly; and in the end we were all three ordered off to stay in our quar- ters under arrest. I found that not only were we not allowed to go out- sentries ^eing posted in my rooms all the time-but no .i.e was per- mitted to enter: nor could I communicate with a single individual for two days. At the end of tiiat time the order came for me to resume duty; and as soon as the mornings drill was over, the Colonel sent for me and told me what had happened. The military authorities at St Petersburg had taken the harshest view ot «.i,^ «^«/j„of .^f mv two antaeronists. It was re- DANGER FROM A FRESH SOURCE. but he was it I dare not. , and I hate light on the I commotion, le had been n some way jrsion having- to tell the devil to pay. 1 kept going ad been laid ■or War ; and been ordered Timons came I got to him tiere, together :ers then sta- 1 examination 1 to say both id in the end in our quar- )t only w^ere l>eing posted • me was per- micate wi^ a came for me the morning's • me and told 3.ry aiithorities rshest view of 5. It was re- i«5 ■d. garded as a deliberate plot to kill. Devinsky had been cashiered; and only Durescq's great influence had prevented him from sharing the same late. As It was, he had had all his seniority struck off, been reduced to the rank of a subaltern, and sent off there and then under quasi arrest with heavy mi- litary escort, to a regiment stationed right away on the most southern Turcestan frontier. "As for Devinsky, tlie regiment's well rid of him, said the Colonel, -nth such emphasis and earnestness that I saw his own personal animosity had had quite as much to do with the man's over- throw as the lattcr's own conduct. But it pleased the old man to put it aU down to me, and when '''?, ^^JE,, P^^rting, he shook hands cordially and saiar- Ihe Regiment owes you a vote of thanks Miy boy; and I'll see that it's paid in full." One question I should like to ask," said I. - How did you get to hear of it all?" -The news was everybody's property, lad, and — dont ask questions," he replied with dry incon- S'-quence. And would say no laore. But I was soon to learn, ar the " news surprised ciden? "''' ^^ """^ ^"""^ °^ ' "^^""^^ ^^^""S^ ^"- The first use I made of my liberty w.: . to go and see Olcra aid explain my absence and aU that had happened. She had heard a somewha" garbfe account of It in which the part I played had been ^a-eatly exaggerated, and she received me wTth the greatest tenderness and sympathy; and tears of what seemed pleasure, but she expL^ied i cold glistened in her eyes. We had a long anddosely i%!ri^\T'''' ""? ^""^^ attitude than by her ^c.uai nv,.,.^, how mucii tdi^ had missed me during 126 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. the days of our separation and how thankful she was to be free of Devinsky for good, and how much she felt she owed to me on that account. For myself I was sorry when I had to leave her. She was the only person in Moscow to whom I could speak without restraint; a fact that made our interviews so welcome that I was loath to end this one. ^ , /^ ■• t h j It was getting dusk when I left and as I walked home I was thoughtful and preoccupied. The question of Olga's safety was pressing very hardly on me and made me extremely anxious. The more I saw of her the more eager I was to get her out of harm's way; and the consciousness that she must share the consequences of any disaster that might happen to me, were I discovered, was pressmg upon me with increasing severity. I was begmning to anticipate more vividly, moreover, the commg ot some such disaster. The time was passmg very quickly. It was getting on for nearly three weeks since the Nihilist meeting, and I knew that my NihiUst " allies " would be growing anxious tor a sign of my zeal. They were probably well aware that I was doing nothing to redeem my pledge. There was also the undeniable danger mseparabl) connected with the distasteful intrigue with Paula Tueski. I had so neglected her in my character of lover that I was hourly expecting some proot ot her indignation. I had only seen her twice in the three weeks; and each time in public; and though Olga and she had interchanged visits, I knew perfectly well that she was not the woman to take neglect passively. . i.- .., I blamed myself warmly, too, for my own inactivity. My whole policy had been so to try and gain time, - 1 _-_^ T u-,^ T>T"1'^ "'^ "««* ^f '■*■- exceot to cret and ycL j. jIcL^ji. iHtvu-- "v- *-..— — — ? — * i.- DANGER FROM A FRESH SOURCE. 127 hankful she 1, and how account, to leave her. to whom I at made our )ath to end as I walked jpied. The very hardly . The more get her out hat she must r that might ressing upon Deginning to e coming of passing very three weeks ew that my .nxious for a J well aware ny pledge, ir inseparabl) e with Paula my character some proof of twice in the ; and though sits, I knew ^oman to take iwn inactivity. ind gain time, excent to isret i - ^' into brofls which had increased the already bewilder- ing complications. That this would be the efiFect of my quarrel with Devinsky and Durescq, I could not doubt when I came to think the matter over in cool blood. I had been the means of both of them being ruined • and naturaUy every friend they had in Russia would take part against me. I knew that Durescq had friends among the most powerful circles in Russia and I had nothing to oppose to theh- anger save the poor position of a Ueutenant in a marching re^ment and a past that was fuU of blackguardism and evil repute. PersonaUy this was all nothing to me ; but when I thought of the indirect resulte It might have for Olga it troubled and worried me deeply. Everything pointed to one conclusion— that Oljra should leave Russia while she could do so in safeSr I was meditating on these things when a eiri stopped me suddenly, asking if I were Lieutentnt Petrovitch. She then gave me a scrap of paper; and I glanced at and read it ^ v v , " The old rendezvous, at once. Urgent P, T." I questioned the girl as to who gave it to her and where the person was; but getting no satisfactory? account, dismissed her with a few kopecks It beat me. Obviously it was from Paula Tueski EquaUy obviously it was an appointment at which she had apparently something to say of importance But where the deuce the « old rendezvous » was f knew no more than the wind. and ""S T.^^^' ^? """"^^t ^""^ °^^^ ^^ impossible; and as I certainly could not go to a place I did not W of, I tore the letter Lo shredfand Ifnt I let myself in and found that mv serv^nf „.oo f. .^ - \ V r ii 128 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. out— a most unusual thing at that time of the day; but I had begun to fear that the man was below rather tlian above the average of Russian servants and was already contemplating his dismissal. I did not attach much importance to his present ab- sence, however; and throwing myself into a chair sat and tliought or tried to think of some scheme by which I could induce Olga to leave the country, and some means by which her departure could be safely arranged. She must go at once. She had promised me to go when I could tell her it was necessary for my safety ; and I could truthfully say that now. If she would go, I would have a dash for liberty myself. While I was thinking in this strain someone knocked at my outer door, and when I opened it, to my surprise, Paula Tueski rushed in quickly. A glance at her face shewed me she was in an exceedingly ill temper ; as indeed it appeared to me she generally was. "Where is your servant?" was her first question hurriedly asked. " I really don't know. Out somewhere ; but " * His absence means danger, Alexis. Why didn't you come to me when I sent a message to you just now. You read it, questioned the girl, and then tore it up and threw it in the gutter ; and aU this as unconcernedly as if you did not know full weU that from our window you must be in full view of me. Are you always going to scorn me?" I took care to shew no surprise ; but it was clear I had blundered badly, and that the "rendezvous" was close to the spot where the paper had been given to me. " I could not come. I had to hurry home. I " "Ball! Don't trifle with me like that. Haven't ! of the day; I was below ian servants lismissal. I present ab- into a chair ome scheme the country, ire could be e. She had I her it was ruthfully say have a dash lin someone I opened it, I quickly. e was in an peared to me first question ire ; but * Why didn't isage to you le girl, and tter ; and all Dt know full ; in full view n me?" : it was clear rendezvous " er had been >me. 1 " at. Haven't DANGER FROM A FRESH SOURCE. 129 you^had enough of your prison during the last two "You know the news, then?- said I. following her gladly oflF the track. ^ -It is you who do not know the news. Ah Aiexis, you are giving me more trouble in this new character of yours than ever you did in the old one-much as you harassed me then. But I do not mind if only ... .« She stopped and looked at me with beaming eyes. «You have not kissed me; wif r '^? "'^'"^ ^ ^Srain and even venturing nght here into your rooms." ^ -What do you mean about new character?" I asked. Her phrase had startled me. -I like it better than the old. Fifty thousand toes better 'That devU Alexis,' than^ha" Petroyitch.' But whenever I think of the change L?1H i''"^'''^^"^ '^-^ ^^"'^ understand you.^i same mt^^'^hr""' '^T"^'^' ^^^ ^« ^°* ^^e same man -she came close up to me and putting- her hands on my shoulders, stared long and e^esTl? Aght into my eyes-" and then I wonder howTcan hav^ been so bUnd as not to have seen all Lt la? ^^^n^ WV^"^ *^' ^^^ noble, and brave and danng. But I love you, Alexis, twenty thousand fames more than ever; and to have saved 70^ now IS a thought of infinite sweetness to me K ss me, sweetheart." "^^^^ I started back as if she had stung me. 1 / X^^,^^® ^ ™"^®' Alexis? Do you think I wonlH let ^at butcher from St Petersburg See it? Zll him keep to his own «li«mw^. vrfr^®.?" ^®^ ..^,^.^. ics, X am me wires ■t^' f .m^- f 130 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. ; in motion, and I did not stop until the one man was utterly ruined and the other degraded in the eyes of all Russia. Your life is mine, Alexis " —she seemed to revel in this hateful phrase— "and those who would strike at you, must reckon with me as well. We are destined for each other, you and I; and we live or die together." ^ "You have done me a foul wrong, thenj^Icned hcdy. " You have disgraced me ; made me out for a braggart that provokes a fight and then shirks it by screening myself behind the law. Do you sup- pose I thank you for that? " I spoke as sternly as I felt. But she only smiled as she answered, •I did not think of your feelings. This man would have killed you. His hands are bloody to the armpits. Do you think I would let him find another victim in you when I could stop him and save you? Did you not reproach me, too when I did not interfere before, and tell me my love was cold? Would I suffer such a reproach again, think you? No, no. Your life is mine, I repeat, and for the future I will protect it whether you will or no. That is how I love; and so it shall be always. I have come now to warn you. Hush ! What is that ? " I listened and heard someone moving in the lobby of my rooms. ** It is Borlas returned," I said, and opening the door called him. Getting no answer I called again loudly; and then my visitor whispered to me to come back into the room. But I paid no heed to her, and went forward a few steps to go into my servant's room. As I did so, a desperate rush was made and three men disguised, dashed at me vio- lently. They had gained an entrance somehow and were no doubt making their way to attack me in mv room or were going to lay in wait for DANGER FROM A FRESH SOURCE. 131 ne man was in the eyes -she seemed those who me as well, and I; and hen," I cried me out for a en shirks it Do you sup- as sternly as iwered, This man •e bloody to let him find op him and too when I ny love was again, think peat, and for 1 will or no. e always. I /'hat is that?" ving in the opening the called again id to me to I no heed to go into my rate rush was d at me vio- somchow and attack me in in wait for me, when my quick ears heard them and thus spoiled their plans. I was unarmed, and saw instantly the foolish- ness of attempting to fight three rnen, probably armed, while I had not so much as a stick. Mak- ing a feint of an attack upon the nearest, therefore, I jumped aside and darted back into the room I had just left, closing the door instantly behind me, while my companion and I held it shut until I had secured it Then I turned to her for an explanation. "They are my husband's agents," she whispered. "He suspects us, as you know; and he arranged this attack, thinking that if you were killed, the act just at this juncture would be set down to Devinsky's revenge. I came on purpose to warn you. If they catch me here now, we are both ruined beyond hope." "Then they shan't catch us," I replied. « Or if they do, shan't live to carry the tale outside the door:" and I proceeded to put in execution a plan which had already occurred to me. .r J^ CHAPTER XIL CHRISTIAN TUESKI. t ':( While the men were straining and fighting to get admission into the room, I loaded my revolver, seized a heavy stick that lay in a corner, and open- ing the window noiselessly and with some little trouble and agility, got into the street. I let myself into the house and then I thundered at the outer door of my own rooms as if seeking immediate admission. Instantly there was a great scuffling within, and I knew that the men were making off by the back, in the probable belief that they had been disturbed by some unexpected caller. Judging the time as best I could, so that I might perhaps catch one of them, I rushed in suddenly. One had fled, the second was in the act of dropping from a window, while a third was * st clambering out. I struck this oi a blow on the head which laid him down senseless in a heap on the floor, and leaning out was in time to give the second a whack that must have nearly broken his arm. Then with- out wasting a m<^ment I bound the man I had knocked down and closely bandaged his eyes. Telling Paula Tueski that I had scared the rascals away, I dragged the fellow to the light, that »3» CHRISTIAN TUESKl. 133 yhting to get ly revolver, ir, and open- some little I let myself at the outer 2f immediate within, and by the back, ien disturbed the time as catch one of lad fled, the n a window, d which laid le floor, and :ond a whack Then with- man I had lis eyes. scared the the light, that she might recognise him. She identified him directly and without a word being spoken except by me' I thriist him into a dark closet and turned th^e W on him while I settled what to do next ^ . , You knew him, I could see," I said, when I joined my visitor again. "Is he a police spy?" with n;v"°i^ '"] ^^ "'l^'^'^'y '^"^^- I ^^^^ seen him W ^T h.'l ""^''^^"'"^^'^y ^^^^ ^^ i«' I don't reX v?ill ' ^^ '" °"^ °^ ^ ^"^^11 band of w^k " '^'"^'''°"' '"^^' "s^d for especiaUy ugly thJm?''" "^^^ ^"^ ^ "^""^"^ °^* ^°' * visit from J I believe my husband has suspected you-on my account I know he hates you cordially You LTultTd hi^t '^'" r:^% ^P^^^ lobby^'wLn you insulted hm^^ so grossly." I nodded: but of course I had not the remotest idea what she meant "He "::;' Xr::^ ^ '^7 ^^ ^^^ ^^^^ accumulatlnl every jot and tittle of fact agMnst vou— anri i,^„ have given him plenty, Alelis-anTif Se Sn work your overthrow, he wiU." rnlT'.t^lrJ'\ *? i° ?^* "* assassinated. tap.!siveV "•• ^ '"'•*• '^"""y ''"d ."^^ y°" "ad?" exclaimed my companion d.nSr S'-?T^' ™ go and shenta the to "maki'T' " • "^"^ "°' '«^^« fof an hour yet ^U-^itertnTer? 3^;:°^^ ^"'-- ^^^^ a minute's aou"ht ^n.,"'?" '" ^ '"^''^''> ^^^^ stroke. Go ». i.h,. 1.™^. <^1«^"- ?^ b^a at a -..,„» i„ u,^ sisier, auU tell her from ■iftti®' .f^ ^ I \\ ' i 1 134 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. me that I wish her to come back here with you and wait for me. Mind, too, should anyone come to fetch away that fellow I've locked up, let Olga say enough in his presence to make it clear that she was here with us when the attack was first made. Be quick and careful : for much will depend on all this being well done." I drove rapidly to the place and sending in my card asked for an immediate interview with the Chief of the Police, on urgent business. The reply came back that M. Tueski could not see me; I was to call at his office. I sent the messenger back with a peremptory reply that I must see him, as I had discovered an assassination plot. I was stUl refused admittance; though a longer wait shewed me he had considered the matter carefully. This time I wrote a brief note :— *• One of your hired assassins, has been identified, has confessed, and lies at this moment bound and in my power. If you do not see me now I shall communicate direct with the Ministry of the Interior." That proved the 'Open Sesame,' and in a few moments, I was ushered into the presence of one of the most hated men in Russia, — the man I had been commissioned to kill. He was a small man with a face that would have been common looking but for its extraordinarily hard and cold expression. It was lined and seamed in all directions: and each line might have been drawn by Nature with the express object of marking him out as an absolutely merciless, calculating, and emotionless man. His eyes were very bright as they fixed on me, and his voice, harsh, high pitched and tuneless. " Men don't belie your new character when they CHRISTIAN TUESKL 135 re with you nyone come Lip, let Olga it clear that ck was first wiU depend iding in my w with the The reply ;e me ; I was senger back ee him, as I I was still wait shewed \illy. Dne of your IS confessed, I my power. ;ommunicate r." nd in a few jence of one ? man I had that would traordinarily and seamed t have been t of marking calculating, fixed on me, tuneless. iT when they He was standmg by the side of a long table with his black clothed figure outlined against the colours of luxuriant tapestries with which the waUs were hung. He motioned me to a chair, near enougi to be within the demands of courtesy to an officer bearing the Emperor's commission, and tar enough removed from him to be safe should the visi.or turn out to be dangerous. I noticed, too. that an electric beU button was weU within reach. ^ What do you wish with me, Lieutenant? llus visit is unusual." " I ani not accustomed to bother about what is usual where my life is concerned." I answered. WhJ'^r. "^^"^^ ^" ^"'"^^^ ^° ^ Pl^i" question. Why do you send your bravoes to assassinate me?" TiP,Ln ? TT "° ^""^"^"^^ *° assassinate you, LsSs" .V°f "^derstandyou. We don't hire IZ^^ y?P^.„^f® recognised this man instantly." to swTnt .1.^' f "i^i"^^?. ^'ith a sufficient change to shew how this had touched him He drew in a deep breath while he looked at Z SSsTh,^^ ""'''■ ^'''^ S°' "S''* between cr^e/ tost h^t tT2" °^ ™P"^ivity. It was a cruel tnrust, but I had an ugly g-ame to olav anrt was forced to hit hard ^ ^' in^'anHo ',^™™^^!! to repress his private feel- ■ngs and to remain the mpassive official B.,f nrt'ou^:^' """^ ""'^ j«^°"^y beat SL Id h?s effort Snd V^ *"^ ' i-'^ «»-' ^ewed ^t ess"e^'oflS»?Ll°'!L^.*^-? " His tone was the 136 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. "What was she doing there?" I echoed, as if in the greatest astonishment « Why, what should she be doing but caUing with my sister? They are there now, keeping guard over your— assistant " He turned away for a moment to prevent my seemg m his face the reUef which I could hear in his voice as he answered: — ''You are an even bolder man than I thought." I dont understand you, of course; but I have need to be bold," I retorted, "with you against me ready to plan my private execution. They're heavy ?,r?^' ?"^ "°^' P^^haps, you'U answer my question- Why do you do this ? " " There might be many reasons— if it were true," he answered in the same curt tone he had first used. " One's enough for me, if it's true." I replied, copying his sharp manner. He stood a minute looking at me in sUence. and then sat down. * "I think I've been doing you an injustice. Lieute- nant he said, presently. «I thought when you forced your way into me you might be coming to assassinate me. But I see now you're not such a fool as to try and do anything of that kind when you have left a broad trail behind you that would '1 uJ''''^ f^^^" detection. You are young-; u u ^® ^/^i^^esses of youth strongly developed- rash, hotheaded, sometimes tipsy, a fool with women, and when, necessary, a knave too, loose in money matters and unscrupulous, a gambler, a dicer, and a bankrupt in morals, religion, and honour. But you are shrewd-for you've deceived everyone about your sword-skill and your courage-and under the fn^ ^f ^worthless fellow you have a cool, calculating, and yet dare-devil head that should make your for^ 't! RD. I echoed, as if in ^ what should she Jister? They are Dur — assistant " It to prevent my 1 I could hear in than I thought." Lirse; but I have h you against me . They're heavy 'er my question — -if it vj^ere true, " )ne he had first true," I replied, e in silence, and injustice, Lieute- ught when you it be coming to )u're not such a that kind when you that would bu are young; gly developed— bol with women, loose in money 3r, a dicer, and i honour. But everyone about -and under the ool, calculating, make your for- CHRISTIAN TUESKI. 137 tune. Others are more right about you than I." "Others? " I asked, interested and amused by this quiet enumeration of the results of the analysis of two very different, but united characters. "Who are the others?" A faint ghost of what in another man would have been a smile relaxed the grim, hard, straight lips for an instant, in mockery of my attempt to draw him. "You are not unknown, Lieutenant, as you may find soon ; but you are a fool to mix yourself up with the Nihilists." It was my turn now to be on the defensive. "That is a charge which a child can make and the wisest man can sometimes fail to rebut," I an- swered, sharply. "I am not a Nihilist." He waved his hand as if my repudiation were not worth a serious thought. " I can make you a career, if you will. If you will act under me . . . ." "Thank you," I returned, coldly. "I know what you can do. You can put me first on the list for some task which will insure my being served as you meant me to be served to-day. One commis- sion is enough for me, and I prefer the Emperor's." "You don't know what you say, nor what you refuse." "^ "All the more reason for not regretting my refiisal," I retorted, lightly. "But this does not answer my question— Why do you seek to have me assassinated?" " Siberia is getting overpopulated," he returned, manifestly angry at my refusal. ^ You mean it's cheaper to kill than to exila" "One must have some regard for its morals, too, he sneered, with a contempt at which mv rage took fire. ^ 138 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. sald^ttr?l'^„:f;;?>- »«-» to me,, he "No— by Heaven, you don't— vet But T'll lof you know something of me now^ Men sav v™ s\?uTa7H!JdTHrt;;-Vi9 cunningly laid, and nearly succeeded kni.r' you^ would have set the ^Zr^^^""^ j^J^ He listened without making a sigTi- auitP ^he, thathe4r",ft:Xrmer„1 paus^ ""•" ''* '*''^- '^'""^mptuously. when I c-^n^eal^th: eS ^'^Iks ^^ Sf t^' """"^ of the threat. ■"* ''"«"' *« strength calling to someone, he whispered some instructions. "You have sent? You are right," I said, when he returned. " And now. call off these bloodhounds 140 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. of yours J and so long- as vou nlav &i, »,i.i, my sister and your ^rife caHe faLl? An^"^' longer. One other condition Give m^ t»:^ r"" permits to cross the frontir; on specTal SnS'' one for me and one for mv sister "^IJ' °"*"«ss— be sorry if I decide to takTa Sday"^"" "'^ "°' ansiereT' ^"^ *""' ^'^ ^"^ ^-'°<" '«-ve," he ^^^Write me the permits. IT] see about using " No ; I cannot write them Tf t z^;^ 4.u ^^^^canceUed to-morxow t^^L l^^^ZT "Why?" "The fact is what I «5av v^„ . , Russia " ^' ^^'^ ^^"ot leave r4>^^&^^. ^*« '■'— we to^xajin^pitHhire to"L-:rarrr s^tdrcsrT--:~i3 be'^ot Tflu:nc'e"\l°rtr '° "^ *^^« •"-« with him. Else whv L ^^ ''T' '^''^* '°'d out the ordef £ Z7- ■ ^^ "°* forthwith write it .hundrr;/LTs\S^"r':ase":f''mt'°"^ open tne door of any prison in Russia. It D. ly fair with me, riends. And no 3 me two police •ecial business— You may not lay." mnot leave," he ee about using did, they would istry of the In- i cannot leave them — or we so accustomed 11, and to ride im, that now and complete, 'essure I could guard enough iracter did me k child now, Tote the per- le there must s which told rthwith write He had done e of men in- His signature I Russia. It CHRISTIAN TUESKL 141 suggested itself that it was this reason which was at the bottom of the attempt to get me killed. He dared not follow out his own desire. * One thing puzzles me," I said, coolly, as I took the permits. " Why haven't you, instead of writing these, written an order packing me off to gaol? What is this power behind you? " " I may live in hope, perhaps, " he returned. •• Your sword and your shrewdness may carry you far: and some day as far as the gaol you speak of. I shan't fail to write it when the time comes.* I left him with that. As I left the house a man pressed close to me, and I turned to see what he wante 1. There was no one else about. **Is it done?" he whispered. I looked at him keenly ; but I had never seen him before, I thought. " What do you mean ? " I asked. "The night in the riverside wharf," he whis- pered back. He was a Nihilist; here right in the very eye of the police web. "The way is laid," I answered, equivocally, as I hurried away. I had actually forgotten in my eagerness all about my charge to kill the man with whom I had been closeted in conference. But I saw instantly that the NihiHst would prob- ably hold it for an act of treachery that I had been in Tueski's house and yet had let him Uve CHAPTER Xm. OLGA IN A NEW LIGHT. I WAiOfED back to my rooms as I wished to cool my head and think. The interview with Christian Tueski had excited me, and what was of more im- portance, had kindled a hope that after all I might be able to escape the tremendous difficulties that encom- passed me. One thing in particular pleased me, for it was a double-edged knife loosening two sets of the com- plications. It was the promise I had given to the man to respect his wife so long as he kept faith with me. This gave me power over him, and what was of infinitely greater value to me personally it was a shrewd defence against the wife also. I smUed as I thought of the ingenuity of this- but I little thought what would be the actual result' ^t seemed then the shrewdest and cleverest as well as the most daring thing I had done; but in the end the consequences were such as might properly have followed an act of the grossest stupidity and vUlainy possible. For the moment it pleased me however, and I was in truth finding the ke< .est pleasure m this parrying of the thrusts whiai the fates were making at me. There was a problem I could not solve, ho\ rer, »*« id OLGA IN A NEW LIGHT. 143 r. wished to cool with Christian IS of more im- ir all I might be ies that encom- 2, for it was a ts of the com- i given to the 5 he kept faith him, and what personally, it :fe also, enuity of this ; e actual result, iverest, as well le; but in the night properly stupidity and it pleased me, ? the kef .est ists which the Jive, ho\ ^er, in the question of the power which seemed to be behind tiie Chief of the Police; the power which made him apparently afraid to strike me openly though so willing to trip me secretly. I could not imagine what it could be, nor whence it could come. When I reached my rooms my sister and Paula Tueski were waiting for me in the greatest anxiety; and both were overjoyed to see me safe and apparently in high spirits. The police agents had been for the fellow I had left under lock and key ; and Olga had taken care to carry out my instnictions to the letter. Her quick instincts had warned her, and she had made a parade of almost affectionate friendship for the other woman during the time the men had been present. After I arrived she could scarcely take her eyes off me, and I saw them glistening as with tears. " I will take you home, directly," I said, carelessly, as a brother might speak. "But I have something^ to say first to Madame Tueski; so you must wait* for a few minutes." A look of reproach nearly found expression in hasty words, but remembering herselfshe said hastily, acting the part to the life: — "Oh, you're always so mysterious, Alexis. I've no patience with you." Then I led the other into my second sitting-room and told her much of what had passed ; and when I came to that part of the interview that immediately concerned herself, she was very bitter and angry. "You think I am a pawn to be moved where you like in your game; of no account, and the meanest thing on the board. You and he are both aUke in that—but wait. Your life is mine, Alexis. I have told you." " But vou must surelv spp f-haf tfjo firof /^^/^«.e:r1^..«4j^^ 144 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. s^pathetically Her hf roL r^p^d me. '"^;^l S^cW to^^-hSf "P '" ^ dungeon, ^or sends'^m" my IS! ZIP"'- "^ ^"^^ ^ 'J='?«^«' '° l«t out ||You mean to keep the word you gave him?' •Certainly so long as he keeps his." 6he fixed her large lustrous eyes on me and let •Yo?'a„°d r f"""? ' ^ongl^^e of 'sutnoe Xd"a?;1ryZ Se'Tcldt 4^"^?- bear this separaU°on." "°' ^""^ '^^ °°t She wearied me with these protests but I ^id noaung and went on to question her 2 to ^hett^r Wm i^rr^ IT' ^'^"'^ ^'' husband mue^ng ^ . ""j '^^ff^^'i to me- She knew nothing but admitted tiat she had her suspicions. ^' ""' 1 told her next that while he was trvino- to assassinate me, she might find the tabS taied on him, as there was a Nihilist plot on foot to aSa^n^e ^ti-.d=u^--.Lrs-^^^^ thing?"^she saM ° Lh'" T"'' ''"^^'"y '" ^^ese d^S's. fey1LVctje\*SS.f;£rou'';LS3^^ kept my doubts to myself. "J'«^in&» out i RD. irg of our safety," !ar, and very un- ped me. "What oving me if your eon, or sends me iagger to let out '■ou gave him?" his." iS on me and let luse of silence, ve me to some ^•th, very slowly. a love like mine 5t and will not tests, but I said er as to whether band influencing V nothing, but s. was trying to :ables turned on ot to assassinate irst, saying that i formed, all of e he was most V moment later, i, and she ques- fig the matter, rewdly in these ) soon of their e you, Alexis." neaning, and I lything; but I 4 OLGA IN A NEW LIGHT. 145 •If they had done that, I had a rare chance to-night," I answered. "A bold man or a reckless woman makes the chance," she retorted in the same manner. "I am going, Alexis: " she added, and then forced on me caresses which were vastly repulsive. But I could not reveal my true feelings until I had at any rate placed Olga in safety. My indifference and coldness were apparent to the woman, and she upbraided me with a burst of angry passion, till I had to patch up a sort of peace. We went back to Olga and soon afterwards drove away, Olga and I setting the other down at her door. So long as Madame Tueski was with us, Olga maintained the part of the impatient sister; but as soon as we were alone her manner changed altogether. "I had to send for you this evening," I said, " And you saved me from a situation of great diffi- culty and hazard by coming so promptly. I thank you for having done so " No reply. I glanced at her in the gloomy light in the cab and saw the profile set hard and immo- bile, with the lips pressed closely together. •* Storm signals out, " thought I. "I was saying I thanked you. You acted with rare discretion and did me a great service." Not a word. "You were not so silent just now." I hazarded. "I was acting — with discretion." She repeated my word with that relish and enjoyment which a well regulated mind always feels about a telling sarcasm. * And what sort of discretion is this? " I retorted, laughing. She was silent again. **I have a irood deal to tell vnn in ftvnlanatJnn * 10 146 BY RIGHT OF SVVOi. 'nuch emphasis aJn on t^ ^J""" discretion "-L as you cin tnine.^Tam .tdTo ,7"'^°^^^ to you and Madame Tueski " %^lt ^^^" ^^ ^-^^ : use " at me as if it had been a h^ k^^ ^^ ^^^^ m my face. ^''''" ^ ^^mb to be exploded "What have I donp th^4.> sorry," I said. °°^ *^^^ ^^^\?? I'm ven, to, and?s ycu amear tn^K'"?'^- '^ ■'" ""'v^r used old habits ft „;o2Tbe^„?^„f ■y'-'g Wck,„to;oS -m^:,.^ \™ o„.yytted"'«<"'oapo4se I don't a bit Tmdersta; Tho '^naerstar.d you " with the cause of it ^'"^^" ^^^ burst out " Why didn't you spnri m^ 1, tetm ned ? You ^SLm ^^f ^^ mmea^.tely you ^^---^inl ,.. an e.s^ort Tw^^ ^^^^ S^^«" "^e your me the Shame and WiSS^^S^l^ "^^ ^J^ve spLed At that instant we stopped at i^^^ I '^°"'^"''' ''Pfease not to r>..r«I • . ^^" bouse, have had to 1^^ cerTdn "th t" «^'''': ^''^ =^1. "I I was being of^JHryo* fnd'^"''-'«^ '"'^^ ^^e m your rooms; and I^ have J^ ''*^S ^lone uo do.' "ave now very much in rt^ .^py to trouble you- buf I in. This thing must be clpar»^ ^ '^ coming I followed my%e:y angry sSi"f iT"" and She led the way to a ,m!?f i ° **= ''°"se. turmng to me said coldly:- '^**'"S--room and and now changed m/p'oinf^^;;^^"| *e interval. ^'ng, thank you," ^our discretion "-1- d—" as completely have been of use tie threw the word nib to be exploded ^'■*g^ I'm Y^ty "if oil never used 'g i->ack into your act( r to apologise id then she could ■' and burst oat nnmeciivtely you given me your 'uld have spared ing during your a that woman." ' house. she said, "j ti^g here while ts sitting alone ^ very much I am coming at once;" and the house, 'ing-room and h to say." the interval. OLGA IN A NEW LIGHT. 147 * I had a very serious thing to say. You gave me your promise . . . ." "I would rather you would not remind me of any promises," she interrupted. This was said deliberately; but then she broke through her cold formality, and with a little stamp of her foot finished angrily:— "I won't keep them. I won't be reminded of them. Things are altered— altogether altered." " What I was going to say is . . .* I began, when she broke in again. •• I won't hear it. I don't want to hear any more. I wish you'd go away." "You must hear me," I said quietly, but with some authority in my tone. "'Must!' I don't understand you.* " Must — for your own safety." "Thank you. I can protect myself Your other cares and responsibilities have a prior claim on you. Will you please leave me now?" "No, I can't go, until I've told you...." "I will not listen I Didn't I tell you?" She was vehemence itself. I shrugged my shoulders in despair. "This morning. . ." I began; but the moment I opened my lips she broke out again with her vehe- ment interruptions. "Ah, things were different this morning. I had not then been insulted. Do you forget I am a Russian ; and think you can treat me as you will — keep me waiting while — bah ! it is unbearable. Will you go away? Is there no sense of manliness in you that wiU make you leave me? Must I call for assistance? I will do thai if you do not leave me. You can write what you bave to say. But, please, 148 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. ;' fo i ^H«r words cut me to the quick; but they roused finely?" ^t'l''-^-" l^-- -'^tance," I answered putthekeyinmyp'^eket nLn""*"' '<"=''«'' it- and of another interview; but LTttF^^i^^^^^P^'" dechne to go untU I have expTai^td "^ "" ^'"'' ^ "u cannot exolain " «hl iT . seemed to madden C *^ ""«« »• The word _^ Cannot explain what?" Ihat woman's kisses I' a^d drawing herself ^^"st *S f ^°°" as tittered; stohd. But this attest l>rt^'°^?P'=^'" <=°ld and her anger at the thougittlT'?u''^^^y ' and in wli herself for havinriiven iM *^ "'"''ds and looking at me, her bo!om h^ '• ""^--ance, she stood agitation and her face a,S I '"^ and tossing with tion^ which with I stoge"tet f °^ ^'th an^em* ^ There came a Ions- 5,,,«.f-^^^*as jealousy her manner and Z^^^y'l^T/ T'"'* ^^^^alli^' words, during one of oS^rfd^^^ ^^^^'^ "'^^ ™y of Devinsky's proposal To mSe t'" Z' ^'^ ^P^^ I have always been Jm,!^t '''' ^* wife, and have generally read Z'° "'""^ ^""^"'^ hearts ^ei^t '^^ -^ -- or-w-an^S'^iS JV"^""- %h?^ ™;°crd^- ^ ^'-- beenTevt::? a'nd'^ilvS^t^ "^^"'^ P°-'- ki's place? evinsjcy been m Paula Tues ^«se thoughts which flashed across n,. ,„ .._. tD. ; but they roused ^ce," I answered r, locked it, and pare you the pain at^I am here, I ' in. The word 1 her lips invo- soon as uttered ; appear cold and pletely; and in 'he words and •ance, she stood id tossing with ^ with an emo- i^ was jealousy, hich I recalled lyed with my ve had spoken lis wife, omen's hearts but I began and peculiar >r a sister, 't wifh that ve bc3n gall *e position Paula Tues- OLGA IN A NEW LIGHT. >49 succession produced a peculiar frame of mind. I had stood a minute in silence, not looking at her, and when I raised my eyes again I was con- scious of sensations toward her, that were alto- gether different from anything I had felt before. She had become more beautiful than ever in my eyes; I, more eagerly anxious to please and ap- pease ; while at bottom there was a dormant fear that I might be mistaken in my new reading of her actions, in which was mixed up another fear, not nearly so string, that her anger on account of Paula Tueski might really end in our being sepa- rated. My first act shewed the change in me. I ceased to feel the freedom with which I had hitherto acted the part of brother, and I immedi- ately threw open the door and stood aside that she might go out if she wished. Then I said:— "Perhaps you are right. My conduct may be inexcusable even to save your life." Whether there was anything in my manner that touched her— I was conscious of speaking with much less confidence than usual ; or whether it was the act of unfastening the door : or whether, again, some subtle influence had set her thoughts moving in parallel columns to mine, I do not know. But her own manner changed quite as suddenly as mine ; and when she caught my eyes on her, she flushed and paled with effects that made her radiantly beautiful to me. She said not a word; and finding this, I con- tmued : — "I am sorry a cloud has come between us at the last, and through something that was not less hateful to me because forced by the needs of the case. V/e have been such friends; but " here >5o BY RIGHT OF SWORD. f 1 t i 1 1 ; [ i I i I^handed her the permit-- you must use this at the^":sk:t- '"' '^'^ ** ^'°™'y " -I-cc, and 'How did you get this?" . fc'S P'"°"f,'y- fr"™ *« Chief of the Police. ' yomToir- "'"^^'"'•"Irislcofyoingtohim have me murdere| tndl wem t^ hAh ? ij^ '' """^ '° "I told you I Cid not leave- °"'"''"''^°"-" neceYsl'^^foXte^y "" ■'°"' ^^P"-" -- as;^e"isS';is^^ "^"^ °^^^- -- ""^-«y- because my absence woiUdcei^inlvh" ' *^° ^^"'^• suspicion. " certainly bnng you under hefd tattlghtly fo^ard^id ^^ '"'^""y' »- the strain of f new T^^lr .