CHAPTER X
THE DEED OF MICHAEL THE GUARDSMAN
Accompanied by Zabern, Paul returned to the palace, where he was metby the court chamberlain, who conducted him to a fine suite ofapartments, which by the special command of the princess were assignedto the new secretary.
Supplied by Zabern with the cipher despatch, and by the courtlibrarian with a copy of the "Eumenides," Paul, having first requestedto be left to himself, sat down to work out the cryptographic problem.
The paper given to him by the marshal was covered with rows ofnumerals, separated from each other by dots.
The first eight numbers were as follows,--
6 . 42 . 50 . 37 . 97 . 39 . 65 . 21
What did these figures represent? Certain words in the Greek play? Ifthe sixth word of the "Eumenides," the forty-second, the fiftieth andso forth, were picked out and placed in immediate sequence, would theyyield an intelligible sentence?
He tried this method with the above numbers, but the result did notencourage him to proceed.
It was not likely that the writer of the despatch intended to forwardsuch intelligence as: "Of gods and a name a daughter of an art wasseated into an oracle."
On reflection Paul perceived the improbability that the numbers stoodfor words, inasmuch as the vocabulary of an ancient Greek poet wouldbe insufficient to supply all the terms required by the usages ofmodern civilization, such, for example, as passport, banknote, orrifle. And to clench the matter, Paul observed that towards the end ofthe despatch there was the number, .8537. Now the total of words inthe "Eumenides" falls considerably short of that sum.
But if all the letters that composed the words of the play werenumbered in consecutive order from [Greek: P] the first to [Greek: s]the last, then, indeed, the sum total would far exceed 8537.
Paul resolved to test this theory, namely, that 6 was intended to meanthe sixth letter in the "Eumenides," 42 the forty-second letter, etc.
Great was his delight when he produced the following result,--
. 6 . 42 . 5 0. 37 . 97 . 39 . 65 . 21 .
[Greek: n i k o l a o s]
Nicholas, the name of the reigning Czar!
Proceeding in the same fashion, Paul found that the numbers followingthose which stood for Nicholas yielded the intelligible word _[Greek:ounainetai]_, "assents."
"To what does Nicholas assent?" murmured Paul.
"Let me endeavor to ascertain, since it is quite clear that the key tothe cipher is now in my hands."
Obviously his best course would be to go through the "Eumenides"first, marking, say, every tenth letter with its proper consecutivenumber. This done, the work of decipherment would take but a fewminutes.
Paul started on this most monotonous task,--a task that occupied himmore than four hours, from the necessity imposed upon him of verifyinghis enumeration from time to time, for a single error in hiscalculation would have confused the whole issue. And when at last hiscopy of the "Eumenides" lay ready figured for use, the misgivingseized him that perhaps, after all, his labor had been in vain.
"Various readings occur in the manuscripts of the 'Eumenides,'" hemuttered. "If the writer of this despatch has used a different editionfrom mine,--_Dindorf, Lips._ 1827,--well, then, lack-a-day!"
Fortunately, however, the result falsified his misgiving.
Once during his calculations the eager Zabern had entered theapartment with the question, "What progress?"
"Return in two hours, and you shall have the solution."
And the marshal had withdrawn, somewhat doubtful of Paul's ability tomake good his promise.
However, before the expiration of the two hours Paul had mastered thecontents of the document. It was written in Greek, and, as themarshal's knowledge of that language was extremely limited, Paul spentsome time in endeavoring to produce a faithful translation. And hisrendering was as follows,--
_Nicholas assents. So proceed quickly. Risk of discovery in transmitting document. Therefore burn as soon as seized. When done, report matter. Envoy will follow to demand production._
_Lipski's measure approved. Money shall be forwarded by usual route. Let him bribe freely. The success of his bill Russia's justification. Impossible, then, for Europe to oppose annexation.--ORLOFF._
The signature seemed to show that the letter came from thegovernor-general of Warsaw, the knouter of Katina, but there wasnothing to indicate the person for whom it was intended. Paul hadlittle doubt as to the correctness of his decipherment, though themeaning was far from clear to him.
Zabern would doubtless be able to understand the allusions, and if themarshal should not soon make his appearance Paul was resolved to go inquest of him.
