CHAPTER XIII
THE FATE OF THE APPROPRIATION BILL
By a singular turn of circumstances the day on which the fate of theAppropriation Bill was to be decided, and possibly with that bill thefate of Czernova itself, was likewise the day appointed for the annualreview of the Czernovese army.
This marshalling of troops took place in a spacious plain a few milesto the north of Slavowitz, and was presided over by the princessherself.
The muster fell considerably short of that of the previous year, dueto the fact that many of the troops were engaged in the duty ofkeeping guard over the numerous monasteries of Czernova.
Still, in spite of absentee regiments, the review was a fine sight,even in the eyes of Paul, accustomed as he was to much more strikingdisplays. His frequent expressions of admiration gave pleasure toBarbara, who had been somewhat dreading his criticism, anticipatingthat he, as a tried soldier, might disparage the merits of an army,whose mettle had never yet been tested in actual battle.
A peculiar and significant feature of the scene was the proximity ofthe Convent of the Transfiguration, which overlooked the place of thereview. Barbara's landau was drawn up almost within the shadow of itsgray Gothic towers.
The weird chant of the monks, that dirge which had never ceased day ornight for fifty years, was clearly audible, mingling with the morestirring and martial sounds without, and contributing to impress Paulwith the curious character of Czernovese civilization.
The precincts of this convent were patrolled by sentinels whom theDiet had sent thither to prevent any removal of monastic treasures onthe part of ecclesiastics who might feel tempted to evade theprovisions of the pending bill.
With bayonets flashing in the sunshine, the sentries paced slowly toand fro, their presence grimly reminding the princess that there was agreater than herself in Czernova, to wit, the Diet. That legislature,regardless of her wish in the matter, might that very night pass ameasure destined to disclose the secrets of a conspiracy of which shewas the head.
Nothing had occurred during the course of the week to lead to theopinion that the Diet would change their views respecting theAppropriation Bill; on the contrary, judging from the tenor of thedebates, it seemed probable that the majority in its favor would beincreased on the third and final reading.
No wonder then, that, though she smiled pleasantly upon each regimentin the grand march past, winning all hearts by her gracious demeanor,Barbara nevertheless felt a terrible depression of spirit at thethought of the coming night,--a depression which all Zabern'sassurances could not remove.
The review being over, the princess and her suite set off forSlavowitz. Paul and Radzivil sat side by side in the same landau withBarbara, while Zabern rode in the rear at the head of a troop ofhorse.
About a mile from the scene of the review the road for a considerabledistance was bordered on each side by thick woods.
As the carriage rolled on, the postilions beheld in the distance twomen by the wayside sitting upon the trunk of a fallen tree. They werefellows of rough appearance, seemingly woodmen or charcoal-burners;one, with a black beard, was holding a newspaper in his hand andapparently reading from it, while his companion, a red-beardedindividual, seemed to be listening.
When the princess's landau was a few yards distant, these two mensprang to their feet with startling quickness, and then it was seenthat the red-bearded fellow held a revolver in his hand. Raising theweapon he pointed it at the princess, and took aim so quickly that thepostilions had not time to raise a warning cry.
Barbara, though her face was set in the direction of her would-beassassin, saw nothing of his action, being occupied at the time in ananimated conversation with the premier.
One shot whizzed its flight clean through the brim of her hat; asecond bullet sang past her temple so closely as to scorch her skinwith its fiery glow.
Then as if overcome by sudden terror at the boldness of their deed, orpossibly fearful lest the advancing cavalry should prevent theirescape, the two men turned, without waiting to see whether the shotshad taken effect, and plunged into the woodland bordering the roadsidejust as Zabern's voice was heard thundering the word, "Fire!"
A dozen carbines rang out simultaneously, but the discharge came asecond too late.
Paul and Radzivil, sitting with back to the horses, knew nothing ofwhat was passing, till informed by the report of the firearms, and bythe sudden change that came over Barbara's face, for the sight of twomen running away, one of whom carried a smoking pistol, apprised herof the peril she had escaped.
"Princess, you are not hurt?" cried the premier, looking far moreterrified than Barbara herself.
"No," she answered in a faint voice, but with a smile, "they havemissed me."
"Thank heaven!" said Paul. "Count, remain with the princess while Igive chase to the villains."