^f ''P^ P^'rted with motive Chased Te^SZ^X^ "S'"" -laTe^ « Olgal ■ ^'' ""' °'" "^ 'he way? 1 wont go!' we^ i"^that°"nnf ^"J "y^'"" ^'' ^ ^"ow. . But tor Gods sake, tell me the truth-the truth You ""%':\T' ^^TV" I felt her shuS. ^" ~ 11 v.j^ „^^« ii^s ueen oiiviag you distracted? ■H I 60 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. There is no cause. I know no more by whose hand that man came by his death than a babe unborn." "Say that again, Alexis. Say it again. It is the sweetest music I have heard in all my life." I repeated the assurance, and a smile of genuine relief broke out over her face. Next she cried and laughed and cried again, and then sat down as if completely overcome by the rush of reUef from a too heavy strain. " What does all this mean ? " I asked quietly, after a while. " Try and tell me." "I have been like a mad thing for two days. Let me wait awhile. I wtll tell you presently. Oh, thank God, thank God for what you have said. It drove me mad to think you should have been driven to this by me; and that perhaps for my sake you might have been urged to do such a horrible thing. Waking and sleeping alike I have thought of nothing but of your suffering torture and death. And all through rne — through me." She covered her face in horror at the remembrance of her thoughts: but a moment later took away her hands to smile at me. " You have not told me yet what made you think anything of the sort." "I wiU tell you. As soon as I heard the news, I knew of course that as I had been mixed up in some old NUiilist troubles, it would be hopeless for me to think of leaving Moscow; and when the police agent came I let him understand that I had given up all thought of travelling yet. Then I was all anxiety for news of you, and in the afternoon I went to your rooms. I found the door shut and could hear nothing. Then I began to fear for you. t >. nore by whose th than a babe it again. It is all my life." imile of genuine sLt she cried and sat down as if of relief from a ! asked quietly, ;• for two days. you presently. t you have said. Lould have been perhaps for my to do such a ig alike I have uffering torture —through me." ae remembrance ater took away /hat made you leard the news, an mixed up in be hopeless for and when the tand that I had 3t. Then I was n the afternoon 5 door shut and to fear for you. THE DEED WHICH RANG THROUGH RUSSIA. l6l She stopped and smiled to me before resuming. Then with a shudder she continued: — "Then a most strange thing happened, Borlas came to me just at dusk ; and he looked so strange that at first I thought he had been drinking. Say- ing he had a message from you he waited until I had sent the servant away. «'What is it?' I asked. « For answer he gave me a sign that made my heart sink. I knew it too well, and I looked at him with the keenest scrutiny. Had the Nihilists put a spy on you even in your own servant ? Then I saw— that it was not Bohas, but a man so cle- verly made up to resemble him that I had been at first deceived. " 'What do you want here?' I asked, now with every nerve in my body at full tension. " 'Do you know ? ' and the light in his eyes seemed to flash into mine, " 'Do I know what? ' I could see there was some- thing behind all this. "He bent close to me, though we were of course alone, and spoke his reply in a fierce whisper. •• 'Tell your brother that after this proof our hearts beat but for him; our plans shall all wait on him; every man of us will go to his death silently and cheerfully at his mere bidding. He leads, we fol- low. He has nobly kept his pledge for the cause of God and Freedom.' " As I heard this my heart seemed to stop in pain. I had to hold to the table to save myself from falling." "'Do you mean,' I gasped, 'that Alexis has mur- dered . . . .' "' Silence, sister,' replied the man sternly. *That 13 no word for you to utter or for me to hear. II 1 62 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. Your brother is as true a friend as Russian Liberty ever had; and I thank my God that I have ever been allowed to even touch the hand that has dealt this vigorous blow and done this noble and right- eous act.' «'! will tell him,' I said. •* 'Tell him also, he need have no fear. Not a man who was at the meeting is in the city now, save me ; and not a single soul of the thousands these hell dogs of tyranny can seize knows any- thing—save' only me. And I would to the Almighty God they would take me and torture me and tear my flesh off bit by bit with their cursed red-hot pincers that I might use my last breath and my latest effort to taunt them that I know the hero who has done it, and die with my knowledge a secret' ^ " Then this terrible man, you may not know his name, but I know him, left me, telling me it was ' a glorious day for Russia, and that God would smile for ever upon you for this deed.' And I— I was plunged into a maelstrom of agonising fears, raclcing doubts, and poisoned thoughts about you and what I had led you to do." What Olga said had also immense importance and significance for me. It shewed me a startling- view of my situation. It was clear the Nihilists attributed the murder to me, and what effect that would have upon us I was at a loss even to conjecture. " The man's blood is not on my hands, Olga ; but I cannot be surprised at the mistake. I will tell you everytliing ; " and I told her then all that had passed. "Who can have done it then?" she asked, when I finished. " ft is as complete a mystery to me as to the Russian Liberty :hat I have ever nd that has dealt Qoble and right- no fear. Not a in the city now, yf the thousands Lize knows any- to the Almighty ire me and tear r cursed red-hot breath and my know the hero ly knowledge a may not know le, telling me it . that God would ieed.' And I— agonising fears, ights about you ense importance I me a startling; HIT the Nihilists t effect that would to conjecture, ly hands, Olga; mistake. I will ler then all that she asked, when to me as to the THE DEED WHICH RANG THROUGH RUSSIA. 1 63 police. The man I saw near the house might have done it; but then I suppose it must have been the same man who came to you: and in that case he certainly wouldn't have set it down to me. I am beaten. But I am hkely to find the wrongflil inheritance embarrassing. I must be more cautious than ever to dr- ■. down no word of suspicion upon either of us. We must both be scrupulously careful. And thus it will be impossible for you to think of getting away." "It's a leaden sky that has no silver streak," repli ed Olga. " And that impossibility is my streak. " I could not but understand this, and even while my judgment condemned her, my heart was warmed by her words. But my judgment spoke. "If you were away my anxieties would be all but ended." "If I were away my anxieties would be all but unendurable," she retorted, following my words and smiling. It was not possible to hear this with anything but delight; but I had my feelings too well under control now to let them be seen easily. "That may be," I said. "But my first and chief effort will be to get you safe across the frontier." She made no answer: but her manner told me she would not consent to go until it had become a rank impossibility for her to stay. Presently she said with much feeling: — " If I had been away and the news had come that you had done the thing these men assert, how do you think I could have borne it? I should have either come rushing back here or have died of remorse and fear and anxiety on your account. It was through me you commenced all this." "But of my ovvn choice that I continued," I WWHi mm»- 164 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. replied. "And believe me, if all were to come over again I should act in just the same way. I have never had such a g^lorious time before; and all I want now is to see you safe." 01 ga paused to look at me steadily. " You've never told me all tiie reason v hy you were so ready to take all these desperate risks. Will you tell me now?" "I had made a mess of things generally, as 1 told you before," I answered, with a smile and a slight flush at the reminiscences thus disturbed by her question. "Was there a woman in it?" Her e) s were fixed on me as she put the question. "There's a woman in most things," I answered, equivocally. "Yes, I suppose so." She turned away nnd looked down, and asked next: — " Were you very fond of her, Alexis ? " "Judging by the little ripple that remains on the surface now that she's gone out of my life, no: judging by the splash the stone made at first, yea. But she's gone." " Y'.'X ihe waters of the pool nay be left permanently cloud vl. I am sorry for you, Alexis: and if you were . i-«]':y my brother, I would try and help you two to,tfe;cher." "That's not altogether a very proper thing to say." I spoke lightly, and she looked up to question me. " Her husband might not thank you, I mean : though I'm not quite sure about that ; " and then having told her so much, I told her the story of my last meeting with Sir Philip Cargill and Edith. But she did not take it as I wished. " You must have loved her if you meant to kill her," she said. ). were to come 3 same way. I me before; and ily. eafon why you desperate risks. generally, as I I a smile and a us disturbed by Her e^ s were 1. s," I answered, ned away nnd 3xis ? * remains on the >f my life, no: de at first, yes. ieft permanently xis: and if you r and help you roper thing to i up to question k you, I mean : biat ; " and then the story of my ,nd Edith. But THE DEED WHICH RANG TIT JUGH RUSSIA. 165 " And ceased then, if I left her to live a miser- able life." "I sh( 'Id like to see the woman yot ^^ve ceased to love, she • 'd, woman-like in ci- .osity— and something else. "You nay do that yet, if only Ale.vis Petrovitch can make a safe way for his sister out of Russia;" and then I added, pausing and looking at her with a meaning in my eyes which I wished her to understand though I dared not put it * plain words;— "But we shall not be brother and sister then." She glanced up hurriedly, her fac^ aglow with y )lc thought too a sudden rush of thought— pic —and then looked down again smiled. "In that case how should wt o be together?" she asked. "Do you mean that such a time as this will be likely to render us ready to part?" To that her only answer was another glance and a deeper blush. Then I made an effort and recov- ered myself on the very verge. " But while we are here, we are brother and sis- ter, Olga;" and feeling that if I wished to keep other thmgs unsaid I had better go away, I left her. *' 1 1 meant to kill MICROCOPY RESOIUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 1.0 I.I Lb 2.8 4.0 tUUu 2.5 2.2 2.0 1.8 ^ /APPLIED IM>1GE inc 1653 East Main Street Rochester, New York 14609 USA (716) 482 - 0300 - Phone (716) 288- 5989 -Fax ii \ 1 > r f* — , - »*. •■s'--. CHAPTER XV. A SHE DEVIL. The more I contemplated the position the less I liked it, and the more urgent appeared the reasons for hurrying Olga out of the country. All my care was for her. Before this new feeling of mine for her had forced itself upon me, the situation had been really a game of wits with my life as the stake; but now Olga's life, or at least her liberty, was also at stake. It was there the crisis pinched me till I winced and writhed under it. Fear had got hold of me at last and I tugged restlessly at the chain. That night and the next day, the day of Christian Tueski's funeral, were occupied with heavy duties, because the authorities, both military and civil, persisted in believing there was danger of an emeute. I could have counselled them differently if I had dared to open my lips. At least I thought I could ; although 1 did not then hold the key to the mystery. I got it from Paula Tueski. In the afternoon of the day but one after the funeral, I had a brief note asking me to call on her. I went and found her surrounded by all the signs and trappings of the deepest mourning. She received me very gravciy, and wnilc thorc was anyone in x66 A SIIE DEVIL. 167 Oie room she played the part of the sorrowinjr disconsolate widow : but u.. instant we were ™ne she shewed a most indecent and revolting- hasteto let me know her mind. ^ « We are alone, now', Alexis," she said. f. 1 ^^^^^ ""^ ^^°" ^^^^"^ a^d because I wished to express my sympathy . . " "Psh! Don't let us be hypocrites, you and I" she exckumed, half angrily, Z with'Jeat energ^. frL Tl Pf'^^^"^ ^^ y°^ that I am sorry to be free, and don't you pretend to me either n^ '° '^^ Would you have me weep, tear mv hair nnt t%iZ:^^±'' 'i^ ^^°^i^" ^^^ du^st'bTcaS:: tne biggest allam and coward and beast that ever s r.ove"iirdp'. ''''' ' '^''' '^'"' ^^^ "At least the dead are dead, and to revile them reelings. (lod I I have been a hypocrite long- enourf, I^ should hate myself if I did^Lt speak tiietr^th •Whv^?^ !r^ shoulders. I had no answer. Why didn't you send a ivreath of pure white flowers as an emblem of your repard? Why Tt a message to swell the millions of lies tha men have Uttered m their squalid fear of offending the Govern! . u' " "" ' .f"^ «he shuddered as if in disgust He was a devil, and I won't call him bv^nv Moilousv? Ah ^ u° '""''" y°"? And wasn't the^NlS ftr 'you a'd"?""?; '° '' '"^"'^'l'' *° scribable su^o-i'iiC„rAL, Ji?"':^ ^^. ^" i° things 1 I would plight my love to you across the very body of the dead man!" She spoke with passionate vehemence. "Remember what I told you — your A SiIE DEVIL. 169 it?" she asked, to speak of such life is mine. You cannot escape me. Now, tell me, do you love me?" "I have given my answer, and if you ask that question again to-day I will not stop in the room," I said angrily: the woman's persistency increasing my disgust. She laughed— a half hysterical laugh of anger. " So you will not stop in the room and will never, I suppose,^ return. Be careful," she cried, with one of her quick passionate changes. " Or I will send you away and never let you come back except begging for mercy on your knees for yourself and your sister." She turned away and stood by the window; and I could see by her movements that she was struggling with violent emotions. She came back at length, the face paler and the voice not so steady. " I will ask you if you love me," she said. " And I dare you to go away from the room." I accepted the challenge without an instant's hesitation. "I am going. I will see you when you are cooler," and I went to the door. With a quick rush she prevented my opening it and putting aer back to it stared at me in the most violent passion, which thickened her voice as she spoke. ••You shall go directly— if you wish to. You will make me hate you, one day, Alexis, and then ~I will kill you." " It will be far better for me to come some other time," I said, anxious to leave. "You will have plenty of opportunities, never tear, she retorted, with a very angry sneering laugh. "And what is more, you will not dare not to use them. Listen-— it is love for vou drives me t^l 170 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. to tliis— a k)ve tliat you can never escape now, Alexis, even if you had the will." She paused; but I said nothing. I had nothing to say. All I wished was to get away. •* Do you tliink there is anything I would not do for your love, Alexis? I have told you there is nothing — told you so scores of times. Now, I have proved it. Do you hear— proved it. I proved it a few nights ago when this hand plunged the dagger hilt deep into my husband's heart— for your sake." I started back and looked at the woman in horror. "Yes, this hand"— she held it out— "so white, smooth, deft, and shapely. Don't start from it. There is no blood shewing on it now. And never was. I know how to thrust a dagger home too cleverly to leave a trace of either blood or guilt on me. In all this Moscow of ours the one person who is deemed above all others guiltless— is myself. Had it been in reality the Nihilist deadly secret stroke that men deem it, it could not have been more cunningly contrived, more secretly planned, more fatally executed. Yet the motive was not hate of a Government, bat love for a man. For you, Alexis: you ami you only. Now do you wish to go?" She moved away from the door; but I made no attempt to go. The horror of her story had fas- cinated me. " There was a tinge of hate in it, too, mark you, and more than a tinge. But I'll tell you all. You ought to know, since you were in reality the cause of all. You gave me the motive, suggested the occasion, and provoked that which led to it. More than that, too, you can by a single word from me be made to bear the brunt. Now, will you go?" Was the woman mad that she spoke in this way? r escape now, A SHE DEVIL. 171 If so, there was a dcv-ilish method in her madnPs, as^the story she told quickly shewed me ' 1 icnew the day would come when either I should ^1 him or he would kill me; for he wl a dev 1 f '^^°r u^^'"^ ^^^ '^''^ was "^ost ev^ vidous s'^w mm he ^vv''"rr *^^ ^"^^^^^--' -^ -"eni Ev^rv form of ro ^^^\\"^^" bereft of his wits. rJ^^ r reproach he could heap on me in n 'the^ o 7^f rf ' ^^'^"^"^ ^"^^^« he u^ttered v^ S all the calculated airtr^ .yation that could make ^ taunt unbearable. He uireatened me in eveTy tone of menace: and when I answered, turned suddenly kirme'lt^waf .r^ l"^"""^ ^^^^^^ and'vwedt there was a Sl,"^?" 1 / '"'"""^ ^^"^ ^^^-ds. that mere was a Nihilist plot agamst his life ; and I vowed cTreas'ilv'J"'^"^ ?'^^^^^^"^ ^^ -^^ f- I kTew 1 could easily put suspicion away from me I lured him cunningly to that part of die house where he was found, plunged the dagger into his b^ast mit mto his pocket the forged warning of a Nmihs attack opened the house at a point^where a man could have entered, fastened to the dagger die NihTlS watchword, and then crept away to my owTrooms " I was a.Mish I^ot," I exclaimed, hotly? It was inspired by love for you Alexia Tf was truly 'For Freedom's sake.'^ Freedom tha should unite us for ever." -treeaom that "Do you think I could ever be anvthino- f^ . woman whose hand is red with murdeT? ' /crTed in indignant horror. ' « Lovrhar^'no^^-^^'^-f^' ^°^" °^ y^"' Alexis." bitterly ^'" ''''^' "^"^^^^•'' ^ exclaimed, firZ"'"'* H?r '"do?^"'- ^^i^^^^^b^^^'" she answered. rne^^^.„.2;^" deternnnation and stren^-th were ine.ii.Uotiuxc. - xms makes you ten thousand times 1 1 1 IT IB^^H 1 ' ■' ■ (|: IHS 1 - i^flH 'j Ml 1 i .A 1 li 172 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. more surely mine than ever. I told you y. i were the cause— and also, that you could be made to bear the brunt. Listen! You know well enough what chance a Nihil: t has on whom the fangs ot suspicion have fastened. You are a Nihilist. Your sister is one also. I know this. Well, what chance, think you, would that Nihilist have of his life whose dagger it was that found its way between my husband's ribs. What then, if I had found the sheath of it and secreted it to save the man? Suppose too, that I had kept back the discovery because of my guilty love for him. And further that he had come at the time to tempt my honour and that he was leaving the house when my husband, roused by the noise I made, met him ; and that I saw the deed done?" She paused and changed her tone to one of fierce directness, as she continued :— "The dagger that killed Christian Tueski is your own weapon, known by its sheath to a hundred people: and that sheath, with your name on it. is in my possession. What chance of life would there be for you and yours if these things were made known. Now. do you wish to go?" A hot and passionate reply rose to my hps. but was checked before uttered. I thought of Olga, and I knew that every word this woman said was true— that no power in Russia could save my life or Olga's liberty if the tale were told now. Delay I must have at any cost. Time in which to meet this woman's horrible cunning and daring plot. If I had hated her before, she was now loathsome ; while the fears she had stirred on Olga's account intensified and embittered a thousandfold my resentment. Yet hateful as the task was, I was prepared to continue my part with her. -Vnii think this love?" I said, after a pause in ter a pause in A SHE DEVIL. "73 which she had Leon waiting breathlessly for me to speak. "Do women love the men they hold to them by the tether rope of threats?" « Do women kill for the sake of men they do not love ? " ^ - Do you think to keep my love by threatening me with death?" ^ "Have I not inflicted death to keep you? Why do you wish to bandy phrases? My deeds speak for themselves They shew you well enough what 1 will dare to keep you true to me. You are mine, Alexis, and no power shall ever part us. I have told you this often before. It was you who sought me, who proifered me your love, who poured on me your caresses and roused the love in me and roused It never to cease. Do you think me 'a siUy simple fool to be wooed and won and, when deserted, wiUing to do no more than wring my feeble hands and shed silly tears, and prate and maunder between my stupid sobs, that my heart is broken and that I fain would die— Bah i I am not of that sort. I am a woman who can will and act, and fashion my own ends in my own way It is not the stream that carries me, but I who turn the stream even though it be mingled with blood. No no. If you play me false, Alexis, it is you and not I, who shall die because my heart is broken." "^ She shewed this determination in every line of her beautiful face and movement of her magnificent hgure, as she stood before me a lovely hateful type of a vengeful womar She changed her mood, however, with astonishinr suddenness and turned aU softness and tenderness. *• But under all this lies my love," she said « It was love drove me to everything. Your pledge ; 'If ^ V! Tni f 174 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. too, that made me feel, as nothmg else could have done, the wall of separation between us while^ he lived- and my love could not endure it. Ah, how I love your and then in words burning with the fever of passion, she spoke of her love for me, lingering over the terms as if the mere utterance of tliem were an ecstatic delight. She laid all to the account of this love, and then went on to name her terms— that I must marry her. While she was speaking, I was thinking; trying to see some flaw in the devilish coil she had spread round me. But I could jee none. Time might find a way: but even tiu.e she grudged, and did not mean to give. "But we can't be married now at the moment when your husband is scarcely lying cc*i in his grave," I said, aghast at her cold-blooded propo- sition "Every man and woman in Moscow wc:uld immediately think we had murdered him together in order to marry." ^ "Every man and woman will not know, sne answered calmly. " Do you think ther'. is no such thing as a secret marriage possible in this Holy Russia of ours, or that gold cannot buy silence here just as anywhere else in the world? " "I know that a secret marriage under these cir- cumstances would put the lives of us both into the keeping of anyone who knew of it, however well you paid them. The more you paid, indeed, the more certain the inference." "I care notliing for that; nor will you rf you love me as you have often sworn you do. She uttered this with the energy and passion which always were shewn when she was crossed. But in this I was naturally as resolute as she. "I wiU not do it" I said very firmly. "Under- A SHE DEVIL. 175 se could have us while he it. Ah, how ling with the love for me, icrc utterance he laid all to nt on to name nking; trying she had spread Time might dged, and did t the moment g cc'J in his ilooded propo- Vloscow wruld him together )t know," she Lcr'^ is no such lis Holy Russia lence here just nder these cir- > both into the , however well id, indeed, the ill you if you you do." She passion which rossed. But in he. mly. " Under- stand me. I will not do it. It is nothing to do with love in any way at all: but simply self-pro- tection. It would be sheer suicide, and that I can do much more simply in other ways. I refuse ab- solutely to put both our hves into the keeping of any man in Russia, however holy and however well laribed. When we are married, it must be openly, in the hght of day and before men's faces; and that most certainly cannot be until all this excite- ment about your husband's death has died down, and the marriage can take place without causing suspicion. That must be at least six months hence —and probably a year or even two years." "I won't wait," she cried instantly and angrily. " You want to break with me. I am no fool." " As you will. Then instead of marrying me you can denounce me and come and see me beheaded or strangled. If you threaten me much longer," I said bitterly, « you will make me prefer one of the latter fates." She bent close to me, trying to read my thoughts. " And meanwhile ? " she asked, "Are you such a mad woman that you would have us placard the walls of the city with our se- crets? Haven't we all Russia to hoodwink? Do you suppose your police agents and secret agents are all fools, to see nothing, think nothing, infer nothing? It may be hard for us to be apart, but what else is possible? Even this visit is fool-hardi- ness itself and may set a thousand tongues clack- ing. Heaven knows, if ever a pair of lovers had need of caution we have now! Have you dared so much for our marriage only to toss it all away now just for the lack of a little self-control? We must see very little of one another. That is the onlv Dossible course," 1 •Is' n r lyft BY RIGHT OF SWORD. -rU not consent," she cried again, vehemently, and broke out into a fresh storm of protests and reproaches. But I held to my decision, confident that she would see she must give way. ^ ^ We parted without coming to any definite decision , rnd I was glad, because it spared me tlie infliction ofthose outward signs of affection m which she delighted to indulge and which now would have been more than ever repulsive. But the knowledge of the increased peril and embarrassment overwhelmed me with a feehng of anxious doubt and most painful and galhng impotence. ill It n, vehemently, 3f protests and isiori, confident ay. efinite decision ; ne the infliction I in which she )W would have ased peril and ith a feeling of .lling impotence. CHAPTER XVI. THE NEXT NIHILIST PLOT. with Paula Tneski, that the compUcations which surrounded me could not possibly be increased It was of course hopeless to'^think of leaW Russia except by some stratagem, or in diseuire and th t ZZiW''' tl- mor/difficult became O'lgal^^^^ i«::tio^1nre.'^^ '''^' ^^^' -^-^^^^y ^ ih^.irf'^'tK ^^^^^ ^^* ^^ v-^nditions faced me V^uUt' T^^^^^^^I way I turners. If I stayS ^ Paula Tueski would insist on the marriage, andS^ shT^rf/ '°?." ^^' ^^y- ^ I attempted ?o go ^e herself would join with the police in following me and the mere endeavour to fly would giveTs^ that colour to her story which would make^C world ready to beheve it. ^® Again if I tried the remaining alternative of proclaiming my identity, I had so eSeSouslv compromised myself that I could not hope^oSe heavy punishment of some kind; whUe it wo^d certainly impUcate Olga aud at th'e same t me ha^e readf ^fstfar ''^ '^"^^ "^^ ^^^'^ ^-^^^ -- Above alL a cnreiat nTiQ«^« u^j f--^-.- m n «77 over me. 12 i ry 178 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. I wished to live and keep my freedom. The old indifference and apathy were gone. My object now was to get both Olga and myself out of the country in safety; and thus I took diametrically opposite views of difficulties which a few days previously — before I had made the discovery of my love for Olga — would have caused me little more than a laugh of amused perplexity. Baffling as the puzzle was, however, it became infinitely more involved and perilous a few days later. Two fresh complications came to kill even every forlorn hope. My NihiHst friends were responsible for the first. Th'' belief that I had struck down the Chief of the S .ret Police and had done it in a manner so secret, mysterious, and impenetrable that it staggered the most ingenious police spies and defied the efforts of the astutest detectives, surrounded me with a glamour of wholly undeserved and undesired repu- tation. The first intimation of this had reached me through 01ga,and was followed by several others; and I received clear proof that I was now regarded as a sort of leader of the forlorn hopes of these wild and de- sperate men. A man who could alone and unaided achieve what I was believed to have accomplished was held capable of the greatest deeds. So they appeared to argue; and I was accordingly picked out next for a task of infinite danger and hazard in a plot of even more tremendous consequences than that of the recent murder. It was nothing less than the assassination of the Czar. It was resolved, by whom and in what centre of the Empire I never knew, to follow up the murder of Christian Tueski by thf^ greater blow, and to a manner so i THE NEXT NIHILIST PLOT. jyg Strike this witlj the utmost possible despatch- as a I was chosen to play one of the chief parts I j,nen me. Ihc task was committed to me: iust as a command might have been given me by my "echn? tT""" •'^'''- ^^^^" I attempSd^ nttrcleath"" ^"^" '^ ^"^^^^^^^ that^efusal and 7'nn^T ^If' ^"^ i" ^ P^'^^^«" «f <="^el difficulty auth^ tl ^ "^% "^'^ "^^^^ self-searching what I ought to do. Looking back I think I made a blunder m not disclosing aU I knew to theSithori! ties, leavmg them to take what steps they pleaded • but m formmg my decision at the time^ I w^ to Jefgh^ " """^^'^ of considerations most dLruU One of my chief reasons for holding my tonsiie was that as the plot followed so so^on Ifter^^ Tu. .1 murder-for the plans were all made witWn ir1~'^l ^-^that Anew so 'much ^fS^ plots at such a time, would bring both OW and myself under suspicion of having been privy ?o the former one In such a case evfrythingTwlhed to wm would be jeopardised. A singl! breath of both Tnto a^°"'t ^"r '^^" ^"^^^-h ^- «-ip us both mto a gaol; and once there, no one could sav when, if ever, we should come ;ut; for the whole country was red-hot against the Nihilists, and men of the highest rank and wealth were rotting in gao^ pa%erl "^' ^^* "^^ "^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^"^ festifute I was also much concerned as to my suoDosed !"!;--'-i^T" ''"' '^" i'^ Alexis was /avercom' p.v..im.cd, but wnat lie had actually done, I did not I" ;:, m :'«•■» '31 i.t it ^ ti 1 1 1 (8o BY RIGHT OF SWORD. know. If any old offences were raked up I should be certain to be called to account for them now, while Olga would inevitably suffer with me. For those reasons I decided to hold my tongue and to seek my own means for causing the infernal scheme to miss its aim. I reckoned that, as I was to have a principal part assigned to me, I could by my own effort, either through apparent stupidity or by wilful design, wreck the whole project ; and with this object I thought carefully over every detail of it which was entrusted to me. The scheme was ingenious and, save in one re- spect, simple enough. A fortnight later the Emperor was to pay a visit to Moscow, and already prepara- tions had commenced for his reception. At one time it was thought he would refuse to come because of the Tueski murder ; but with that unerring accuracy that always made me marvel, till I ascertained the cause, the Nihilist leaders learnt the Imperial inten- tions before they were known in some of even the closest official circles. What the Czar decided to do was to have all the preparations continued as though the original arrange- ments for the visit were to be carried out; but at the last moment to make a change which would baffle any plots. He meant to alter the arrangement of the train by which he would travel : ftnd this at the very last moment The object of this was, of course, to thwart any plot that might be laid to attack the train in which he travelled, so that thus the plotters might be discovered. But the double cunning of the Nihilists was quite equal to this change : and the plot was indeed exactly what the officials had anticipated — to wreck the train in v/hich the Czar travelled — and I think it THE NEXT NIHILIST PLOT i8i was chosen for the very reason of its apparent obviousness. Given precise information of the Wria movements and a little double cunning in the plans It was hkely enough that the authorities woiJd be especiaUy vi^nerable in just that spot in which ,, J^»f .1?^;^'^ reasoning was that if the train in which the Czar was publicly but erroneously beHeved His mS ^^ 'i°?^^ P^'^ safely, then that in which His Majesty would actually be, would be sure to fald in^fil ^^' iT^'P; T^^ ^'^^^'' Pl-^^ were laid in fuU knowledge of the official theory. A part of the line about ten miles from the citv where the rails ran in a dead straight course over a comparatively flat country for some five or six miles was chosen for the attack; and it was chosen because it was that which the authorities woSi the least suspect, since it was most easy to watch and guard A man standing at either end of the long flat, straight stretch could with a glass watch thf. I K /^ ?^ ^P°^^ ^^ ^'^^ would pas! ^nv N-vr^7 £^/^^ unhkehest to be selected for any Nihilist attack. The most prominent and conspicuous spot of all was that, moreover, which was picked out for the dip m the fields caused the line to be embanked W nf 1? f '^""^ ^^" °' ^^1^^ feet; and the key of lie plan was to fix levers to two of the rails so that they could be moved at tlie very iSt moment just when the train wa3 within a few I^^L ff ^'°'- ^? '^'' ^^y ^e train would he ^t:tt' "^'"^ ^"^ ''-' °^^- ^- embankment II 'V .J| I if ri S I m I- If ill l\i lS2 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. The levers, worked by electric motive power, were of course out of sight under the wooden sleepers : and tlie wires were trailed in tubes down inside the embankment and away through field- drains to a house more than half a mile distant from the line, where the operators were to remain until after the " accident. " Personally, I did not dislike the scheme : because I thought I could see several ways in which I could prevent any fatal outcome; should I have to remain in the country long enough to compel me to take part in it. It would be easy enough for me to appear to lose my head at the last moment, for instance, and so bungle matters that the men who were to kill the Emperor would be in fact prevented from approaching him. But there was also in this a desperate personal risk to myself. I knew that these men would be picked from among the most reckless and daring spirits in the Empire; men suffering under the grossest personal wrongs as well as motived by wild political fanaticism. To them the blood of either friend or foe was as nothing ',f it stood in the way of what their unbalanced minds deemed justice and right. It was thus a perilous and slippery eminence to which I had been thrust, and it increased infinitely the hazard of my course. My thoughts returned to tlie idea of flight with redoubled incentive, therefore; and a circumstance occurred which seemed to promise me some help in this direction. A letter came to me from " Hamylton Tregethner." Olga's brother had escaped, as we knew, and had made his way to Paris. He was going on, he said, to America as soon as he had enjoyed himself: THE NEXT NIHILIST PLOT. ,83 and when he found himself in New Yorl- h^ r., to chang-e his name anri „ ".1,./°^^' ^® Purposed be a Polr ^""^ nationahty once more and thought h^ mtS t n fr' i"' '^^'^^ ^°°"'- I altered You're not J^"^ frightfully ill and when^ 1? i "€---"- -" ?