The Shadow of the Czar Read online

  CHAPTER III

  A MENACE FROM THE CZAR

  In an ante-chamber of the Vistula Palace sat Count Radzivil, premierof Czernova, in company with Marshal Zabern, the Warden of theCharter; and the Charter being the palladium of Czernovese liberty,the custody of that sacred document carried with it a highdistinction, second only to that of the premiership.

  The two ministers were waiting to communicate to the princess thecontents of an important despatch, which had just arrived from theCzernovese ambassador at St. Petersburg; for Czernova, be it known,though but a small state, was nevertheless sufficiently wealthy tomaintain an embassy at the three courts with which its interests camemost in contact, namely, St. Petersburg, Vienna, and Berlin.

  The only other occupants of the apartment were two silentchamberlains, standing like statues before the folding doors of theaudience-chamber, each dressed in white pantaloons and silk stockings,and each decorated with the silk wand of office.

  Ladislas Zabern was a man of fine soldierly presence, with limbs thatseemed carved from oak and soldered with iron. Courage was indeliblystamped upon his face. He was fifty-three years of age, and though hisdark hair and moustaches were streaked with gray, he had lost none ofthe energy of youth.

  A sabre-cut marked his left cheek, for he had known fighting fromearly days. There was a legend current among his admirers--and theynumbered every man with Polish blood in his veins--that in childhoodhe had been taken by his father, a patriotic noble, to the sacramentalaltar, and made to swear that he would be the life-long enemy ofRussia.

  Be that as it may, his fiery youth had been spent in vain attempts toprocure the emancipation of Poland from the Russian yoke, and, as aresult, he had made acquaintance with that indispensable adjunct toMuscovite civilization, Siberia. Chains and hardships, however, hadnot soured his nature, as the good-humored twinkle in his eyesufficiently proved.

  He was the sword and buckler of Czernova, unceasingly vigilant inguarding this last fragment of Poland both against open aggressionfrom without, and also against secret disaffection from within.

  The Muscovites of the principality who regarded him as an incarnationof the devil had some shadow of reason on their side; for thoughZabern was naturally of a frank and open disposition, the web ofpolitical circumstances had forced him to be crafty and subtle.

  Czernova, being but a small state, was dependent for its freedom, notupon strength of arms but upon the arts of diplomacy, and in thosearts Zabern was without a rival. Prince Metternich and CountNesselrode came off second-best when they played their game with thePolish patriot.

  No man ever wore the mantle of Ananias with more ease and grace, andwhen rebuked half-playfully, half-seriously by the princess for somebrilliant piece of deception, calculated to make the most daringdiplomatist stand aghast, he would merely reply: "The truth is, yourHighness, each of us was trying to deceive the other; I happened to bethe greater liar of the two, and so I succeeded. With two empires likeAustria and Russia pressing upon our borders and endeavoring to annexus, it would be folly to act on the lines of the Sermon on the Mount.We'll wait till they set us the example."

  It was only natural that, as a refugee from Siberia, he should be anobject of hatred to the bureaucracy of St. Petersburg, and extraditionhaving failed to secure his person, recourse was had to darkermethods, and Zabern had come to regard attempts upon his life as allin the day's work.

  Such was Marshal Zabern, the leading member of the Czernoveseministry, for Radzivil's premiership was purely nominal. None knewbetter than the count himself that he had been selected by theprincess mainly to gild the cabinet with a famous historic name.

  Radzivil had been narrating to the marshal the incident of the fracasbetween Paul and the Duke of Bora.

  To the premier's surprise Zabern received the news with an air of grimsatisfaction.

  "Why, count, this is manna from heaven. Have you told the others?" headded, meaning by that expression the rest of the ministry.

  "Yes, and the opinion of one and all is that the princess must becalled upon to intervene."

  Zabern smiled with the air of one who should say, "A parcel of oldwomen!"

  "Count," he said, assuming an authoritative manner, "this duel musttake place. The good of the state requires it."

  "The cabinet connive at the breaking of the law! Impossible! It is ourduty to inform her Highness without delay, unless," added the premier,"unless you can give good reason for acting otherwise."