The startled postilions had reined in their horses, bringing thelandau to a standstill. Paul sprang from the vehicle just as Zabernwith the guards came galloping up, witnesses of the deed which theyhad been unable to prevent.
Perceiving that the contiguity of the trees prevented the passage oftheir horses, the troopers flung themselves from the saddle, anddashed after Paul, who had now disappeared in the woodland. Foremostamong them was Zabern with his orderly Nikita.
Plunging along a narrow path thick-set on each side with leafyboscage, Paul caught sight of the two retreating figures a few yardsonly in front of him. They were running in single file, their runningbeing of a somewhat singular character, and very like the leaping of akangaroo, the cause of which Paul soon divined.
He had drawn out his pistol, and while still forging ahead he took aimat the rearmost figure, but the shot flew aloft almost perpendicularly,for in the very act of firing he stumbled over some hidden obstacle.
Though dazed by concussion with the hard earth he was instantly on hisfeet again, observant of the fact that the two men had now disappearedround a bend in the path. He dashed swiftly onward, but had scarcelytaken a dozen steps when he was once more brought to earth by the samesort of contrivance that had caused his previous fall.
The desperadoes had taken precautions to secure their retreat. Strongwires at irregular distances, placed at the necessary height, andconcealed by the profusion of weeds and bracken, had been drawntransversely across the path from tree to tree. The contrivers of thisdevice, aware of the exact position of the wires, had cleared them bya series of leaps, and hence their kangaroo-like motions.
Those following Paul were tripped up in similar manner by the wireswhich, spread over a distance of about a hundred yards, retarded thepursuit, and enabled the fugitives to obtain a good start.
At a point a little way beyond the last wire the path branched off inthree directions through the wood, and a momentary halt took place onthe part of the pursuers, doubtful as to which track they should take,since the fugitives themselves were lost to view.
The quick eye of Zabern detected a bright-colored object lying a fewfeet away down the left-hand path. It proved to be a red cap,decorated with a paltry leaden medal of the Czar, a cap declared byNikita to have been worn by the black-bearded individual.
"Then, forward," cried Zabern, taking the lead. "They have fled thisway."
The trio set off again, the extreme narrowness of the path compellingthem to run in single file. The ground, hard at first, graduallyassumed a moist and muddy character. Its appearance brought Zabern toa sudden stop.
"There are no foot-prints here. We are on the wrong track. Back again.The villains must have flung that cap into this path purposely tomislead us."
Chafing at their loss of time, they ran back to the place where thetracks diverged. Other troopers had come up by this time, and whilePaul and Zabern and Nikita took the middle track others hastened alongthe right-hand path.
"They may not have followed the path at all," said Paul, as he hurriedalong in the rear of Zabern. "They may be lying hidden in the wood."
"True; but we'll post through f
irst, and if we find no trace of themin the road beyond, I'll draw a cordon round the wood through whichthey shall not be able to break."
"Marshal, did you see the face of him who fired?" asked Nikita.
"Not clearly."
"Russakoff the spy, or may I turn Muscovite."
"The red-bearded fellow was not tall enough for Russakoff," answeredPaul. "In fact both men struck me as being remarkably short ofstature."
"My eyes have not erred."
"Have it so, then," replied Paul, as he stumbled onward. "Let us butlay hands upon the villains, and we shall soon ascertain whether yoube right."
A run of a few minutes' duration brought them through the wood to thehighway beyond. A quick glance to the right threw Zabern into aparoxysm of rage.
Far off on the white dusty road which stretched onward in a straightline, till it seemed to touch the horizon, three black objects werevisible, each moment dwindling in size.
"The villains have escaped us," cried Zabern. "They had horsestethered here with a third man to watch them. See! here are theirhoof-marks in the clay. They'll be over the frontier within tenminutes. I warrant they are well provided with Russian passports."
The trio hurried back for horses, but, by the time they had passedthem through the wood, the pursuit had become a jest.
* * * * *
Night had fallen over Slavowitz.
Excitement was prevailing both within and without the Diet.
Beneath a glorious starlit sky in the great Zapolyska Square, whichfronted the broad and stately flight of steps leading up to theentrance of the Sobieskium or Diet-house, now ablaze with light, was avast concourse of people, awaiting the stroke of twelve; for atmidnight the vote was to be taken on the Secular AppropriationBill--a measure which had been fiercely debated night after nightduring the course of five weeks.