-! somebodr/tndu^T'^r^d^'^^S hTn, T""' °^ coked him hard in the face 'andlri "g t^'ll *m oS' h:r4:^^rth':t -^ ^i ^ z '"''^ just when I was speaking^i^^ Tsom: S Ss earl a^,,^'™ hstening as if he could not belteve awav T^ T^ r ^'"^ another stare and g-ot to be bothered by the ma^ '^'^ ^ '^° °°' "'^"^ a man of^^at^ZLontT if t^t!!' ■ «? ^^ le iinagined that $■■ H ■p if i i 1 11 1 84 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. i '; 1 1 li anyone was masquerading in my name in Paris, he would think nothing of rousing both the English and Russian Embassies ; or of coming on to Moscow himself to probe the thing to the bottom. lie loved mysteries; was most active, energetic, and enterprising ; and nothing would suit him better than to have impor ed into his rather purposeless life some such task as a search for me half over Europe. He was quite capable, too, of jumping to the con- clusion that the man he had met had murdered and was personating me ; and in a belief of the kind he was just the man to raise the hue and cry in every police office on the Continent. What the real Alexis called "speaking English" was of course bad enough to brand him anywhere as an impostor, should he try to pass himself off as an Englishman. Balestier had no doubt listened in amazement to the strange jargon coming from lips that looked like mine ; and the extraordinary likeness and " my " peculiar conduct would quite complete his perplexity. Probably I should hear more of the matter; and this set me considering whether I could not manage in some way to communicate with Balestier and get him to help in smuggling Olga across the frontier. He would revel in the work if I could only find him. I turned to * Tregethner's " letter therefore to find the name of the hotel, and to my infinite annoyance the fool had not mentioned it; while his intention to run away from Paris and Balestier would cause more delay. The fellow was not only a coward but an idiot as well; and I could have kicked him liberally, if my foot would only have reached from Moscow to Paris. As it was, Balestier, with the best will in the world, ame in Paris, he loth the English g on to Moscow le bottom. He energetic, and : him better than purposeless life alf over Europe. >ing to the con- id murdered and jlief of the kind hue and cry in jaking English" i him anywhere iss himself off as ioubt listened in )ming from lips )rdinary likeness . quite complete the matter; and 3uld not manage ialestier and get oss the frontier, could only find therefore to find finite annoyance ile his intention ier would cause ily a coward but Lve kicked him /e reached from vill in the world, THE NEXT NIHILIST FLOT. 185 could, butTuld Iv^" ^"^' ^^"" ^^ "«t onlf I cou d have Tot at h^ fven me valuable help if I felt like T^n..1 ^J° *^" ^"^ what to da ^^® Tantalus, when I thought of it. ii: in 4 i :» •} I ! ■ n m n i r ^f Wm m i 1 ,1 1 1 1 CHAPTER XVn. AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE. Tra: second complication was a much bigger matter- and It was of so strange a description and fraught vnth consequences of such critical importance to Olga and myself that of all my experiences of that time It deserves to be classed as the most remarkable. Like aU else at that time, it came quite unsought by nie, and as the direct and unavoidable consequence ot tiie first step in my new life— the duel with Deymsky and my subsequent repute as a swordsman A day or two after Tueski's funeral, and while the city was stiU quivering and staggering under the efifects of the supposed Nihilist blow, a great baU took place at the Valniski Palace. Count VaJniski was among the richest men in Moscow, bidding hard for power and courting po- pularity right and left among aU classes. To this baU aU the officers of my regiment were invited, togetlier with many of their friends. Amongst the latter Olga had a card; and although we were certainly in a poor mood for a ftmction of the kind we felt It expedient to do what aU the world was doing, go to it; lest by remaining away we should attract attention to ourselves. It was a very brilliant affair, as these big Russian x86 '^^•.i:.±it&»t?aag.^:zs^j^j:^^ryBI0lf^^ ITURE. bigger matter; m and fraught importance to sriences of that ost remarkable, quite unsought •le consequence the duel with s a swordsman, iral, and while ggering under blow, a great e. ichest men in 3 courting po- -sses. To this were invited, Amongst the ugh we were )n of the kind, he world was i^ay we should ie big Russian AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE. 1 87 balls always are, and the crowd included many of the best and smartest people in Moscow. I moved about the rooms, not dancing much, but exchanging- a word now and then with my brother officers and with other people who claimed acquaintance with me. Ulga had plenty of partners among my comrades, and as she was dancing with one of them I stood watching her and thinking how completely I had dropped into the new social grooves of this Moscow life and how quickly my first feelings of strangeness had worn off, when my friend Essaieff came up to me. *^ " Alexis, I have a commission that concerns you " he said. -^ "Well?* « You're in luck. Try and guess.' " Can't." I replied, shaking my head. « Unless ^?u 7^'®. .^5°^^" °^* ^"^ I''" to have a step. What is it? *^ "There's a woman in it. High up, too." There were only two women in Moscow I ever thoug-ht about; and one of them I wished to see safe out ot Russia, and the other at the devil, or anywhere out of my way. "Give it up," I said, with a smile. "It's that smile of yours fetches 'em, I believe," said Essaieff, smiling in his turn. «It makes your tace one^ of the pleasantest things in the world to look at. He had ripened quickly into a very tamihar fnend and we were great chums now. •What is there you want me to do, old man? You_ wouldn't waste that flower of speech for nothing." ^ " Well, something's done it. I have been asked to present you to one of the wealthiest, most beautiful, and most inflnpntial ^xmmory ;« tv/t^o j'i *i! n 188 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. the Princess Weletsky; and asked in terms which seemed to imply that the honour of the introduction would be conferred on her." "The Princess Weletsky, who is she?* I askc^ in absolute ignorance. "That's just like you, Alexis. I'm getting to know that sweet innocence of yours. Whenever I mention a name that all Russia knows, you make the same lame show and ask, Who's he ? or. Who's she ? You've heard of her a thousand times. You can't help hearing of her. You couldn't if you tried." " All right," I laughed, to turn my mistake. "Have you been talking about me?" He laughed at the idea. " Why, man where are your wits ? Do you think the Princess and I are on gossiping terms? I'm only the fly on the wheel in this. She wishes to know you; I do know you; she once sent me a card for one of her assemblies and snubbed me in a high bred manner; now she can use me, and ac- cordingly I am paraded for duty— to introduce you. Come along or she'll be getting some Court exe- cutioner to cut my throat for loitering." I followed him, wondering what it could mean; and half a minute later was presented to one of the most lovely and stately women I have ever seen. A queenly woman, indeed, and I should have been an icicle if I had not admired her. She was radiantly fair in both hair and complexion, but her eyes were dark and languishing like a Spaniard's: while the faultless regularity of her features in no way marred the exquisite suggestion of womanly sympathy and mental power which spoke in her voice and manner and glances. I have seen many lovely women of all t3rpes, If. she?* I aske^ AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE. 189 but in all my life none to compare with the exquisite magnificence of this Russian beauty. llcr reception of me could not have been more cordial, moreover, had I been one of the greatest of Russia's nobles, or had she begun to entertain some strong favour for me. I am not a coxcomb where women are concerned, I hope, and certainly nothmg m their treatment of me in my life had led me to conceit myself that such a woman as this would faU in love with me; but her conduct to me that night might well have turned my head, had It not been full of other matters. I asked for the honour of a dance and she gave me her programme, telling me I might write my name where I would. As it was empty, this seemed a generous invitation; but I scri1:»bled my initials against two dances, and was then going to move off. She glanced at the programme and smiled. I cannot describe the effect which a smile produced on her face. - 1 had purposely kept the next dance for you. Lieutenant," she said. "But I see your reputation has somewhat belied you." "My reputation?" " Yes. But I have much I should like to say to you. I have heard of you often; as a daring man even among Russia's most daring; and not always as modest as brave." II Rumour is often an unreliable witness," said I. "She has not always spoken kindly of you, Lieutenant. But to see you is enough to test the truth of her tales." She accompanied this with a glance of especially subtle flattery, as she made place for me to sit by her, and then drew me to talk by questioning me, always giving in her answer - •'"gg^onwii wi xwccn purijuiiai mrerest in me. M !Jl I II I' BY RIGHT OF SWORD. We danced that next dance, and she declared that I waltzed better than any man in the room ; and at the close of the dance she asked me to take her to one of the conservatories, under the pretext that she was h( ited. We sat there during two dances, until the first that I had initialled came, and then vvc danced again. All the time she faschated me with her manner and the infinite subtlety with which she implied the admiration she felt for my bravery, my skill as a soldier and a swordsman, my strength— everything in short: while she was loud in the expression of the interest with which she said she should take in my future. At the close of the dance she sent rne to fetch my sister; and when I presented her she made Olga sit down at her side and presently sent me away, saying that women's friendship ripened much more quickly when they were alone— especially if they were interested in the same man. All of which would no doubt have been very sound philosophy —had Olga been my sister in reality. Essaieff had been watching me, and now chaffed me a good deal about my conquest, and grew enthusiastic about my future. " By Gad, man, she's as rich as a Grand Duke : and there is no limit to the height her husband may climb. Play your cards well now : and you've got all the pluck, aye, and the brains too, if you like to use them : and you'll be War Minister before I apply for my Colonelcy." I laughed lightly ; but I thought to myself that if he only knew the skeletons in my cupboard that were gibbering and rattling their bones in mockery of me, he wouldn't tell quite such an enthusiastic fortune for me. I declared that I room ; and at le to take hei le pretext that g- two dances, ime, and then h her manner 1 she implied V I ry, my skill as :h — everything expression of Q should take it me to fetch her she made ■ 1 4 ^i sently sent me » ripened much i — especially if All of which md philosophy r. id now chaffed est, and grew Grand Duke: it her husband 3W : and you've Lins too, if you Minister before to myself that -■ cupboard that nes in mockery an enthusiastic " Take another Iwo grains, mouse." Page 191. I i i li k iiilr AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE. 191 •TCHAA. e. -Page igi. When I went back for my next dance with the princess, Olga was just being led away by a hand- some young partner whom the Princess had found for her. •Olga is most delightful," she said, with one of her smiles. " She is worthy of— anyone; and a most enthusiastic sister. She is the most genuine soul I ever knew. She will be my dear friend, when her reserve has worn off." I thought I knew the cause of the " reserve," but I kept the thought to myself. After the dance she let me take her back to the same place, and glancing at her programme let it fall on her lap with half a sigh. "You were very moderate," she said, tapping the programme with her fan. " Do you know the fable of the hungry mouse? * I asked. "What do you mean?" This with a glance. "Only that a poor little starveling found himself in a full granary one day, when a fairy bade him eat. He took a few grains and munched them and stopped. 'Why stop there, mouse?' asked the fairy. The little thing glanced about him and looking at the crowd of fatted pets that were watch- ing him suspiciously from a distance, replied:— ' If I take more than these gentry think belong to me, they will fall on me; and though I might enjoy tlie meal at the time, it will prove a dear one and hard to digest.'" "A shrewd mouse, but too timorsome," said the Princess, laughing, and handing me her programme again. "Take other two grains, mouse. Though I'm not quite sure by the way, whether you intended me to be the good fairy or the bag of grain. Fables are often tricksjf things." iM .\i • 1 192 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. " And fairies also. But at least mice are hannless. " " Except to frighten silly women. But I am not afraid of mice — especially when they are so moder- ate in permitted pilfering." " The touch of a fairy's wand can change even a mouse to a lion," said I; and when she met my gaze she dropped her eyes and coloured. The dance came then and we danced it almost in silence. After it I went to look for Olga; but she had gone home; and then I waited impatiently for my next dance with my most fascinating partner. There is no flattery in the world half so teUing on a man as a lovely woman's admiration, undis- guised yet not flaunted ; and expressed in the thou- sand subtle ways which her nimble wits can find when inspired by resolve to please. I did not think that at such a time any woman ^n earth could have exercised so strong an influence over me in the course of no more than an hour or two ; and when we sat together after our last dance for a few minutes before she left, I felt I would have done almost anything on earth that she asked CO serve her. Something that she said drew from me a rather random protestation to this effect, and she reddened and started, and then aft^r a rapid searching glance shot into my face, she sat silent, fingering her fan, restlessly. While doing this her programme caught her attention. She looked at it and held it so that I could read it " No name but yours," she said, almost in a whisper. I saw this was so. Then she broke the silken cord by which it was fastened to her wrist, and with another glance at me put it away into her bosom. It was a little action: but from such a woman what did it not mean? I was amazed. \J\ J AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE. 193 Another long pause followed. Then she laid her hand in mine and looked straight at me. "Are you really a brave man?" she asked. I seemed to take fire under her touch and look. "That is not a question a man can answer for himself. Test me." "If your sister were insulted, would you fight for her? " She little knew the cord she had touched, or guessed how the reference cooled me. "I have ahready done so," I returned. " In days of old men fought for any woman who was wronged. Would you?" "I have done it before now," I answered, still thinking of Olga, and my thoughts for some reason slipped back to the first meeting on the Moscow platform. She paused and looked away fi-om me for a moment as if hesitating ; and then leaning so close to me that I could feel her warm breath on my cheek as she spoke, while her grasp tightened on my arm, she said in a tone of deep feeling: — "I have been wronged. You see me here as I am and what I am ; but save for the happiness you have made me feel in being with you, I am the most wretched woman in all Russia. Will you help me? Dare you?" And she seemed to hang on my words as she waited for my reply, her eyes searching mine as if to read my answer there. I was about to reply with a pledge inspired by the enthusiasm v/ith which she had fired me, when my instinctive caution restrained me. She was quick to see my moment's hesitation and not witling to risk a refiisal, she added hastily:— " We cannot talk of this here. I ought not to have spoken of it now: but you seem to have drawn >3 I 'S < i^l I 1 1 q i hi 1 1 ; "I 194 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. my very soul from me. Come to me to-morrow to my house. I will be alone at three. You will come— my friend?" An indescribable solicitude spoke through her last two words, all sufi-ffestive of infinite trust in me. "Certainly." I cried. -And certainly your friend, if I dare." She answered with a glance; and then seemed to cast aside her excitement. Rising she let me lead her back to the ball-room. When I left her there were others round us, but as she bowed I caught a glance and the whispered words: — "I trust you." I turned away half bewildered, and went home at once, pondering what was to be the upsh t of this new development D. me to-morrow to hree. You will ibable solicitude all suggestive of linly your friend, 1 then seemed to she let me lead rs round us, but id the whispered and went home e the upsh t of CHAPTER XVm. TITE REASON OF THE INTRIGUE. When I was alone and the strange charm of the Princess Weletsky's presence had given way to calm reflection, my doubts began to grow. I was natur- ally a cautious man under ordinary circumstances; and now my suspicions were the keener because m.y 'caution had been momentarily lulled to sleep. I was all inclined to disbelieve the story which the Princess had told, or rather had suggested ; and I began to look behind all she had said for r ne motive or intrigue. I thought she might wish for the help of my sword for some altogether different purpose than she had suggested: but I could think of nothing. Nor could Olga, with whom I spoke very freely on the subject. She said she could see no more than appeared on the surface; and what that was it was super- fluous to ask; especially when she told me that the Princess could, or would talk of nothing else to her but my bravery, my good looks, my courtesy, my chivalry, and so on at great length. " It is agreeable to have my brother praised," said Olga once, laughing. "But there are Umits." Tinrinnr tb*^ n<:i"vf flrkiiv /m* -f^-tr^ A'^tvo Olrv* V%i*A «««m*^1£^ opportunities of hearing these praises, moreover, as I 'tl i ■n i 1 i 196 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. 1 h^- ^■'- m ' llffil: il S j ' r J^^R li^ i « § <'' . ^^■^■i^i^i 1 i the Pnncess would scarcely let her out ofhersig-ht. When I caUed on the day foUowing the baS I found the two together, and the Princess in a few words we had together out of my sister's hear- ing would say nothing at all about the subject of her wrongs. She enlarged on the suggestion of the previous night that she had been led by her impulses and her instinctive trust in me to speak too fuUy For some days she maintained the same attitude of reserve, and then quite suddenly when we were alone, she changed again, and in words which I rl^ii Tfi'}r'' understand she let me knowindi- Lnni^ u '^'''^i^ ^"^^"^^ ^^'^ ^°"&s, her hand would be my reward. I have never in my life had to face a more awkward crisis than that. What reply she expected I cannot teU: whether she looked for some eaeer passionate protestations of love, or some strong pledge of defence, or what. Whether she reallv cared for me and the confusion she shewed was the sign of It, or whether the whole part was assumed and everything mere acting, I cannot say. But I know that I on my part felt indescribably embar- rassed and scarcely knew how to answer her 1 knew, too. the danger to Olga and myself of offending a woman so highly placed, so influential, and powerful as the Princess. We had enough troubles as it was: and if they were to be multiplied and aggravated in this way, we should be overwhelmed It was certain that I must find some way of tem- porising. -^ "Princess I am your devoted servant to do with as you wijl." I answered. "And if my sword can be of service, tell me how. " She started and flushed with pleasure as I said this. -I knew I should not count on you in vain. out of her sight. 'ing the ball I Princess in a my sister's hear- : the subject of ugg-estion of the by her impulses eak too fully. J same attitude when we were words which I me knowindi- •ongs, her hand o face a more ly she expected or some eager ' some strong her she really >hewed was the t was assumed 3t say. But I "ibably embar- 5wer her. and myself of so influential, had enough 3 be multiplied overwhelmed, ■ way of tem- a.nt to do with ny sword can Jc' and flushed you m vain, THE REASON OF THE INTRIGUR 197 The Grand Duke Servanieff will now learn that a JIJcnL®" T?^ ^"" ^^" ^'^ P^^tects me from his ih« iff. . fJ^^^ ^^^"^^^ *° S^^"^^ ^s she watched the ettect of this name on me. " Po you mean that that is the man you wish me to fight ? I cried in the deepest astonishment. W Tt tf ^ """^ °"k^^^ ""^'y ^^^P^ °f the Throne, and It I had approached him he would have brushed ^m ^r^J"^°,.^ ^^°^ ^^th '^^ "^o^^ concern or hif haiS ^°^^^ ^^^® whisked a fly off The woman was mad. T wm^^^'?^' '1 ^^'^"^ ^'^ attentions on me. and 1 will not have them," she said. All my suspicions had been stung into activity by the mention of the name of the Grand Duke ; and as I looked at the Princess she appeared to be '^aI^'^'^'^J^ "^'^ ^"^^^ suspicious vigilance as she added :— He cannot refuse to meet anyone to whom 1 give the nght to protect me from him." It was an intrigue. I was sure of it; and this lovely woman was making me her tool. I answered guardedly. "A lieutenant in a marching regiment who should presume to chaUenge that man would stand a better chance of being whipped at the cart's taU than of meeting him." "He is a great swordsman, I know," she said as It to pour suspicion on my courage. But I was not a lool to be tripped by a gibe. If I had wished to marry the woman I would have consented readily enough there and then, and risked aU; but my object wfth me.^^^ ''''^ ""^ ^""'"'^ ^"^ *° ^^' ^^^^^"t , "I. should not fear him were he twice as skilful- Dui tms is no mere matter of sword fence." lit H ''8 iqS BY RIGHT OF SWORD. "Easy words, Lieutenant." "I will make them good, Princess,* replied I, quietly. "But I must first see the course clearer for the meeting. What say your friends? Can I depend on their influence?" "Won't you do this for me, then? Am I mis- taken in you?" There was a sharp accent of irritation in her tone that I noticed now. "Princess, it does not best become a beautiful woman to doubt a man's courage until he is proved a craven. Here is no matter of personal courage only; but I should be loosing upon me all the waters of bitterest political intrigue. Alone I should be absolutely powerless to stem the torrents that would sweep me to certain ruin. Alone, therefore I cannot do what you ask. But understand me, give me the powerful support of your family, and I wiU meet the man, were he fifty times the Highness that he is — if we can arrange the meeting." She seemed disappointed at this; quite unreason- ably so; and tri^i to move me. But I stood firm, and then with evdent reluctance, she told me her brother was with her in the matter, and that if I would see him all would be simple. "My brother. Prince Bilbassoff, is, as you know, Minister of the Interior, and is now in Moscow in connection with the visit of the Emperor." I had not known uho her brother was; but when she gave me the name and told me where I could see him, a rapid conclusion leapt into my thoughts. Prince Bilbassoff was the real power behind the Police, and I was probably going to find now why Christian Tueski had had to hold his hand against me. I went at once to see him. I found him the very opposite ofthe popular ideal of a. Vviirooiiffof •» r!V«/^»>«- .»•.•»'.• ^1^^^ 1 i 3 . *'* ** .J-UJ.1--IHAV1 til. u OiiWi t, yicy, '-lWaC"lliili Cli, BLiUXC THE REASON OF THE INTRIGUE. 199 I,* replied I, ourse clearer snds? Can I Am I mis- p accent of w. i a beautiful : he is proved onal courage all the waters I should be ts that would fore I cannot ne, give me , and I will he Highness ting." te unreason- I stood firm, told me her md that if I 5 you know, L Moscow in ror." I had It when she I could see thoughts. • behind the nd now why i against me. popular ideal Loired, spafo man, with the air of a man of the world, and a pleasant cheery manner that suggested nothing for- midable or even powerful. Yet without doubt the man was in many respects the most powerful and the most feared in all Russia. He appeared to be expecting me ; for the instant I was announced, he got up and welcomed me with a hearty shake oiF the hand and said: — "I thought my sister would have to make us acquainted. Lieutenant Petrovitch. She said she wouldn't; but I expected you. Women think beauty will do everything ; and somehow are always calculat- ing without the effects of 'self-interest. Don't you think so?" He spoke with a sort of easy club manner- ism, and just let his eyes rest a moment on my face. " Of course you know the drift of what has passed then?" " Of course I do. As well as I know that your coming to me means that my sister's method has failed. I from the first disagreed with it. I know a great deal about you. Lieutenant Petrovitch; and I think I could have saved time. But my sister was attracted to you — women always like you hand- some young fire-eaters, especially women like my sister — and as she is to take a rather large hand in the matter, she wanted to play it her own way. She appealed to your feelings, Lieutenant. I should have gone straight to your interest: and really it will be to your interest to do this." "Will you tell me plainly what is wanted?* * Certainly. The death of the man whose name has no doubt been mentioned to you." "Why?- "Not bee use he has insulted my sister: though that is fortiu»ately a plausible pretext: but because i I \% he is 23 a menace 10 me iimpure. 200 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. f ■i fr-' MM ^'m-'^rr' His bluntness astounded me. "Do you take me for an assassin?* "No. I take you for a very resolute young man, with a great skill of fence, a large desire to push your fortunes high, and not too much scruple to act like a sword scabbard between your legs and trip you up. If you weren't ^at, you'd be no use to me. As you are, I open before you a career such as lies before no other man in the Emperor's wide dominions at the present moment. Do this, and you win a woman as rich and beautiful and, as women go, as good as any in Russia for a wife; and you can ask and have almost what place you like, either in or out of the army." -And if I refuse?" He laughed and shrugged his shoulders. "You won't refise," he said, shaking his head. " If you do, you will be a young fool— too foolish to be trusted at large." I knew what ha meant; and when I looked at him next, I understood why men feared him. That laugh of his would usher a man to the knout or the gallows. I thought rapidly. "I like the project,* I replied. "But can you arrange the meeting?" He was as quick as the devil, and detected the false note in my voice. "Lieutenant, there are two courses open to you," he said in a tone so sharp, stem and ringing that the change surprised me. " You can acucpL or refuse the oflFer— but don't try to fool me." " Well, then, I'm not a murderer," I rapped out, angered by his words. 1 That's better," he s^id, with a return to his light clubbish manner. "But this is no murder. <■: THE RX4tO!l OF IHS I ^TRIGUB. 20I ,' I rapped out, The man is a traitf and nt lUster act could be compassed than his j-th.* "Then why not do it openly?' He smiled and threw up his handb "Is justice always done openly? Of course we might do that: but he would laugh at our efforts. We might get him assassinated; but he is too powerful and the noise of the act would defeat the ver\ object we ha^e. He is a swordsman worthy of your skill. He has insulted, and will again insult my sister, your betrothed— for what is not an insult when you wish to make it one?— and he would delight to meet you. He will think he can kill you. Perhaps he can: may be, probably; for he is a very devil with the weapon. That is your risk. Will you take it? It's no light one. But you are a young fellow with all to gain in winning and nothing to lose but your life. You will do it, I know. I'm only surprised you hesitate." I sat thinking: but not in the groove he guessed. "We'll make your sister's fortune as well," he said, raising the terms. " She shall make a marriage into one of the best families in Russia, and found a family of the highest distinction. Think, Lieu- tenant." I was thinking about as hard as I could : but no opening offered itself. "I must have time to determine," I said. "It seems to me that I run the chance of playing the cat's paw with all the flame for my share. What guarantee have I that if I do this and am successful I shall not then be deemed— too foolish to be trusted at large, as you say?" * First, my honour; secondly, your betrothal to my sister; and thirdly, her feeling for yourself." "And if I refuse, Siberia, I suppose?" ' ! \i 202 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. I "No, not so far as that," he replied, lightly. *But what if I feign to consent and carry the story to the man you threaten?" "There is that chance of course. But in the first place he would not believe you, Lieutenant; and in the second, if he did, neither you nor he could do any harm; and in the third, you would have me for an enemy. And I am pleasanter and safer as a friend, I have discounted that risk, and it is nothing." "How long will you give me to decide?" "A week. We can then announce the betrothal just before the Emperor's visit here, and gain the Imperial blessing on so righteous a mairiage between a brave man and a beautiful woman, each motived by the highest patriotic feelings for Russia." With this half sneer ringing in my ears, he sent me away. U \\ I i ID. >pHed, lightly, mt and carry the rse. But in the you, Lieutenant; either you nor he third, you would im pleasanter and ted that risk, and :o decide?" iince the betrothal ere, and gain the marriage between lan, each motived Dr Russia." my ears, he sent CHAPTER XIX. OLGA's ABDUCTION. I WENT home m a very unetwiable frame of mind, and my temper was not improved by my meetinj? my old opponent, Devinsky, near my rooms. For the moment I was powerless to think of any possible means of relief. My helplessness was so complete as to be almost ludicrous: and if it had not been for Olga, I would have just let myself be dragged along by the singular chain of events which had coiled themselves round me. I must rouse myself to some sort of effort for her sake. I saw that, of course. But the result of a couple of hours' thinking was only to increase my utter perplexity; and I went off to bed to try ir sleep would clear my wits. I resolved to see Olga the next day as soon as possible after my regimental duties were over 1 here w^ but one thing possible. She must go at once and we must try to hit on some plan by which she could escape at any hazard. But my regimental work was heavier Aan usual, and when it wa^ over a meeting of the officers was called in reference to thus late m the afternoon hf>fnrA t ^^„i/i ^^. to Olga. "-""■" ^^' •93 204 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. L : ! ■ ij^ [ i H ' • i ! n 1 At the house, astounding news awaited me. The Countess Palitzin met me with the question where Oiga was. I looked at her in astonishment; and then she told me a message had come from me early in the forenoon, asking Olga to go round at once to my rooms. She had gone, promising to return soon or send word. She had done neither; and a six hours' absence had made the old lady anxious, « She should have been back before this," I said, quietly, not wishing to add to her alarm. "Who do you say came for her ? " "Your servant, Borlas, Olga told me." I tried to reassure her that all was right, though I did not at all like the look of things, and I hur- ried back to my rooms to question Borlas. He had not been there on my return from barracks, and he was not there now; and there was nothing to shew that he had not been absent for some hours. Did this mean treachery? Or had Olga been arrested ? Could she be in the hands of the NihiHsts? Or what? A thousand wild thoughts flashed through my mind as I stood for a minute thinking what I ought to do first, and where to look for her. Then I recalled my meeting with Devinsky near my rooms. I dashed out and ran to Essaieffs rooms to find out all he knew about Borlas, as he had recommended the man to me; and to learn whether he would be likely to be bribed to do such an act of treachery as now seemed possible. But my friend was out. Leaving word for him to come at once to me I went on to Madame Tueski and questioned hen She equivocated, suggesting that I was feeling her power; and with the utmost difficulty I drew^from her that despite all her hints she knew nothing. WORD. ews awaited me. me with the question t her in astonishment; age had come from me Olga to go round at d gone, promising to she had done neither; id made the old lady ;k before this," I said, to her alarm. "Who ra told me." : all was right, though : of things, and I hur- 3stion Borlas. He had from barracks, and he e was nothing to shew for some hours. ' Or had Olga been 3 hands of the Nihilists? oughts flashed through linute thinking what I to look for her. [g with Devinsky near LssaiefPs rooms to find IS he had recommended I whether he would be ch an act of treachery iut my friend was out. ome at once to me I :i and questioned her, that I was feeling her difficulty I drew from , she knew nothing. olga's abduction. 205 % I ran then to the Prince Bilbassoff; but he was away. I hurried next to the Princess; she knew notliing, but was full of sympathy and offers of help. I wanted news, however, not offers of help; and I rushed back to my rooms, on my way to the police, on the off-chance that Borlas had returned. He had not : but in his place there was something much more important. A rough, wild looking country- man was Standing at my door, holding the bridle of a shaggy pony that bore signs of heavy travel- ling; and the man had been trying vainly to get into my house. He addressed me, asking where he could find Lieutenant Petrovitch; and then gave me a slip of paper from Olga. "Am suspicious and sending this back. If any- thing wrong, follow me. O." I then questioned the man closely and he said that his wife was called to the window of a carriage to a young lady who was ill. When she had re- covered, she gave his wife a handkerchief. In it was the message and a sum of money and a request that it— the paper— should be brought to me at once. This had occurred at Praxofif, about ten miles out on the nortli road. In less than a quarter of an hour I was armed and mounted; and a few minutes saw me free of the city and flying at full gallop in pursuit. I knew the road well enough, owing to my long residence as a boy in Moscow ; and I now put my horse to its utmost speed and made straight for the house where Olga had seen the peasant woman. I found it without the least difficulty and got a description of the carriage, horses, and postilion; ^ -i..,.,...5.i-_ii..vi !_i4v wviixaii 03 Le» every wora uiga had said to her and who was in the carriage fit ■i'l \ ' 206 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. From what she said, I judged it was Borl; that the two were alone. I stayed no longer than was necessary ■ all the woman had to say, and then I rode at full speed, asking right and left as I w tidings of the carriage. The trail was broad for anyone to follow for some miles and came upon information that gave me a C( clue to the whole matter. Reining up at a wayside inn, I put th questions; adding that the lady was my sis that I was an officer in the Moscow ] Regiment. The landlord came to me insta "You are Lieutenant Petrovitch?" he asl "Yes," and I told him my errand. ** Have you been engaged in a duel this mo: I stared at the man and asked him what h( His answer shewed what story had been cc to trick Olga. "A gentleman engaged two rooms h morning, saying they would be wanted in co: with a duel in the neighbourhood. One combatants was Lieutenant Petrovitch; . latter's sister was coming to be near at case of her brother being hurt. She was out with the brother's servant and when she was to be shewn at once to the room eng her. As a fact the iuel had akeady beer in the early hours: Lieutenant Petrovitch 1 badly wounded and lay at a private hous miles further on, too ill to be moved. T was to be told this ; the news being broken gi and she was not to be allowed to leave unless she insisted very much, in which servant v^ouiu Knuw wncic \.\j iw.«.i. i*-, » , ■« horses were to be supplied. I told her rHT OF SWORD. I judged it was Borlas, and 3ne. r than was necessary to hear > say, and then I rode on still • right and left as I went for ;. The trail was broad enough r for some miles and then I on that gave me a complete Ltter. wayside inn, I put the usual \t the lady was my sister and icer in the Moscow Infantry llord came to me instantly. .nt Petrovitch?" he asked. him my errand. igaged in a duel this morning? " I and asked him what he meant. what story had been concocted ngaged two rooms here this would be wanted in connection I neighbourhood. One of the eutenant Petrovitch ; and the oming to be near at hand in being hurt. She was coming 's servant and when she arrived once to the room engaged for duel had aheady been fought Lieutenant Petrovitch had been lay at a private house a few )o ill to be moved. The sister he news being broken gradually ; be allowed to leave the inn, very much, in which case the .. .•r'Ur^Mn *-r\ folro Viof* anH frpsh suppUed. I told her gently," olga's abduction. 2IO BY RIGHT OF SWORD, the wall, when I stopp^ -d beg^ to I did not know a square " ^as blundering about prey for men ' — |dayligbt. " had olga's abduciion. 