  "Well, I, Zabern, forbid you," laughed the marshal good-humoredly."Won't that reason suffice you, count?"

  Ere the premier could reply, the chiming of a silver bell in theaudience-chamber announced that the princess was ready to receive hervisitors.

  The chamberlains flung wide the open doors.

  "Remember," said Zabern, in a somewhat stern whisper, "not a word ofthis duel to the princess."

  And the perplexed Radzivil, always guided by the advice of hiscolleague, gave a reluctant assent.

  The two ministers entered the White Saloon,--a hall so called from itspure white decorations relieved with gold.

  At a table sat the fair princess who now bore the name of Natalie, butin earlier days that of Barbara.

  She looked up with a bright smile, and motioned the two councillors toa seat at her table.

  Zabern was her favorite minister, and he on his part was ready tosacrifice his life to advance her interests and happiness. It was thissentiment which made him look askance at her intended marriage withthe duke. With doubts of its wisdom even as a political expedient, hehad no doubts at all as to the private unhappiness that would resultfrom the union of such an ill-assorted pair.

  Therefore, he, Zabern, would prevent it; and matters that day seemedto be favoring his design.

  "You come at an unusual hour, my lords, presumably, therefore, withimportant tidings?"

  "From the grand liberticide," remarked Zabern.

  "Our representative at St. Petersburg," remarked the premier, takingsome papers from his despatch-box, "reports that at an ambassadorialball given at the Winter Palace a few nights ago the Emperor Nicholaswalked up to him, and in a severe voice, obviously intended to beheard by the whole assembly, exclaimed: 'Is it true, sir, that thePrincess of Czernova has become a convert to the Catholic Faith?'"

  "So my secret has transpired at last!" smiled Barbara. "Well, itmatters little. It would have become public knowledge soon, inasmuchas my coronation must take place in a Latin cathedral."

  "Of course the reply of our representative was that he could give noanswer till he had received instructions from the princess."

  "What said the Czar to this?"

  "'We,'" replied Radzivil, reading from the despatch, "'we shall sendan envoy to remind the princess that her coronation-oath requiresassent to the Greek Faith.' Your Highness, the Czar speaks truly.Czernova must be governed according to its Charter, and as the Charterfixes the words of the coronation-oath, we cannot deviate from themwithout violating the conditions upon which autonomy was ceded to us.I would that we could send word to deny the truth of your conversion.Cannot," continued the premier, fixing a wistful look upon the face ofthe young princess, "cannot your Highness be persuaded to return toyour early faith?"

  "My early faith," murmured Barbara to herself, "has never changed."And then aloud she added, "Why, count, would you have me change myfaith as lightly as I change my mantle?"

  Zabern, though a Catholic himself, and that mainly because the Czarwas a Greek, was nevertheless a politician before all things, and hehere intervened with a characteristic suggestion.

  "Since your Highness has not yet publicly avowed yourself a Catholic,you are free to deny that you are one. Act diplomatically. Publiclyattend the services of the Greek basilica; privately have your ownoratory in the palace here. The Pope will doubtless grant you adispensation to this effect."

  "No more such counsel, I pray you," said Barbara, coldly. "I am aCatholic, not a Jesuit."

  "Your Highness corrects
me with admirable judgment," returned Zabern,who made a point of always agreeing with his sovereign, for by suchcourse he usually contrived to secure his own way in the end.

  "Our representative proceeds to say," remarked the premier, referringagain to his despatch, "that the Czar's words and manner were regardedby all the ambassadors present as a distinct menace to your Highness.'The annexation of the principality,' and '_Finis Czernovae_' passedfrom lip to lip."

  "Czernova has survived many similar threats," said Barbaradisdainfully.

  "It is the contention of the Czar and his ministers," pursued thepremier, "that as a Catholic your Highness is precluded from reigning.We would not alarm your Highness unnecessarily, but we cannot disguisethe fact that we are approaching a very grave crisis."

  "Be it so," replied Barbara, firmly. "My faith is dearer to me thancrown or life. I shall not change it to please the Czar."

  Radzivil looked the picture of melancholy at this avowal.

  "As the Czar has promised to send an envoy," remarked Zabern, "yourHighness will, of course, delay your answer till his arrival?"