Poles, Muscovites, and Jews formed the bulk of this throng, but therewas a considerable sprinkling of other elements. Tartars, Cossacks,Hungarians, Roumanians, Servians--representatives of all the motleynationalities of Eastern Europe, elbowed and jostled each other,talking, singing and cursing in a very Babel of tongues.
Diverse, however, as was the crowd, it fell politically into two sharpdivisions, the one eager for the passing of the bill, the other eagerfor its defeat. There was no neutral party in that square.
So high did the spirit of faction run that Zabern's landau on itsappearance was overturned by a body of malevolent Muscovites, and themarshal was compelled to lay about him with his sabre till themilitary came to his rescue.
The indignant Poles retaliated a few minutes later by making an onsetupon Lipski, and that deputy escaped only after a severe mauling.
The game once begun was continued by both factions, so that it becamealmost impossible for the succeeding deputies to reach the Sobieskium,except under police or military escort, or unless attended by a strongcircle of their own adherents.
Cheers were given by the hostile sections as their respectivefavorites were seen safely mounting the steps of the Diet-housebeneath the brilliant light of the suspended lamps; the singing of thePolish and the Russian Anthems went on simultaneously all over thesquare; there were ugly rushes, displays of fisticuffs, scenes of wilddisorder, that continued to deepen as the night advanced and thethrong increased.
Dorislas, who commanded the mounted cuirassiers drawn up four deep allround the Sobieskium, was obliged to accord the crowd considerablelicense, lest a too frequent interference on the part of the militaryshould lead to worse mischief.
The tumult and din that filled the Zapolyska Square penetrated theSobieskium to the distant chamber where the Sejm or Diet sat, theMinisterialists or Poles to the right, the Opposition or Muscovites tothe left of the dais, where was the chair, table, and bell of thePresident Brunowski, he who had been one of Paul's opponents in the_salle d'armes_.
The presidential bell was in constant requisition on this particularnight, for the debate had taken an extremely acrimonious turn. Thetemper of many of the deputies had not been sweetened by the treatmentthey had received at the hands of the populace.
Lipski boldly accused the ministers of hiring ruffians whose orderswere to stop certain members of the Opposition from reaching theDiet-house and thus to prevent them from recording their votes.
Zabern, pointing to his own frayed uniform and to the ugly scratcheson his face, replied that though it would be easy to retort with a"_Tu quoque_" he would refrain; that the charge was absurd, for themob had bestowed their favors impartially upon both sides of theHouse.
The Duke of Bora sat in the chamber, for though no longer of cabinetrank he was still a member of the Diet, and he gave clear indicationof the way in which he intended to vote by vacating his usual seat andtaking a place next Lipski himself.
Lesko Lipski, deputy for Russograd, editor of the "Kolokol," ananti-dynastic newspaper, leader of the Opposition, and author of theSecular Appropriation Bill, was, as regards appearance, the veryantithesis of the typical Russ. He was slim and beardless, and dressedin the latest Parisian fashion, though his costume at that moment,owing to the playfulness of the mob without, was not quite the same aswhen it had first left the tailor's hands. He had black beady eyes,and his habit of constantly questioning ministers upon every topicunder the sun seemed to have permanently impressed his face with aneager, hungry look.
There was in the air of the chamber that nervous feeling of expectancywhich always arises when the issue of a contest is problematical. Onthe previous evening every member of the Diet, Pole and Muscovitealike, had departed with full conviction that the Appropriation Billwould pass.
The attempted assassination of the princess had given a different turnto the matter by creating a feeling of sympathy for her, a feelingwhich was likewise extended to her political views. To secure thetriumph of a measure known to be hateful to the young princess in thefirst hours of her joy at escaping the assassin's bullet seemed anunchivalrous proceeding; and those of the Poles who had hithertoregarded the bill with favor now began to reconsider their attitude.
The attempt on the princess's life, deplorable from one standpoint,was from another decidedly advantageous, and the ministry were hopefulthat they would capture from the Opposition the minimum six votesnecessary to secure the rejection of Lipski's measure.
Half-an-hour before midnight Zabern rose to wind up the debate for theministerial side.