211 I was blindfolded and gagged, and in this absolutely helpless state, carried down the stairs again, getting on the way two or three hearty kicks from the men I had pummelled. They threw me down on the floor of an empty room and left me. I cursed my folly bitteriy when I heard the fellows' footsteps as they left the room and locked the door behind them. I had spoilt all for the lack of a little caution. I was an idiot, a fool, a numskull, a jackass, to have been caught by a trick which a child might have anticipated; and I rolled about the floor, cursing myself and tearing and pulHng at my bonds in my passion, till I had torn the flesh in a dozen places. But I could not loosen a single strand of all the cords that bound me ; and I gnashed my teeth and could almost have shed tears in my baffled rage and fury. I lay thus some hours till the light must have come, for even through the heavy bandages on my eyes, the darkness seemed tinged with grey. As I thought of the use I might have made of the light, my self-reproaches welled up again till I felt almost like a madman. Later on I heard the door unlocked and two or three men entered. They came and turned me over and holding me firmly, cut the ropes that bound my arms, and then tied my hands behind me in iron handcuffs, drawing them so tightly that I could not move them without pain. When I was so far secured they cut the ropes from my legs and bade me stand up. I tried; but the rush of the released blood brought with it too much pain, and I was just as helpless as a baby for some minutes. When at length I managed to scrajaible to my feet, they ^^^ten^d the bandage from my eyes and as soon I saw that if as mv flavcu^ — — ^ «gnt v-utuu iul;us itseu. 212 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. J^r. u f "i?^^'^ ^"^ w^^t the devil arc /on doing here? My men told me there was a thSf here, but I didn't expect you." ""®^ "Don't lie to me." I cried sternly. «You know and let's settle ttismn^T^Jtr^^y:^."^' %S\T;ty.^' '^^ '^-'' "^^ -e didn-t „.eS to I always thought there wS sometrng secret Lout you; now I know what it is Yo, W H i- • by this sort of work I su^ose ""officer L Iv^ cXh^r atX1?''\hf hf LT^heT ••'- Tou v-alueTou^It.- alonet Se^''"^^- « w^ii ^°'" °"®/eason. To take yours." ;::r suSrXT? °" ">"nteI;Sr?„"'re^:?a"o^ your sister, by fair means or otherwiw an/i ,™ may as well make the best of a baTSTsiness IZ olga's abduction. Jring laugh, in surprise. 5 house*" in nl arc /ou ^as a thief You know ' sister If i my sword tt once." t n.ean to u^'Iars, I suits me. icret about 3en living r by day, nen have ■Tn away; ie:-~-Do sonable." ou." I may as 2r. This o hide a stop me egard to and you ess, and ►artly by tupidity. ter than ou can't 2ii "This. That the first use ITl make of my hands when they're free shaU be to try and choke the hfe out of you. And by God. I'll try and do it now. In my rage I rushed upon him, but like the cowardly cur he wa£, he struck me, bound and defenceless as I was, with aU his force in tlie face and then with a cry brought in the other men'. Ihese threw themselves upon me and bore me to the ground, and bound my legs again, so that I was once more absolutely helpless. ; You saw that attack the villain made on me " said Devmsky to the men. « I was offering o release him. You'll bear witness to that. As for you, turning to me, « you can stay here for a few hours niore to cool your murderous fever; and I will send back orders for your release, whe^ I am at a safe distance. And, remember, there are strong at violence, I'll have you put there " He went out then with the men ^d in a moment later returned alone and said in a voice foUofrnge at anv on";; ^'f^^.^^"^ '^°"^^ ^^ ^'' Petrovitcl flLf^ . '^'^ ^ ^^l^ *° ^^^* yo^ "P liere till the flesh rots off your bones. \our sister and I are Sr/h r^'r °" '^°^^y= ^"d I'll see you on^e A^v n fcfht '^^°"' ^^^ "^''^ '^'^ ^^ left ^^' My phght was worse than ever. So far Olira was safe. That was the only glimpsfof comfo? in aU the miserable situation. It was clear, too TS she was m the house; and though she w^s still in hXilTg tr.^°-^^' ' "^'^'^ y^' ^' ^ -- -- o" nf^?.^^'^^'^i^^'?^^^^^^'^^°°-^ndwhenIthought of his words that he was going to carry her still for- -.,, _ ,u...^.v4 ^iu«. vviui rage ana loathing. CHAPTER XX. THE RESCUE. I FELT as though the heat of hell were burning in my ve,ns as I lay on the floor with the remembrance of Devmsky's blow and his words turning my blood to fire. If ever I were free again, I swore To myself over and over again. I would' ha;e his l?fe f7th t OZ in^h^ '"^""' ''^"^ ''^' ^^^^ h- should ht;! Olga m his power were infinite tortures and ill Throi:' ch'"'' ""Tr. ^"y '-^^i-^ helplessne: Ihe one chance I had of deliverance was that someone perhaps EssaiefF. should hear of the rsTbfliS^'"^ "^'- .^"^ ^^^ h°P« was soteble hJ u }^^^% """"^ ^^^" tantalising;, fool-like I whatTad b'^ widiout leaving an/ intimation of what had happened. If he did follow me. indeed r.rnskv wo^ut^ f'' I !?"^ ^"^^^^^' and not until i- vmsky would have had time either to e-et far away or to carry out his purpose. ^ ^^' to do'' I began speculating as to what he meant Olo-. ^- ^^.^w°"^? scarcely dare to try and make Olga his wife against her wUl and consent thTu^h length '^tf' ""^^^" ^"°"^^ '^ ro"rt lengths. In this way my thoughts ran over the ground trying to ferret out a means of escape as well as seeking a key to the man's motives ; and Lus •«4 THE RESCUE. 215 another hour or two slipped away without my hearing a sound or getting a sign of anyone. The strain of suspense was enough to turn one's brain. But a wholly unexpected and most welcome interruption came to break in upon my reverie. Outside I heard the tramp of horses being ridden at a sharp ^ trot into the courtyard of the house, with a jingling of arms and accoutrements that told me the riders were either soldiers or mounted police. A sharp word of command brought them to the halt; and as soon as that happened, I let out such a lusty yeU for help as made the walls ring again and again. _ Then my door was opened and two men rushed in and ordered me to be silent, under pain of instant death, and clapped revolvers to my head. But I knew they dared not fire with such visitors at the door and I continued to yell with all my lung power until, throwing down their weapons, they tirst clapped their hands on my mouth and then thrust a gag into my jaws. ^ Some five minutes passed and the tension of my impatience was unendurable. Meanwhile the two men held me and cut the bonds from my legs and got ready to slip the gyves from my wrists. Presently the tramp of feet approached the door ot my room and when it was opened an officer of the mounted police entered with a file of men at ins heels. Devinsky was shewing the way and speaking as they all came in. "As I have told you, he made an attack on the nouse in the night; my men secured him. When I saw him, I recognised him, of course, and should have released him, but he tried to murder me— angry, _ I presume, at having been discovered and recognised at such work. I then had him bound 2l6 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. away, that's all I want " ^"'''' ^^^ •>'■» .hi?!n re"„ci"anTwTh 'a fl'^h r'^ ''•="">«'» '° expression than a st'nc ga^^'e" *""'''' "° ™°™ othef tren?7\;^^'^,,i^i°H'"™' -<' '" - free, I began to Xe myta^' ,.„^\=°?" ^' I was where DeVinsky stood ^I ^ , 'i ''^ '"* 'owarU police or no Sice thou JhtT" '•^'^Z ''™ ''°"". last act before^iteriSaol Tl" '^ '!, T'° ""^ that some Nihilist I hhhJ^ j f ^lessed of course that I was bo^ffo'r't^Cia't't'rs?'' '"^'^ ^""^ "Lieutenant Petrovitrh v^, ^^^rse. -e, if you ploasc^Tald'arLd";. 'a°ndT"P""^ "Kir °'"'^"' =" each Tide'of me"-'" '° I sail'-oin^T Sr;- - that-gentfe™,,. I musTS yTu to'^o w?r™ °"^ ="<= P^-^P'o'y- minute's delay » ^ '* "^ *' once-withou( a thJs'^rttinrrif o^^n^ra^d't;"^'" '^^*°"^'>' °f tingled to be at his throaf ^ ^"^"^ "'^^'^ ^""^ "Am I arrested?" I asked. 'For what?- :^^ryo7krw'x^^.rs?^--^^^ the sto^re^'^^:^''' "" '""^' f' »" « <>"«,• was •ci,: • ™^". ''^^ earned off „,„ sister" r • , She IS m his power now =„^ •! ' ^ <=™<'- came to fiad her thlt L f^V i"' " ™s wlien I me bound as you see Hl"f""^ ■"= and tl,-,, had She must rSurn wIS" us - ^°" """" '° "'"^ ""er. to-day into the city ^ you'll talcc him le police listened to tiat shewed no more e. is men, and in an- As soon as I was ncli by inch toward d have him down, >ven if it wore my I guessed of course told the facts, and worse. ire to accompany er; and a sign to side of me. that— gentleman," are peremptory. : once— without a at the thought of ngers itched and ^or what?" replied the man. id at once," was lis. sister," I cried. it was when I le and th.-n had men to find her. THE RESCUE. 217 thJL'r'urTy."'^'*""' '° ^^^ ^^^^*'' -P"^d "Damn yonr instructions," I burst out hotly. nlthtP^-'^Mf '"?~^° ^?^^ ^ y'^""^ ^^1 i« this plight? My nply stirred only anger. said the officer again curtly. or7o^t?r ^ "^f^ go without her. Go back and^. do tht JAh cf T ""^ y?' "^"^ f°^ permission to my ^^Lrt t^ ^^e t^i'"^^^ ^''' ^^^ ^ ^^ tor/and I'^Fw^'^K ^^^ instructions are peremp- toiy and nothing will let me swerve from them " the ^o^r .'^ ^°'" ^" self-command, and o7y by from T .'*"^""°"s efforts did I prevent myself brde^oSiir ^^^'^^ "p^^ ^- '- ^^« '<^^- protS"he^r '""' ' '°"P'^ ^^ '"^^ ^-^ ^-' to than^ ThavTsa'Jd "^r;i ^^'"''"^"*' ''^"^^ ^° "^'^ "^^^e Tt LT^ a f "^ "°'^' we must go." T In ""f ^1^"^^ '^« beyond all telling to think that iW .' KT ^'. "S^""^ ^^^^' ^" this ruthless, he" rtless e e'oTthr ""1 f/^-/-y moment' wh^n the J^e .e ot the girl I loved more than mv life wn« Heaven you or tw! '^'= """^ *"" ^ =«'^=«- ^ you pleksf- °' '^' ™" ^^° d° ™th me what The stolid Ktr,ntr i^ ; - J ""Fao:>ivcness Ot the man's I 2l8 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. ^Zi^'i^^^ every hope out of me. I could have stmck him m my baffled rage. " I have twenty men in the troop here Lieutenant- I Urtf°"' ^" to takeyoua^onre^oMoTcow: ne!Stjy}' "^^ "° ^^^^^^ ^"^ ^ ^-^ it here, if wiM^^^^^ t""^ ^u"?' ^" ^^"P^^'"5 ^"d then with a wJd dash I rushed to the door to try and find Olga for myself. It was useless. Thev dosed on me m an instant, and I was helpless^tn tbev myched me out to the horses, venting as T ^n^ Mter reproaches and unavailing protefts, minX with loud curses, laments, and revilings. ^ Will you give me your parole to e-o oniPtlv Lieutenant?" asked the leader. ^ ^ ^^' aU^^e'w'.'''^'^'^^"- That we ride at fuU speed officL'Ttohdft^"°«w^^'^°"'.'' '"P""^ '^'^ block of omcial stolidity; «but my instructions are to act mLtfa here?' °°^ ~ ii _;j- _ * J »,ii.5^ii vv»i3 on uic sxuu away M I 224 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. fflf Pi J'fft m Ifii f #^ H B ffl k rir from the courtyard, with a woman attendant near her; and she did not even turn round when the door opened. But when I uttered her name and she saw me she sprang up. speaking mine in reply with such a glad cry, and ran to me with a look of such rare delight on her face tliat I think she was going- to throw herself into my arms and I was certainly gomg to let her, oblivious of aU but the rush of love that moved our hearts sim.ultaneously. When she was close to me, she checked herself however and put her hands in mine, as a sistei^ might But tlie glances from her eyes told me all 1 cared to know at tliat moment, while her gaze roamed over me as if in bewilderment. " How is it you are better— and out? Where is your wound? What is that mark on your face? I don t understand. They told me you were lyinff dangerously wounded and that you wished me to remam here until you could bear to see me " "There is a good deal you don't understand yet, from start to finish." "Then you're not wounded? Oh, I'm so glad, Alexis and, moving her hands up my arm tfter a timid glance at the woman, she looked her tliank- tulness and solicitude into my eyes. The look made me speechless. Had I tried to ansvver it m words, I must have told her my love. You are to come with me, Olga," I said, pre- sently, recovering myself. « The aunt is all inipa- tience to have you back again." 1; Why? I explained all to her in my messages " Your messages got lost on the way," I an- swered, and she saw by my tone how things were, ^ne got ready to come with me without another m attendant near round when the and she saw me, I reply with such look of such rare ilie was going to 1 I was certainly I but the rush of meously. checked herself, mine, as a sister eyes told me all :, while her gaze nent. out? Where is k on your face? you were lying )u wished me to o see me." ; understand yet, 3 duel was a lie Dh, I'm so glad, p my arm after )oked her tliank- Had I tried to Id her my love, [•a," I said, pre- unt is all impa- i my messages." e way," I an- ow things were, without another THE RESCUE. M5 word; and I could feel my heart thumping and lurching against my side as I watched her and caught her turn now and again to look at me and send me a little smile of trust and pleasure. There was no need for us to speak much; we were beginning to understand each other well enough without words. We went out of the room together, and I was surpnsed and glad to see on a chair close by the door the sword which I had dropped the previous night. I took it up, and as I did so Olga cried out m great and sudden fear. I looked up and saw Devinsky at the narrow head of the short stairway. "I've compHed with the order," he said, his voicA vibrating with anger. « And I've given your sister treely into your hands. You are at hberty to pass —alone.* He said this to her and then turned to me: -But not you, till you and I have settled our old score." " As you will," replied I, readUy. « Nothing wiU please me more. But stay," I cried, remembering my promise. «I cannot now. I have passed my word. Stand aside, please, and let us pass " -Not if you were the Czar himself," he answered hotly. ^ « And I'm not going to let you shield your- self either behind the Government— you spy !— or behind your s'.ster's petticoats. If she doesn't choose to go when she has the chance, let her stop and see the consequence." «91ga, you had better go on," I whispered, iius may be an ugly business, and not fit for you to be here." "Where you are, I stop~come what mayl" she answered, firmly. -^ "I've not come here to fight now," I said to >5 226 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. rORD. ngly enough another e passed my word;" :e and shouted with ssoff's servant, who stance. )n a couple of men in, and with drawn ree rushed forward CHAPTER XXL THREE TO ONE. A GLANCE round told me the attack had been shrewdly planned indeed. The spot in which we all were was a large square anteroom or landing place, lighted from above. Four or five doors opened from it into the rooms on either side, and the narrow stairway was the only means of com- munication with the rest of the house. I was caught like a rat in a trap, and unless I could beat off the men who were thus attacking me at such dangerous odds, I was as good as a dead man. I whipped out my sword and pushed Olga back into the room we had left, just in time to parry the first wild lunges Devinsky made at me; and at tlie first touch of the steel all my coolness came to me. Everything must turn on the first minute or two; and knowing my man I set all my skiU to work to keep him so engaged as to hamper the attempts of the other two to get to close quarters with me. I worked back into a comer of the place, close to the door of the room, and then as I darted out iUwgi; aiter lunge with the swiftest dexterity, my "7 148 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. o^e!'sTa7r th^rhSd "*' '° ^ '""" -^i' my strokes "'„""=f,.'>"""ed manoeuvres to avoid fi/htC s";„g^a„'5" eS i bT'^r *■='' man, since all three conM^^?,f -k?^ "' '•'''^' °"« at me at the ^%' ^^' Bu^e'^n'fhrtL^rdd'' were too heavy. ^ "^® ^"^^-'^ Devinsky was nothing- like mv eau^l wifT, .», sword, and hk ra,v ^ j , ,•' ®4"^^ with the assistance ""^^ ^^^°'^ '° ^^^^^ to my m/o^^VeSj '^' ^^° ^^ ^^-^ °^ disconcerting Then a lucky chance happened. iHifoSiH"—---^^^^^^ /oa„i„;;n"dt/S:k:d"'XheT.o?dtft'^^''' part of my arm i^T h """"l ^""^"^^ ^^^ ^--hy or so ne^er Te S ^^°^^,i^f ^^bow. An inch ^o nearer the boay would have sent it rio-ht THREE TO ONE. 22g my equal with the hate now rendered witli two others to to win in the end. I uttered shout ^ to come to my ct of disconcerting through my heart. It was the last thrust he ever made however. The next instant my blade had found his heart and with a groan he dropped. Before I could withdraw it. however, Devinsky uttered a cry of hate, and dashing at me thrust at my heart with all his strength. He must have killed me but for Olga That splendid girl had picked up the fallen man's faZL """ . ir' T"^"? "1^ P^^S-h^. she sprang forward at the hazard of her life, crying out Jrr:u'L ?ort.""^' '^-^ ^-^-^>^^ --d r.r.yVY ^ ''"^'^' ^""^ ^^® "^^t instant. I had wrenched my weapon free and held the man chJ^l T'^\ ^f ^ i^^^^ "°°"^' ^' behind me. ^nhL Z-,^"^ ^' ^^'h^" I heard my opponent curse Z if to 1' .v'n';"'^' '^..^^^ "^^ ^"^ ^^^^ him turn as if to attack Olga. «Now. you butcher, it's you and I alone ; and you or I, to live " ' J' " W..^^\r''7'^'\K^^'^' ^"^ I's^w him clench k ow tt.^?. ""' ^'V^'^ ";^^ ^^y '"^^ do who f. w *^^? ^'^ ^^""^ *° ^^^^ ^ith a risk where tailure means deatn. J-l^hJ^''''^ ^"^ "i? "°'^' ^"d I "^^^nt death too. TnH ^^1^^^^" "P f "&ht to expect anything else, and I had no mind to let him off. If ever a man had earned death he had. He had heaped on me every indignity that one man could put on another rtn'i7lMf H- "" ^-^ ^^d i"«^ t^i^d^to murder me' kiU^a do^"^ "^^J f'^ ^''' compunction than Sie codest de^^Pr.";? ^ '? ^^^"' '^^ *^«^^ ^ith the coolest dehberation and purpose. Ihe scene was a grim and ghastly one enough K° m J1 tV?^r'y ^" P'^^^« ^^h the bS ^p a^ainTth^lil^^l^V-^-^^ H^^^ % huddled ^30 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. sat on the ground still spitting- and cou^hinc- and h^ ^ .u " S^ "'''^'^^^ ^^^ two stood fiP-htintr to the death watching one nother with the fire o "ha e and blood lust in our eyes and on our set fa es wh e Olga all eagerness excitement and tension, slood the knack with which I had disarmed hJm in ou? mrUrT'' '."^^' ^^ "°-^ ^-d aft?r a few from h^ o^r.n '""^"'"^ P"'^^^ ^ ^^^PP^d his sword enTof '^e^ra^ce'"' "^"^ ^^ ^^"^^"^ '^ ^^^ «ther de^^ thi^lt'"'"' " ' '^^^ ^-^ -y -- for the "Ah. don't, Alexis," cried Olga. in a sort of whisper of horror. « Don't kill him !" xt stopped me instantly, and my arm feU «As you will," I answered readily "but h. doesn't deserve it You owe vour hfe to 'thn , von'vo <~f;«^ *. "" wv\e your iiie to the woman fhortlt ^i "!. '^^"S; "°^ ^° "^^'^ I said to Wm" shortly. Stand out of the way and let us mss - suS: haT'rof '^^^^^ ^^^-^ - -^'\"riy fl?o T •. ' ^^ ^^^^' trembling violently now that the house. ^'^'^"'ay and down and out of When we reached the courtyard, the postchaise )RD. and coughing and i fearful effects of 5 stood fighting to /ith the fire of hate :>ur set faces : while and tension, stood vith white drawn >ly drawn breath distended nostrils r power, and my : until all his skill against my point, t of the question, e so close to the t length recalling rmcd him in our and after a few shipped his sword ng to the other my arm for the ra, in a sort of i!" arm fell, ladily; "but he ife to the woman I said to him, d let us pass." g us with surly iently now that It, and I followed wn and out of , the postchaise tiw.ee to one. 331 r^lved^ J'nH n^^''"^ i^^^"''^ "' fr°"^ ^^ ^"" had «?u • Tn ^^^"^ '''"'^ ^ Q^i^r^^L it at once. 1 hank God, we are out of the house," was mv companion s fervent exclamation, as the carriage turned mto the ro.-if nnrl «ro li^fi- «.i,« ~i I _ , p. V"""^^ into the road and we loft the gloomy ^laTeSnd^usT'' 3d we were o.it of Russia!" said I, ""Would to God »^-.„i • r "" ""-^^ *'•>- "A ivussiar said 1. speaking from my heart. - Then ...» I paused and looked into her face. ^ inJ^l"''''^ ^^^ T"'' "^^^'^ answered Olga. meet- mg my eyes and putting her hand in mine. My hi^PJiT-^ ^" '!,' ^"^)^«-^^^t thus for some momenti^ iodge'Tf't^-e SsTot. "^^"'^ '^PP^ ^" ^^^ ^"- Then I bent toward her an 5 graduaUy drew her * from heS^' ''^''^ ^" * ' ^'""'^ '^"'-^'^^'^ ^^^h *h« light "It is love, Olra; iovers' love?" I asked in a passionate whisper. ^ For answer she smiled and whisr.red back: betroth^f^i.- "^^^^ ^^"' ^^^^^"''' a^"^ she met my back ^n\Z\ ' • "°' "^r^ i° ^^>^ ^ ^°^d' but leant in thi .S "^^""'^^f ^ "^ ^^^ ^roM^\i the country n the ga hering gloom of the evening, bumping ha ?^'0?J^"'' '".^ '^'''^^^"^- What cLd we f^^ breast and be^f ^^''/'^ ""^ ^^' ^^^ ^^^^ °" "^X were tomnto^ ^^ ^^°f ^° "^^"^' ^° ^^^^^ that we ^i^ love^tS? Tu ^"^ ^S:ain to let the story of kisses and L>f^^ ^T"' ^"^ ^'"^^^ a&^in in our SkH^o- ?i? f '^^^'' .^^^^ ^^^ I had a thought of resisting the temptation. ^ This would have gone on f jr hours, so far as I S:Lhr^tTfr'\f ""^ ^" ^ veritabi'palace of ^ehgh with fresh y avowed love as my one thought 2^2 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. " Oh, Alexis, what have you made me do? Your wound." I had forgotten all about it, but now when she mentioned it my left arm felt a little stiff. *I am ashamed of myself," she cried. "What a love must mine be, that I want to dream of it with selfish pleasure when you are wounded. You make me drink oblivion with your kisses." *Love is a fine narcotic," replied I, laughing. "I felt no wound while you looked at me. But now that you bring me down to earth with a rush, I begin to remember it. But it is nothing much, and will best wait till we are in Moscow." " Do you think I will let anyone see that wound before I do? Why, it was gained for my sake. And you love me? And now " — " now " was a long loving kiss and a lingering look into my face as she held it between her hands, while her eyes were radiant with delight. Then she sighed — "Now, I am all sister again." I was looking my doubts of this and meant to test them, shaking my head in strong disbelief, when the carriage stopped suddenly. Looking out I saw that we were at the inn, and must therefore have been driving long over two hours. It had seemed scarce a minute. "Will you get out while we change horses, sir?" asked the Prince's servant, who had come with the carriage on horseback. "My brother is wounded and must have atten- dance at once," said Olga, in so self-possessed a tone that I smiled. " Only a scratch," said I, as if impatiently. • But my sister is always fidgety." We went into the house then, and Olga insisted upon examining the wound, and when she saw the THREE TO 01^. 233 ade me do? Your mpatiently. • But blood I had lost, not much, but making brave shew on my white linen, she was all solicitude, and anxiety. She sent the maids flying this way and that, one to fetch hot water, another bandages, a third lint, and altogether made such a commotion m the place that one would have thought I had been brouglit there to die. She bathed the little spot so tenderly and deli- cately too, asking every moment if her touch hurt me; and she washed it and then covered it, and bandaged it and bound it up, and did everything with such infinite care that I was almost glad I had been wounded. And the whole process she accompanied with a running fire of would-be scolding comment upon the trouble that brothers gave, the obstinate crea- tures they were, the rash and foolish things they did, how much more bother they were than sisters, and a great deal more to the same effect— till I thougiit the people would see through the acting as clearly as I did, assisted as I was by the thousand little glints and glances she threw to me when the others were not looking our way. Then she held a long consultation with the land- lady—a large woman who seemed as kindly in heart as she was portly in body— whether it would be safe for me to go on to the city that night, or whether a doctor had not better be brought out to me there: and It took the persuasion and assurances of us ali to win her consent to my going on. I tried to purloh her for this when we were in the carriage again, by teUing her I supposed she was unwilling to travel on with me. But I wasted ^^.u t^^ ^""^ ^y ^ff°^' as she was all the way in the highest spirits. "^ "I don't quite know which I lika bant." «!.« ^^:a '^->JV5 SXIC SOIU, 234 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. if i'-Ci laughing. "Being sister with a knowledge of— of something else, as I was just now at the inn, or — or ..." •Or what?* ^ , « Or riding with Hamylton Tregethner, she an- swered, laughing again, gleefully. "Do you notice how easily I can say that dreadful name? « I notice I like it better from your lips than from any others." r» ^ t « I've practised it— and it was so difficult. But i might even get to like it in time, you know." •• By the way, I remember you once told me you didn't like Hamylton Tregethner." «Ah, yes. That was my brother's old friend. A very disagreeable person. He wanted to take my brother away from Moscow. A person must be very unpleasant who wishes to divide brother and sister. Don't you think so?" « .j t « That depends on the rate of exchange, said i. "Perhaps; but at that time there was no talk of exchange at all." *And no thought of it?" • Ah I " And for answer she nestled to me again and merged the sister in the lover with a readiness and pleasure that shewed what she thought of that particular exchange. And with these little intervals of particularly sweet and pleasant light and shade we travelled the miles to Moscow, in what seemed to us both an incredibly short time. ■_! 'i i 11 IIP" ' ;] ^^^^^^^^B^^^^^^^ ' IB^H JH* M ill J CHAPTER XXn. THE BEGINNING OF THE END. Despite my fatigue and wound I was «;tirrin • time to get round to .^^n/''^'"''"''^ ^"'"^ i" wished to^teeT;''a^°d discu^ VT, ^^'^^ ^ before goine to rennrt f ^ P ^ ^t ""^"^^ Position of thin^ wfth oSy "'" BUbassoff the result the^sw"4TtlSj1* °'^^,'"^' ■"« -» -« °* of the go^ au^^CoS""* D^•^'?^ '^^ P-'^ence effect ney were ^ZltJ^l"''"V*'''^^'' *° '«« "Tt .-I, Ai • ^'tt'ng together when 1 enterort it IS Alexis, aunt," said OIra rislnr, ^ entered. « iii^ bf ^df ' -'---^o"^ "••"- •-•-*« iiiu oil about it " 236 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. "All?" 1 echoed, looking at Olga, who tried to keep the smile that was dancing in her eyes from travelling to her lips. "Ail that a sister need tell," she said. " Olga, I have no patience with you," exclaimed the aunt. " You have a brother in a thousand— in ten thousand, and yet you speak in that way. And I see you never kiss him now. I should like to know why. Are you ashamed of him ? Here he has saved you from all this trouble, and you give him the points of your finger nails to touch. Yet you are not cold and feelingless in other things." ^ ^ "I am glad that you speak to her like this, I said, gravely. " She seems to think that a sister should never kiss such a brother as I am." "Do you mean to say you think I have given you no reason to believe I am thankful for what you have done?' she retorted, fencing cleverly. " I don't echo our aunt's words, that you are cold and feelingless, Olga— she is not that, Aunt Palitzin. But I do find that as a sister she places a strong reserve on her feelings." « To hear you speak," said Olga, laughing lightly, "one might think I had two characters: m one of which I was all warmth and affection; in the other all coldness and reserve." ^ " And I believe that would be about right, child, said the Countess. " For when the boy is not here your tongue never tires of praising him ; and yet the moment he comes, he might be a stranger instead of your own nearest and dearest." Olga blushed crimson at this. " Brothers have to be treated judiciously," she said. " 'Judiciously,' Olga. Why, what on earth do you mean? How could you love a brave fellow like Alexis injudiciously?" THE BEGINNING OF THE END. 237 -Love is often best when it is most injudicious " T. ,^'/^"*f t^^^sly; coming to Olga's rescue; but lovZThcn.TleSp-"^ '^ '^ ^ '^' ^' ^"J^^--^ mv ^nL"7^'' ^^^"^ P""":^ ^^^^ °^ judgment than in Sl^M rl^rtcT' ' ^'^^^ ^'' -^^^ ^-"^^ ^^^' tenl^u^The^Tat'rn^H^^^^^^^^^^^ "If every brother had such a sister, the tie that answered.'"' ^"'' ^' " "^"^^ more usual one/1 awl^°'' ^""^ incorrigible/ she laughed and turned my au^nT ^^^i'/Z '^'^^ '° seriously. Alexis, " said hZc r \^® ''° P^^^y ^° any deception. She do^ ove you. boy, however much she may try to s^^usbot^'" T" a'^^here;'' and with this, which set us both laughing again, the old lady went aWay. nicr? V^^l ^ ^'^^^' ^"d ^^ question brought Olga with a happy look into my arms. ^ ±Jut I had not come to make love, sweet thouQ-h It was to have the girl's arms about me and 2 TosSiot ' '°^'' ' '^^^" ^ '^ seriousraCfth^' In the first place I told her c /erythin^ that had h:rditi\e'"tSet^^^ "f r ^^^^^ th?t"d affairs li tremendously critical state of our MeAjtet""' ''^ ^''' ^^^^^^ ^^^ ^-- ^ad -What, another?" she said, with a comical crink IrLf ^^' 1°?^"^^- " Upon my worrXt wth ^:^\.'^'.'ZT:,L-^ --^ plagued." ^s BY iUGHT OF SWORD. "How many?" _ . ^, -I don't think I know. Either two or three, according as we reckon you. While you re my brother, tvvo I suppose. Otherwise three ^ Otherwiso' is a sfood deal shaky, Im atraid, said I, shakin- my hoid. « And I begin to question whether he 11 e-.'5r coimfc." «He ma> r.->t-, but in that case no other ever will," retur' ed Olga oarnc.-tiy. "Did you say that on purpose to get anothtr assurance from me? « No indee.l. I only spoke out of the reahty of e " Sh/Jjf °^ ^l'^ ^-^P'^'r ^''<' ^-J '>°' believe hard into my Tvi IT'J'T- *° ■"«• and stared j^jj^ y eyes as if searching there for the -'^fZ^'tlS^ZZTt r'f *° ""t' Not a kindly have thrown^to tS veriest^'ir *"'-y°" '"«'«"^ have you given me V™. l^^" '" *« =*««* brighter, wfen ? c"me nl^r Vo?° tT*^ ^^^^^ '° eyes light up a hunLd tiS" AJe^r^" y°" have let them rpcf «« -1 "."nes, AJexis, when you lovmg me^^nrnowy^ a^?!"!;,,?^^^- »<• stone. Will vou swZ,w^ '°'^ ** » 'omb- for ais other C.nS'l^ri4«,^?>ve no love "Most certainly I will " ™"=*^' is '^^tlom r/ "V"*^ » ^'•i* there What has' ^Tang^d y^7 J^f tl^ S^'t-'^^^^ marrying this woman?' ^ " *'"''k»g of unZet" Jt.Zi "'^ *° "-^ '>-. *«•" die .the httle evaSSi'^ ?^?^°°VJ?^?. ^^tated by ing her?" ^® y°" thinking of many. •a°so™dsX"'a w^iT *"°"s'' fo' you?- else. Do you knot 3? . t^® '"°''« than anything thought yofmett tot^*i,n"'^.''° AlexClf! •I can"^ pretty weU Se^" ?^^*"'^ «"«'' • Probably ^go L:,.d' .fd'tv/Xr!^!:''.,-^?- i6 I BY RIGHT OF SWORD. her and tell her that little fable which you told me the other day. You weary me with these constant threats, Paula. They get Uke a musket that's held so long at one's head that it rusts at tlie lock and the trigger can't be pulled. It would be so much more interesting if you'd go and do something." With that I turned away and lighted a cigarette, almost wishing in my heart that I could offend her sufficiently to drive he away; and yet sick at the knowledge of her power over Olga iind me. "I like that tone better," she said, with a laugh. * At least it shews some kind of feeling. I hate a log. You will find I can 'do something,' as you say, when the tune comes, if you drive me. My muskets don't miss fire.* ** No, nor your daggers blunt their points. I admit you can be deadly enough where you hate." "Don't make me hate you, then," she retorted, quickly. "Is that possible, Paula?" I replied, tummg to her with a smile. The instant change in this most remarkable woman at this one slight touch of tenderness was wonder- ful. She .Veto hungering "or the love I could no more give her than I co M have given her the Crown )f Russia, and at ti; ., Uttle accent of kind- ness she turned all softness ai ^ smiling love. "Ah, God! You can do .^ you like with me, Alexis," she cried, excited! ■ 'Ju^ then you were rousing all the devil there is in . and now no more than a smile drives out of my " irt every thought save of my love for you. If it is so easy to make me hap y why kill me with your coldness? Kiss me, Alexis." She came to throw her arms V and me but wishing to avoid this caress, I remem bered my wound and stepping back, kept her off. J). rhich you told me Lth these constant lusket that's held ; at the lock and ould be so much do something." ghted a cigarette, ; could offend her d yet sick at the ^a and me. aid, with a laugh, feeling. I hate a imething,' as you u drive me. My ir points. I admit you hate.* en," she retorted, eplied, turning to emarkable woman ness was wonder- ! love I could no ve given her the le accent of kind- imiling love, you like with me, us then you were 1 and now no )f my 1 irt every . If it IS so easy i^ith your coldness? throw her arms is caress, I remem k, kept her off. THE BEGINNING OF THE END. »43 to theplacl.'"^''* ' '""^ ""-^ "ere;- and I pointed Little did I think of th^ most simple action or oftL''''"-'''^'^"^^^ ^^ ^^at to pay fir shirking a fel H F'^. f '^^^^^ ^ave was at once all anfiety ^^^tasteful kisses. She you-^^i^ in^~L Jff "^^ ^^ - Have turn her t^ought^^r^m "hf J V ^"'^^' ^'^^ ^o When I had to admTthat I. ^'^ ^° ^^"^^^ ^^' thrust, however, she Tnsisted nn7'' ^ '^'^^' '"^^'^ as well as the place. wS J^u ".'"^^^"^T the wound the efforts to ge't m "f my L'nds '^"^ "^ ™ ^ ^^^^ ''' '^ - ^- ct was prompr.d ter to see, laughing ha fshm^? T "^^ ^"^ ^o' to assure her There was 'n^.^^ ^' ^ ^^ ^o, and that she was'^l^^g^^uToVnotr' ^"^^^' But the effect if h,A ^ * nothing. , After gCZftt^^J't\^^f-rtn^g indeed. dying awly, for^my skin a^/ \'";''^'' ^^« f«' ^e said, glandnrup^S\''"T*^'^ft^.- as li Iiere were som-. sLeW .,• -if "^' *"'' ^Peaking ottsf^^ that coK^ToSn^V^vt^^^^^ up|?{ ^!'iur Lr tSe' ^h^ ^°- V- <>^ ^^ had kissed It and had t, rlJ^ v"""^' ^"*^ ^^^^^ she front p. of t>e foream "!i^' 'T^ '° ^^t ihe broadest wa. . . fuJJ vie- 'r^if? ^^ "^"^^^^s are ^ -• i .^iw iicr start violently, "I 'I -'i (f I i il, ^^0W9HKK' 344 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. and heard her catch her breath quickly, as if with a gasp oi surprise. She stared iit it for fully a minute without raising her eyes, her only gesture being to pass her fingers across the muscles twice. When she raised her eyes and looked at me, tliere was an astounding change in her face. She was as white as deatii, and trembled so violently that even her face quivered, while her eyes were fixed on me with an expression of wildness and mingled emotions such as I could not read or even guess at. "Are you ill?" I asked. She started again as I spoke; and her lips merely moved very slightly as she moistened them with her tongue. And all the time she kept the same staring, strained, frowninr questioning look fixed on me. "What's the matter?" I cried again. "Are you ill ? ' I thought she was in for a fit of some kind. But all she did was to continue to stare with the same indescribable intensity, the heavy brows closing together as the frown deepened on her forehead. "My God!" The exclamation seemed to be wrung firom her in sheer pain of thought. She took hold of my arm again and examined the same place once more with briefer but no less fierce scrutiny. Then looking up again into my face she let the arm fall. She seemed to shrink from me as she drew in one long deep shivering breath that sounded between her teeth. Next she turned away and sat down, pressing both her hands to her face. Every vestige of feeling and passion had passed, leaving only the close, concentrated, strained tension. quickly, as If with )e wrung from her THE BEGINNING OF THE END ine colour had left ho,, ^u i Thon The gof^pP^C'.''^'''^'' "'"'"'' "^ "» spoke nie and staring rihUntS '""' 1"''« <='°^« to all changed and unmus^al^ "^'f' ^'""^ '" * ^'^e whisper, that seemed ?^!„f *°''.' °f ^'"'" Picrcinjr While she pointed to 4° '^"^ ^ ^^ill through „>e-? •What does it mean?^ '"^'~ I returned the k„k sL..n ''°. "'^ y""'" through as I g,tss°a well i^ f ^" ">' "P "^«Iy had made. I Tnswered &''' *^ *^^°^«^ ^l^^ Tr-^^,-fxh"aftl'~'---"^>'°-'" not' She spoke in the sam/.,!, I?" '^""o y°u are and pointed to my arm "^fn"'' '^''°"""'' ^"^'^P^^- Are you mad?' I criorf^f. , you mean by this pretence" " '^^ '^^' ^o '-If tant? :j^:-:- -l^ t^e samestony I Cried! with^'whafl Tn^erZ''"'' *° "^''^ "o? " But the effect of my questton ^,^ ^T""^''" ^n-Phasis. , It broke her down a„d t ^ ^'^^noerted me. almost a scream, Z fw h» ^,f'=!^' *^' ^as ^d gave vent to emoti™, ,v. ^^"^ '"'° ^ ^hair controUable. emotions that were no longer condition" aSn c™!]/"^ '" *'^ semi-hysterical of her frenzy. "^ ^d''„g"^^ the leading ^ou^hl she would jump to the ,V^^f"?^^^'^ beUeved, were lovers, and not broa,.?=j''' *^' O'S^ and I "-^de her a madwomlf '" "°<» ^'s'^'- He?jealousy •By the time she hnA — .. ! 