CHAPTER XXV.
COILS THAT NO MAN COULD BREAK.
Poor Olga! I shall not easily forget the effect the news had on her.
I went out from the interview impregnated with the conviction that Iwas now indeed hopelessly baffled. I saw how completely the wholeposition had been changed. The very axis had shifted. And theknowledge that I had to make Olga understand it all before she leftRussia was more unpalatable and depressing than I can describe.
Up to the present moment there had indeed been the slight off-chancethat we should both escape, and the knowledge that if we could only doso, we might find happiness in another country. But that hope was asdead as a coffin nail. I was bound to Moscow by a shackle morepowerful than iron fetters. I had pledged myself not to attempt to gountil the Prince himself had given me permission; and I knew that hewould never think of doing this until the duel had been in some wayarranged. On the other hand the Nihilist attack on the Emperor was tobe made in two days' time. If it succeeded an ignominious death at thehands of the law could be the only result for me; while if it failed,death was almost as certain at the hands of the Nihilists who wouldadjudge me their betrayer.
Between the upper and nether millstones I was helpless; certain only ofbeing crushed by them. Thus nothing could make me believe that Ishould ever again set eyes on the woman whose release I had thussecured and whom I now loved with all 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 mechanged in a moment to sadness.
"I would ten thousand times rather not go," she said. "I do not carewhat they do to me. I have brought you into this, and it is me theyshould punish," she said more than once.
"But you can't do what this man wants, Olga," said I with a smile, toreassure her. "If you could, he would probably let me go and hold onto you. If I couldn't, he would hold on to us both. But you must gofor this reason. You must find Balestier and tell him to come here.He must stop making a fuss about Hamylton Tregethner, and just come onhere and see me and let us try together to find out some solution ofthe puzzle. But he must hold his tongue unless talking to the rightpair of ears."
"I shall know no rest till I find him," replied Olga instantly. "Andif 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 herreturn would be useless, for the cogent reason that I should not bealive. It was impossible that I could survive by many hours theImperial visit. This I kept from her, however, for the farewell wasalready more than sufficiently sad and trying; and I doubt if anyconsideration on earth would have induced her to leave if she hadreally known how imminent was my danger.
I talked much indeed of the help Balestier might be able to render, andthus impressed on her strongly the need for her to find him, howeverlong it might take her. This giving her a task and connecting it withthe work of helping me, kept her hope alive and tended to reconcile herto the parting, so that in the end she shook off much of herdepression. I could see also she was battling with her feelings todistress me as little as possible.
I loved her the more as I saw this, but the parting was such pain forus both, that I was glad when it was over. I stood and watched thetrain steam out of the station and saw her leaning from the carriagewindow to catch the last glimpse of me. And I was sad indeed, as Iturned away with a positively choking sense of loneliness such as I hadnever felt before in all my life.
The departure of my brave little sister, clever-witted counsellor, anddearest companion seemed to leave such a void in my life that in thefirst hours which followed her departure I mourned for her as onegrieves for the dead. And in truth she was dead to me.
But the events of the day following left me little time for meditation.It was Sunday and a day of brisk action. Early in the morning therewere special regimental duties; and on my return to my rooms forbreakfast I found waiting for me a stranger, whose card, given to myservant, described him as "J. W. Junker, St Petersburg Gazette."
He rose at my entrance and said in a very pleasant voice:--
"Excuse a journalist's liberty in coming to you. I am the specialcorrespondent of the St Petersburg Gazette and have come to do theCzar's visit, and I should very much like a word with you on thematter."
"I don't see where I can be of any help, but if there's anything I cantell you, fire away," I said. "I've had a couple of hours' drill thismorning, however, and I have to be on the parade ground in less than anhour, so you must excuse me if I have my breakfast while we chat. Butperhaps you'll join me?"
"With the greatest pleasure," and down he sat, and while the servantwas in the room for the first few minutes, he chatted away like thebright and pleasant fellow he appeared to be. But as soon as my manhad left the room, his manner changed suddenly and his voice took adirect earnest tone that made me look at him in some astonishment.
"Don't have that fellow back again. Is it all acting, or don't youreally recognise me? I knew you in a moment."
"Did you? Well, I certainly don't know you. I never met ajournalist----" He broke in with a short laugh and waved his hand witha quick gesture of imperative impatience as he stared at me hard. Hismanner annoyed me.
"Well, if you're not what you said you were, what the devil are youdoing here? What do you want?" I felt like pitching him out of theplace.
"Didn't you expect me?"