His rising was the signal for a hostile ebullition from the Muscovitemembers who dreaded Zabern's oratory. Not that the marshal wasparticularly eloquent; far from it. He had all a soldier's contemptfor speech-making and for the "men of words," as he was wont to termthe Czernovese deputies; a military dictatorship was more to hisliking than a democratic legislature. Hence his voice was rarely heardin the chamber, but when he did speak it was always to the point, andhis plain, blunt way of putting matters had often decided waveringvoters, and at that moment there were a good many wavering voters.
At first Zabern was unable to obtain a hearing. Every time heattempted to speak, his words were drowned in a terrible din,occasioned by the clamor of voices, the stamping of feet, and thebanging of desk-lids. Though the Duke of Bora did not join in yet, ashe made no attempt to check the tumult, Zabern strongly suspected himof being its secret instigator.
For fully two minutes President Brunowski continued to swing his bell,but without producing any effect upon the Opposition, whose intentionwas plainly to continue the uproar till midnight, in order to preventZabern from addressing the assembly.
Brunowski whispered a few words in the ear of an attendant, who leftthe chamber and returned almost immediately with a file of gendarmes.In the sudden stillness that followed upon their entrance, Brunowskisternly announced his intention of suspending both from the sittingand from the voting all future disturbers of order, a threat whicheffectually silenced the Muscovite clamorers, who felt that in thepresent conjuncture they could not afford to lose a single vote.
The marsh
al, being free to speak, began by affirming the obligationimposed upon him of making some comment upon the recent attempt toassassinate the princess.
At this statement Lipski rose.
"Mr. President, I must protest. The marshal is not in order. He isevading the subject of the debate, which is the Secular AppropriationBill."
"The marshal will doubtless show the relevancy of his remarks to thematter under discussion," returned Brunowski. As President of theassembly he tried to be impartial, but he could not always forget thathe was a Pole.
"The House will understand presently," continued Zabern, "why thehonorable deputy wishes the name of the princess to be kept out of thequestion. Who is responsible for this day's outrage? Not the wretcheddupe, who, happily for Czernova, missed his mark. No! as well blamethe bullet, or punish the pistol. Sir," continued Zabern, addressingthe President, "the real authors of the act are the persons who bytheir words and writings have labored to create in Czernova a spiritof hostility to its legitimate ruler. And of those persons," thunderedthe marshal, looking round upon the assembly, "the deputy forRussograd is the chief."
Lipski was on his feet again in an instant.
"Mr. President, must I sit and hear assassination imputed to mewithout raising my voice in protest?"
"Certainly not. The marshal must withdraw the charge, or prove it."
"The proof is forthcoming. The two miserable wretches who fired at theprincess were seen before the deed seated at the wayside, andstrengthening their wicked determination by reading from a certainnewspaper. I already see the editor of that journal beginning to lookuneasy, for the name of the journal is the 'Kolokol,' and its editoris one Lesko Lipski. The would-be assassins were diligent students ofthe 'Kolokol;' they evidently regarded its editor as a great politicalteacher."
"How do you know?" inquired the voice of the duke.
"Well, I judge from this circumstance," answered Zabern, producing adirty copy of the 'Kolokol' and unfolding it. "Here is the identicalpaper dropped by the two men in their flight. It contains an articleentitled, 'Harmodius the Patriot;' and on the margin of this articlepencil-notes have been scrawled, such as 'Good!' 'True!' 'This seemsreasonable,' and the like; nay, more, we have here in badly spelledRussian this sentiment: 'Death to the girl-tyrant!'"
At this point Zabern held up the journal for the inspection of theassembly.
"Now I need scarcely remind the House that Harmodius was a man ofancient days, who assassinated the ruler of Athens, and was inconsequence honored as a splendid patriot by his fellow-citizens. Whydoes the editor of a journal, supposedly devoted to current politicsand affairs of to-day, publish an article on an event that happenedtwenty-three centuries ago? Simply because he wishes to inculcate thedoctrine, that, as it was a fine piece of patriotism to assassinatethe ruler of ancient Athens, so would it be an equally fine piece ofpatriotism to assassinate the ruler of modern Czernova."
"I deny the inference that you draw from that article," cried Lipski.
"Two at least of your readers understand what you mean, and have actedupon your hints. Now, on seeing practical effect given to yourteaching, you would cravenly shirk the responsibility for your part inthis outrage. Be honest; do not run away from your own words. Perhapsthe House will bear with me while I read a few sentences from this'Killing No Murder' essay."