1 Hi recovered from her frenzy 2/^6 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. I had resolved on my course. The only thing possible was to hold strenuously to the old deception. What had shaken her belief in me, I could not, of course, even guess. If by any means she could make her words good, it was clear she carried my hfe in her hands. Strong as the story which she had concocted as to my supposed crime would have been against the real Alexis, it was a hundred times stronger as told against someone impersonating Alexis for what she would of course declare were Nihilist purposes. The mere fact of the impersonation would be accepted as proof of guilt in everything: while Olga's share in the conspiracy would render her Hable to a punishment only less in extent than mine. As I thought of all tliis, my rage against the woman passed almost beyond control; but I forced it back and listened when she spoke— telling me of all the things which had made me seem so dif- ferent. My conduct to her ; my manner; my lack of love; the difference in looks, in gestures, and in what I said and the way I said it; the thousand things that had set her wondering at the change in me. Then she spoke of the change in my sister's con- duct; how a word from me had made her friendly where a thousand words before had failed. And when she spoke and thought of Olga, she seemed to lose again all self-control; declaring she had been made a tool and a dupe of for some purposes of our own. My protestations were of no avail. She brushed them aside with abrupt contempt, and when I tried to find out indirectly what her proof was, she laughed angrily and would not tell me. "I will tell you when I bid you good-bye for Siberia, or see you for the last time in the con- D. The only thing he old deception. , I could not, of s she could make ; carried my life yr which she had ime would have i a hundred times le impersonating rse declare were the impersonation It in everything: would render her tent than mine, rage against the trol ; but I forced poke — telling me me seem so dif- manner; my lack 1 gestures, and in it; the thousand ig at the change in my sister's con- nade her friendly had failed. And Dlga, she seemed ring she had been >r some purposes ail. She brushed and when I tried f was, she laughed you good-bye for time in the con- THE BEGINNING OF THE END. 147 detaU upon th" mJsZif S ^"'^^ *i* hoWiSi both Ol^a and rJ^s^tf"""" "^^^ ^''^ '" stor^S had her love tricked Ts''wdrrL"^^"r°'"*»^-d the love which she had had f^ ^ Judgment; and now transferred to me H^\°}sf%brother ^,as Olga. was really to «,mp hlf ^'^^ <«" was lest stopped, I tested her "***'"" "«• When she .with a°"h'Sriaugh.'' ^'ST^^^'-nest," Isaid, important to do than tTur *^* something- more you think there s»y iS'^' to yte fictio1,™S means tell aU you knYw But r '^^ *^"?' ^y aU hand you will fail-feaT^omL "?" y°" before- more, lose aU you have SdZT'^^' ^'^ what is great object now is to jrlTo^. wish to gain. My so that I may be free £ '^ "ut of the country ^ She looked up afl sDokf^ ^r' "^ ?'»«•" hope in her eyes. ^^^' ""^ ^ saw the light of •"v-rs";^orXr;J-PP-y°umeanP" shortly. . If you wl,h ff J°" P'<=''«e, " I answered by this ridicuC sto^;°do ::^'' f'}" '^^ween'us ^S^- - -^- arwhe"nl^:^tS : cLT^!s&.^ ^ --J-ision. :°-vSS?iiK^u?---the '""" ^ ^orid of meaning p. i', li in '■ ij 248 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. •Then get it, -^-CSerielJrbe^'J'S can drag her across the frontier, ™f ™!" °jj j » RusSr^and out of my way%much to my rehet. She sat silent ^ pe^e^V- ^^_ .you Ha^nr 'm^e°'do^trX|s. whoever you are. -JSLrUS^wlJen^^^^^^^^^^^ to a rather fanatical Nihih* ^nd cnea « >^ ^^ aeir^Ld^ hlotdl aM lr:o w^:^an.s hand can hands on my arms and .^ler face close up and said in a soft seducUve tone.- •If I get that permit, ^^/^^"X" I answered, . All shall be. as f «^^^ ^t^^be^t Li kissed -ri c^olflfnfXfflu^^^S'ahsolutecandour erarnt-^lrytl^ir&ys^fromnow. X ^i""^' *^u'^T?eX"d!'and I felt glad that in CHAPTER xxm checkmate! As soon as Paula Tue^VJ Uf. particularly and that sh» „ ' ^ '^=^'»«<3 to see hpr for a w,u, ,, try andtdir mvr"f-"'e.Twe„ finding myself near thlv- ^ Noughts, and knowing'^that i^ad toT.?' ^-^'-teky's house hi,rT ^°^" "le much flnri , -I'edGr who went OW T"* ^«her hear"a1l frL'"*^^""^''^»" to her fnr *?^* ^^en Russia ^1,? ^^^"^^ ^^ terror "idi a man 7;t« t\___. - ,49 " ■^-'^•vinsky would if it If !: i!i1 250 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. dare to lay so much as a finger on one of our family? " she asked, checkmating me qmetly with " ??^i\Twhai Devinsky dares, but what Olga « She did not strike me as a girl of nervousjears. «No; she does not shew it even to me. « Then we can do better than drive ^^.P^^J/^^^^ away from home-punish Devmsky. Tell her that he is already under arrest." . 4^at so, indeed?" I asked, in some astonish- ""^""certainly; his murderous attack on you when you were on the Emperor's special duty is a cnme Siat wiU cost him dear. Those who play us fals^ Lieutenant Petrovitch, must beware of us. But 01^ friends find the ways made easy for them. Did not my brother tell you that Olga was to be protected as one of us, and therefore avenged, if wronged ? -She will be glad to feel safe," !/epliejiquieUy I knew what she meant; and with a look that seemeTto imply much, I added:-- 1 am glad to be^ne of your friends." I was getting such an adept in the suggestion of a lie, that much more practice would mike it difficult for me to tell the plain truth. . Mv companion flushed with pleasure. ^ , ^ « I always felt I should not count on you in vam, ^ -No woman has ever done that, I trust," was my answer. "No woman ever could for whom I telt Si feel for you." And with that, and a httie more to the same effect, I left her. , I went round to Olga's at once. It was a blessmg that with her there need be no secret meanmgs and insinuations. 5S, but what Olga in some astonish- CHECKMATEl ^iae?.- -^o°S| °ye?a^ -^ler answer ww« Devjnsky. told her about th^ ^^< Their power ?^' f'°"?htfully. .Therf ^^«'=''«%. "The fronfa t "V*"''?'" ^hSed ^^ pass it" "* Uieir limit; and „ for flight jT "•" '°-<'ay to make th. little f Me „V -^r'^ I ""it go ? "_s^! P'-«Paratio„s »oner Se better ""T^^"" « "-e-tVd"'! ^^ « ^^d *•& "-^-- ^""^ '^^■^ '- - cr?L™i' °f her old^'f J,-''" ''^■- then to-dav? • i . asked th,s" "^^""^ crossed 0?^^,' f,^ ^^ad^w "-t^at^ou'Siro.^!:-.-^ she get out of txie country. HI I Is A «5« BY RIGHT OF SWORD. i,4 I- J il She was very quickwitted and read my meaning instantly from my words and tone. "TeU me evorytliing. Tliere is more bad news yet to be told. Has she guessed? ... Ah. I always ^""Telf me";" ought I to have any special mark on"m.er of my^ arms. Any birth-mark, or anything of that sort?" She went white instantly. « I had forgotten. That wretched woman s initials were tattooed in small letters just there "-she put her finger on the place-" I saw it once and Alex^ wL wild with me. Has she seen your arm bare?" -My wound," I said, in explanation. ^ ^ ^' Oh dear, through me again; through me again, cried the drl in distress. I took her in my arms tosoothe her, and tried to make her understand tha.t after all it was really a good thing that had happened and not a bad one, inasmuch as the woman's jealousy was urging her to help m gettmg Olffa away. I told her everything frankly. But this was not all a clear course, "S jinay be imagined. Olga loved me very dearly and trusted me I beUeve; as implicitly as any woman could Tmst the man she loved. But she was a woman and not a goddess: and she could not bring herself to like the necessity which took her out ot tlie country and left me behind in the clutches of such a woman as Paula Tueski. She was a ve^ reasonable little soul, however, as well as a brave one ; and before I left her I had talked her mto a condition of compulsory resignation. I did not attempt to disguise from myseu, though I did from Olga, the fact that her flight after my conversation with the Pnncess would CHECKMATE I certainly tend to h ' .should be discovered"" Vn"v^''^°" "P°" ^^> if it juncture would do that T .f ''''^.^ "^^P ^^ such a see the Prince hiLelf'th. ?°"^^' ^ ^^^ better to do so should roSLtT'^^/^' ^^«t my neglect J went to him from O? ^ ''f ' Prematurely, vvas admitted, after a i,>^^5^ ^°"«^' ^"d when I ^Tr ^^^«. I ^-nrhimt'tlSL"'"' ^ ^^ -t ■I am very busv " i.^ ^'^^^^"s as ever. to_Jom us, Lieutenant." '^^^ y"" ^ave resolved 7w:„n:eT,sr*r'^^-----" again in Moscow her . » '° *^'- Your sister is "'y men; you hl^ onirtT^"'"' '' '" *« car?rf be h.s judge. Do you ^ it t^ ^ ^"^"^ ^^ "er to Seeme- me hPQ,>nf^ " i>ay it? , 'Whfn T^'rrike v^u'^r^^'^, °"'y - moment he means. No. I understS R 1 ' '^^ ^^^^ *reet^y InH^?'". '"■■* much force' uli:'""' '' ^SinnJi and don't come airain Im , ^^ "P your mind- ^ter.d what tha/Ss^r^"^„^-edecidJd. U^: you are ready to say Yes or N„ /"" ^S''^" ""til ^hen come, and if you dpr;L ' ''"a"y-finallv before you come, to'l°4t' tv li.tT"''^ " ^°"^^™«n' best be put right personaljv "J^ '""'■' matters that can afterwards. You underst/r,'^ J°" '"^y ''"^ obstacles accompanied the wordHhewedl' ?.<= '°°'' "^ch aU this as a prettv str^t, ™"^ed me that he meanf ^-^ by the ?y!'\fS "Tusf *T'^-- "oT 'ne room— 'of cour™y You mayTvo„ Z^ "■°" ' ='«empt to if be wiser not to.^because r h' ^°" '""'""■ butyouTI ,?J1..'"- an elcelTenr'jr^r """"'^- ^"derstand-I-shalTo::;; as tleolinj verv — r l^ ^ I i il >l 254 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. see you again when you are ready to give me your decision." , . ,., .,, My anxiety for Olga was making me like a siUy frightened boy; and I went away from the man now with a chiUed feeling of fear that set me doubting and speculating and anticipating a thousand forms of trouble which he could inflict upon her. I should not have a moment's peace of mind while Olga remai.ied in Russia. That was certain. ^ I went back to my rooms and sat there thinking out moodily the particulars of the journey which the girl had to take alone, and my fears for her multipUed with almost every turn of my thoughts. Every detail of the position seemed to teem with additional menace and cause for alarm. I had my own escape to think of too. I resolved, let the risks be what they might, that the instant Olga's telegram came telling me she had crossed the frontier, I should bolt; and the manner and direction of my flight had cost me many an anxious hour. I had been looking forward to the possible necessity for a hurried flight ever since I had started the venture, and I had had time thus to make my plans fairly complete. For this purpose I had used my Nihilist connection, though I had of course kept my whole plans to myself, since I had contemplated running away from the Nihilists as much as from anyone else. 1 ne chief difiiculty was the geographical position of Moscow: the very kernel of Russia, and at tremendous distances from all the frontiers. My escape must be obviously a matter of the most careful planning, seeing that I should probably be many weeks, and perhaps months, carrying it out. From the first I abandoned all thought of mak- to give me your 2f me like a silly • from the man set me doubting thousand forms n her. I should ind while Olga tain. It there thinking ! journey which ny fears for her of my thoughts, ed to teem with arm. too. I resolved, that the instant she had crossed the manner and t me many an to the possible ince I had started hus to make my irpose I had used ad of course kept had contemplated as much as from graphical position ■ Russia, and at e frontiers. My tter of the most ould probably be ;, carrying it out. thought of mak- CHECKMATE I 255 EvVoud'et o^^VT ^^ frontier by train jealously, alike by ^ nor ^^"^^ ^« ^atchJd m^st the fact of Ol^a «1,^. -P^";® ^°^ the Nihilists xS.m thousandfold ttvteeS^^^^^ -ould^re^f: If Paula Tueski mana^eH f ^''^"^ ""y ^Howint ^ould make her e^can? - °i P* ^^ P^^^t, oL either north-west to sT pi"''^>^ ^y ^ain, \^1^ Steamer: or west acrols ^'f?"'"^ ^"^ awa^f soutfi-west down into AusWa T'" .^°°«^^^ or do the business. -"-"stna. Two days would ^y escape was tr> u^ I meant 'to ieTvem^cVT ^^'""^ ^'Ir. ae pan or'tr e°-dei\rn,!5:^' *^^-e an°d pt ^d sustain my pan "^ '"^^ '° «Jivert suspicifn would IS^i £-jf/ seU ttese for what they ^We ™y character't^Jr''S°f the "^^ '^^^> me Volga; and mv ntn ^®^® ^ should strike --t^ng my way^L*'*: CaV".'"^^^ "^ ^^«^t anu thence across hv ♦ • ^ °°*n to Tsarit>!m "outh of the Do2 : I 256 BY KiJirr OF SWORD. the very last place in wh. h I should be looked for; while the time tl .t mu^t be ( ccupied m the nver would give me the necessary oppoi* nity for obtaining- such papers as 1 should require to ^ ot awa I hid perfected the plan, thoiight out many ui its df :ail and discounted its risks, ai..' had laid in many .f the necessary disguises. But I was not destined to use them ; for the direction of mat- ters was wrested out of my hands by a stroke that checkmated me completely. In the afternoon a leuer came to me from Olga, vaguely xvorded, to the effect that Paula Tueski had sent *'or her and had given her what had been promised, and that all matters were now complete. She wished me to see her at seven o'clock. I scribbled a line saying I would be there at the time. The messen-er, Olga's maid, went ofiF with it: and almost be tor ■ I 1 ought she could have had time to get hon-' and back again, 'le came hur- rying in again breaildess and exciteu. and all white with fear. I thought at first he had been molested in some way in the streets — Moscow is not Eden — and I asked her what was the matter. The reply, uttered in gasps and jerks of terror and with spasmodic sobs filled me in my turn with consternation. Olga had been arrested during the girl's absence, and my aunt, the Countess Palitzin was like a mad- woman in her fear. She was all anxiety to see me. " Arrested ! " I cried, scarcely believing my own ears. " By whom ? For what ? " "By the police; I don't know for what,* wailed the girl. " But the Countess . . . .* "I'll go to her at once," I cried, interrupting hould be looked < ccupied on the oppoi ' nity for [uire to, otawa- ^ht cmt many u. s, aj..' had laid cs. But I was direction of mat- by a stroke that 3 me from Olga, It Paula Tueski r what had been B now complete, n o'clock, uld be there at rent off with it: could have had 1, ^le came hur- led, and all white molested in some ot Eden — and I d jerks of terror in my turn with he girl's absence, I was like a mad- nxiety to see me. )elieving my own or what," wailed •ied, interrupting CHECKMATE I ^s Cr ^t^t: ZZ' I r ^^ at once ^^^hat could it an mean? ^^^ ^'^' viiose blow was th;^? n • ^ -^nt. it shattered ^ ^' oW^^'"? ^* '"^*^ « ^o- ^ "'/ Pians to fragments. f /' ^'1 M'M MICROCOPY RESOIUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 1.0 1^ ■ so US, 2.8 3.2 14X1 Z5 [2.2 2.0 1.8 ^ APPLIED IM^GE Inc 1653 East Main Street Rochester, Ne* York 14609 USA (716) 482 - 0300 - Phone (716) 288 - 5989 - Fax « M|t : Itf.Sli •* I. • CHAPTER XXIV. CRISIS. I FOUND matters just as 01ga»s maid had told me The Coantess was in the deepest distress and was wringing her hands and crying herself bhnd ^^tatad hfentuTin the afternoon, she toldme and had come back considerably excited. She had staved some time in her room, and the maid now sSd she :..d been turning over her clothes. I knew what this meant. Then she had written the letter ^ me and Tent the girl with it; but the latter had scarcely left the hou?e before the police had arrived, had Lked for Olga, and had arrested her. refusmg to sav a single word as to the cause. aL had of course gone with them, protesting to the Countess that there must be some mistake and that no doubt she would soon be again at liberty and return home. When kissing her aunt the girl had whispered to her to tell me at once^ ^^f ^" assurance that she was not in the least frightened. Knowing what I knew about the system ^ ot imprisonment in Russia and how common a thing Twi for a prisoner to be arrested on thefhmsiesi susntcion to enter a gaol and be kept from aU com- suspicion, lo e^ ^^_s or^/i family, I did not by any municauon wiui liiciiu,^ v».iv- ._ ji * j j 358 CRISIS. a59 d had told iistress, and lerself blind she told me, d. She had e maid now .es. I knew m the letter le latter had had arrived, her, refusing 1, protesting ome mistake ^ain at liberty mnt the girl nee, with an ightened. e system ot imon a thing 1 the flimsiest from all com- id not by any meaiis share the r... nness she had professed. The suddenness of the arrest combined with the complete overthrow of aU my plans incensed me beyond measure. I put to the two women all the questions that occurred to me, but got no further light. I could not hide my concern, but I did my best to make the Countess Paliizin believe that it would be m my power to help Olga. I hurried from the house to Paula Tueski 1 reckoned to get from her the best hints as to where my exertions could be most usefuUy exerted. Bui 1 did not find her and the news at her house was disconcertmg somewhat She had been caUed for suddenly and had gone out, leaving no word where she Was to be found nor when she would return All quite contrary to her usual custom. I went on then to the chief police office. I was m uniform of course, and was received with the greatest politeness, but no information was given to me. The man who gave me an interview was complacency itself. «! am grieved to be able to give you no infor- mation, Lieutenant," he said, politely. «But you know how our hands are tied and how one's lips are sealed in this office. In anything but that matter 1 am your most obedient servant: indeed, if in that very affair you can suggest how I can be of service I pray you to command me." "My sister was arrested by your men? " I asked. " Most arrests are carried out by our men " was the reply. "What is the charge against her?' "I have not an idea." II By whose orders was the arrest made?* " By chose of my superiors. I have but to obey " "Whore is she now?" if II 26o BY RIGHT OF SWORD. PI' "11 1 i » 1' 1 1 Li. For answer he shrugged his shoulders, smiled blandly, and shook his head slowly. " Can I see her? " " Yes, of course — with an order. "Whose order?" , ^ - Anyone who is my supenor. -Can you give me an order?" He repeated his tresture, murmuring an expression of regret. ^ - You have not told me much." I said, and he smiled deprecatingly. « But it is enough to tell me where I must look for information. ^ His smile changed to one of congratulation, and, risins? he gave me his hand. -Lieutenant, a brave man like you shall always command my sympathies and services so far as my duty permits^ LI with that official reservation he bowed me out with the most profuse of pohte ^Tthought I saw from where the stroke came, and witiiout any longer ielay I hurried to the Pnnce ^ Hfw^s at first said to be out; and for some half hour I cooled my heels ^"^/^'^"^f^^yf,"??.^' and impatience striding up and down m front of the build^^l. Then he was denied to me on the ground that hf was very busily engaged; and only when I insisted that my business was exceptionally urgent anrpersonal. wis I admitted to a" ^^-^^^^Xf and left wait there with some half 'iozen other The servaa. took my message, but mstead of returning instar ly, as had been iry-revious ex- perience; to lead me at once to the Princes room I was left to fume in my impatience for several ""'r^ng the bell angrily and when the servant came ordered him to snew mu lu uic x ^^nce .»«t»i-i_^ . irs, smiled •epeated his gret. aid, and he h to tell me Illation, and, shall always so far as my servation he ie of polite le came, and 3 the Prince nd for some d my temper n front of the n the ground d only when onally urgent antechamber dozen other, lit instead of r>revious ex- Vince's room, :e for several I the servant •iripp inctsntlV- CRISIS. 261 orders frl^- ''''*' '^^^ ^^ ^^'^^ "^^ ^i^liout orders from his master, and that he had given my message and could do no more. '^ rr^Lrr^'f '1^ ^""J^ ^^ reception, but was in no Ztu ^^°°k delay. I had nothing to lose now by boldness, and as soon as the feUow had turned ttt of the r"' '? '^^ ^°°^ ^^^^^ I knew to be tuat ot the Pnnce's room, and pushing aside the man who stood on guard out.ide,'^knock^ed opened It. and marched m unceremoniously nf ill^""? "^u^ '"i ''^^^^ conference with a couple of men and when he saw me he jumped up and asked me how I dared to intrude in that w^y. ^.,/» ^ave sometiiing urgent and private to say to you said I, coolly. «If these gentlemen will give us five minutes it will be enough " ^ A moment's reflection sufficed to change his anger an ATr^ ^' ^Tl^ °" ^"""^"^' I didn't care whi?h, and he dii:missed the men. here, he said, as soon as we were alone, speaking m a very sharp tone. pcoi^x..^ canSL^^ contrary there may be two,' I replied, copying his sharpness. ^ "The only condition on which I can receive you Lieutenant, is the one I told you some hours since.' ±iave you come to comply with it?" my" "ra^wh^eteT" "'^ ^°" ""^ ^"^"^ " My sister." mea^g. '' ^^^*^ " '^^' "^''^ ^ '"^^^ of indescribable aflli^oon -"^"^ "^^^ ^"°"^^ "^^^^ ^ "^^ ^^^^ ^^ .: y I 2^2 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. Ml y [;:li fill « On the contrary, I knew no more than I know now. I don't even know that you have a sister. Ekhe^the man was a lunatic, or he knew evervthinff. Here was obviously the reason of the akeTd reception. But I would not betray myself bv a single word or gesture. ^«I am^ speaking of my sister Olga Petrovi^h whom you rescued from the ^ands of Major Devinsky. Now. do you know what 1 meanc "No," he answered stolidly. "Well, do you know whom I mean? « I know of Olga Petrovitch." "Then what the devil do you mean?^ 1 cnea angrily. « You have arrested her, haven t you? « She has been arrested," he answered quietly. -What for?" «You seem very anxious on her account. "Would you have a man indifferent when his sister is whisked ofF to gaol by the police devils of ^°« Indifferent? No, indeed ; certainly not. Even I am not indifferent about it. It has been of the utmost use to me, in fact." «How long are you going to keep np tnese riddles, Prince? I don't pretend to be your equal at that kind of fence, and as it's perfectly evident to me you think you have a knotted whip for my back I'll wait till you're ready to lay it on. He laughed at that. j-.-^^^^" v,a « Are you going to accept my conditions? he « It' will depend absolutely on the result of this '" nTpIused half a minute and then taking a paper from his pocket tossed it to me with a laugh. CRISIS. 263 an I know e a sister. he knew son of the ray myself Petrovitch, of Major mean?" >" I cried I'tyou?" i quietly. mnt." it when his ice devils of not. Even been of the ip np these your equal ctly evident vhip for my t on." ditions?" he result of this king a paper I laugh. ligMy.'"'' *^^ ^"^^ ^"^ ^'> y<^ '^^d it?" he asked. It was the pennit found on Otea cra7en ^""^ ^"^ "P= ''"' ^ ^""Wn't play the -T^Jl^T S^"* it means?" he asked. can guess," I said. •To me?" He nodded. "And to her?" is 'dfm^e'd t"d' onTo:„^:^ ^"' ' ""^ ^^ '- pe;;^t1or-yo^rsLT?"^7"'^ r *^ ^^' *'« aiTir ^1 < Sister x- He paused on the worH « Whit ^^' '^' "^ ^^ ^^y' «^-t's al f" ''''^• Is what she says true-aU true?" ihat depends on what she says." Why did you arrest her?" T ask^d nc .« ;/. occurred to me. ^ ^ x asKeo, as an idea «S^^^^'I ^® f '^' pointing to the permit Did she volunteer her statement?" his facf^'^ '^ ^^^^^^^^^ ^-"-^ spread over i) 264 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. IW too 1S.US for ^«.e po» ^J^-es ^d - Srt'Is in^ ^'arS.ip un'til you had made vonr deciston Th«e would at any rate be no pr^ fnTneSTyou to think of h^ leaving *e com.^ j or feel it desirable to go with her to taKe care 01 hlr in her shattered condition. Andwewerengte Phrf pven I did not expect a tithe of all tlat has f^efrl tl^ step. It is indeed seldom that I get SO genuine a surprise." „««,>» -And what are you going f ^^^^f ZLe ?- «How much of this woman's tale is ^^e? "One third of it. I am not Alexis Petrovitch, but neither am I a Nihilist, nor a muraerer. ••Who are you I" ^ ., ^ » .1 Engl-hman-Hamylto^^^^^^^ :?^rSt^ri nSo/for the first ■^i^Shner!' H^amyUon Tregethner," he m^- n,„red repeating tiie name as if it were not wholly SrfSniUw to Urn. Then after a pause he asked me whS^Te real Lieutenant Petrovitch was; and ques- 7^Z t Tearchingly and verv staewdl^^ to^ whole details of my change of identity. X conceaiea "°*You English are devils,' he smd. when his aueslons werrnearly exhausted, "l.hate tiie lot 2f v™? exceot vou. And you're as big a devil as anJof fttm But you have the pluck of a hundred.' I Iteugged my shoulders, laughed, lolled back in my chair and lighted a cigarette. CRISIS. n woman, ut why did You were 3s, and we 1 know that X had made be no press- the country; take care of e were right, all that has )m that I get ow?» true?" i Petrovitch; derer." thner." lur Russian?" for the first jr," he mur- !re not wholly 2 he asked me /as; and ques- 7d\y as to the . I concealed .id, when his I hate the lot big a devil as )f a hundred." lolled back in 265 " I've enfoved if » t • j - truth. I diil4 li^'j J f ^d -and tha^s the plain I never had any triiniL ■ .u ""i '° '^"i but then ^pd that make^ the difforen^^° "iP'"'"""'' «"vice? Ive enjoyed it- -IZi *™^f"<:«- But all the same possible! I'd W "foujht't^r'r'^" "^-^ ^ keenly as any born iSL In f,^ ^'"^"= ^^*«' ^ ' over, and so far a, r^ " *" '■^nks. But it's you like with me" iThouTdTe';^"" "'" '"'-^'a^ She's one in ten thousand f , J° ^^^ *at girl, her something too "s"h/ P'"f''- Andyoufwe treacherous t&ust of Dcvt«r."^ "^ "f^ from a tf e it. You mighf let C hf ' 1!™""? ^°' y°» ^ place. It's inferiuy ii^^^.t^^her '^berty i„ its cowardly brute of » u^ °" *e g'irl that her all this ^mes^fa^S ftentht't ?°""^J^' '>-^" &' will in the world shofw ,? }v *'* ^11 the good '"t. i''« damiedS-"^* '•^■- deeper intftSe hard™";^ "" ^^'^'^^■"^c'osely and thinking he__asked, tha^jy. '•''''**** t° accept my proposal ?- the w'urS fi™„4'^™f While I appreciated sister, 1 loved OW pSro^L^ ''"'5"<=« ^"th your marry her." ^ i-etrovitch, and preferred to sardonS^ *^\S t'^'' *^*'" "•« ^^id. laughing much ' >i 266 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. -If she is put across the frontier/ I returned grimly. , "Don't you trust me? «You. yes; but your ajrents, no." He smiled. -You should go far with the daring wiUi which '""^ZtJ^l "go on till my head falls by the wayside." I answered. I was utterly reckless now. But my tactics succeeded when nothmg else could have won. He took a form anu wrote. -Here is the permit for her to leave the country. It is vours— on conditions." „ -^Vhat are they? Never mind wha^ they are, I added, quickly. "I accept them m advance Save that girl, who is innocent, and do what you like with me." . , .,, „„„o»» -Do you know what I ought to do with you? ^^ Yes -'better than you do. Write me a permit also and have me conducted to the frontaer at the same time. But I don't know what you think you -^ oujrht to write out a very different order and have you both sent straight to the Mallovitch yon- der; and let things take their course. -Well it's fortunate for me then," I replied, with a laugh, « that your interest and your judgment pull different ways. You won't do that Pn"^f-„ « How do I know that you are not a Nihihst? -Instinct, judgn-ient, knowledge of men, know- ledge of me-everything. Besides, if you w^"^ proof, no one knows better than yourself that a cipher telegram sent to London, and inquiries made in half a dozen places that I can mention wiU put orr,t.ie T^rnnfe in vour hands to shew who 1 am. I returned le smiled, witli which Lead falls by ;rly reckless nothing else 3 the country. !<■ they are," in advance. do what you » with you?" me a permit rentier at the ou think you ent order and allovitch yon- I replied, with our judgment lat, Prince." a Nihilist?" f men, know- if you want ourself that a inquiries made jntion, wiU put jw who I am; CRISIS. 25y So far as I know there's one man In Russia at the present moment and actually coming to Moscow who'll stir up the British Legation and every British consulate in the country to the search for Kamylton Tregethner. That's the Hon. Rupert: Balesticr " Then I told him what had happened in Paris. At first he smiled, but soon grew thoughtful again. -I warn you, too," I added, when he made no answer, - that if you chop my head off or stifle me in one of your infernal prisons, or send me packmg to Siberia, Balestier is just the man to raise a devil of a clatter. And you don't want a row with our Foreign Office just at the moment when things are so ticklish with the Sick Man." He waved his hand as if to put all such consid- erations away from him. ^*If the giri you caU your sister had got away did you mean to try to escape?" /Certainly I did," replied I. frankly, and I told him the scheme I had formed. " And now? " « If I give my word I shall keep it. You Russians never seem to think a man will keep his parole to his own disadvantage. We EngHsh think differently —and act as we think." " If we postpone this talk till to-morrow, have I your word that you'll make no attempt to escape? " No, indeed, you haven't. Let this girl go at once; then you can have it and welcome." « You seem to forget that I can keep you under ;l forget nothing of the kind. Clap me into a pnson and you may whistle for anyone to carry out-to do what you wish. You can decide now. rk tS " ''^^'°"* '^^^'^ '" ^^"^ '■"^'^^ ""^ ^ S-ame n I ^1 11 if i 268 BY RIGHT OF SWORP. -You carry things with a high hand," he cried ''"-Most probably I shouldn't bo here if I didn't," saidTXa Jgh. '^^^^^^^^'^Z the pace at this juncture; and the nsks too Dig lo throw away a sin^de chance. He made no reply, but pushing back his chaar crnt uo and walked about the room, in a state o fndVSon^bs'lutely foreign to his character and ^^l' knew how momentous the decision was If I were^e dangerous Nihilist that Paula Tueski had decTarS! the risk of letting me free and entrusting to me such a task as that we had discussed was critical Tnd deadly The Russian instinct was to clap me into 1 gaol' and be done with me -but the persona feeling pulled him in the other direction-to use me for a tool in the project that was aU in all o him with the Grand Duke once out of his path Se wal nothing between him and almost absolute ""^^atched him with an anxiety he little suspectec^ for my manner was studiously careless, mdifferent. '"-m'l^o"- give this girl any particular task it she escaped?" he asked, stopping suddenly m his walk close to me. ,- , . r "Certainly; to find Rupert Balesfer tdl him of mv Dosition, and get him to try and smooth away communicate with and find me if I managed to %Ttoi the answer as I gave it with perfect franknei and it seemed to help his decsion. Ho rSumed his pacing backwards and forwards Two or three minutes later he stopped h.s walk CRISIS. 269 d," he cried if I didn't," age to force s too big to ick his ch£ur in a state of ;haracter and m was. If I I Tueski had entrusting to id was critical .s to clap me .t the personal ction— to use 5 all in all to it of his path [most absolute ttle suspected, js, indifferent, ticular task it Liddenly in his er, tell him of smooth away how she could I managed to it with perfect 1 decision. He forwards. 3pped his walk and taking the permit he had written held it out to me. "Will you give mo your word as an English gentleman that if I give you this and allow the girl to leave Russia, you will make no attempt to escape, and will go on with the proposal we have discussed ? " It was my turn to hesitate now. •No, I cannot," I said after a moment's thought. "An Englishmin cannot lend himself out as an assassin, Prince BilbassofF. I will do this. I will give you my word of honour not to attempt to leave Ru sia, and if a meeting between the Grand Duke and myself can be arranged without dishonour to me, I pledge myself to meet him. I will never take that word back unless you release me; but more I cannot do. Let Olga Petrovitch go, and you shall do as you will with me." "I take your word," he said, quietly. « Your identity will remain unknown. Your sister will leave for the frontier under escort at midnight. You can take the news to her, and she can leave with you to make her arrangements for departure. I hold you responsible for her; and you will explain only what is necessary to her. You remain a Russian. And with the permit and the order for her instant release in my hand I left him, conscious that I had been brushing my back against a dungeon door the whole tmie and had only just escaped findintr myself on the wrong side of it CHAPTER XXV. COILS THAT NO MAN COULD BREAK. PC . Olgal I shaU not easily forget the effect ^I wTnt out from'Sie interview impregnated with the TonvictSn that I was now indeed hopelessly baffled I saw how completely the whole position had been changed. The very axis had shifted. And the knowledge that I had to make Olga un- derstand ft all bffore she left Russia was more uSTtable and depressing than I can ^es^"^^; ^^„ Up to the present moment there had indeed been the slight off-chance that we should both escape, fnd Sf knowledge that if we could only do so we might find happiness in another ^^^^^J^^w^ bound hooe was as dead as a coffin nail. I was bouna to Molc^w by a shackle more powerful than iron fett^s I had^pledged myself not to attempt to go untuihe Prince himself had given me permission; and I knew that he would never think of doing thS until the duel had been in some way airanged. On ^CoTher hand the NihUist attack on ^e Em. peror was to be made in two days' time. If it Lcceeded an ignominious death at ^he tiands ^^^^^^^^ law could be the only ^^^^^ITjuT^^Jf^ll failed, death was almost as ceruau a*. .«= "c»xa„ ^. COILS THAT NO MAN COULD BREAK. 271 et the effect Nihilists who would adjudge me their betrayer. Between the upper and nether millstones I was helpless ; certain only of being crushed by them. Thus nothing could make me believe that I should ever again set eyes on the woman whose release I had thus secured and whom I now loved with aU my heart. Nor could I part from her without allowing her to see something of this. She was indeed so quick to appreciate the meaning of what I told her, that all the sweet pleasure and gladness she shewed when welcoming me changed in a moment to sadness. "I would ten thousand times rather not go," she said. " I do not care what they do to me. I have brought you into this, and it is me they should punish," she said more than once. "But you can't do what this man wants, Olga," said I with a smile, to reassure her. " If you could, he would probably let me go and hold on to you. If I couldn't, he would hold on to us both. But you must go for this reason. You must find Balestier and tell him to come here. He must stop making a fuss about Hamylton Tregethner, and just come on here and see me and let us try together to find out some solution of the puzzle. But he must hold his tongue unless talking to the right pair of ears." "I shall know no rest till I find him," replied Olga instantly. "And if I do not, I shall come back here. I will not leave you like this." I kissed her; but did not tell her that so far as I was concerned her return would be useless, for the cogent reason that I should not be alive. It was impossible that I could survive by many hours the Imperial visit. This I kept from her. however. ( , ; 1 V, '- i I J! n 272 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. for the fareweU was already more than sufficiently sad and trvinff; and I doubt if any consideration on earth Wd have induced her to leave if she had reallv known how imminent was my danger. ^ I talked much indeed of the help Balestier might be able to render, and thus impressed on her strongly the need for her to find him, however long it might take her. This giving her a task and Tofnecting it with the work of helping me kept her hope ahve and tended to reconcile her to the parting; so that in the end she shook off much of her depression. I could see also she was battling with her feelings to distress me as little as possible I loved her the more as I saw this but the parting was such pain for us both, that I was glad whelT^it was over. I stood and watched the tram steam out of the station and saw her leaning from the carriage window to catch the last glimpse of me And I was sad indeed, as I turned away with a positively choking sense of loneliness such as i had never felt before in ah my life. ^ The departure of my brave Httle sister, clever- witted counsellor, and dearest companion .seemed to leave such a void in my life that m the first hours which followed her departure I mourned tor her as one grieves for the dead. And m truth she was dead to me. . But the events of the day following left me httle time for meditation. It was Sunday and a day ot brisk action. Early in the morning there were special regimental duties ; and on my return to my rooms for breakfast I found waitmg for me a stranger, whose card, given to my servant, described him as "J. W. Junker, St Petersburg Gazette. He rose at my entrance and said in a very pleasant voice : — n sufficiently consideration Lve if she had danger, alestier might ssed on her )wever long it a task and ling me, kept ile her to the I off much of was battUng as possible, this, but the lat Iwa^glad :hed the train leaning from ist glimpse of led away with less such as I sister, clever- )anion .seemed lat in the first I mourned for ad in truth she g left me Uttle ' and a day of ig there were my return to iting for me a vant, described g Gazette." a very pleasant COILS THAT NO MAN COULD BREAK. 273 r Z'^r"^ ^ journalist's liberty in coming to you. GazSte nnf^'"'^ correspondent of the St pttersbur,. Gazette and have come to do the Czar's visit, and matter / ^''^ "^"'^ ^^' ^ ^"^^ ^''^ ^^^ ^^ 'he •r M ^°,"'* ^^® ^^^''® I can be of any helo but I said. lve had a couple of hours' driU this morning, however, and I have to be on the parade ground in less than an hour, so you must excuse me if I have my breakfast whUe we Siat But perhaps you'll join me?" and^Ml.'^t^'^^^^'' pleasure." and down he sat. and while the servant was in the room for the first few minutes, he chatted away like the bright and pleasant fellow he appeared to be. But as s?on a^ my man had left the room, his manner changeS suddenly and his voice took a direct earnest t?ne ' D^^nl'h""' Jw /1? ^^T ^" ''^' astonishment or don? ^ ^,f ^^"^^ ^^"^ ^^^^"- Is it all acting. -Did you? Well, I certainly don't know you L^T T ^i°"^"^"st . . . . " He broke in wiSi a short laugh and waved his hand with a quick gesture of imperative impatience as he stared\t ml hSd His manner annoyed me. JWeU, if you're not what you said you were ^ni^„.. ^ ^'^^ P'^'^^"^ ^^ ^^t of the place. JJidnt you expect me?" -Expect you? No; how should I?" ^ Instructions were sent to prepare you • what "yZ ^It^"" ' ''*"^"'' *^ S''"^* °f » -ti"" - — -^-....^ ^„„ aiiaiigcnivjnis lor to-morrow's 18 4 1 ! 