The night was now far advanced, and, having been at work several hoursin a close chamber, Paul was beginning to feel somewhat languid. Hetherefore walked forward and opened a casement to gain a breath of thefresher air without.
It was dark and cloudy, and as he stood looking forth a mournful winddashed rain-drops into his face.
The part of the palace in which this apartment was situated formed theextremity of an architectural wing, which was fronted at the distanceof about a hundred feet by a second wing equal in length to the firstand parallel with it. These two wings formed with the main structurethe three sides of a court.
As he casually turned his eyes upon the opposite wing, at the pointwhere it formed an angle with the main building, Paul thought hedetected a movement on the part of somebody or something abouthalf-way between the roof and the ground. Straining his eyes to theutmost, he became convinced that what he saw dimly outlined againstthe gray wall was the figure of a man poised in mid-air; for as Paulcould detect no ladder beneath him, he could only come to theconclusion that the fellow was suspended by a rope.
The man made no attempt to ascend or descend, but continued in the oneposition; and as far as Paul could discern in the darkness his arm wasmoving to and fro with horizontal motion.
Now just at the place where this man hung there was, as Paul hadobserved earlier in the evening, a small window, a window crossed byiron bars.
A grated window in a palace suggests the idea that the room thussecured is used for the preservation of things valuable; at any ratethis was Paul's idea. He believed that the fellow was quietlyremoving the iron bars with the view of procuring whatever it was thatlay behind them.
It was an extremely hazardous enterprise. True, the man was favored bythe darkness, and by the noise of wind and rain, but at any moment hewas liable to be surprised by the night-watch going its rounds, eitherin the courtyard below or on the roof above.
Two sentinels paced the very battlements overlooking this court.Earlier in the evening Paul had heard their footsteps overhead andtheir challenges. Were they asleep? If not, they must be keeping avery lax watch to permit this man to perform such work under theirvery eyes.
Then the truth flashed upon Paul. The man himself was a soldier, oneof the two appointed to patrol this particular part of the roof. Theother was his confederate. Both were engaged in some nefarious work.Treason was afoot in the palace!
Rejecting his first impulse, which was to steal quietly downstairs andsummon the guard, Paul resolved to tackle the two single-handed. Asthere was no staircase from his room to the roof, he determined tomount to the battlements by means of a water-pipe adjacent to hiswindow.
Thrusting a loaded pistol within his breast, he stepped out upon thewindow-sill, and pulling himself up by the water-pipe silently andquickly, he clambered over the battlements without detection. Keepingwithin an embrasure, he peered out along the roof. There, a few yardsdistant, outlined against the sky, was the tall, cloaked figure of asentinel leaning upon his rifle and with his eyes turned towards thegrated window.
Paul, glancing in the same direction, could no longer see the manhanging in mid-air. A faint glow of light stole through the mysteriouswindow. Hence Paul concluded that the fellow was now within thechamber occupied upon the matter tha
t had brought him there.
Stealing noiselessly forward, Paul suddenly clapped his hand upon thesentinel's shoulder, and, pointing to the grated window he cried,--
"Do you intend to arrest that villain, or are you his confederate?"
The sentinel instantly turned, with confusion and guilt written uponhis face. Misled by the uniform, he took Paul for a Czernoveseofficer, and as such he was one that must be silenced at all costs,for it was death to be caught thus in the act of treason.
Lowering his bayonetted rifle to the charge, he made a thrust atPaul's body. But Paul, on the watch for this movement, sprang aside,wrested the rifle away, and clubbing it, dealt the fellow a fearfulblow on the head. The sentinel staggered back and dropped to thepavement, where he lay senseless and still.
Peering over the battlements to learn whether this action on his parthad been observed, Paul was surprised to see a blue light at thechamber-window. The man was flashing a lantern to and fro, an actionthat lasted for a few seconds.
Recovering from his surprise, Paul sped onward, and reached thebattlement to which the rope was attached.
Kneeling within an embrasure and glancing downwards, he perceived afaint cloud of smoke proceeding from the window.
What was taking place within? Was the fellow setting fire to this partof the palace?