  To this Barbara assented.

  "And in the interval," smiled Zabern cynically,--he was never happierthan when opposing Russian designs,--"we will set the jurists to workto discover whether they cannot put upon the coronation-oath aninterpretation different from that taken by the Czar. We will appealto the decision of the other Powers; they being interested in opposingRussian aggrandizement will readily lay hold of any ambiguity in thewording of the oath."

  After a brief interval of silence the princess, knitting her browsinto a frown, said,--

  "How comes the Czar to be aware of that which I revealed to my cabinetunder pledge of secrecy?"

  The two ministers interchanged significant looks.

  "The statement we are about to make," began Radzivil, "is of sodistasteful, so startling a character that we have hitherto withheldit from your Highness, hoping that it might prove false. In vain,however. We can no longer blind ourselves to the fact that there is atraitor in the cabinet."

  "A traitor!" ejaculated Barbara.

  "Reluctantly we are forced to this conclusion. Secrets discussed inthe privacy of our council-chamber have been reported to the ministersof the Czar. The previous letters of our ambassador leave no doubt onthis melancholy question."

  Here the premier began to read various extracts, all tending to provehis statement.

  "One of my own ministers secretly corresponding with the Czar!"murmured Barbara in dismay. "Who is the traitor! Whom do you suspect,my lords?" turning sharply upon her ministers.

  "I know not in the least at whom to point the finger," replied thepremier.

  A smile flickered over Zabern's face, and he murmured to himself,"Blind Radzivil!"

  "You suspect some one, marshal?" said Barbara, reading his looks.

  "Your Highness, I do, but prefer to verify my suspicions ere statingthem. I will say this much, however," continued Zabern, bendingforward over the table and speaking in a whisper, "he whom I suspectis not one of the 'Transfigured.'"

  The princess seemed somewhat relieved by this last statement.

  "My spies are attentive to the traitor's movements," continued Zabern."Nay, more; I have his emissary under lock and key in the Citadel."

  "You refer to the man Russakoff?" asked Radzivil.

  "Yes. I am convinced that he is the intermediary of this treasonablecorrespondence, and nothing but her Highness's clemency prevents mefrom learning the name of his principal."

  "My clemency? How?" asked Barbara in surprise.

  "The rack would soon make him confess."

  "Oh! no, marshal," returned the princess, quickly. "No prisoner shallbe put to the torture during my _regime_. I am trying to civilizeCzernova. The rack would indeed be a return to barbarism."

  "Then we must fall back upon our secretary, Trevisa, and pray thesaints that he will unravel that cipher despatch. It may give us theclue we want."

  "A traitor in the cabinet!" murmured Barbara. "Russia's arm is longand crafty; when will it be stayed? That desire of our hearts, a warbetwixt England and Russia, seems as far off as ever."

  "Nearer than men think," returned Zabern. "And strange to say, ourcapital contains at the present moment an Englishman whose words mayhave the effect of bringing it about."

  "Who is this potent personage?" asked Barbara in surprise.

  "A certain Captain Woodville, lately returned from India."

  Zabern had been apprised by Radzivil of the duke's suspicion as to aformer love-affair between the princess and this English captain, andtherefore while speaking he watched Barbara with an eye ready todetect the slightest change in her manner. But the princess showed noconfusion of face at the mention of the name "Woodville," and themarshal was forced to the conclusion that the duke was laboring underan error. Or, he murmured to himself, "the princess knows well how tohide her feelings."

  "Woodville? Woodville?" repeated Barbara pensively; and then her facebrightening, she added, "Surely not the Woodville of Tajapore renown?"

  "The very same," replied Radzivil. "He is staying at the Hotel deVarsovie. I had a--a brief conversation with him this morning."

  At this moment the premier received from Zabern a look which warnedhim to say as little as possible concerning that interview.

  "The siege of Tajapore!" said the princess. "Ah! that was a nobledefence. Would four hundred of our men have done the like, think you,Zabern?" and without waiting for reply she turned to Radzivil andasked: "Did you inquire of Captain Woodville how long he intends toremain in Czernova?"

  "His stay will be very brief, I fear," replied Radzivil, thinking ofthe duel and its probable issue.