1 ! ii ■ ■ 274 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. glorious event." and his face lighted with a momen- tary enthusiasm. "How am I to know you?" I asked, suspi- ^^^•^I am Gorvas Lassthum ; and I saw you twelve months ago when the other plan was laid, as you will remember, and failed. Your memory is treach- erous, my friend." ^ . r 4. » •There are some things I tram it to torget, I answered, equivocally. I was in a fix. I guessed the man was a Nihi- list agent, of course, and his air of self-importance suggested that he was high up in the leadership. Bift on the other hand Moscow was at the moment swarming with spies of all kinds; and this might be one. I assumed an air of extreme caution there- fore, and after a flash of thought added: And some that I prefer not to know at all. It pleases me now to hold that from my side you and 1 are strangers. You know me well; say then just what you wish to 3ay. I on my side don't know you, and prefer to say nothing." -Good," he cried; and reaching out offered me his hand and when I gave him mine, he pressed it and said earnestly:— -Would God we had more men like you— so ready in act and so cautious in word." I bowed and made no other sign. _ « You have the orders for the disposition of the troops to-morrow, and at the last minute the whole of them, or the most of them, wUl be changed. You yourself will be detailed to guard that part of the line which runs over the flat stretch by the river on the further side of the Vsatesk station. Guard it well; for a greater Ufe than that of the Emperor depends on your vigilance— the life of the People." F#w» ith a momen' isked, siispi- 7 you twelve laid, as you cry is treach- t to forget," was a Nihi- ;lf-importance le leadership. Lt the moment tid this might caution there- dded: "And 11. It pleases rou and I are :hen just what [I't know you, lut offered me , he pressed it we had more d so cautious position of the nute the whole changed. You part of the line he river on the Guard it well; (iperor depends jople." COILS THAT NO MAN COULD BREAK. 275 As he said this another of those little flashes of light that seemed to transform him from a pleasant man of the world into an enthusiast leapt into his eyes. ^. pause followed in which I said nothing " Your orders will be to station your men at set distances on either side of the line— it being an easy place to guard-and you will have some three miles of the hne under your command. It is good. Now take thought. At one point in about the centre of your section, the land dips and the line is embanked to a height of some ten feet, for a length of about halt a mile. At that spot there are four alder trees -three to the left of the line, and one to the right. Ihese three form an irregular triangle, one side of which is much shorter than the others; and if you foUow the short line which those two trees make you will find that they form a comparatively straight line with the fourth tree on the other side of the railway embankment. Do you follow me?" He made a rough model on the table-cloth, usin? some of the breakfast things for the purpose of shewing the positions of the raihvay and the trees "■jHo one can mistake that," I said. *• Well, you are to take up your position here you yourself, I mean, here, in a dead straight Hne between these two trees"— demonstrating them on the table-cloth— « for this is where there wiU be an accident. And now, pay close heed to this. You wiU go out by train; and when your men are paraded at the station they will be joined by five of ours. These will mingle with yours at the very last moment; and if any questions are asked they will produce the necessary authority. These five men you will arrange carefuUy to take the next nve positions to you on your right hand. When the train leaves tlie line, they will instantly close :f 276 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. round and guard the Emperor's carriage; and you will see that nothing prevents them. That is all you have to do ; and if you act discreetly you will run no risk. You will not fail. They know their duties and will do them ; and will let no one come between them and their noble task. Five bolder men do not breathe in all Russia. Remember, they are to be stationed next to you on your right. You understand?" "Every item." "It is a great day for you, friend," he said. "It is a great day for Russia," I returned; and soon after he left me. I was filled with the most anxious doubt^ as to what course I ought to take to checkmate this hor- rible plot, of which I was the most unwiUing de- pository and was marked out as the forced agent. During the whole day I was turning the problem over and over in my thoughts: and I could see no course that would be at all effective m thwarting the plot without at the same time exposing myself to all the hazard of being punished as a Nihilist. I could, of course, tell the poUce or Prince Bilbassofif, but this meant a double danger for me. They would take measures to alter the arrangements as to the visit; the reason for this would have to be told to the Czar; it would certainly leak out to the Nihilists, and I should be a mark for their assassins at once. On the other hand the story told by Paula Tueski would seem to have the corroboration which my acquaintance with Nihilist matters would give to it, and I should be in peril there. One consideration there was that gave some reassurance. I had aheady had the orders for the distribution of the troops, and I knew that I was to be miles away from those cursed alder trees at COILS THAT NO MAN COULD BREAK. 277 the moment when the Czar would be passing I We it wo' M M p!'^ "^"^ "^°"^ in"^ that Lin leature, it would fail altogether. The Nihilists were not such fools as to draw down on themselves all the sensational punishmer S which would inevitably follow the discovery of an organised attempt on the life of the Czar/for the off tiT^l P^r?r °^«^"^i"& the Imperial train olt the hne. Unless therefore, tliey had some emissary so highly placed as t^ be Tn possessSn of the information long before any of us in Moscow knew about it, the whole machinery was IMv to be stopped for the one flaw. And^ thoughThad had some proofs of the extraordinary accuracy of toX f "r"'^?.' ' ^°"^^ "«t b^li^ve theTr power to be such as this necessitated. ^ r^^Ti''' ^t ^^^.^"00"' when according to arrange- ZT ^^"^^Srain to the Prince BilbassofF, startlhig and di'fTu"'^ "^"'I^^' ^"^""^^^^ ^" the^e doubt! and difficulties, and set them buzzing and rushing Sher^^ '"'"' threatening to middle mlZli his^rfpLr" %d^^^"ct change in the manner of his reception of me, and it pleased me to set this wThe^n^^ f; ^n^^^ ^P^"^- '' me was raised by the knowledge thr.t the black past of Alexis reaCl hrd^^tir^'i'"'^ ^^ ^'°P^^^"' ^"^ thlfi^ genll^man. " antecedents of an English .J/ «^"'^ ^""^ y^"" """^^ *^" a few minutes," he said and I must therefore squeeze as much as possible into them. I have taken your suS The ^::i^'''i '%^°"^°" '^ fi-d^-t aS you The result is what I am bound to say I hoped; ana the consequences are I am going to trust vou> xixais as you please,^ said I, quietly. " r I ii «78 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. «It docs please me, because I don't want tins duel to fall through. Now you want some cause for fighting that will satisfy your honour. Will you fight this man if he insults you?" "I'll fight any man who does that, I rephed. "Now, whose officer are you?" "The Czar's, while I am in Russia." "Will you risk your life in his service?* " My sword is absolutely at his service." " If you should hear His Majesty insulted in your presence would you face the man who did it?" "As surely as effect follows cause." "Then this man's whole life is an insult to the Czar." "In what way?" " He is a Nihilist to his finger-tips. His presence near the throne is a standing menace to the Emperor ; his hand is ever raised to seek his Majesty's Ufo ; and his whole life is that of a traitor who learns the highest secrets only to betray them to these enemies of God and the Emperor." "What proof have you?" I asked in the pro- foundest astonishment. I began to see now how the most secret information leaked out. "None, boy. Or do you think he would be where he is for an hour?" "Then how do you know it?* "If a secret is knovm to three people, two of whom you know to be as staunch as steel, and yet it gets out— how do you think it happens? If this happens not only once but two or three times, what do you think of the man? This man is a traitor; and as surely as there is a God in Heaven, the Crown is not firmly on my master's head while^the man remains alive. Now, will you fight him?" ihe matter is a puuiii;, iiuu pciawnai, »jtic. is.M.3w>w.s : want tnis some causG , Will you [ replied. ;e?' ce.* Ited in your did it?" nsult to the His presence tie Emperor ; ajesty's life; who learns em to these in the pro- now how the uld be where lople, two of jteel, and yet ens? Tf this ie times, what 1 is a traitor ; Heaven, the ead while the rht him?" ---«*- • Russian \ji.i\j •a--' COILS THAT NO MAN COULD BREAK. 279 not EngUsh. My sword is not a bravo's to be hired tor that sort of work." .r^^fu ^"^"Jf^ ^ /.^^P ''''* ""^^^ Ws breath at this, and then changed it to a laugh with an ugly ring in it. It you mean to climb, my young cockerel, we must see more of your spurs and hear less of your Wt tl^o^-t'i'/^u ^^ Emperor's own property? pilLn ? 1^'?^ u^^^^ ^" ^^"8-^^ ? Is"'t that enough ? von ? W- S'^^u ^5 ^^ '^' P^^«°"^l enough for you ? His Highness has already done you the honour to pick you out for the favour of his iU will. This JL? A '^^-''^ ¥ "''^ °^ *^°se little accidents infn n,l ^^metimes happen in my office, has fallen into my hands. He is writing to an agent of his here m Moscow. Listen: 'There is a youn^ Ueu! pZnl..l "^t ^^'l^^ Y^^'^'y Regin^ent, named Fetroyitch, about whom I want all the possible in- formation He IS a dishonourable scoundrel, I under- stand-a dicing, gambling, drinking feUow, who thinks he can crow and strut on the crest of his dunghill with impunity because he had the luck to beat a better man than himself in a duel, and the insolence th J" vi T^^^r °ffi^^r-one of my friends-and then hide himself under official protection. I hear now that he is meditating another and a greater coup. I know much about him, but want you to ^ ?l ^, JP''''^, '"°''® information as possible. Such swash-buckhng knaves are a disgrace and danger to everything they touch. He is not to be trusted in anything and all reasons make his overthrow ne- cessary. n.,tL^^ ^''i'^^'^ /eading the extract, the Prince paused and lowering the letter looked at me over 1^0.?; i"^" "^'^^^^^ ^^"8" «ie time to answer, ne continued:— si mi' m j >' ^H IH ^l^^l . 'i. f^^H r 1 :1> S 1 "• 1 280 »Y ^^^^ °^ SWORD. -Your 'butcher Durescq' was «^« J^^'^Vwa! friend ?nd tool-doing his w^^^^^^ through this patron'ynfluence^th^^^^^^^ ^,P^^^ being turned out of tte^myf g^^ ^^^^^ Td howt r &:' V Is that personal enough, Lieutenant? " , .. ,_ » cried I. on fire 4^C''" Vr'doene Ire- to interfere vn^ rforf" A^I asked feXf°Set/S flashed upon me as by '"sprat-on^ gubassoff and °^ "^f 'TLt Ti knew ^0 ^.A a?o«t NiWUsm was afraid that as 1 Kne'^ » .„nnection with it, and 1 should get *» l!f'r„,f ,^A'°rme put out of the he thus deemed it "^^^ ^°Jfi%Zo^tA: When I SedVrP^-rUe'^n sS eyes were fixed -.T.%r^u,?r^*rrvu,d «x on you , u- t „f hiQ rpicntment— even though he is as *t-ff Vie care my friend. I know you a Nihilist. Take ^are, "y ^^ ^^^^^ S "c^he'r ™t:Ue possessions; beware """iTeliete *h"-"real Alexis had dealings with ? or,^ ,-n the highest excitement. Get me a the life out of him.__I.f»,°J' Z^'^,,^ j dared not Then i rusnea liwajf , »v^- — --- man's dose lim. It was escq escaped ither. Nov/, n hates you, that personal ied I, on fire nterfere with 1 the reason le had heard 3ilbassoff and bout Nihilism, n with it, and )ut out of the ^d." When I yes were fixed lid fix on you 1 though he is I know you .k and dagger isions; beware dealings with ;o let tTiem un- sed the wariest g. ied, as if impe- ;nt. " Get me a he twenty times n iron mail from 1 a chink to let iith I dared not COILS THAT NO MAN COULD BREAK. 28 1 man held that I knew too much for his safetv ffl, 51 S- i I II if CHAPTER XXVL MY DECISION. THE news I heard from Prince Bilbassoff wrouttht S to a higher pitch of excitement u-n any Jang that had ever happened in my hfe. 1 /as in a ferl hfgh?^ strung condition, and my nerves were ro^doSu Neatly bought upon - /« 'res.dt f^he stirring events of the previous few days That may h^e tendered me unduly susceptible to this new ntCras it may. I went out of the P^ince|s presence filled with a spurrmg ^^f ^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^ man who as it seemed to me was planning my rum in this most treacherous manner. , ^ , „,^^ The view I took was that this Grand T^uke was moved by the double motive of personal anger on Te Lore'^of my affair with Alexandre Durescq and of a feehng of insecurity on account of the know- ledge I had of his Nihilism. I knew too much to be ttufted The issues were so tremendous, the decision Thad to make so full of moment, and the time for Le to choose my course so short, that my wits had need to be at their sharpest. 1 had out my horse and went for a hard galop -one of the b^st prescriptions I know of to clear a tangled iudPi. . r. It acted now. As I rode at tSa MTf DECISION, 2Bi assoff wrou'.T^t Ihan iinyihing . I 'vas in a y nerves were he result of the Lys. That may lie to this new of the Prince's iire to kill the anning my ruin rand T)uke was ■sonal anger on Ire Durescq and It of the know- ' too much to be ous, the decision md the time for hat my wits had >r a hard gallop mow of to clear '. As I rode at hot speed mv thoughts began to settle; and then gradually a , i hr -.e occurred to mo, wild, desperate and hazardous at best, and frau^du with fearful risks to others beside myself; but yet if successful, offer- ing me what I wanted above aU- complete deliver- ance From the whole of my present difficulties. My first thought in all was for myself. Not for the Emperor, uvr the army, nor Russia, nor any big interests— for myself and for my escape trom the country whose most unwilling ^c.-st and compulsory servant I was. Had I been a K issian officer m reality. I could have taken but one coirs,.- disclosed the Nihilist plot, or so much of it I knew, and thus have checkmated the whok devil ^h business at once. Had I ever received an parti- cular mark of favour at the hands of the i -vern- ment or the country, gratitude woul. have iri>-cd me to take the same course. But I owed nothing to a soul in all R a J?-veryone had tried to I se me as a tool. The O d of the regiment had I egun by making use o v quarrel with Durescq t, > humiliate Devinsky. ,e officers, almost without exception, had swa^ge d over me contemptuously until my skiU as a sw^or man shewed them the price of contempt might be death. The Nihilists had first tried to assaisin.-n: me and only when I had seemed to serve the ends with more daring and secrecy than any other man among them, had the turned with a demand tor more sacrifices; while this Grand Duke, apoa- rentiv one of the chief c ' them, was even now planning to get rid of me. Prince BilbassofF was in th- same list; and withoi t a doubt would have shut up both Olga and my elf on Paula Tueski's accusation had he not wis! d to hire me as an assassin Ti^'nr-«'-"'-i->'-s-o T -^s,- i •■ ^.... i..v,rjr rvix^re i turi.-d n was tile same. 284 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. What then did I owe to Russia that I should thi^k of any single consideration except my own "Xh'e qu'es^ol'^which I asked myself therefore was whether^I could plunge my hand into f^s seething Ta^ddron of intrigue and murder and pluck out my °"1 w^5' from me would foU the whole Nihilist plot ^d the Czar would make his entry mtoMos- ?ow in due form and time. But how should I St Supposing the Nihilist calculations were correct and I was appointed to the section of the ^ne where the « accident" was to happen I should haveTo conSve obstacles and make difficulties which Wd in all probability draw down on me thesus- ^rU^ns of the whole Nihilist crew. Add that ele- S of sull^cir to the feeling which the Grand Suke already entertained and was ^-^-^f-^^Xi others, and what chance was there of my escaping either open ruin or assassination? , ^ , , , x Aiuming that I did escape even what should I ^ain? I was tied to Russia by the word I had Ssed to The Prince, and could not hope to be set E:?e from it until I had either foughtjie Gran^^^ Duke or until the Prince was convinced that the 5ud wS impossible. But as the Duke looked on me as nothing less than a pestilential traitor to the SfhiSt clusl was it likelf that he would consent to meet me? Certainly not. Even if we added the cause which the Prince had suggested-the furious betrothal to the Princess-I should get no 1-^- ad^d^i^r^e^n^ ^^^^^^^ -a^°SeS^^^e.^^ateven^ the plot in this way, 1 shouiu uc r.^p. x.. n MY DECISION. that I should cept my own therefore, was , this seething pluck out my whole Nihihst itry intoMos- tiow should I lulations were section of the Dpen, I should fficulties which on me the sus- Add that ele- ich the Grand iculcating into f my escaping what should I le word I had hope to be set ght the Grand vinced that the )uke looked on i\ traitor to the would consent in if we added suggested — the I should get no xely regard that [g me removed 3n if I thwarted ; kept in Russia 285 and apart from Olga, until the Grand Duke con- sented to fight me ; or, in other words, until his emissaries had convinced themselves that they could not manage to assassinate me. Nor was it probable that that conviction would come until they had made a series of unsuccessful efforts. A pleasant prospect, truly! On the other hand, if I did nothing and aUowed ttie infernal plot to be carried through and the Emperor murdered, it would mean death to me; certain death. As the officer placed in charge of the section of the line where the deed would be dorie, who had allowed the murderers disguised as soldiers to mix with my troops; who had actually posted them at the very spot where the train was to be derailed; and who above all was akeadv suspected of Nihilist intrigue; I was certain of con- viction, even without the Grand Duke's special animosity. Add that, however, and the result was as dead certain as that night alternates with day It 1 was to escape, therefore, it must be by a shrewd stroke dealt by myself alone and for myself alone._ And such a stroke it was that suggested Itself in the course of that ride. _ Briefly, it was to allow everything to go forward right to the very supreme moment, and then by personal effort to save the Emperor's life by my own hand in such a way as to draw the Imperial attention directly on myself. I thought I saw how it could be done; and when 1 turned my horse's head homeward I rode at a slower pace, meditating all the details of the plan with the closest attention. The Niliilists had told me enough to shew me how to act; and my sense ot tair play urged me to use the knowlodo-^ for my sole advantage, and without involving a single '.v; •■ ) 286 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. Hi 1 'i \ v;v.;i;cf in d-tn^-er bv open denunciation. I WcOS a Nh agatt^n^y wilf; and though I had been forced into the plot, I was altogether opposed to teW what had been told to me in this spmt of confidence. At the same time I was a Russian officer, almost equally against my own seeking, and so long as I preserved the Emperor s ife 1 need not regard ote matters as a Russian officer '"^ bI^ the time I reached my rooms I had my plans shaped, and my scheme developed ; and my accus- tomed mood of calm, wary self-possession had 'Tdmnged and went to the club The place was crammed with the officers stationed^ in Moscow and S friends who had been sent into the city on special duty in connection with the Czai^s visit on Se following day. Everyone was in the noisies Sks Good news had come of the prospects of 'Sr All believed that on the nert day the Litt e Father would make a ringing war speech that would render peace impossible; and many of the men were talking as though the sword had already leapt from the scabbard, and a million men. tramping warvvards, were already driving the scared Turks before them, like husks before the winnowing fan. I lounged about the place, exchanging a word now and then with one or another of my acquaint- ances, and I saw some of the youngsters stop their wir babble as I passed and whisper to their com- nanions and the latter would turn and look in my diecto. I was fool enough to be pleased at these Uttle indications of the changed feelings with which in scarcely more than a month I ^^^^ made my fcllow-officers think and speak of "that devil Alexis." "N MY DECISION. 287 n. I was a I had been • opposed to this spirit of 5 a Russian seeking, and s life 1 need .ssian officer bad my plans id my accus- ssession had he place was I Moscow and o the city on :zar's visit on n the noisiest ; prospects of lay the Little ch that would ■ of the men L already leapt len, tramping scared Turks nnowing fan. nging a word f my acquaint- sters stop their to their com- id look in my ^leased at these igs with which had made my F « that devil More than once I smiled to myself as I thought what a bomb-shell would be exploded in the room If they were all told the hazardous secret which hlled my thoughts just at that moment. "To hell with the Turk, Alexis," cried Essaieff. catching sight of me and stopping me as I moved past. "May the Sick Man never recover 1* I returned ^^swering in the form that was then in vogue with ^ "Drink, man, drink," he cried, excitedly, thrust- mg a glass of some kind of liquor to me. It was evident he had been toasting the war pretty freely. we can. Weve a long march ahead before we catch a glmipse of the minarets of Constantinople. Gentlemen, here is a Russian of whom you wiU hear much when the war comes. Lieutenant Petro- vitch of ours gentlemen, my particular friend, and as good a fellow as ever held a commission. You can do anything with him, except quarrel; then damme, you must look out for yourself, for there isn t a man in ISIoscow, nor I believe in Russia, can get through his guard; and as for shooting, God! I beheve if a single devil of a Turk shews only the shadow of an eyelash round the comer of a fortifi- cation.^hen hit him with a ricochet. 'That devil Alexis, he is to us; and if the devil's only half as good a fellow as this, I'U be content for one to serve him." "I've heard of Lieutenant Petrovitch, " said one of the men, as he bowed to me ceremoniously and litted his glass m response to EssaiefTs toast. 1 hen you will know how to discount the exaggerations of my good fnend Essaieff," said I quietly. ' • !. r 288 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. aii 'ii i' i.'i lU'v t r ii « On the contrary, I knew Durcscq." " Is Lieutenant Petrovitch the officer who was in that matter?" asked another, shewing great interest in me at once. . , r- • re • -i "I should think he is," cried EssaiefF, noisily enthusiastic, " It was in this very room that the thing occurred. I'll tell you " ^ " EssaiefF, my dear feUow, I'd much rather not, I interrupted ; and turning to one of the officers I asked:— "Do you really think the war will come now?" But Essaieff would not let me. change the subject. ... "War come? of course it wiU; but tins is sonie- thing much better than war just now," he burst in. « Several of us thought there was mischief in the air when we saw Devinsky and Durescq together, and I was standing there, waiting for * "Excuse me," I interrupted, rising. "I wish to speak to a man I see over there; and really I can't stand Essaieff when he gets on this theme, and with that excuse I left. Wherever I went there were the same signs of revelry, excitement and pleasure. All were antici- pating a really splendid gala day on the morrow, with gaieties, festivities, balls, receptions, concerts, levees, everything that society deems life worth living for to follow. I went away very early. I had to keep my nerves as firm as cold steel, and the noisy ruffled atmosphere of this place with its crowd of gesticulat- ing, laughing, excited men, and the drink that was cu-culating so freely, formed the worst of all prepar- ations for such a day as the morrow would be for me and the task I had to perform. Before going home I strolled through one or two of the broader streets; and everywhere I went x who was in ^eat interest saiefF, noisily oom that the rather not," the officers I ^ar will come e change the this is some- " he burst in. ischief in the jscq together, • • • • " I wish to L really I can't i theme," and same signs of 1 were antici- i the morrow, ions, concerts, ns life worth to keep my i noisy ruffled 3 of gesticulat- drink that was t of all prepar- would be for igh one or two Liere I went I MY DECISION. 289 could not fail to observe that while the unusual throngs of people in the streets reflected the feeUngs ot rejoicmg that had animated the officers whom I had just left, and that all Moscow was slowly going mad with anticipative excitement, the number 5 police agents was multiplied many times over. The leaven of suspicion embittered everything; and as no one knew better than I, with what terrible cause As I mmgled with the great, jostling, bantering crowd I found myself speculating how the majority ot them would decide such an issue as that which had been bewildering me; and the wild task I had for the morrow made me feel like a thing apart from everyone of them— an alien not only in race, but m every attribute and aspiration. The contact with the crowd helped in a way to strengthen the decision I had made. I was one agamst all these tliousands ; fighting by myself for my own hand against desperate odds, and with none to help me in a single detail. When I reached my rooms I went at once to bed, knowmg that every minute of rest had its value as a preparation for the work of the following day. I had made my resolution, formed my plans thought out even the details. I had gauged the nsk and knew fuU well that the probabiHties were all agamst my being alive on the following night. But this at least was equally certain— if I lived arid was free I would have won my way out of Russia These were the thoughts that filled me; and so occupied was I with them that it was not until I purposely put them away firom me in order to get to sleep, that I recalled how little I had thought of Olga during the whole of that eventful day. She was in my thoughts when I fell asleep, howcveir; and her face cheered me in my dreamsi «9 VI CHAPTER XXVII, THE FOUR ALDER TREES. ; j« ^^;> i M': '- I WAS up very early on the morning of the Czar's visit. We had a parade at 6.30 to receive final instructions ; and as I walked to the barracks I was in high spirits, buoyant, self-confident, and alert — much as I had felt on the morning of my duel with Devinsky. I could not have been in better tone. The morning air was very fresh and clear and the sunlight fell everywhere upon flags, decorations, triumphal arches, and the rest of the festal preparations for the great holiday to which work people were busy putting the final touches. Everybody seemed in the highest spirits. Laughter and jest and a pleasant interchange of greetings rang on the air on all sides of me; and the whole city seemed to be already wreathed in smiles. My brother officers came straggling up after I had reached the ground, and more than one of them shewed abundant signs of the previous night's carouse; looking as though a couple more hours' sleep were sadly wanted. Headaches abounded among them, and more than one regarded me with a sort of comical envy because I was not dull- eyed, pale, nor unrested. They took it for cranted 290 •it ■>^v, Df the Czar's receive final rracks I was and alert — of my duel en in better id clear and decorations, preparations people were ts. Laughter 3f greetings d the whole smiles, p after I had one of them ious night's more hours' s abounded •ded me with ras not dull- t for granted THE FOUR ALDER TREES. 291 that I had drunk as deeply as they, and set down my steady head as one more proof of my prowess. Some men can always see something of a hero in the man who can drink heavily and yet shew no signs of his dissipation. When the Colonel came and we fell in, there was a disappointment for me. My new plan was based on the correctness of the Nihilist information —that I should have the command of the troops guarding the section of the line where were four alder trees ; and I reckoned confidently upon hearing from the Colonel of the alteration in the original plans. But no announcement of the sort was made. On the contrary, as soon as the troops had fallen in, the arrangements which had been announced on the previous day were repeated; and I found that instead of being told off to take charge of the railway to the north of the city, I had to pass the whole day in guarding the Western Gate and the road for some distance on either side of it. I was ordered to parade my men at eight o'clock and to march straight to the place of guard. I went home to breakfast, disappointed and dis- gusted. I didn't care a jot about missing the sight- seeing, but I was angry that the plan on which I had now set my heart had failed; and that instead of being able to strike a vigorous blow for my own freedom I should have to pass the hours dawdling about doing nothing more than a sort of police work in keeping order among a crowd of gaping, staring, gawky, country yokels. I was in an exceedingly ill temper therefore when I returned to the parade ground to start on my most unwelcome and unpalatable task. iound the whole place in complete confusion i f r,l R,,<- T 292 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. and uproar, and the first words I heard were that the whole plan of the day's work had been altered; that the troops had been changed and interchanged in a most perplexing manner; that regiments and companies and even odd files of men had been mixed up 'i\ the greatest apparent confusion ; and that not one of the original commands remained unaltered. I hurried to the Colonel for my orders, and found him cursing volubly and with tremendous energy at the infinite confusion the alterations had caused. But he found me my orders readily— he was a splendid disciplinarian— and when I read them I marvelled indeed at t'^e extraordinary exactness with which the Nihilists had Leen able to anticipate matters. My command was changed to the guarding of the three mile stretch of line outside the Vsatesk station, commencing a thousand yards to the north of that point. I was to train out at once; post my men at 25 yards di-'ance; and allow no one to approach the line for t vo hours before the coming of the Imperial train, and until half an hour after it had passed; the time of its passing being given confidentially as 2.45— two hours later than had been originally fixed for the actual arrival in Moscow. More than that, the men under my command were not to be drawn solely from my own regiment, but from no less than three others, all specified, who were to meet me at the station. As I read these instructions I saw in them the influence of someone who must be both near to the Throne and intimately acquainted with the whole Nihilist plot. The object of classing together under one command men taken suddenly from different regiments was a master-stroke of treachery for this particular work. Apparently it prevented any col- lusion among any disaffected regim.entS; but in reality ■" M THE FOUR ALDER TREES. 293 %^^T^ *^^. r^ ^^'^ *^^ fiv^ assassins to get into had beS. .?! I '"?^ ^^ ^^^ "^°"^^"t ^hen the plans solelv ?or1i?'"^'^' """f 5"^" ^^^" ^^ ^^^^ designed solely tor the purpose of the plot. dinarvlrn'^^TffT'"'^^ ^"^""^ ^" ^^^^ ^^^ no or- amary man. That was clear. And I saw that in pitting my wits against his. seeing that he akeady i^LT-f?'^^'uK ^^' ^ ^h^^ld have to be wa% iS?X i'^ ^ "^''^^^ ^° ^^^^d a fall. But I did S t^have thr.r= ""t^ r^ ^^^ IknewIwasreaHy resolve! '' ^ ^^^"ched my teeth in desperate delav ^T inf !'"^^.^^^ 'r^^^^ ^"d "^^^h irritating delay, I got together the smaU company that cam? from my ovyn regiment and marcherthem to Se fo'ThTdtf r- I ^f ^^ '^^"^ ^"d 1-okl^ round tor the detachments that were to join me I nosted ZilT^t" '^- '• ""'^'t *^' ^^"^^ ^^"d itself weu"^^^ the S reooSdT '^'?;' ^^" '^^^^ detachments of men reported soon after my arrival, each in chare-e bt w^r"'' "'^^ ^^^" I had ascertained Sietrafn by which we were to travel-a matter of no smaU difficulty in the indescribable confusion that prevaHed I moved the whole two hundred to the pfatforms thi. r T"" "^'^^"^ °f ^^^ Nihilists, so feHnd the order ^^A^" T^^'^^ ^"^ ^" ^^^^ P^^tfor^s me order of the ranks could not be maintained and when about half of my command were entrSned reZneftrt '^ ^ ^' ^ ^'^ ^^ A- men who r^orted that h-^ and his comrades had been told off to accomp:. y me; and he produced .^tt^n instructions to that effect. P^oaucea written I glanced at the order and saw that it was sufficiently in form to enabl- rr- ^^ -I" t- — a.^1^, ui^ ti-r fcttKc ijue men U i I u 294 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. ml ■with me, and while pretending to study the paper I looked searchingly at each of the men. They were a daredevil set, in all truth, but they stood in their uniforms with as much military air as the average Russian rankers. I assumed an air of great vexation, and rapping out an oath, loud enough for all about me to hear, I called up the sergeant of my own regiment and telling him the men had been sent to join me, and cursing them and everybody in general for the in- terruption, told him to find places in the train for them. In this way everything went smoothly, and we were soon gliding out of Moscow for the short run, while I sat back alone in the first-class com- partment which I had had reserved for myself. I had still some slight preparations to make, and wished to be alone to thinj,:. First I examined my arms carefully. I looked to every chamber of my revolver. Each bullet might mean a hfe before the day was three hours older. Next, I looked to my sword. It was the same that had seen me through my trouble with Devinsky and I knew it as a man leiirns to know the feel of his walking stick. Lastly, I had a long deadly looking dagger; the sheath fastened to the Aght hip of my trousers where it could be drawn v/itii the greatest ease. As a final reserve I had in a small secret pocket a couple of pills— poison enough to kill half a dozen men. I meant to make a quick end of things if they went wrong with me. Satisfied that everything was in order, I lay back and mapped out again the exact disposition of the men in my charge : and the precise course I meant to take at the critical moment, i was still occupied in this when the train drew up at the little station, Vsatesk ; and in less than half an hour later, I had ll y the paper men. They : they stood J air as the and rapping- me to hear, ;giment and join me, and I for the in- :he train for tioothly, and for the short it-class com- myself. make, and xamined my mber of my fe before the )oked to my 1 me through ' it as a man ick. Lastly, ; tlie sheath ers where it . As a final a couple of izen men. I if they went r, I lay back )sition of the urse I meant still occupied little station, r later, I had THE FOUP DER TRi iS. J95 reached my section and be^un to lost ^ - m«„ take my post ^®®" warned to to any Dart nf f, """^^^^^^^7 to pay much heed the'"LS„r wo'JdirpneT *s' T'' ' ''"'=- couple of sprcr^^nfc i jl^PP^"' So I sent out a who were to km Z r^"'°^' '°P°'' *° fi™ ■"<>" or south: o? J^e Ze foSeTbv ^'X.'" ^'^ "^'-'' described to me ^ """^^ "■<=«» as the NMisS^of r' ''"'Pj'^ '° <=°"=''='I 'he work § detect nothine-. carried out, I could 2g6 BY RIGHT OF SWOKD. The suppcnse was trying indeed ; and while I was waiting, it was natural enough, perhaps, that my imagination should be chiefly busy in suggesting many reasons why I was almost bound to fail in mv desperate venture. I did not know in which train the Emperor would travel. I knew of course that there would be first the pilot engine; there would also be the baggage train; probably also a special train for the suite and "ervanS; and'^the Imperial train. But this migh be first second, or third of the three I had not been told as to this. So far as my Nihilist work was concerned, it was not necessary that I J^o^^\a know it. That work began when the train had lett the line; and I had been posted near where that must happen. I concluded therefore, that I had not been trusted with a single jot more of information than it was deemed necessary for me to have. I should have to depend upon the Nihilists who were to move the lever being accurately informed on this point. But this troubled me. If the worst happened, of course the "accident" must take place and the train be sent off the line, and I must use mv opportunity then. What I wished to do was to stop the train in which the Emperor would travel ; but if I did not know which that was, I might easily make an ugly blunder that would expose me to danger from the Nihilists and not only do me no good with the Court, but mark me out as an object for ridicule and suspicion. j. , , This uncertainty did not present itself to disturb me until I was actually on the line waiting for the coming of the trains, and face to face with the necessity for action. -i i , The point where I stood was about a mile and a half to the north of the station and the line was so THE FOUR ALDER TREES. ^g. .•^^'^.