"You must read the whole of it, or none," said Brunowski, "inasmuch asone passage may be modified by another."
Zabern adopted the President's first alternative, and read the entirearticle, which, although written in guarded language, with a view ofpreserving its author from the possibilities of legal indictment, wasobviously a plea for the assassination of rulers who have becomeobnoxious to their subjects.
At the conclusion of the marshal's reading, there was a storm ofhisses from the Right. The Left sat in sullen silence.
"It is known to all that on coming to the throne the princess, withone stroke of her pen, abolished the censorship of the press. Andthis," continued Zabern, pointing to the criminatory article in the"Kolokol,"--"this is how the privilege has been requited! Such,gentlemen of the Diet, such are the sentiments--such is the characterof the deputy for Russograd! And yet this teacher of assassination hasthe effrontery to come forward and solicit the votes of the Poles--thePoles, who, whatever may be their faults, are at least men of honor,and loyal to their princess. Vote for this bill? Not if it were thefinest piece of legislation ever devised by the wit of statesmen.Those who can may separate the man from his bill; for my part, the twoare identical. Every suffrage cast on the side of Lipski, every votegiven in favor of this bill, is a vote in favor of assassination."
"No, no," cried the Left. "We are not assassins."
"That statement shall be proved by your votes. Let those who repudiatethe work of the assassin, let those who rejoice at the escape of theprincess from death, show their sympathy by rejecting a bill which ishurtful to the best feelings of the princess."
And now ensued a dramatic tableau pre-arranged by the wily Zabern. Asmall door opened upon the right of the presidential chair, andBarbara herself entered the hall of debate, to the utter confoundingof the deputies, whose first thought was that she had come to dissolvethe Diet.
Brunowski immediately vacated his chair in favor of the princess, whotook her place on the dais, but remained standing. Her mien, gracefuland bright, offered a pleasing contrast to that of the angry debaters.Even the Muscovites were forced to admit that if beauty of personshould entitle one to a crown, their princess would have carried offall the diadems of Europe.
The silence that came over the chamber caused the din of voices in thesquare to be much more plainly heard. The tumultuous sounds withoutlent additional excitement to the scene within.
The princess glanced slowly around the assembly, and then, as if movedby a sudden idea, she removed her hat,--the same hat that she had wornon her return from the review. In the act of taking it off the lightfrom behind gleamed through a hole in the brim, a mute appeal to thesympathy of the House, the more striking because unintentional.
"Your Highness, do not uncover," cried Brunowski.
"I crave your pardon, Mr. President," replied Barbara, and herutterance sounded like a clear silvery bell after Brunowski'smagnificent bass voice, "but I understand that the usages of thisHouse require that only one person shall remain covered."
This was said in reference to Lipski, who, while all the rest of thedeputies were standing uncovered, sat with his hat on his head.
Zabern, with his sabre clinking against his spurs, strode across thefloor of the House.
"Fellow!" he muttered, grinding his teeth, "if you do not remove yourhat, my troopers shall nail it to your pate."
And Lipski, seeing Zabern's savage demeanor, prudently doffed hishead-covering.
"Mr. President," said Radzivil, "I move that the deputy for Russogradbe suspended from this sitting for treating the person of the princesswith contempt."
"Oh, no, Count," observed Barbara. "Let it not be said that we soughtto deprive a deputy of his vote."
When the ringing of the President's bell had repressed the cheersevoked by this remark, Barbara proceeded to explain the reason of herappearance.
"Mr. President, Ministers and Deputies," she began, speaking withself-possession and dignity, "it may be said that the princess oughtnot to intervene in the affairs of the Diet, but should remainquiescent, and simply register the decrees of the majority. But, sir,"she added, with a graceful inclination of her head towards Brunowski,"your princess is not an automaton, but a human being with feelingsthat can be moved. I feel strongly on this bill, and I do not hesitateto say so."
She paused for a moment, and then resumed.
"I shall always act with regard to the Constitution. If this billshould pass I shall affix my signature."
Cheers arose from the Left.
"But I trust the House will not let it pass."
Counter-cheers arose from the Right.
"If my sentiments can
in any way influence the decision of deputies, Iwould appeal to them, irrespective of party, to reject this measure."
With this she bowed to the Diet, and withdrew from the chamber, amidenthusiastic cries of "Long live the Princess of Czernova!"
