CHAPTER XXIV.
CRISIS.
I found matters just as Olga's maid had told me. The Countess was inthe deepest distress, and was wringing her hands and crying herselfblind in agitation and alarm.
Olga had been out in the afternoon, she told me, and had come backconsiderably excited. She had stayed some time in her room, and themaid now said she had been turning over her clothes. I knew what thismeant. Then she had written the letter to me and sent the girl withit; but the latter had scarcely left the house before the police hadarrived, had asked for Olga, and had arrested her, refusing to say asingle word as to the cause.
Olga had of course gone with them, protesting to the Countess thatthere must be some mistake and that no doubt she would soon be again atliberty and return home. When kissing her aunt the girl had whisperedto her to tell me at once, with an assurance that she was not in theleast frightened.
Knowing what I knew about the system of imprisonment in Russia and howcommon a thing it was for a prisoner to be arrested on the flimsiestsuspicion, to enter a gaol and be kept from all communication withfriends and family, I did not by any means share the calmness she hadprofessed. The suddenness of the arrest combined with the completeoverthrow of all my plans incensed me beyond measure. I put to the twowomen 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 CountessPalitzin believe that it would be in my power to help Olga.
I hurried from the house to Paula Tueski. I reckoned to get from herthe best hints as to where my exertions could be most usefully exerted.But I did not find her and the news at her house was disconcertingsomewhat. She had been called for suddenly and had gone out, leavingno word where she was to be found nor when she would return. All quitecontrary to her usual custom.
I went on then to the chief police office. I was in uniform of course,and was received with the greatest politeness, but no information wasgiven to me. The man who gave me an interview was complacency itself.
"I am grieved to be able to give you no information, Lieutenant," hesaid, politely. "But you know how our hands are tied and how one'slips are sealed in this office. In anything but that matter I am yourmost obedient servant: indeed, if in that very affair you can suggesthow 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."
"By whose orders was the arrest made?"
"By those of my superiors. I have but to obey."
"Where is she now?"
For answer he shrugged his shoulders, smiled blandly, and shook hishead slowly.
"Can I see her?"
"Yes, of course--with an order."
"Whose order?"
"Anyone who is my superior."
"Can you give me an order?" He repeated his gesture, murmuring anexpression of regret.
"You have not told me much," I said, and he smiled deprecatingly. "Butit is enough to tell me where I must look for information."
His smile changed to one of congratulation, and, rising, he gave me hishand.
"Lieutenant, a brave man like you shall always command my sympathiesand services so far as my duty permits," and with that officialreservation he bowed me out with the most profuse of polite gestures.
I thought I saw from where the stroke came, and without any longerdelay I hurried to the Prince Bilbassoff.
He was at first said to be out; and for some half hour I cooled myheels and warmed my temper and impatience striding up and down in frontof the building. Then he was denied to me on the ground that he wasvery busily engaged; and only when I insisted that my business wasexceptionally urgent and personal, was I admitted to an antechamber andleft waiting there with some half dozen other.
The servant took my message, but instead of returning instantly, as hadbeen my previous experience, to lead me at once to the Prince's room, Iwas left to fume in my impatience for several minutes.
I rang the bell angrily and when the servant came ordered him to shewme to the Prince instantly. But he would not, saying he dared notwithout orders from his master, and that he had given my message andcould do no more.
I augured ill from this reception, but was in no mood to brook delay.I had nothing to lose now by boldness, and as soon as the fellow hadturned his back I went to the door which I knew to be that of thePrince's room, and pushing aside the man who stood on guard outside,knocked, opened it, and marched in unceremoniously.
The Prince was in close conference with a couple of men and when he sawme he jumped up and asked me how I dared to intrude in that way.
"I have something 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 to equanimity,forced or genuine, I didn't care which, and he dismissed the men.
"There can be only one reason why you come here," he said, as soon aswe were alone, speaking in a very sharp tone.
"On the contrary there may be two," I replied, copying his sharpness.
"The only condition on which I can receive you, Lieutenant, is the oneI told you some hours since. Have you come to comply with it?"
"I have come to ask you why you have arrested my sister and where sheis."
"Arrested whom?" he asked, with a sharp look I didn't understand.
"My sister."
"Who is that?" This with a smile of indescribable meaning.
"You knew well enough when I was here this afternoon."
"On the contrary, I knew no more than I know now. I don't even knowthat you have a sister. Have you?"
Either the man was a lunatic, or he knew everything. Here wasobviously the reason of the altered reception. But I would not betraymyself by a single word or gesture.
"I am speaking of my sister, Olga Petrovitch, whom you rescued from thehands of Major Devinsky. Now, do you know what I mean?"
"No," he answered stolidly.
"Well, do you know whom I mean?"