^ie notice oftLTn''h^J;:^°"^^. ^^^^^ have a very dear day moreover n 5/^'^ '''"'"'• ^^^^^ exceedingly keen^ and Tood Tin' "T l^^"" ^^' able to catch the earlt.f^? ' ^2'"''' "^ ''^^^"Id be passing meant so Zchtfrni'' ^f tlie trains whose under'^mTclman^d^otedioro t '^' ^^"^P^^"^ before the Emperor v.^astZ.TJ ^^''^ ^^^ ^o"-"-^ had made a show of inlno r ^l'''' ^"^ ^^^^^ ^^ guarding that p,^ of theTn."^ *^"'" ^^'^o were be outside the sphere of d.n 'Tf ^ ^"^^ ^o very thoroughly ^th those "P"' ^ ^^^ '^e work where the grim hazlrdr.^^ ^'"^ "^^^^^ ^^ that part I had bfen^r^ful to I ^^"'J ''''' ^^ be played regiment close to rne anri '^ J^S ^"" ^^ Vown Nihilist spies; an'dTwas Zd to^l ''^fS °' ^^^ '''- them were among mv stfi n^i . '''; *^^^ "^''^"^ ^^ would have foUowfd Zl f """"^^est admirers. Thev the sergeant Xse name w^ ^r^"^""' ^ ^^rd ; IZ athletic fellow b the ra^k ' ^''''''^' ^^e most Pjon. on the ground that t "^^^ "7 ^^^"^ ^ham- the regiment fho con d . \ "^^^ ^^ °^-^y "^an in and beat him w^th anv wt"""' \"^ ^"^J"^P him. I believe the fellow i^veTS? ^ ^^^"^ ^^ P^^^. and skill. ^^^^^ ™® for my strength on^^a^r;^^ ^f;,^„-,,b^^^^^^^ the patient fellows a word without the serL^nL T^"^^ ^° exchange hear it; and the eTes of aU ' ^^"^ ^'^^ ^^re to longingly northward in ?L . .^T" ^^ ^^ ^^st a glimpse of the trains ?^P^^'^"t desire to catch shewed'^no sig^s oTfeeKn "''^'' '5' only men who the coming omftraL"^,^,^^ '^\^^^ ^^ whom were content to know Z ' "' '^'>' ^"^^ and " ^"ow, the comino- nf r^^^^-u -i- o — •-*^.a.uit uiao. / y f ij' i 1' I- .'i' 298 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. They stood like stone figures: impassive, immovable and stern : the type of men to whom death in the cause of duty is welcome. An hour before the time, I took up my position finally exactly in the line of the three alder trees, and resolved not to move again nor to have my attention drawn away from the rails until the work was over; and I only lifted my eyes now and then from the track to send a sharp, quick glance along the line to see if the train were yet in sight. The first intimation I had that the trains were getting near came from the opposite direction. Be- tween us and the Vsatesk station about half a mile distant, was a signal box, and the light wind which was blowing from the south carried to my ears the sharp smack of the signal arm as it fell from the danger point, and signalled the line all clear. I knew then it was a matter of minutes. My pulse began to quicken up slightly ; and my scrutiny of the track and rails increased in intentness. But the minutes dragged on and the announced time came and passed. I knew of the Czar's passion for punctuality, and after this delay had lasted some time I began to think a genuine accident must have caused it. In this weary suspense, a quarter of an hour, half an hour, three quarters passed, and my watch shewed 3.30, and still not a sign of even the pilot engine was visible. Then a tmy black speck in the far straight dis- tance, topped by a small white steam cloud told me the pilot engine was coming at last; and in the swift glances spared fi-om my scrutiny of the rails, I saw it grow larger and blacker as it covered the 'intervening space, until it thundered up, and crashed and lumbered by us and began to fade in the opposite direction disappearing round the THE FOUR ALDER TREES. 299 slight curve which was between us and Vsatesk station. What the interval would be between the pilot engine and the first train, and what that first train would be, I did not know. The intervals, always diifered; sometimes five minutes, sometimes ten. sometimes as much as twenty minutes were allowed to elapse. But^ the interval was nothing compared with the question-which train would foUow. On that might turn the whole result of the affair. All the men had now straightened up, and even the five on my right shewed signs of being interested. 1 savv them looking up with stealthy, longing, deadly hxedness for the coming of their prey But on the hne itself there was no sign of change. «. ift ""^If^tood that at some point the Fails would be shuted so as to throw the train off the Zf' . r T'""^ ^' ""^"^^^y ^^ I ^°"ld' I could not detect the least sign of any preparation for this. Ihe uncertainty which this circumstance caused added to my excitement and the suspense became doubly trying. It quickened up to a climax when I saw once again in the distance the growing black speck With tlie white crown, that told me the second drain was at hand. I kept my eyes glued to the rails and my ears strained to catch the first notification either by siffht or sound that the trap had been laid. Without such a sign, I dared not do anything. .u^^i f^^^^"8- happened; and the black speck in the distance developed into a distinct shape, and increased quickly in size, and a slight hum came vibrating along the rails. The hum grew into the sound of muffled drums; then swelled to a heavy threatening rumble; and rapidly climaxed to a i-xosmng, ratuiiig, reverberating roar, as the clatter- I I 300 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. iu :«tsar ;| i'-' 1 £ S'^ ing clanging jolting baggage train lurched heavily by, and roared away southward. It passed safely every point on the line; and the old question which would be next recurred with greater strain than before, and drummed itself in on my brain like a sharp throbbing shoot of pain. When for the third time the little warning speck in the distance told me that either the Czar or his suite must now be coming, my excitement waxed well nigh out of control; my hand stole on to the hilt of my sword and loosened it in the scabbard, my fingers played on the stock of my revolver, and my eyes never for an instant left the rails, but ran up and down them with swift eager searching glances, hungry for a sign. As the distance between me and the on-commg train lessened, the tension increased and my sense of baffled impotence, when I detected no sign any- where on the rails, was staggering. By a great effort only could I prevent myself from doing something to stop the approach of the train and my eagerness was multiplied infinitely when, in a glance which I could not keep from straying to the murderous gang on my right, I saw them one and all making ready stealthily for their deadly work. But no sign on the track gave me my cue for action, and I could only wait, full of my resolve to do all that had to be done should *^his be the train to be tlirown off the line. It came thundering up and passed me without my being able to take a step of any sort. Like the other it passed along the whole section of the line in safety, though I saw, with an astonishment that for the moment bewildered me, that the Imperial saloon was the central carriage. Obviouslv the Czar had passed in safely. And ched heavily le line; and recurred with tned itself in loot of pain, arning speck ; Czar or his 3ment waxed )le on to the lie scabbard, my revolver, the rails, but rer searching le on-coming ,nd my sense no sign any- By a great from doing the train and y when, in a traying to the them one and jadly work. e my cue for my resolve to s be the train d me without y sort. Like section of the astonishment tne, that the Lge. safety. And THE FOUR ALDER TREES. 301 I jumped instantly to the conclusion that for some reason the mechanism, which was to have derailed the train, had failed to act. But an incident which occurred ahnost as soon as the train had passed, shewed me the falseness of this conclusion. I was still staring fixedly at the track, when at a point that was exactly opposite me, and thus in a direct line with the three alder trees, I saw the two rails swing aside from the track, just enough to turn a train off the rails that was travelHng over the place. There was scarcely a cHck of sound: and, after a moment they swung back as silently into position. I read the whole thing in a moment. The operator knew that the moment had come for action and wished to make quite sure that the mechanism was in due order. The sight increased inhnitely the oppressive weight and strain of the suspense. I knew now that the Czar was in the third train, and that the Imperial carriage had been sent on with the second as a ruse. I knew too, that the supreme hour of my strug-g-le was at hand, in all grim reality. I could now relieve my eyes from the straining- task of watching the track, and I looked about me. The five men to my right were also on the alert. They had not been misled by the ruse of the empty court carriage, and were waiting in deadly readiness to strike the blow which they had come out to deal. Then I turned my eyes northward along the straight level track, and just as I did so I caught in the distance the first glimpse of the third train, m which I knew, as certainly as if I could already see him, that the Czar was travelling. "" k: n r- 1! •i- i I 302 BY RICfHT OF SWOKD. As the train loomed nearer and the moment foj action approached, my spirits rose also. Uncertainty was at an end. A fev/ minutes would decide whether I was to live or die. I braced myself for tlie biggest effort of my life. I was like a man whose nostrils expand as they breathe in the scent of deadly fight. M ' J 3 'Ml! CHAPTER XXVIII. l! THE ATTACK ON THE CZAR. Though I did not now care whether the rails were disturbed again or not, seeing that I knew where the mechanism was and could point to my having discovered, as the reason for what I was about to do, I kept glancing at the spot, while I let the tram approach unchecked near enough to have all eyes drawn to my actions. I guessed the distance which the brakes would take to act and when the train had reached a point such as I judged necessary, I sprang on the track between the rails and waving my arms excitedly, thundered out at the top of my voice a warning to stop the train. This was taken up by the soldiers who repeated the shouts and cries, and a moment later the shrieking whistle of the engine told us the warning had been heeded and that the brakes were on at full pressure. With a succession of whirring, grating, rasping grinding jerks the train slackened quickly, and in a moment everything was plunged in indescribable commotion. The soldiers on both sides began to close in on the fast stopping train. * Close ranks round the whole train," I shouted 301 304 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. i' to Sergeant Grostef: and ordered him away to bring up the men as quickly as possible. But I had made one miscalculation that was nearly proving fatal to everything. When I sprang on the line to stop the train, the rails had not been moved, and even now for some reason they remained in position. I had calculated to cause the train to be stopped so that it would reach the false points at a slow pace, and thus be derailed close to where I stood. I judged that the jerk with which the train would leave the line would be sufficient to bring it to a standstill, but not enough to overturn it; and I should thus be able to get at once to the presence of the Emperor, and tell my story in person at the moment when he would be most affected by the occurrence. But as the rails remained in posi- tion— ov/ing probably to the fact that the man operating them had seen that the train had been stopped and deemed it best to do nothing— there was nothing to stay the train's progress, except the brakes. To my horror I saw it pass me with just about sufficient speed to carry it right into the middle of the five men who were waiting there to murder the Emperor. With a loud shout to the men nearest to me to follow I dashed after it, making sure as I ran in which carriage was the Emperor. The first of the five men planted himself right in my path, and fired his revolver point-blank at me when I was only three or four paces from him. He missed and then drew his sword to engage me. With scarcely a second's delay I cut down his sword arm and a second slash at his neck as I ran past, sent him reeling down the embankment, all but headless, with the blood spurting firom the fearful 1- T t a :„£!;_j 1 WUUnUb J. iliXU. lliUioLUU. U f M] 1 • If ! K III 1 .Hl 111 i ij'pl ('.I n l^^R^E^H W»^M r m|K]'i' ■ t . J iraH'SKlif |M . . imn fllBHi '1 fi^M u I tore it from hrm. —Page }o^. THE ATTACK ON THE CZAR. 305 My one thought was now the Emperor; and I saw that the other assassins had discovered him in the tram as quickly as I. One of them stood with a bomb, ready poised in his hand, intending to hurl it right into the carriage i cure It from him and threw it with all my force over the embankment and then plunged my sword into the villain's heart. The bomb exploded the instant it touched the ground below, and the effects were perfectly awesome Ihere was a prodigious roar; the earth reeled as if under a heavy blow, and a number of the soldiers were thrown to the ground; the train seemed to be shaken bodily: and before the reverberation ot the explosion ceased, the splintering of wood and the crashing of glass, told of desperate injuries to some of the carriages. The saloon carriage in which the Czar travelled suffered most, and it was so violently shaken that the windows were broken, the sides spUt, and the doors jammed. It was a moment for strong heads; and. thank Crod, I was able to keep mine. The three surviving Nihilists were among the first to shake off the effects of the shock, and two of them made instantly for the door of the Czar's carnage. His Majesty had been at the window and must have seen me tear the bomb from the man's hand; but the shccK had driven him away now. Glancing round I saw Sergeant Grostef and one or two more ot my men had recovered themselves and were runnini? towards us. Seconds meant Hves now; and I dashed torward and sprang upon the steps of the car- nage alter the two who were striving with might anu maui to tear the door of the saloon open. ~ It 20 3o6 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. Ml' «,? t , ! I j' was partly jammed by the eflfects of the explosion, and was being defended by two men, who to my surprise were His Majesty's only companions in t'lc saloon. I learnt the reason for this afterwards ; another instance of the damnable treachery which hedged the Emperor round. Those inside were like children before the mad- dened Nihilists; and the door was wrenched open and the Czar's companions shot down but not killed, just as I reached the car iage platform. I shot one of the Nihilists instantly, but I believe the other would have succeeded in his deadly purpose had it not been for Sergeant Grostcf who entered the carriage on my heels. He dashed forward and threw himself on the seco.id man and both went to the ground in a fearful struggle. The Emperor, though as brave as a man could be, was for a moment in complete bewilderment. Caught weaponless and menaced by what seemed certain death, his nerves all unhinged by the explo- sion, his companions struck down before his face, he had rushed away in an effort to escape from what looked like a hellish snare, and was seeking to fly by the other door, when the fifth of the murderous crew attacked him with drawn sword. Seeing the man in uniform, the Czar believed that the whole of the guard had mutinied and meant to mur- der him. "Is there no one to help me?" he cried, looking round. "Yes, to hell," growled the man, with a grim quip, as he rushed upon him. I had dropped my sword in entering the saloon, and my revolver had been dashed out of my hands, so that I could do nothing but fling myself before f1ip> TTtYirkiaror nnH orivA rnv b'^d^ to lavA his . THE ATTACK ON THE CZAR. 307 I dashed in between them, uttering a loud and violent shout, in the hope of attracting the man's attention to me. But he was too grim a dovil to be turned from his work; and the only effect of my mterforence was to impel him to greater efforts. ** But he was too late. Taking a liberty with his Imperial Majesty, which at anothei ti e might have cost me my freedom and perhaps my life, I pushed the Emperor violently on one side, and threw myself upon his murderer. The thrust that was meant for the Emperor, passed through my neck, and I rejoiced as I felt the man's steel run mto my flesh. I had saved the Emperor's hfe, even if I had lost my own. Then I called to Grostef as I felt the villain draw out the steel and saw the light of unsated murder lust redden his eyes. With a desperate effort I seized his blade, and though It cut and gashed my hands through and through as the man tugged and twisted it to wrest It from me, I held on till the villain put his foot against my chest and dragged the weapon away despite my most desperate effort. Then he drew it back to plunge it into the Czar's heart. But at that moment I saw Grostef's great blade swing in the air with tremendous force, and sever the miscreant's head from his body. But the Czar was safe: and as I rolled over near his feet, I raUied all my strength for a last effort and cned: " God save your Majesty." After that I had a dim feeling that good old Grostef and the Emperor were both bending over me^trying to staunch the blood that came fiowing xroui uiy tliroat and mouth, choking me, from the I 308 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. 'M i?' ;. ; \ 51 . f '4''- *l i-Ji. wound which the villain had meant for the Emperor. But I had saved him and he had seen I had saved him. "Who is it?" I heard the Czar ask. * Lieutenant Petrovitch, your Majesty, of the Moscow Infantry Regiment," answered the old soldier. " Your Majesty, I implore you, take care. You are in an ambush of Nihilist villains," cried some one stepping forward hastily. " I know that man" — pointing to me — " he is the most dare-devil rebel of them all, and has planned this business for your assassination. For God's sake have a care. This is the most devilish snare that was ever vainly laid." The Emperor moved away from me quickly and looked in the deepest perplexity from one to another of the group who had now crowded into the carriage. " That is a strange thing to hear," said His Majesty. "The man has just saved my life at the infinite hazard of his own. You see him. But for him and for this good fellow " — waving a hand toward old Grostef— "the thrust you see there would have been in my heart." " Yet I pledge myself to prove what I say. You know I do not speak at random. They are probably together in this." Old Grostef growled out a stiff oath that was lost in his beard and then without releasing my head which was supported on his knee, he brought his hand to the salute and said gruffly: "Nihilist or no Nihilist, your Majesty, the lieute- nant will soon be a dead man, choked by his own blood if his wouuds are not dressed." "There will be one traitor the less, then," said the man who had accused me, accompanying the J- UU _ 1 1.-1 , THE ATTACK ON THE CZAR. 309 le Emperor, leen I had the Moscow loldier. care. You cried some that man" evil rebel of ss for your care. This 2ver vainly juickly and D to another e carriage, lis Majesty, the infinite for him and toward old 1 have been 1 «no-?iv ^u-'''\^,^^.' ^^'■^"^ ^"^^' ^'-^'d the Emperor angrily. «h,s life is my special care. If he be a traitor it seems to me I should pray to God to grant me thousands of such traitors in my army." nr^n^^A 1^^^^?"^ Majcsty. and Amen to that." cried old Grostef. unable to keep his tongue between excitement ' '""^ ^""'^'^'^^ '^^"^^^^"^ ^" ^^' h.c.n"^''^'''/^'^ ^^® Emperor. « And now let all haste be made to get on to the city " T ml\Z°"' ^T'7^ P^"^^'^"'" "'^'^ the man whom I g^iessed was the Grand Duke against whom Prince Bilbassoif had warned me. "I v^iH make good my words, and we wiU save the life to take it* '. say. You re probably lat was lost g my head Drought his the lieute- by his own then," said anying the i I CHAPTER XXIX. THE TRUTH OUT AT LAST. I ■*'V-'M»i« jH^ a J! \ii While an examination of the train was made to see how much of it could proceed, my wounds were roughly dressed, and as soon as it was ascertained that only one of the saloons could go on, the Emperor said that I should travel in it with himself and his immediate party, and instructions were wired to Moscow that a doctor should be sent out to the small station just outside the city, where it had been arranged already that the Emperor should change into the Imperial train that had passed empty. The object of this was that the entry into the city should be made from the royal train, and tlius no comment be raised. As I was being moved into the other carriage an incident happened which I knew might have a very sinister effect upon my fortunes. My men cheered lustily as soon as they caught sight of me; but when the cheers had died away a wild and vehement curse greeted me from the only one of the five Nihilists who had life enough left in him to grind his teeth and hiss out an imprecation. "He was our leader, damn him," cried the man, " and betrayed us. To hell with such a traitor ! " and he poured out his curses with tremendous JIO THE TRUTH OUT AT LAST. 311 volubility till a soldier standing by. clapped his hand on his mouth and silenced him ^^ "Your Majesty hears that?" said the Grand Duke, }nl A^^^T the Emperor was greatly impressed and looked at me doubtingly. ^ J f ^ ^uu I coiUd not speak then, but I had sense enough left to understand my peril; and during the short journey I was thinking busily. ^ tio^wS? ti.? V^^^S^r^^ "^^^ ^^ ^1°^^ ^°"sulta. th.^ To,- ^"J"? ^""^^^ ^"^ '^ ^vas easy to see that poison was being poured into the Imperial ear to prejudice me. But I could do nothing until mv wounds had been properly dressed and fhe power to speak freely restored. At present I could not utter a word without bringing the blood into my mou?h and I lay chafing and fretting and fevering myself as I watched what I read to be the convS of my treacheri. steahng over the face of the Czl 1 knew his character well enough to appreciate my danger fully. The one subjeft on wWch Ws Ts thr/ ^"?'^ "'^^ "^^^^^^ ^" '^ sensidvenes he w^^1hTi° ''?''"^''^^°"^ ^^"^ ^"^^^ its influence he would believe almost anything that was told to mm. The personal influence of the Grand Duke was, moreover, enormous. change of trains was to be made, the Emperor crossed the saloon and spoke to me ^"^P^^^^ « Lieutenant Petrovitch, can you hear me?» 1 looked at him and tried to raise my bandae-ed mangled hand to the salute, but could ^^^^ ^^^^^^' «Th?°oi! "'°''''''' ^^ ^^id' hastily, seeing the attempt. tJrihl. t-T' Tt^ ^S^ainst you are%f the m^t terrible kind and there certainly seems to be much more ground than I at first thought. But my ox^ ^- ,,^„r ^..^.„ ^^^^ ^^^ y^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^ I t 312 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. u fullest opportunity of explaining everything. For the time you are under arrest, necessarily; but it will be my personal charge to see that everything is done for you that surgical skill can do. A few hours and proper treatment will, I hope, render you able to give the necessary explanation, and in the mean time you will see no one but the doctors. I myself shall then see and question you." He was turning to leave me then, when I made a sign that I wished to answer, and he bent forward to listen. "Your Majesty will have a care," cried the Grand Duk3, who had heard and watched everything closely. "Do you think the man breathes poison that I should be afraid of him, maimed and bleeding and helpless as he is?" was the reply. I made a great effort to speak, but it nearly killed me, and with all my struggle I could get only a word at a time, and that with tremendous difficulty. " Your — Majesty — keep — my — men— watching— Hne— where— I— stood— by— alder— trees." "It shall be done," he said; and I saw him ex- change looks with the Grand Duke and then shrug his shoulders and lift his eyebrows as he left the saloon. Directly he had left, the doctors came round me, and I resigned myself cheerfully and completely into their hands. But the Czar had given me the tonic that had done more than all the doctor's efforts to pull me round quickly. I was to have a private audience ; and it would not be my fault, if I did not win my way to freedom and Olga. Some three or four hours after the Czar had left me I was moved on to Moscow in the saloon where I lay; and my reception there was most mingled. Some garbled accounts of the attempt on the Emperor's life had got about, and when I was THE a^RUTH OUT AT LAST. 313 was carried from the saloon and placed in a State carriage and then driven away in the midst of a large military escort, the people were at a loss to know who I was, and whether I was a Nihilist to be hooted or a hero to be cheered. They were in a noisy mood that day, and did both therefore, until the party neared the Palace and it was clear I was being taken there. This decided that I must be a hero and the hooting ceased and the cheering shouts rang out with a deafening roar. I was glad to be done with that part of the business. I knew well that the same throats that had been stretched in shouts of acclamation were quite as ready to be Ftrained in yelling for my death. The populace wanted an excuse for a noise, and it was all one to them, so far as personal gratification went, whether they yelled in a man's honour, or roared for his death. The day's round of festivities was a particularly full one for the Emperor, and it was many hours before he could possibly be at liberty; but every hour added to my strength. The doctors soon ascertained that the wound in the neck was not a very dangerous one, though it had been a ghastly one enough to look upon. The thrust had been within an ace of kiUing me ; but the man's weapon had missed the arteries and the vertebrae, though it had sliced an ugly wound in the windpipe, having let the blood into it, and thus nearly choked me. My hands were badly cut, very badly mangled indeed; and the doctors thought more seriously of them than of the wound in the neck, so far as after- consequences were concerned. But they soon patched me up sufficiently to enable me to speak if necessary. 3i4 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. coming with such patience as I could command. It was past midnight before he came; and then only to ask as to my condition. He seemed pleased that I was so much better: and closely questioned the doctor who had remained in constant attendance on me as to tlie exact nature of my wounds and when I should be able to undertake the fatigue of a long conversation. I might do it at once with care, was the doctor's report; but it would be better after a night's rest. " Then it shall be to-morrow evening. Certain matters have yet to be investigated," said the Czar, tiu*ning to me, " and you will have full opportunity of answering all that may be said." His manner had ceased to shew the kindliness I tliought I had detected in the earlier questions about my condition, and I judged that liis mind had received further prejudice against me. I felt that delay was dangerous to me; but I could not help myself. I said I should prefer to answer all his questions at once and tell him all I had to say; but he turned from me somewhat peremptorily with a short reply that he had made his decision. And with that he left the room. I augured ill from the Emperor's demeanour; but as any change in him would only increase my need for the greatest possible amount of strength, I thrust all my troubles resolutely out of my thoughts and went to sleep. I slept into the next day when the doctor's r-^port was altogether favourable. My head, too, was clear and my wits vigorous for the ordeal that was in store for me. In the morning, the Emperor sent to inquire my con- dition, instead of coming in person, and I interpreted this as a sign that the thermometer of favour was still ornino" Hrrwrn. THE TRUTH OUT AT LAST. 315 command. ; and then ned pleased questioned ; attendance vounds and J fatigue of : once with Id be better g. Certain id the Czar, opportunity iiis manner )ught I had y condition, ved further me; but I id prefer to 11 him all I somewhat i had made room, demeanour ; ncrease my of strength, ny thoughts :t day when irable. My 'ous for the lire my con- [ interpreted favour was ^ When he came in the evening the Grand Duke was with him, and I saw by the expression of the latter's face that he at any rate was anticipating a triumph and my downfall " Now, Lieutenant, you are well enough to answer questions, tell the truth. I warn you it must be the whole truth; for I have had many surprising facts brought to my knowledge, and all your answers can be at once tested — and will be." " Your Majesty, I pledge myself to answer every question. But before I do that there is one com- munication I should like to make to yourself alone. " * You can make any statement you like afterwards. Now, tell me, are you a Nihilist?" "I am not," I answered firmly. " Well, what have been— Stay, you acted bravely yesterday, you are charged with this: that you are and have been a Nihilist for years and that your sister is one also ; that you were concerned twelve months ago in the attack upon the Governor of Moscow; that before and since then you have been in constant communication with the Nihilist leaders; that with your own hand you assassinated Christian Tueski, after having yourself volunteered for the work ; that you proposed the plot which by the mercy of God failed yesterday ; that you were privy to the whole matter and went out to assist in the deadly work." "Who are my accusers. Sire?" "It is the accusation, not the accuser you have to answer," replied the Emperor, sternly. *You are to answer, not question." " I have a complete answer, w^hich happily I can support with ample proof. Until less than two months ago, I had never exchanged a word with a Nihilist, , . ." if .; f ! '1 316 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. ' IE • He is a liar," burst outthe Grand Duke, vehemently. A hot answer rose to my lips, but I checked it. « Then, Sire, a band of them set upon me in the street and would have assassinated me, had I not beaten them off with my sword. One of them I took prisoner to my rooms, and from him I learnt that I was supposed to have . . . ." " Supposed ! " . exclaimed the Grand Duke. "Supposed to have incurred their wrath. They had sentenced me to death, it appeared, and that was the first attempt at my execution. I then took a course which I am well aware will seem peculiar. I went to a meeting at which the death of Christian Tueski was resolved, and I was selected to kill him." "You confess this?" cried the Emperor, harshly. "You, my officer?" "Sire, I beg your patience. I did this because I did not tliink I should be in Russia many hours ; and because I thought I could gain the time I needed by pretending to be at the head of the conspiracy. Not for a moment did I intend to lay a finger on him. I am no assassin." " But he was assassinated by you Nihilists," cried the Emperor, with bitter indignation. " The whole land has rung with the news." "The man is a madman, or takes us for fools," said the Grand Duke. "I nm as innocent of his death. Sire, as a child, exce^ i fear, indirectly. He died by the hand of his wiie, whom on the very day of his death I had warned of the plot to kill him." " Your proofs, man, your proofs," cried the Emperor impatiently. "That most unfortunate woman had been under the impression that there had been an intrigue be- tween myself and her and . . . ." \ THE TRUTH OUT AT LAST. 317 L * Half Moscow knevi- of it," interrupted the Duke. " Until less than two months ago, I had never seen her in all my life, " I returned. ** She thought by this deed to coil such a web round me that I could not escape from marrying her. Had I wished to kill the man, I had ample opportunity on the very afternoon of the day he was murdered, for I was closeted alone with him for two hours. He, too, had set his bullies on to me and I went to settle things with him and to get permits to leave the country for myself and Olga Petrovitch. I got them, and that night his wife thrust into his heart a dagger she believed was mine, added the Nihilist motto, and then hid the sheath, with tJie name 'Alexis Petrovitch' on it, intending to use it as a means to force me to marry her under the threat of charging me with the crime." "Your repute does not belie you," growled the Duke. " You're the most callous dare-devil I ever heard of to tell a tale of that kind. To choose a woman's petticoats! " The Emperor turned to him and held up a hand in protest. "In that way I got the credit for that crime; and I was then approached about the attempt of yesterday." ** Ah ! " The Emperor drew in a sharp breath. "I listened to what was said, believing still that I should be out of the country before the time, and intending in any event to make the success of the scheme impossible. A series of extraordinary events prevented my leaving, and when more details were told me, I saw there must be someone in the mat- ter very near your Majesty's throne. I thought I could perhaps discover who that was and thus, by remaining, serve your Majesty most effectively. I J:| III 1 It"!' r t 318 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. think I know now who it is, or at least have the means of obtaining proof. Up to nine o'clock yes- terday morning the pivot on which everything was to turn was yet unsettled. A part was assigned to me days ago, on the understanding that certain military duties would be confided to me; that a change in the whole plans would be made at the very last moment ; that all the commands would be altered ; and that I should find myself in charge of a certain section of the line. I was told this in general terms more than a week ago; and every- thing was confirmed to me in detail on Sunday morning— twenty-four hours before the change was announced by the Colonel of the regiment." •'Fore Gci, Sir, what are you saying?" cried the Emperor in a loud voice. He had turned white and was pressing his hand to his forehead with every sign of great agitation. " Do you hear this? " he asked the man who had been so loud in accus- ing me, and who himself was now fighting hard for self-possession. I had struck home indeed. A. dead silence followed, lasting more than a minute; and to give it full weight I affected to be unable to speak. "I'm not surprised such a tale overcomes him m the telling. It is wild enough to listen to, let alone to invent," said the Grand Duke, recovering himself with a sneer. " Proceed, when you can. Lieutenant," said the Emperor, shortly. "I have nearly finished. Sire," I answered weakly. " But there is one point where I can give you the highest c )rroboration of the key to all this seeming - — of^..,, wt;m trrinr MaiVstv spnd for Prince Bil- bassoff ? " ) a THE TRUTH OUT AT LAST. 319 The Duke started as I mentioned the name and glanced keenly at me as it seemed to me in much discomposure. "I was told, Sire," I resumed, when the Emperor had complied with my request. " That there was one, or at most two persons beside your Majesty who knew the real order of matters for yesterday ; and that it was from that one, or from one of those two persons, that the information was given to the Nihilists which formed the basis of this plot. I did not believe it possible, Sire, and I did not think therefore that any attempt could be made. But yesterday morning to my intense astonishment, I found myself appointed to command exactly the section of the line of which I had been told by the Nihilists, many hours, indeed days in advance." The consternation of both my hearers as I dwelt on this was so great that I emphasized it; and I saw then that I could safely slur over the only point that I really feared in the whole story — the episode of the five men whom I had posted in accordance with the Nihilist orders. I had struck such a blow at the Grand Duke that he said no more; and he was much more busy thinking of how to defend himself than of how to accuse me. I next told of the secret mechanism ; how I had seen it work ; how it proved that the operator must have had exact knowledge of the train in which the Emperor v/ould travel, and then how I had sprung on the line to stop the train. I left my actions after that to speak for themselves. The impression created by my story was profound ; due of course to the terrible and daring accusation I had levelled at the man who had accused me. The Emperor remained wrapped in deep thought; I 320 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. and in the silence that followed, Prince Bilbassoff entered. I could tell by the quick glance he gave round the room and particularly at me, that he did not at all like the look of matters. He had heard something of the facts about me, and I believe he thought I had perhaps denounced him in the matter of the proposed duel with the Grand Duke. « Lieutenant Petrovitch has asked for you to be • present. Prince, to support some part of the expla- nation he has given of certain charges brought against him." « As your Majesty pleases," replied the Pnnce bowing. . The Emperor resumed his attitude of mtense thought, and then after some moments, he regarded me with a heavy frown and said very sternly and harshly: . . « The story you tell is incredible, sir. It is a mass of contradictions. You say the Nihilists at- tempted to kill you, having decreed your death ; and yet that you had never spoken to one until the night of the attempt. You say this woman whom you accuse cf the murder of her husband did this hor- rible deed for your sake as the result of an intrigue —and yet that you had never seen her until almost the very hour when she sinned thus for your sake. You say that you listened to these Nihilist intrigues in the belief that you would be out of the country —yet you hold and have held for years a commis- sion in my army. It is monstrous, incredible, impossible." "There is another contradiction which your Ma- jesty has forgotten," said I daringly. " That I, being as my enemies tell your Majesty, a Nihilist of the Nihilists and a leader among them, should yet have slain three oi inuiii wiui my wwn u^nu. i.. t 1 1 THE TRUTH OUT AT LAST. ( i 321 defence of your Majesty's life and have turned the sword of the fourth into my own body. As your Majesty said yesterday, traitors of that kind should rather be welcome. But if your Majesty thinks that that is an additional proof of my guilt, my life is at your service stiU." He looked at me as if in doubt whether to rebuke me for this daring presumption, or to admit his own doubt. But I did not give him time to speak. • I have deceived your Majesty, however, though I wished to speak openly at the outset. I told you there was a key to all this of a most extraordinary fashion. There is; and I throw myself humbly on your mercy, Sire. The tales you have been told about me are all true to a point, and false after- wards. To a point all these horrible charges againsc Alexis Petrovitch are true ; but what I have told you is true also. The key is — that I have only been Alexis Petrovitch for seven weeks. I am not a Russian, Sire, but an Englishman; and Prince BilbassofF here has within the last few hours had proof of this." "An Englishman!" exclaimed the Czar, in atone that revealed his complete bewilderment. "I don't understand." "I wish to tell your Majesty everything," and then I told him almost everything as I have set it down here. As I told the story, ending v.'ith my wish to be allowed to leave the country at once, I saw his interest deepening and quickening, and perceived that he was coming round to my side. He listened with scarcely a break or interruption, and at the close remained thiiking most earnestly. " What confirmation have you, Prince ? " Prince Bilbas-soff was so relieved to find tiiat I 21 J 32J BY RIGHT OF SWORD. il: had said nothing indiscreet about him that he spoke in the strongest way for me. • I know much of this to be true, your Majesty. I have had telegrams from England confirming Mr Tregetlmer's story; and there is now in Moscow a certain Hon. Rupert Balestier, who has been making the most energetic inquiries for him ; and — the weirdest of all — the wretched woman, Paula Tueski, has killed herself and left a confession of her crime." Tlie Emperor's decision was taken at once. ** I owe you deep reparation, Mr. Tregethner. I ought to have trusted my instinct and my eyesight, and have known that no man would have done what you did yesterday to save my life, and be anything but my firm friend. May God never send Russia or me a greater enemy than you. May you never lack as firm a fr-ond as I will be to you. God bless you ! " My heart was too full for speech, and I could only falter out the words: " I would die for your Majest>'/^ **You will do better tl.an that— you will live for me; and when you are well, we will speak of your future." With that he turned to leave the room and said to the Grand Duke, who was quite broken and unstrung: — "Now, we will find that strange leakage.