It was not in Paul's nature to remain inactive while evil was inprogress. He instantly resolved to descend to the chamber for thepurpose of putting a stop to what he could not doubt was nefariouswork. Grasping the rope with both hands, he swung himself downwards,not neglecting, however, at the same time to keep an eye upon thewindow. As soon as his feet touched the sill he drew forth his pistol,and without pausing to notice what was happening within the room,without a glance, even, he sent his feet through the space between thebars, a space barely sufficient to admit the passage of his body.
The room was in darkness,--this much he was conscious of as he shotforward, and a smell as of smoke hung in the air. Paul fell supineupon the stone flooring, but he was up again in an instant,endeavoring to ascertain through the gloom what strange thing hadhappened or was happening.
His attention was immediately arrested by a strange voice,--a voicelowered to a whisper that was full of guilty terror.
"Is that you, Peter? What has brought you down? In God's name make nonoise. Gabor is on guard in the corridor outside."
"Then let Gabor enter," shouted Paul in a voice of thunder. "Ho!without there! Gabor, Gabor, whoever you may be, here is a prisonerfor you."
Directed by the voice, Paul rushed forward through the darkness, andwith his left hand he clutched the fellow by the throat, intending toreduce him to submission by pressing the barrel of the pistol to hisforehead. The uplifting of the fellow's arm sent the weapon flyingfrom Paul's hand, and next moment the two men were grappling savagelytogether.
The soldier, for Paul could tell that he was such by the feel of hisuniform, was a powerful fellow, and desperation had now doubled hisstrength. He knew that the chamber-door was strong, and that the keywas not in the hands of the sentinels outside; if he could overcomethis present antagonist in the interval that must elapse before thekey could be procured, there was a possibility of his escaping. Hewrestled, therefore, with all the fury of a wild beast.
Locked in each other's arms, the two men swayed backwards andforwards, and then fell, rolling over and over.
Paul's cry, together with the noise of the scuffle, had attracted thenotice of the guard posted at the end of the corridor leading to thischamber. The shouting of voices and the running of feet were heard onthe other side of the door.
"Ho! Lasco, off to the captain for the key. The devil's work is goingon within. How have they managed to get inside? Ah, by the window!Melchior, up to the battlement, and cover the window with your rifle.See they escape not! Now, Lasco, dolt! dullard! slowbody! don't standgaping there. Run for the key. The key, man, the key!"
"The key _is_ here!" cried a deep, powerful voice. And above the oathsand gasps of his struggling opponent, Paul could hear Zabern's Hessianboots clattering along the corridor.
"Lasco, quick! Yon lamp! hold it up!" cried the marshal. "Gabor andMelchior, as I open the door, rush in and cover them with your rifles.Now!"
The key rattled in the lock; the massive door swung back upon itshinges, and the two sentinels, eager to learn what was taking place,rushed in with rifles levelled, ready to fire at any one who shouldoffer resistance.
They paused in blank amazement at beholding by the light of the lampone of their own corps stretched supine and panting, with PaulWoodville above pinning him to the floor by the throat.
"Why, it's Michael!" cried Gabor.
Even in the midst of his excitement Paul observed that Zabern wascarrying in his hand a sheet of paper which he recognized as histranslation of the cipher despatch.
"In time, thank heaven!" murmured the marshal, from which remark Paulconcluded that the mission of the traitor-sentinel was connected insome way with Orloff's letter.
"Gabor, Lasco, Melchior, leave us. Close the door; retire to the farend of the corridor, and on your lives stir not from that spot till Icall."
The three sentinels retired.
"Good-night to Michael!" whispered Gabor to his two comrades. "Weshall never see him again. I know that look in the marshal's eye."
Paul, little the worse for the struggle, released his hold of thesoldier and rose to his feet. But it was beyond the power of the otherto rise. Fear, inspired by the presence of the dark-frowning Zabern,kept him motionless and mute. He sat the picture of abject terror.
Now that Paul was free to look around, he observed that he was withina vaulted stone chamber, about twenty feet square, and but scantilysupplied with furniture. In one part there was a small iron chestfixed to the wall with staples. Paul, by some intuition, divined thatMichael's nefarious attempt was directed against the contents of thischest.
Zabern made one swift stride towards the coffer, and seemed relievedat finding it locked.
Turning again, he folded his arms and faced the man with a terriblefrown.