"Expect you? No; how should I?"
"Instructions were sent to prepare you."
"I can only say I haven't the ghost of a notion what you want."
"To complete the arrangements for to-morrow's glorious event," and hisface lighted with a momentary enthusiasm.
"How am I to know you?" I asked, suspiciously.
"I am Gorvas Lassthum; and I saw you twelve months ago when the otherplan was laid, as you will remember, and failed. Your memory istreacherous, my friend."
"There are some things I train it to forget," I answered, equivocally.
I was in a fix. I guessed the man was a Nihilist agent, of course, andhis air of self-importance suggested that he was high up in theleadership. But on the other hand Moscow was at the moment swarmingwith spies of all kinds; and this might be one. I assumed an air ofextreme caution therefore, and after a flash of thought added: "Andsome that I prefer not to know at all. It pleases me now to hold thatfrom my side you and I are strangers. You know me well; say then justwhat you wish to say. I on my side don't know you, and prefer to saynothing."
"Good," he cried; and reaching out offered me his hand and when I gavehim mine, he pressed it and said earnestly:--"Would God we had more menlike 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, andat the last minute the whole of them, or the most of them, will bechanged. You yourself will be detailed to guard that part of the linewhich runs over the flat stretch by the river on the further side ofthe Vsatesk station. Guard it well; for a greater life than that ofthe Emperor depends on your vigilance--the life of the People."
As he said this another of those little flashes of light that seemed totransform him from a pleasant man of the world into an enthusiast leaptinto his eyes. A pause followed in which I said nothing.
"Your orders will be to station your men at set distances on eitherside of the line--it being an easy place to guard--and you will havesome three miles of the line under your command. It is good. Now,take thought. At one point in about the centre of your section, theland dips and the line is embanked to a height of some ten feet, for alength of about half a mile. At that spot there are four aldertrees--three to the left of the line, and one to the right. Thesethree form an irregular triangle, one side of which is much shorterthan the others; and if you follow the short line which those tw
o treesmake, you will find that they form a comparatively straight line withthe fourth tree on the other side of the railway embankment. Do youfollow me?"
He made a rough model on the table-cloth, using some of the breakfastthings for the purpose of shewing the positions of the railway and thetrees.
"No one can mistake that," I said.
"Well, you are to take up your position here, you yourself, I mean,here, in a dead straight line between these two trees"--demonstratingthem on the table-cloth--"for this is where there will be an accident.And now, pay close heed to this. You will go out by train; and whenyour men are paraded at the station they will be joined by five ofours. These will mingle with yours at the very last moment; and if anyquestions are asked they will produce the necessary authority. Thesefive men you will arrange carefully to take the next five positions toyou on your right hand. When the train leaves the line, they willinstantly close round and guard the Emperor's carriage; and you willsee that nothing prevents them. That is all you have to do; and if youact discreetly you will run no risk. You will not fail. They knowtheir duties and will do them; and will let no one come between themand their noble task. Five bolder men do not breathe in all Russia.Remember, they are to be stationed next to you on your right. Youunderstand?"
"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 totake to checkmate this horrible plot, of which I was the most unwillingdepository and was marked out as the forced agent.
During the whole day I was turning the problem over and over in mythoughts: and I could see no course that would be at all effective inthwarting the plot without at the same time exposing myself to all thehazard of being punished as a Nihilist. I could, of course, tell thepolice or Prince Bilbassoff, but this meant a double danger for me.They would take measures to alter the arrangements as to the visit; thereason for this would have to be told to the Czar; it would certainlyleak out to the Nihilists, and I should be a mark for their assassinsat once. On the other hand the story told by Paula Tueski would seemto have the corroboration which my acquaintance with Nihilist matterswould give to it, and I should be in peril there.
One consideration there was that gave some reassurance. I had alreadyhad the orders for the distribution of the troops, and I knew that Iwas to be miles away from those cursed alder trees at the moment whenthe Czar would be passing. I knew too that if the plot went wrong inthat main feature, it would fail altogether.
The Nihilists were not such fools as to draw down on themselves all thesensational punishments which would inevitably follow the discovery ofan organised attempt on the life of the Czar, for the mere emptypurpose of sending the Imperial train off the line. Unless therefore,they had some emissary so highly placed as to be in possession of theinformation long before any of us in Moscow knew about it, the wholemachinery was likely to be stopped for the one flaw. And though I hadhad some proofs of the extraordinary accuracy of their information, Icould not believe their power to be such as this necessitated.