* As soon as they had left, Prince Bilbassoff ques- tioned me closely, and when he heard about the accusation I had by inference brought against the man who had tried to ruin me and had so nearly succeeded, words could not express his dehght. H ' CHAPTER XXX. AFTERWARDS. It was nearly a month before the doctors wouT a <:onsent to my being moved, and even then they gTU( 're-l ^heir pPDrission. All the time I lay like a Royal i'rince in tht Palace with all the world ready to do my Uiriitest wish. Had I been in a hospital, I believe '■hv doc ors would have sent me packing a fu"\ fc ♦•nijt^lit earlier; but wounds heal slowly when tt.; State has to pay the doctors' fees. The time was pleasant enough, however, save for one thing. I was full of anxiety on Olga's account. Prince Bilbassofc brought my friend Balestier to me and he stayed all the time, and used all his efforts to find some trace of her whereabouts. The Emperor, too, promised that all in his power should be done to find her; and whenever I saw Prince Bilbassoif I importuned him also on the same quest; and his promises were as ripe as the Czar's. She was not found, however, and I firetted and worried until Balestier drove home the conviction that the best thing I could do was to hurry and get well, and then set out to search for her myself. This pacified me, and I did all that was possible to help the doctors. But this failure to tind her was a never-ending 3*3 3*4 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. m f/i. f'h f ! I ' ! t?'' W V if. 1 h kk Jiioii subject of thought, as well as of somewhat angrj' satire when the opportunity offered. One day when the Prince came I rallied him strongly on the matter, thinking to gibe him into greater activity. "Your agents are poor hounds, Prince," I said. "They bay loudly enough on the trail, but they don't find." * They have found the brother," he answered quietly. "And tiie girl can't be far off." " The brother be hanged," cried I. "Not by the Russian hangman. He doesn't mean to return here; but he has dropped your name and probably by this time has left Paris altogether. He knows the facts — or some of them; our agent told him them; and he means to put as great a distance between himself and Russia as the hmitations of the globe will permit." "He's a poor creature. How was he found?" "As usual — a woman." "Well, I owe him no grudge. He has given me a better part than I ever thought to play in life. And a good wife too — if we can only find her." "We shall find her. The woman's not born that can hide herself from us, when we are in earnest." "Well, I wish you'd be thoroughly in earnest now. If you were only as much in earnest as you were about that duel . . . ." "I am ; for I owe you more than if you had fought the duel." I looked at him in some astonishment. " I have only to-day heard the definite decision," he continued. " You gave me tlie clue, and I did not fail to follow it up. You say my men are not sleuth hounds. Give them a blood scent like that and try." AFTERWARDS. 325 "All of which is unintelligible to me," I replied, noting with surprise his excitement and exultation. "Heavens, lad, I'm more sorry than ever you're not going to join us. And now that that hindrance is out of the path, the path is brighter than ever. What fools you young fellows are to go tumbling into what you call love, and playing the devil with a career for the sake of muslin and silks and pretty cheeks. I suppose ..." he looked questioningly, and waited as if for me to speak. * Suppose what ? " I knew what he meant well enough, but liked to make him speak out. "That you've really made up your mind or whatever you call it not to stop in Russia?" " Absolutely. I'm going to commit social suicide and marry for love— that is, if I can only find my sweetheart; or rather if you can find her for me." "I wish I couldn't," he returned; and then fearing I should misundei .and him, added:— "I don't mean that. I mean, I'm sorry I'm not to have your help. " ^At one time it looked as though you were going to have it whether I would or no, and I'm afraid I may have misled you and— and others somewhat. I'm sorry for this." "Save your vanity, youngster," he said with a short laugh, understanding me. " My sister is no love-sick maiden with her head full of a silly fancy that any one man is necessary to her." I flushed a little at the rebuke; and bit my lip. " We wavted you for Russia, not for ourselves," tie added, after a pause. " You have already done the Empire a splendid service; and that's why you're regretted. Thou^-h, mark me, I don't say, now that things have turned out as they have, I should not have been a bit proud of you as a member of my family.^ 326 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. n "What service do you mean? Saving my own skin?" ^^ . " No. Overthrowing the Grand Duke. He is completely broken. No trap could have snared him half so well. It has now come out that the dispo- sition of the troops was his sole work ; he himself arranged the very order of the trains; and the minute details which he executed were known to him alone. He laid his plans splendidly for his in- fernal purpose, and liad you been the man he an- ticipated—the dare-devil who had killed Tueski— nothing could have saved the Emperor's life. But God in His mercy willed the overthrow of as clever a villain as was ever shielded by high rank. That particular slip no man could have possibly foreseen ; but he made another which surprised me. Only a Uttle thing, but enough. When I came to look closely into the business I found that he had worked out in the greatest detail all the arrangements for the last journey and the disposition of the troops, and had committed them to paper in a number of sealed orders. These he dated back to the previ- ous Saturday; but only gave them out the last thing on Sunday night. His object was of course that when inquiries came to be made the dates on the papers should tell their own story and prove, apparently, that, as they had been given out on the Saturday, there would have been plenty of time for it to have leaked out to the Nihilists through some one of the many officials who would be in possession of it, at the time you proved it was known to the Nihilists. On that supposition there were a hundred channels througli which it would have got out, and the Duke would have been only one among many in a position to divulge the se- crSk. J-aiwe a looi iiu mus ufcw uic v,o«. \-iwoc ivUn'-* AFTERWARDS. 327 his own body; and as soon as the Emperor knew that, my men made a search. That did the rest effectually. " •* And what has happened to him ? " " What should happen to such a man ? " answered the Prince, sternly. ** Death." ** Right. But the Emperor would not. He's as soft as a pudding. The man is imprisoned, that's all. For life, of course. But rats have an ugly trick of slipping out as well as into a dungeon. And if he ever does get out, boy, you will have one enemy powerful enough to make even you cautious." "Keep him safe, then," I laughed. "For when I leave Russia, I want to leave all this behind me." " You may look for trouble of some kind from the Nihilists, however." " They are not taken very seriously by us English, Prince," I replied. ^ "Maybe; but remember you have been a Rus- sian for a couple of months, and have dealt them a stroke that they will never forget." He left me soon after that, but I did not pay any serious heed to his warning. I pondered his news, however. I v;as glad that Alexis Petrovitch had ceased to masquerade in my name ; but I could not understand how it was that if the Russian agents could so easily find the brother, they should be baffled in their search for Olga. But it spurred my anxiety to go a-hunting on my own account; and I was heartily glad therefore, when the doctors agreed to release me, and my marching orders for St. Petersburg came. By the Emperor's commands I was taken straight to his Palace; and his Majesty's reception could not have been more gracious than it was. 328 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. i , \ •i k mi •J k He loaded me with signs of his favour ; vdth hia own hands pinned to my breast the highest Order he could c:onfer on a foreigner ; and did everything except press me to enter his service. " Your sojourn in Russia is associated in my mind with so painful and terrible an event, and you are personally connected with it so closely, that in my service you would always serve to keep open a wound that bleeds at the mere reference. I am like a man who has given unrestrainedly the kisses of love and received in return the poison of the asp. Moreover, Prince BilbassoflF tells me that you have made up your mind to go to your own country ; and while you will, I hope, always be my friend, and I, with God's help, will always be yours, I shall not seek to detain you." "I am even now impatient to be away, your Majesty," I replied, " and crave your leave to go at once. I hope to leave St Petersburg immediately. " I spoke with the eagerness of a lover ; and liis reply surprised, and indeed, dismayed me. " No, Mr. Tregethnor, that I cannot suffer. I should feel an ingrate if I permitted you to leave without accepting my hospitality. I do not like an unwilling guest; but for a fortnight more at least you must remain here." I looked at him quickly in my amazement, and then with a bow said: — "Your Majesty has promised me the gracious distinction of your friendship; and as a friend I appeal to you to permit me to be your guest at another time. The matter I have in hand is very urgent. " " I am not accustomed to have my wishes in these matters questioned," returned the Emperor; and at that moment I wished the Imperial friendship at the AFTERWARDS. 329 It meant that just when I was well and strong, and in every way able to start on the task that was more to me than anything else on earth, I had to cool my heels dangling attendance on this well meaning Imperial Marplot in this prison-palace of his. But I smothered my feelings like a courtier and murmured an assent— that compliance with his wishes would be a pleasure. He laughed, and then in a most un-Emperor-like manner clapped me on the shoulder and said:— " You'd soon learn the humbug of the courtier, friend. But you must not put all this down to me. You stay by the special desire of the Prince Bil- bassoffs beautiful but rather imperious sister, in whose favour you stand high— though you have not always treated her very well, it seems. She has now a great desire for some more of your company, and has set her heart on your remaining to be present at a Court marriage which she has planned." . "I shall know how to thank the Princess when I see her," I answered, drily enough to make my meaning clear; for the Emperor laughed and said that might be true and that the Princess was even now anxious to see me to thank me for past services. My gratitude to the latter may be imagined ; and when the Emperor dismissed me, I thought of the pleasure it would afford me to express it to her. The opportunity came at once, for I was shewn straight to a saloon where she appeared to have been awaiting me. "We meet, under changed circumstances, Mr. Tregethner — my inclination to call you Lieutenant is almost irresistible." " His Majesty has told me. Princess, that it is to you I owe the pleasure of being compelled to stay here at tiie present linie." 330 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. "I am glad to have been able to secure you so high a mark of the Imperial favour," she answered, her eyes laughing at me, but the rest of her features serious. " I am always glad to help those who are candid and frank with me." "As glad as you are to be candid and frank with those you help, Princess? Is ihere another duel :n prospect? Or more ^^Trongs to be avenged? In connection with this miirriage I heaii of, for instance ? " *A fair question," she an: ^vered, smihng. She was certainly a very beautiful woman when she smiled. "There is— but only very indirectly. By the v/ay, do you not wonder that I contont myself with giving you no more than a fortnight's imprisonment?" * If you knew the putrshmeni:: it is likely to be to me you would not wish to inflict a heavier." •Yovi mean, you are so eager to be searching for this girl who masqueraded as your sister, that you cannot spare a fortnight for the Russian Court. Excuse me; I cannot think that even Englishmen can be so impolite and phlegmatic." "My 'sister' is very d ar to me, Princess," I said, emphasizing the word. • Oh, yes, we know the value of a lover's sighs and a lover's vows and a lover's impatience and a lover's constancy and a lover's everything else. And you Englishmen are but like other men in these things." I didn't understand her, so I held my tongue. •I dare believe that though you are now so eager to be away on this romantic search of yours, and are fretting and fuming at the delay which I have caused, so that you may have the opportunity k'. . i^i^;^i AFTERWARDS. 331 I have arranged, you will cool in your ardour loni? before the fortnight is out. There are women about the Russian Court, Sir, to the full as fair and witching and sweet as Olga Petrovitch. " "I have the evidence of that before my eyes, Pnncess," I said, looking at her and bowing to hide my chagrin at her words. -You are angry that I hold you fickle. You should not be," she said, with a swift glance reading my mood. "I have confidence in my faith." "And I confidence in your lack of it," she retorted, with a touch of irritation in her tone. « I dare wager heavily that we have here many a young giri in whose smiles the fire of your eagerness to leave Russia in this search would be quickly quenched. Nay, I wiU do more, for I love a challenge, and love especially to see a man who vaunts himself on his strength of purpose and strong will and iidelity overthrown and proved a braggart —but perhaps you dare not be put to a test? " She asked this in a tone that made every fibre of purpose in my body thrill with loyalty to Olga in reply to the taunt "^ "Name your test," I answered, shortly. " I wager you that I wiU find one among my niaidens here who will turn you from your purpose of leaving us ; lure you into more than content to abandon your search ; and make you pour into her own pretty ears a confession that you are glad I caused you to dally here— and all this within three days." "It is not possible. Princess. I take up your chaUenge readily, if only to while away the hanging She looked at me as if triumphantly. hi IJ' iS. m I I 331 BY RIGHT OF SWORD. • You dare say tliat ? Then you are half conquered already. Now I know you will What is it? " she broke off to a servant who came in. Then after hearing the servant's message, she made an excuse and left me. I was more than angry with her. The jest which had for its foundation the possibility that I should change in half a week and, instead of fretting and fiuning to begin my search, be reconciled to this mummery of a flirtation with some Court hack or other, annoyed and disturbed me; and I turned away and gazed out of one of the tall bayed win- dows into the wide courtyard below, and felt ready to consign the whole world to destruction, with the exception of that part where Olga might be and such a strip as might be necessary for me to get to her. Against the Princess I was particularly enraged. To hold me for an empty whirligig fool to turn like a magnetised needle in any direction that any chance magnet might choose to draw mel Stop contentedly? Bosh! Give up the search? Rot! I was so angry when I heard her come back into the room, that I affected not to know that she was present. And I stared resolutely out of the window pretending to be vastly interested in the antics of a couple of big young hounds that were gambolling together. I laughed hugely, and uttered a few ex- clamations to myself but loud enough for the Princess to hear. The Princess took it very coolly, however. She said nothing, and for a couple of minutes the farce went on. I expected a tirade at my rudeness; but instead I heard the frou-frou of her dress as she crossed the room toward me. AFTERWARDS. 333 I increased my affected gestures and muttered exclamations, and had a mind to let fly an oath, just a little one, to shock her, when she put her face so close to mine that I could feel its warmth, and she whispered right into my ear:— "Bad acting. Too self-conscious, Alexis!" The Princess had won easily. I surrendered with- out an effort; gave up all thought of the search and was suddenly filled with a glad content to stop. For the voice was Olga's, and the merry laugh was hers, and the blush was hers, and the love light was hers too; and the next moment I held her in my arms close pressed to my heart. The Princess had indeed won anyhow, and in much less than three days; and I stopped for that wedding with all the delight m the world— in fact nothing could have induced me to miss it. For the bride was Olga, and the bridegroom myself once— "that devil Alexis I" THE EN». Hg^Ki Ifti i »i 5 1,1 I { ' 1 4 NE\A AMSTERDAM BOOK company's list ^ M M 156 FiFTH AVE., NEW YORK Biography 4 Moltke's Letters to His Wife T/ie only Complete Edition published iyi any language. With ail Introduction by SIDNEY WHITMAN, author of "Imperial Gcrmauy. ' ' Portraits of Moltke and his wife never before published. An Accoui it of Count- ess von Moltke' s Family, supplied by the Family. Ala genealogical tree, in fac-simile of the Field- Marshal's handwriting. Two volumes. Demy 8vo, cloth, $10.00; ^ calf, $20.00; % levant, $22.50. Beginning in 1841, the year before his marriage, these let- ters extend to within a short time of his death. Travels on the Continent, three visits to England and one to Russia, military manocn-res, and three campaigns arc covered by this period, during which Captain Von Moltke, kiiown only as the author of the "Letters from the East," grew into the greatest director of war since Napoleon. These most inter- esting volumes contain the record of a life singularly pure and noble, unspoiled by dazzling successes.- The Times (Lon- don). This book will be chi ily valued on account of the insight It afYords into the real disposition of Moh.ce. Indeed, it will surprise many, for it shows that the eminent soldier was very different from what he was ordinarily conceived to be. He is supposed to have been dry and steri;. reticent, almost devoid of human 'jympathicj^, and little betto- than a strategical ma- chine. As a matter of fact, such an estimate is somewhat of a caricature. To the public ' grangers Moltke was cold and silent, but to his famil. id fri 1 ds he was affectionate, open, and full of kindly forciiiouu' . As lie was a keen and minute observer, his opinion -a iae people, cotmtries, and sights which lu the cours • of his life he saw, is of aterest and Taluc— The Athenaeum (LondQu), New Amsterdam Book Company s List Bibliography [{».! A Bibliography of Gilbert White of Sel- borne By EDWARD A. MARTIN, F.Q S., author of "Amidst Nature's Realms, " " The Story of a Piece of Coal," Etc. $1.50- Gilbert White's remarkable book, "The Natural History of Sr' Orne," has perhaps been published in a Kreatcr number ol editions tlian any olher book ct the l^lnd in the world. The work mentioned above gives a \cry interesting account of botli the man and his book, and as an essay in bibliography, ranks with the very best works of its class. Fiction The Devil-Tree of El Dorado By FRANK AUBREY. With lUtistrations by LEIGH ELLIS AND FRED HYLAND. Thick I2mo, cloth, stamped in fire bronze and gold, $1.50. The book should find as many readers as " King Solomon's Mines."— New York Sun. (;., column review.) We have often wondered why the famous legend of El Do- rado had never found its way into rumance. Though the novel of adventure is once more in vogue, and altiiuugh the cry is genual ilia! all i)ossible tliemes have long ago been exhausted, this still was left untouched; the story tellers seenvxl to have thought the quest as hopeless as the adventurers found it. The omission has now been made good; the hidden city has been found.— Macmillan's IMagazine, London.— (lixtract from a thirteen-page review.) Is an exceptionally fascinating book. * *_ * We kuuw well that the scenes and characters are all ideal — nay, we feel that some are utterly impossible — but none the less they enthrall us. — New York Herald, (•''i-column review.) The book is recommended to tlie perusal of all. — Bo.ston Times. Here we have a book that is deserving of success. — Wav- erley Magazine, (Boston.) This is one of the l)est books ot adventure that has ap- peared in the last year or so. —Hartford Po.st. The fust edition in En inland ziv/s ;:oid in advance of publica- tion! Tiie second did nai last a vjccii! t l8 New Amsterdam Book Company's List I The Wild Life of Scotland By J. H. CRAWFORD, F. L. s., author of "Wild Flowers of Scotland," etc. Illustrations by JOHN WILLIAMSON. Handsomely bound. Large crown 8vo, $3.oo. Mr. Crawf(3rd's skill in depictitiK various phases of nature and animal life oU(,dit to setid his readers forth into the coun- try with eyes ready to note and appreciate many things to which they have been hitherto totally blind. — Times. This is a very delightful as well us informing book.—Spcc- tator. Summer Days A Series of Nature Idylls. By j. H. CRAWFORD, F.L.S., author of "Wild Life of Scotland." Illus- trations by JOHN WILLIAMSON. Handsomely bound uniformly with "Wild Life of Scotland." Large crown, 8vo, $3-00. Pictures of tiie World Pencilled by CLEMENT SCOTT, author of "From the Bells to King Arthur." Crowu 8vo, illustrated, $1.25. There is not a dull page in Mr. Scott's volume.— Black and White. A distinctly bright and entertaining volume.— Publishers' Circular. Gift Books Love Songs of France Translated {rom the originals of Baudelaire, De Musset, Lamartine, Gautier, De Beranger, Parry, Nadaud, Dupont, and other.^. Illustrated with Frontispiece in color and Photogravures in tints. Large post Svo, exquisitely bound in white vellum, with slip cover, $1.50; full calf, $5-oo; full levant, $6.50 (in a box). The beautiful poems deserve the beautiful repository given them. — Wasl'ington Times. An excellent example of present day fine book rnakirsg. — Denver Times. , Makes not only a very pretty gift, but lodges upon ones shelves a choice collection of poems.— Hartford Post. 20 New Amsterdam Book Company's List ENGLISH ILLUSTRATORS "The Sixties:" 1855-70 By GLEESON WHITE. With numerous illustra- tions in line, etching, and photogravure, by J. McNeill Whistler, Sir E. Burne Jones, Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A., D, G. Rossetti, E. J. Poynter, R.A., Lord lyeighton, P. R. A., A. Boyd Houghton, Charles Keene, Frederick Walker, A. R. A., Frederick Sandys, G. Du Maurier, and many others. I^arge octavo, printed on hand made paper and sumptuously bound, $12.00. Even to those to whom the names in its title page are nothing but names, will find it a surprising picture book, an album, if you will, to lay upon the table, but an album rich in suggestion and of singular and subtle charm. — Pall Mall Gazette. We recognize the magnitude of the task undertaken by Mr. Gleeson White, as well as the care, patience, and learning he has bestowed upon its adequate execution. For the printing, binding, and arrangement of illustrations, and spacing of pages, we have nothiug but praise to offer.— Manchester Guardian. History How We Made Rhodesia By MAJOR ARTHUR GLYN LEONARD, late Second East lyancashire Regiment, and of the Chartered Company's Police. Crown 8vo, $2.25. An account of the early movements of the Chartered Com- pany's forces, together with the story of the men who made the country. Major Leonard was himscli among the pin- neers of the South African Empire, and moved with Rhodes, Jameson, and Ruthcrfoord Harris. Concerning them all he has frank and fearless criticisms; and the result is a book full of the opencst speaking that has yet taken place with ngard to Rliudcsia. His book is a valuable and noteworthy contribution to the history of the oriR'n of Rhodesia, and throws many a .sidc- lipfiit on the character and aims of those who undertook the task of making it, — The Times (London). New Amsterdam Book Company's List 21 An Irregular Corps in Matabeleland By LIEUT.-COL. PLUMER. Post 8vo, with twelve Maps and Plans. $3.00. The feature of the book that seems to strike one most forcibly is the evtdence which it affords of the capacity of a British officer when placed in a difficult position.— Manchester Guardian. A Narrative of the Boer War Its Causes and Results. By THOMAS FORTESCUE CARTER. Demy 8vo, 574 pp. , $3-50, Describing the indirect causes of the war; the act of annexa- tion; the direct causes of the war; the inception of the struggle; the battles; the peace; and a journey through the The " Sheffield Telegraph" says: "This great work is history, exhaustive, impartial, and realistic." Tlie Highland Brigade in the Crimea By LIEUT.-COL. ANTHONY STERLING. Demy 8vO, $3-00« V n-a The author, afterwards Sir Anthony Sterlmg, K.C.B., served, practically, throughout the war, and on his return he privately printed some copies of his correspondence, for dis- tribution to his friends and to a few selected libraries. On his death he desired, by his will, that the book should be pub- lished. At that time the executor considered too many per- sonal feelings would be wronged by the writer's stringent criticisms, but in the interval nearly all those who were re- sponsible for the Crimean disasters have passed away, and now the publication may serve as a salutary record of the mismanagement that has too frequently attended military ex- vjcditions. The Court of England Under George IV. Founded on a diary, interspersed with letters written by Queen Caroline and various other distinguished persons. Two vcls., demy 8vo, $7 SO* The Daily Telegraph (London) says: "There is all the usual court and society scandal, not ill-naturedly reproduced, and a dc?cription of tr.-ivel in Switzerland and of life in Italy. Moreover, there are interpolated, in the narrative, letters from the unhappy Princess Caroline herself, in which her vi- vacity, her spite and her terrible loneliness are vividly de- picted." 24 New Amsterdam Book Company's List Eighty Years Ago Or, the Recollectious of an old Army Doctor, his adventures on the fields of Quatre Bras and Waterloo, and during the occupation of Paris, 1815. By the late DR. GIBNEY, of Cheltenham. Edited by his son, MAJOR GIBNEY. Crown 8vo, cloth, $1.75. Pictures of the inner life of the British Army, which for- cibly recall the works of Charles Lever, glimpses of war from the surgeon's point of view, and interesting observations of the France of 181 5, serve to make up a most readable book, and incidentally to supplement the history of a great cam- paign. — The Times, June 4, 1896. Last Days of flarie Antoinette An Historical Sketch. By LORD RONARD GOWER. With Portrait and Facsimiles. Foolscap 4to, $2.50. \\'. t' 3l4 Wk Juvenile Uncrowning a King A Tale of King Phillip's War. By EDWARD s. ELLIS, author of "Log Cabin Series," etc. Su- perbly illustrated by J. STEEPLE DAVIS. i2mo, handsomely bound, $1.25. It is an excellent bit of strong, enthusiastic writing, suited not only for the boys, but for tlie older readers as well. It is full of life and movement. The descriptions tally with historical tradition, the events stick close to the known facts. — Hartford Post. A capital story of adventure in King Philip's war admir- ably tf)ld by a practical writer. The book is instructive on account of its vivid portrayal of the hardships of the New England pioneers and its information concerning the man- ners and customs of the period of the story.— Philadelphia Press. New Amsterdam Book Coiiipany s List Choice Fiction Nephele A Novel. By FRANCIS WILLIAM BOURDILLON. i2mo. Artistically Bound, $i.oo. '• We urge so rare a treat as its pages impart on the attention of our readers." — The Bookman, (New York). "At the very first sentence the reader realizes that he is breathing a rarer air than usually emanates from the printed page, and at the very last sentence he realizes how he has kept on the heights. . . . Whatever the cause, the achievement is the sort that receives ones faith in that quality wl.ich, for want of a better word, we know as inspiration." — New York Sun. The Devil-Tree of EI Dorado By FRANK AUBREY. With Illustrations by LEIGH ELLIS AND FRED HYLAND. I2mo, clotll, $1.50. The book should find as many readers as "King Solomon's Mines." — New York Sun. {Yy, column review). We have often wondered why the famous legend of El Do- rado had never found its way into romance. Though the novel of adventure is once more in vogue, and although the cry is general that all possible themes have long ago been exhausted, this still was left untouched ; the story tellers seemed to have thought the quest as hopeless as tlie adventurers found it. The omission has now been made good ; the hidden city has been found. — Macmillan's Magazine, London. — (Extract from a thirteen-page review). Is an exceptionally fascinating book. — New York Herald. (}/l column review). Opals From a Mexican Mine By GEORGE DE VALLIERE- i2mo, cloth, richly bound, $1.25. Are indeed literary gems. * * * We are glad to have found these Mexican opals ; they are to us gems of value and we thank the author. — Boston Times. Mr. Paul's TranslatHon of Huysmans' last great novel. En Route By J. K. HUYSMANS. Translated with a prefatory note, by C. KEG AN PAUL- Second edition. Crown 8vo, $1.50. We are enclined to think it not only the f^reatest novel of the day, but one of the most importatit books of our quarter of the century. — The Bookman, (extract from five-page review). t New Amsterdam Book Company's List Lady Hamilton and Lord Nelson A Historical Biography based on letters and other documents in the Morrison collection. With photo- gravure portrait of Lady Hamilton, after a paint- ing by Romney. By JOHN CORDY JEAFFRESON, author of "The Real Lord Byron," etc. New and Revised Edition, containing additional facts, letters, and other material. Large crown 8vo, cloth, $2.25; ii calf, $5.00; % levant, $6.50. Shakspere The Plays and Poems of WILLIAM SHAKSPERE. In one volume, set in large new type and printed on Bible paper. Holiday Edition. Limp Mo- rocco, red under gold, $5.00. ; Victorian levant, polished, $7'50» This unique edition of Shakspere's works, in fine bindings only for holiday trade will be welcomed everywhere. Its distinctive features are clear cut new type, large and readable, printed on Bible paper reducing the weight and bulk of the work, and making it a volume that can be read without fatigue either on the part of eye or hand. Women Novelists of Queen Victoria's Reign A Book of Appreciations. By MRS. OLIPHANT, MRS. LYNN LINTON, MRS. ALEXANDER, MRS. MACQUOID, MRS. PARR, MRS. MARSHALL, CHAR- LOTTE M. YONGE, ADELINE SERGEANT, AND EDNA LYALL. Square 4to, cloth, $3.50« Contents : The Sisters Bronte, George Eliot, Mrs. Gaskell, Mrs. Crowe, Mrs. Archer Clive, Mrs. Henry Wood, Lady Georgiana Fullerton, Mrs. Stretton, Anne Manning, Dinah Mulock (Mrs. Craik), Julia Kavanagh, Amelia Blandford Edwards, Mrs. Norton, "A. L. O. E." (Miss Tucker), and Mrs. Ewing. An Irregular Corps in Matabele Land By LIEUT-COL. PLUMER. Post 8vo, with twelve maps and plans, $3«oo« An iuLenjt.Uug descrii/ti«v.i of tlic recent Matabele campaign, noteworthy also as being the first experiment in modern war- fare of organizing and handling an irregular body of troops. \ ||,\.V-4' ■mmm New Amsterdam Book Company's List "The Sixties." 1855-'70. By GLEEJON WHITE. With numerous illustra- tions in etchnig, photogravure and line, by lord LEIGHTON, MILLAIS, BURNE JONES. WHISTLER ROSSETTI. POYNTER. DU M^URIER. and ifn^ Others. Urge octavo, printed on hand-made paper and sumptuously bound, $i2.oo. ^ ^ ilir?^?- ^'^*^^?'.' constituted the "Golden Age" of En£?lish «S flfi^ "^'' """'''■°"' examples of the early wo^rk of neady all the men who are now foremost in English Art The S Snti'n.^''''^lir" "1^ ^°°^ ^ ^"P^'-b dress^iu kfep ng withhs fact'Xt b"ut \'n^o"'-^^"^"?ru^ '^ ^"^^^^^ enhLcfd by the market ^ ^^'^' """"^^ ^^ "^'^"'"^^ ^^'^ "^^ AmeVican Pacific Tales ?f^ ^°"<5 ^^^J^^' f ""^^'^^ "^ " '^^^ Ebbing of the Tide," "By Reef and Palm," etc. With frontispiece photogravure portrait of the author. Crown 8 vo green cloth, gilt top, $1.50. ' Padfic/^''^'' ^^^ "^""''"^ ^^^" ^"^^^'^ " '^^^^ Bret-Harte of the Kalee's Slirine nfn -^ -^J A^^l^\ ^""^^'^^ °^ " '^^e Woman Who A' ^^f^l f^^^^^ Orders," etc. Vagabond Library With frontispiece. Cloth, 50 cents. laid fn7Sif '^ ''^ '''■^"' ^""'> "^^ ^'^^"^ °^ ^^i-h i« largely ** Sixty and Six" Chips from I^iterary Workshops. Edited by WILL ^^fn^^^r- With illustrations. Holiday edition. pamtly bound. (In preparation). A dainty gift book for the Christmas season. In the space of 95 pages will be found sixty-six " chips" from the nen of authors more or less well knoWn. ^ ^ * Tlie Platitudes of a Pessimist „, .ly^!" J'^"'« .°M";y ? chuckle of quiet amusement nt th^ ihich «.A''r''''"' ™^'''"1^- ^^ P^oP^^' we all know and customs to Which most of us are subject. "-The Times. I^ondoa. New Amsterdam Book Companfs List Love Songs of France. New edition Translated froni the originals of Baudelaire, De Mus- set, Umartiue. Gautier. DeBeranger, Parry Nadaud color and Photogravures in tints. UrFe post avo ex qmsitely bound in white vellum, wfth% "Reiver $i.So; fu 1 calf, $5.00; full levant. $6.50. (i^ra box) Deliver xfmeT' ^^^""P^" °^ P"""^^"* ^^^ ^^^ book making.^ The Copy-maker w.x"??^ ""^ Journalistic Life in New York. By WILLIAM FARQUHAR PAYSON. Illustrated by H B. EDDY. I2mo, cloth, Ss.OO. ^ "* A exceptionally clever novel, depicting life on the ^rPat Mr P^^.^n"^ 7^":^' ^'"'^ excursions inti iVterary Bohemia Mr. :eddy's illustrations are a notable feature. ^o^emia. A Garden of Romance Romantic Tales of all ti)ue. Superbly printed bv Ballantme Chosen and edited by erne^st rhys Large foolscap 4to, cloth, gilt. Special holiday edition, $2.00. (iuabox). -^ Imagination and fancy have their perfect work i„ t>,.c The Actors' Art Theatrical reminiscences and Methods of Study and Advice to Aspirants. Specially contributed by s"r HENRY IRVING, ELLEN TERRY, MADGE KEN- DAL, H. BEERBOHM TREE, L. T. TOOLE and Twenty-two other leading Actors of the Day. Edited by J. A. HAMMERTON. Prefatory note by SIR HENRY IRVING. 121110, cloth, $2.00 net Not onlv a work of pronpraMntT^^f K-s^ 3- - 1 « • -a for the amateur actor. '"t-r.st. buc au mvaluauie guide