"I shall not ask your object in coming here. You and I both know that.So you haven't got it?"
Michael made no reply.
"It is still safe?"
Michael remained mute. He seemed literally frozen with terror.
"Why so silent, fellow? Your tongue wagged ever loudest in theguard-house."
"When I first entered," observed Paul, "smoke hung about the place."
An enthusiastic orator in the Diet had once described Zabern as "theman who had never known fear." The statement, if true at the time ofthe utterance, was certainly not true now. Fear in all its power fellupon the heart of the marshal as his eye caught sight of a passage inthe paper which he held: "Risk of discovery in transmitting document.Therefore burn as soon as seized."
"Hell shall seize you, fellow, if you have done so!" he cried. "Didyou come provided with a key, then? Where is it?"
Still Michael made no reply. Zabern, following the direction of hiseyes, perceived a key lying upon the floor. The marshal placed itwithin the lock of the chest, turned it, raised the lid, and saw thatthe coffer contained nothing but a heap of charred parchment. Zabern,his mouth drawn in an agony that showed all his white teeth, rose, andwith a dreadful look in his eyes turned slowly round upon the guiltyman.
A cry for mercy rang through the chamber as the marshal sprang forwardwith drawn sabre. His was not a 'prentice hand; he knew exactly whereto find the fifth rib. A swift stab,--the fall of a body, and then allwas silent, save for the mournful plash of the rain outside.
Paul was shocked by the ferocity of Zabern's action, which had beenperformed with a quickness that left no time for intervention.
"Without a court-martial!" he said, severely. "We act not so inEngland."
"I dare not let him live to see those fellows outside again, lest theyshould learn from him what he has done. Not a hint as to his deed mustever get abroad; for he who
knows it holds the destiny of Czernova inthe hollow of his hand. Not even to a secret tribunal must the truthbe whispered. And, Captain Woodville," continued Zabern, raising hisdripping sabre with so menacing an air that Paul immediately steppedbackward, and set hand to his own sword-hilt, "if I thought that youcould not hold your peace I would slay you, too."
"What has he done?" asked Paul, impressed by the marshal's strangemanner.
"The blackest deed that could be done against the princess, and onethat has destroyed the liberties of a whole people. Your deciphermentof the secret despatch has come too late to do us good,--too late. Oh!the bitterness of it, by a few moments only."
"I am still in the dark, marshal."
"On what is the liberty of Czernova based? On the Charter granted tous by Catherine of Russia. And that Charter is now burnt paper. Thisis the first act in the drama. The next will be, as this despatchshows, the appearance of an envoy from the Czar to demand on whatgrounds Czernova, formerly a part of Russian Poland, claims to beindependent. What answer can we give? What title can we show? Withoutour Charter we are completely at the mercy of the Czar. His ministerswill loudly affirm that such Charter was never granted, that we haveobtained autonomy by a lying statement, that all extant copies of theCharter are based upon a mythical document, that its mention inhistory is no proof of its past existence. 'Let us see the original,'will be their cry. 'Produce the autograph signature of the EmpressCatherine.' Now do you understand the crime that this miscreant haswrought?"
The diabolical nature of the plot struck Paul with a feeling akin tohorror. His thoughts immediately flew to Barbara, sleeping peacefullyat that moment in her distant quarter of the palace, all unconsciousof this new peril that threatened her throne. He felt little pity nowfor the slain wretch lying at his feet.
"Why did he not carry off the document to Russia?"
"The secret despatch assigns the reason. It was more expedient todestroy it as soon as it fell into his hands. The sequel proves theserpentine wisdom of Orloff. Had this fellow concealed the Charterupon his own person it would now be in our keeping again. Oh! I couldtear out my eyes for having kept such sorry watch! 'Warden of theCharter' is one of my titles. A pretty warden, truly! Fortunately youand I alone know that Russia's plot has succeeded, for those sentriesat the end of the corridor are ignorant of it; in fact they do noteven know that the Charter was kept here, in this, the Eagle Tower."
"I fear, marshal, that there are others who know," said Paul, pickingup a lantern with a blue glass slide. "This was flashed to and fro atthe window,--what else but as a signal to some distant watcher thatthe Charter is no more?"
The marshal ground his teeth as he recognized the force of Paul'sinference.