"I know of Olga Petrovitch."
"Then what the devil do you mean?" I cried angrily. "You have arrestedher, 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 togaol by the police devils of yours?"
"Indifferent? No, indeed; certainly not. Even I am not indifferentabout it. It has been of the utmost use to me, in fact."
"How long are you going to keep up these riddles, Prince? I don'tpretend to be your equal at that kind of fence, and as it's perfectlyevident to me you think you have a knotted whip for my back I'll waittill you're ready to lay it on."
He laughed at that.
"Are you going to accept my conditions?" he asked.
"It will depend absolutely on the result of this interview."
He paused half a minute and then taking a paper from his pocket tossedit to me with a laugh.
"Here's the key. How do you read it?" he asked, lightly.
It was indeed the key, and the instant my eyes fell on it I saweverything.
It was the permit found on Olga.
The game was up; but I wouldn't play the craven.
I tossed it back to him and laughed, a more natural and mirthful laughthan his, though I scented death in the air.
"I understand it pretty well," I said, as lightly as he had spoken."But if you don't mind I think I'll keep my own counsel."
"You know what it means?" he asked.
"To me?" He nodded. "I can guess," I said.
"And to her?"
"No, I don't know that. But I know your law is damned hard on women."
"And this Tueski woman--why did she get this permit for--your sister?"He paused on the word.<
br />
"Wanted her out of the way, that's all."
"Is what she says true--all true?"
"That depends on what she says."
"It's a strange tale. That you're not what you call yourself; thatyou've taken the place of Lieutenant Alexis Petrovitch; that you're aNihilist of the Nihilists; that you murdered her husband; and that shehas the proofs of all this."
"Why did you arrest her?" I asked, as an idea occurred to me.
"That," he said, pointing to the permit.
"Did she volunteer her statement?"
A laugh of diabolical cunning spread over his face.
"Yes--when she believed you had deceived her and had fled with--yoursister. Boy, no one can guard himself against a jealous Russian woman."
"Now, I see a little more clearly. But why did you arrest OlgaPetrovitch?"
"Your visit to my sister this afternoon. You were too solicitous forthe poor girl's nerves, and we thought it might be better for you toknow that she was in safe guardianship until you had made yourdecision. There would at any rate be no pressing need for you to thinkof her leaving the country; or feel it desirable to go with her to takecare of her in her shattered condition. And we were right. But even Idid not expect a tithe of all that has come from the step. It isindeed seldom that I get so genuine a surprise."
"And what are you going to do--now?"
"How much of this woman's tale is true?"
"One third of it. I am not Alexis Petrovitch; but neither am I aNihilist, nor a murderer."
"Who are you!"
"An Englishman--Hamylton Tregethner."
"But your speech--your accent--your Russian?"
"I was brought up in Moscow for the first sixteen years of my life."
"Tregethner, Hamylton Tregethner," he murmured, repeating the name asif it were not wholly unfamiliar to him. Then after a pause he askedme where the real Lieutenant Petrovitch was; and questioned mesearchingly and very shrewdly as to the whole details of my change ofidentity. I concealed nothing.
"You English are devils," he said, when his questions were nearlyexhausted. "I hate the lot of you--except you. And you're as big adevil as any of them. But you have the pluck of a hundred."
I shrugged my shoulders, laughed, lolled back in my chair and lighted acigarette.
"I've enjoyed it," I said, "and that's the plain truth. I didn't likethe lies I had to tell; but then I never had any training in thediplomatic service, and that makes the difference. But all the sameI've enjoyed it; and what's more, if it had been possible, I'd havefought for the Little Father as keenly as any born Russ in the ranks.But it's over, and so far as I'm concerned, you can do what you likewith me. I should like to save that girl. She's one in ten thousandfor pluck. And you owe her something too, as she saved my life from atreacherous thrust of Devinsky's sword for you to take it. You mightlet her have her liberty in its place. It's infernally hard on thegirl that her cowardly brute of a brother should let her in for allthis mess; and then that I, with all the good will in the world, shouldthrust her deeper into the mud. It's damned hard!"
The Prince was watching me closely and thinking hard.
"Why did you hesitate to accept my proposal?" he asked, sharply.
"For a very plain reason. While I appreciated the honour and advantageof an alliance with your sister, I loved Olga Petrovitch, and preferredto marry her."
"I won't tell my sister that," he said, laughing sardonically. After apause he added:--"How much does--your sister know of our matter?"
"Everything."
"Names?" and he stared as if to penetrate right into my brain.
"No--not of the man to be fought."
"On your honour?"
"On my honour."
"If she is released, will you go on with it?"
"If she is put across the frontier," I returned grimly.
"Don't you trust me?"