  "Very long, you mean," said Zabern in a grim whisper to the premier,"for you believe he'll never quit Czernova."

  "I should like to see this illustrious Englishman ere he departs.Count, you must arrange for an audience."

  And the count, knowing that he was conniving at a breaking of the lawwhich would probably end in the death of this same Englishman, feltextremely uncomfortable, and but for the presence of his colleague,would certainly have revealed the whole truth.

  "But how," inquired Barbara, "can Captain Woodville's words bringabout an Anglo-Russian War?"

  "Why, thus," returned Zabern. "He was interviewed at Alexandria by thecorrespondent of the English 'Times,' to whom he stated his beliefthat the artillery officers commanding the Afghans in their attackupon Tajapore were really Europeans in disguise, his opinion beingbased upon the superior way in which they handled their guns. And ofwhat nationality they were is shown by the fact that Russian wordswere frequently heard in the heat of the _melee_. Captain Woodvillehas already embodied his views in despatches which are now under theconsideration of the British cabinet. We shall soon have a troublingof the diplomatic waters. Lord Palmerston, alarmed at the recentadvances made by Russia in Central Asia, is in no mood to be trifledwith. He may seize upon the siege of Tajapore as a _casus belli_. Ifan Anglo-Russian war should come--"

  Zabern checked his utterance and tapped the hilt of his sabresignificantly.

  "Then will come the day of Poland's uprising," said the princess witha heightened color. "My lords, you may withdraw."

  The premier of Czernova and the Warden of the Charter rose, bowed, andretired, wending their way in leisurely fashion to the entrance of thepalace.

  "Marshal," said Radzivil, with a troubled look, "the princess seems totake great interest in this Woodville?"

  "So much the more angry will she be with the man who slays him,"returned the other, coolly.

  "Which is your reason for wishing this duel to take place?" saidRadzivil angrily. "You seek to destroy my favorite scheme of unitingthe princess and the duke?"

  "Precisely; that is my object. Her Highness will certainly be offendedat seeing her future consort presuming to set himself above the law.It may cause her affections to become alienated. The duke has walkednicely into my net, as I foresaw he would
."

  "What net?"

  "The Anti-duelling Act," replied Zabern with a cynical smile. "Why wasI so earnest in getting the Diet to pass that measure?"

  "To please the princess."

  "Partly that, but much more because I saw in the measure anopportunity of entangling the duke. Aware of his arrogantdisposition, I knew that he, deeming himself above the law, would soonbe engaging in another duel. And my plan has succeeded," continued themarshall with a triumphant chuckle. "This day the duke is pledged to aduel with sabres. They fight _a la mort_,--that's the best of it. It'spossible they may kill each other; if not, the alternatives are thatthe Englishman will slay the duke--and may the saints confer that boonupon Czernova!--or--"

  "Or, which is far more likely, the duke will slay the Englishman."

  "Regrettable that, since the Englishman is a fine fellow, who deservesa better fate. In that case the duke, in accordance with the newenactment, will have to stand his trial for murder."

  Radzivil stood aghast. Strange that he had not carried the matter inthought so far as this!

  "And if the princess adheres to the spirit and the letter of the law,"continued Zabern with imperturbable coolness; "and, as you know, sheis an enthusiast for law, she will have to sign the warrant for theexecution of her intended consort."

  "Good God!" gasped the premier.

  "Works out beautifully, doesn't it? I intended it should."

  "Oh, this shall not be! The princess must intervene to stop this duel.I will return at once and inform her."

  "Hold!" said Zabern, sternly. "Let the duke abide by his folly andlose his bride. If Polish ascendancy is to be maintained in Czernovathe duke must go. Fool!" he continued with a savage flash of his eyes,and forcibly detaining the premier by the sleeve. "How long, thinkyou, shall we retain office if Bora once sits upon the throne of theLilieskis?"

  They had now reached the grand entrance of the palace. A troopermoved forward to meet them and stood at the salute, apparently wishfulto deliver a message.

  "What is it, Nikita?"

  "Sire, the spy Russakoff has escaped from the Citadel."

  "Damnation! the guards shall swing for this."