"Then we may expect the Czar's envoy at an early date," he replied."This villain," he continued, examining the window, "gained ingress byremoving the concrete in which the bars were embedded,--a task whichmust have occupied two or three nights. What were the patrol on theroof doing to allow of this?"
"He himself was one of the patrol," said Paul, quickly adding, "Ah!that reminds me. There is a second fellow on the battlements whom Iknocked senseless with his own rifle."
"Another? By heaven, Captain Woodville, you have done wrong inforgetting him. If he should have escaped with the tidings of what hasbeen done!"
Zabern darted from the chamber, and, rushing past the three sentinelsstanding at the end of the corridor, he ran up a winding staircasethat led to the roof. He was closely followed by Paul. Thetraitor-sentry was still lying in the place where Paul had left him.Zabern's examination did not last a moment.
"He will never play the traitor again," remarked the marshal. "Youhave shattered his skull for him. And without a court-martial, too!"he added, dryly.
Having called up Gabor and his two companions, Zabern directed them tointer the two bodies, at the same time enjoining the trio to observestrict secrecy upon the events of that night; after which orders heproceeded to pace moodily to and fro upon the battlements in companywith Paul, who, puzzled by one circumstance in the affair, soughtenlightenment of the marshal.
"Since Orloff's letter authorizing the plot was not delivered to itsintended recipient but fell into your hands, how comes it that theplot has nevertheless been carried out?"
"Two messengers may have been sent, each carrying a similarcommunication; or it may be that when Russakoff did not return withinan assigned time, Orloff, growing alarmed, despatched a second letter,which, alas! has produced the desired result."
"Do you believe that the Czar is really accessory to this plot?"
"Accessory? Why not its author?" queried Zabern, ever ready to see inthe Czar the incarnation of wickedness. "There is a Byzantine finesseabout this plot which accords very well with the character ofNicholas, who has been styled a 'Greek of the Lower Empire.' Butwhether accessory or not, be sure that he will avail himself of theweapon with which the action of his subordinates has supplied him. Youknow who works the plot on this side of the Czernovese border."
"The Duke of Bora?"
"Who but he? And yet I still lack decisive proof of his treason. Ifear I acted somewhat too hastily in slaying Michael the guardsman. Ishould have endeavored first to extract the names of his principals. Iam without hold upon the duke."
Paul here ventured to remind the marshal of Bora's suspicious conductin burning his copy of the poet AEschylus.
"True," replied Zabern, "that the cipher despatch depends for itssolution upon 'The Eumenides,' and equally true that the duke burns abook containing this same play. But what of that? 'Mere coincidence,'his defenders would reply. Besides, I dare not bring the duke totrial, either secretly or openly, upon this charge."
"'I dare not' from the marshal!"
"Why, consider. I should have to proclaim to his judges the startlingfact that Czernova is now without her Charter, a secret that must bekept concealed from all men; nay, even from the princess herself.Captain Woodville, let not her Highness know of this loss. She haspolitical embarrassments enough already. Why should we spring a newtrouble upon her?"
"Count me tongue-tied, marshal, where the princess's peace of mind isconcerned."
Zabern continued to pace backwards and forwards, glancing from time totime at the translation of the cipher letter which he still held inhis hand, and muttering language, the drift of which was notaltogether clear to Paul.
"What is this? Lipski's measure approved because its success wouldjustify Russia in annexing Czernova. Ha! so that's the motive thatprompts Lipski's action. His bill is aimed not so much at the CatholicChurch of Czernova as at the Convent of the Transfiguration. Someinkling of the interior workings of that monastery has reached him,and he would fain turn the light of publicity upon them. No wonderthat Orloff desires this bill to pass, and that he is sending Lipskirouble-notes with which to corrupt the Polish members of the Diet.'Money shall be forwarded by usual route.' Ha! I'll set a watch onLipski, and on those who visit him. 'T were no great shame if some ofthose rouble-notes should find their way to our own Exchequer. Humph!Czernova at present is in a truly critical state. But, no matter," headded, with his face grimly set, "let perils come! They shall find meequal to them. What said Peter the Great: 'It takes three Jews tooutwit a Russian'? It will take a good many Russians to outwit aZabern."