"You, yes; but your agents, no." He smiled.
"You should go far with the daring with which you push your fortunes."
"Probably I shall go on till my head falls by the wayside," I answered.I was utterly reckless now. But my tactics succeeded when nothing elsecould have won.
He took a form and wrote.
"Here is the permit for her to leave the country. It is yours--onconditions."
"What are they? Never mind what they are," I added, quickly. "Iaccept them in advance. Save that girl, who is innocent, and do whatyou like with me."
"Do you know what I ought to do with you?" he asked.
"Yes; better than you do. Write me a permit also and have me conductedto the frontier at the same time. But I don't know what you think youshould do."
"I ought to write out a very different order and have you both sentstraight to the Mallovitch yonder; and let things take their course."
"Well, it's fortunate for me then," I replied, with a laugh, "that yourinterest and your judgment pull different ways. You won't do that,Prince."
"How do I know that you are not a Nihilist?"
"Instinct, judgment, knowledge of men, knowledge of me--everything.Besides, if you want proof, no one knows better than yourself that acipher telegram sent to London, and inquiries made in half a dozenplaces that I can mention, will put ample proofs in your hands to shewwho I am. So far as I know there's one man in Russia at the presentmoment and actually coming to Moscow, who'll stir up the BritishLegation and every British consulate in the country to the search forHamylton Tregethner. That's the Hon. Rupert Balestier." Then I toldhim what had happened in Paris. At first he smiled, but soon grewthoughtful again.
"I warn you, too," I added, when he made no answer, "that if you chopmy head off or stifle me in one of your infernal prisons, or send mepacking to Siberia, Balestier is just the man to raise a devil of aclatter. And you don't want a row with our Foreign Office just at themoment when things are so ticklish with the Sick Man."
He waved his hand as if to put all such considerations away from him.
"If the girl you call your sister had got away, did you mean to try toescape?"
"Certainly I did," replied I, frankly, and I told him the scheme I hadformed.
"And now?"
"If I give my word I shall keep it. You Russians never seem to think aman will keep his parole to his own disadvantage. We English thinkdifferently--and act as we think."
"If we postpone this talk till to-morrow, have I your word that you'llmake no attempt to escape?"
"No, indeed, you haven't. Let this girl go at once; then you can haveit and welcome."
"You seem to forget that I can keep you under guard?"
"I forget nothing of the kind. Clap me into a prison and you maywhistle for anyone to carry out--to do what you wish. You can decidenow, or lose the option. That's in the rules of a game like this."
"You carry things with a high hand," he cried angrily.
"Most probably I shouldn't be here if I didn't," said I, with a laugh."It's my advantage to force the pace at this juncture; and the risk'stoo big to throw away a single chance."
He made no reply, but pushing back his chair got up and walked aboutthe room, in a state of indecision absolutely foreign to his characterand habits.
I knew how momentous the decision was. If I were the dangerousNihilist that Paula Tueski had declared, the risk of letting me freeand entrusting to me such a task as that we had discussed was criticaland deadly. The Russian instinct was to clap me into a gaol and bedone with me; but the personal feeling pulled him in the otherdirection--to use me for a tool in the project that was all in all tohim. With the Grand Duke once out of his path there was nothingbetween him and almost absolute rule.
I watched him with an anxiety he little suspected, for my manner wasstudiously careless, indifferent, and reckless.
"Did you give this girl any particular task if she escaped?" he asked,stopping suddenly in his walk close to me.
"Certainly; to find Rupert Balestier, tell him of my position, and get
him to try and smooth away the difficulties. I had also arranged howshe could communicate with and find me if I managed to get away."
He took the answer as I gave it with perfect frankness, and it seemedto help his decision. He resumed his pacing backwards and forwards.
Two or three minutes later he stopped his walk and taking the permit hehad written held it out to me.
"Will you give me your word as an English gentleman that if I give youthis and allow the girl to leave Russia, you will make no attempt toescape, 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 Englishman cannotlend himself out as an assassin, Prince Bilbassoff. I will do this. Iwill give you my word of honour not to attempt to leave Russia, and ifa meeting between the Grand Duke and myself can be arranged withoutdishonour to me, I pledge myself to meet him. I will never take thatword back unless you release me; but more I cannot do. Let OlgaPetrovitch go, and you shall do as you will with me."
"I take your word," he said, quietly. "Your identity will remainunknown. Your sister will leave for the frontier under escort atmidnight. You can take the news to her, and she can leave with you tomake her arrangements for departure. I hold you responsible for her;and you will explain only what is necessary to her. You remain aRussian."
And with the permit and the order for her instant release in my hand Ileft him, conscious that I had been brushing my back against a dungeondoor the whole time and had only just escaped finding myself on thewrong side of it.