But in the afternoon, when according to arrangement I went again to thePrince Bilbassoff, startling news awaited me, that redoubled all thesedoubts and difficulties, and set them buzzing and rushing through mybrain, threatening to muddle my wits altogether.
There was a distinct change in the manner of his reception of me, andit pleased me to set this down to the fact that his opinion of me wasraised by the knowledge that the black past of Alexis Petrovitch wasmine only by adoption, and that in reality I had the clean antecedentsof an English gentleman.
"I can't give you more than a few minutes," he said, "and I musttherefore squeeze as much as possible into them. I have taken yoursuggestion and have wired to London to find out about you. The resultis what I am bound to say I hoped; and the consequences are I am goingto trust you."
"That's as you please," said I, quietly.
"It does please me, because I don't want this 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 replied.
"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 youface 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 isa standing menace to the Emperor; his hand is ever raised to seek hisMajesty's life; and his whole life is that of a traitor who learns thehighest secrets only to betray them to these enemies of God and theEmperor."
"What proof have you?" I asked in the profoundest astonishment. Ibegan 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 known to three people, two of whom you know to be asstaunch as steel, and yet it gets out--how do you think it happens? Ifthis happens not only once but two or three times, what do you think ofthe man? This man is a traitor; and as surely as there is a God inHeaven, the Crown is not firmly on my master's head while the manremains alive. Now, will you fight him?"
"The matter is a public, not personal, one: Russian not English. Mysword is not a bravo's to be hired for that sort of work."
He swore a deep oath under his breath at this, and then changed it to alaugh with an ugly ring in it.
"If you mean to climb, my young cockerel, we must see more of yourspurs and hear less of your scruples. Personal! Good God, what moredo you want? Aren't you the Emperor's own property? Isn't the LittleFather in danger? Isn't that enough? Personal! Ugh. Well, is thispersonal enough for you? His Highness has already done you the honourto pick you out for the favour of his ill will. This is a letter whichby one of those little accidents that do sometimes happen in my office,has fallen into my hands. He is writing to an agent of his here inMoscow. Listen: 'There is a young lieutenant of the Moscow InfantryRegiment, named Petrovitch, about whom I want all the possibleinformation. He is a dishonourable scoundrel, I understand--a dicing,gambling, drinking fellow, who thinks he can crow and strut on thecrest of his dunghill with impunity because he had the luck to beat abetter man than himself in a duel, and the insolence to insult anotherofficer--one of my friends--and then hide himself under officialprotection. I hear now that he is meditating another and a greatercoup. I know much about him, but want you to get me as much moreinformation as possible. Such swash-buckling knaves are a disgrace anddanger to everything they touch. He is not to be trusted in anythingand all reasons make his overthrow necessary.'"
As he finished reading the extract, the Prince paused and lowering theletter looked at me over the top. Then without giving me time toanswer, he continued:--
"Your 'butcher Durescq' was this man's close friend and tool--doing hiswork for him. It was through this patron's influence that Durescqescaped being turned out of the army altogether. Now, you can see twothings--why this man hates you, and how it was I heard of you. Is thatpersonal enough, Lieutenant?"
"By God, I should think it is," cried I, on fire with rage. "What doeshe dare to interfere with me for?" As I asked the question the reasonflashed upon me as by inspiration. He had heard of my being associatedwith Prince Bilbassoff and was afraid that as I knew so much aboutNihilism, I should get to learn of his connection with it, and he thusdeemed it best to have me put out of the way. He meant to have me"removed." When I looked up, the Prince's keen subtle eyes were fixedon me with calculating intentness.
"It is curious that this man should fix
on you as the object of hisresentment--even though he is a Nihilist. Take care, my friend. Iknow you have inherited a Nihilist black cloak and dagger with yourother undesirable possessions; beware how you use them."
"I believe the real Alexis had dealings with them," I said.
"If this Tueski woman manages to let them understand the truth, then,you will need the wariest wits in the world to avoid stumbling."
"You have maddened me," I cried, as if impetuously, and in the highestexcitement. "Get me a meeting with that villain and were he twentytimes the swordsman he is, and covered in iron mail from head to foot,my sword should find a chink to let the life out of him. I am on fire."
Then I rushed away; for in truth I dared not stay to be any longerquestioned about my relations with the Nihilists.
It all seemed clear to me now. They meant to use me for the horriblebusiness of the following day; and then under some pretext get rid ofme--murder me if necessary--or denounce me. This man held that I knewtoo much for his safety.
All this was supposing, of course, that I escaped the danger of theplot itself.