The chivalry of the Poles, if not of the Muscovites, was evoked. Theassassin's pistol-shot, the princess's personal appeal, had producedmore effect than all the oratory of the five previous weeks.
As soon as Brunowski had resumed the presidential chair, Zabern againspoke.
"The princess has made it a personal question between herself andLipski. Well, gentlemen, you have seen the princess, and--you seeLipski," he continued, pointing to that deputy, who looked far fromamiable at that moment. "Can any man doubt," he added, with finescorn, "can any man doubt for whom he shall vote? Let it not be saidthat--"
Zabern paused. A sound louder than any they had yet heard penetratedto the chamber. A mighty roar was rising from the Zapolyska Square.Twenty thousand voices blending into one proclaimed that the time hadcome for deciding the great controversy. The iron tongue of thecathedral-clock was booming forth the hour of midnight.
"The vote will now be taken," cried Brunowski, amid a scene ofindescribable excitement.
"I move that it be taken by secret ballot," exclaimed Zabern.
"I oppose it," said the Duke of Bora.
The President put the question to the assembly, and the proposal forsecret ballot was carried by acclamation.
Zabern smiled grimly as he observed the secret glances of rageinterchanged between Bora and Lipski. By this manoeuvre on his partthey were prevented from learning whether those Poles who had secretlytaken the gold of Orloff would vote according to promise.
In the Diet of Slavowitz, when voting by ballot, each deputy took fromhis desk one of a set of discs. These discs were of two colors, whitefor affirmation, black for negation.
Concealing the disc between the fingers and the palm--carrying itopenly was forbidden on pain of forfeiture of the vote--each deputywalked past the presidential table, and placing his hand within themouth of a large bronze urn, dropped the disc.
As a precaution against the artifice of giving more than one vote, thenames of the deputies were marked on the roll as each person passedby, and the number of counters checked by this arrangement.
In prescribed order the deputies quitted their seats, and filed pastthe table, and for a few moments nothing was heard but the clink ofthe metallic discs as they fell within the urn. Brunowski took no partin the division, but had the right of a casting-vote.
"One hundred and nineteen members have voted," said the chief clerk,looking up from the register, after the last suffrage had been given.
This was a record division, being the largest that had ever occurredin the history of the Czernovese Diet. Every deputy, with theexception of Cardinal Ravenna, was present and had voted.
The great question was how had they voted?
Amid a hush like that in the chamber of the dying when the fatalmoment has come, the chief clerk, at a sign from the President, slowlyinverted the urn, and poured out the discs upon the red table-cloth.
In their excitement the deputies rose and stood upon seats and desks,craning their necks forward, eager to catch the first glimpse of theblack and white counters, eager to learn which of the two was theprevailing color.
* * * * *
To the waiting populace in the Zapolyska Square the time taken inrecording the votes and in counting the same seemed unnecessarilylong.
A great sensation had been created when the officials of the Housereported to those near the doors that the princess herself hadappeared in the Diet with an appeal for the rejection of the bill. Thestory gathered in detail as it passed from mouth to mouth, and men onthe outskirts of the crowd told how the princess with tears in hereyes had gone down on her knees before the assembly, and how Zabern,sabre in hand, had stalked up and down the chamber threatening to cutthe throats of all who would not vote against the bill.
And when the hour of midnight began to toll, and Dorislas was seen tofling himself from his charger, and hurry up the steps of theDiet-house, for the purpose of recording his vote within the chamber,the interest grew to fever-heat.
Wild work had been going on in the square, but now the knowledge thatthe great division was taking place had a somewhat quieting effectupon the crowd. All eyes were turned towards the grand entrance,brilliant with light that streamed far out into the darkness, for fromthis entrance the result was to be proclaimed.
Ten minutes after midnight there was a movement at the head of thestairs; the gendarmes parted, and the white-haired clerk of the Housewas seen holding in his hand the paper inscribed with the momentousresult. Dorislas appeared at the same instant and mounted his chargerin readiness for the riot which he knew to be imminent.
Standing at the head of the steps the clerk raised his hand, and atthat signal the crowd, which but a moment before had been surging thisway and that, became instantly immobile. The square was a sea ofupturned faces, each gleaming with painful curiosity. Even thecuirassiers extended along the front wall of the Diet-house forgot fora moment their discipline, and bent sideways in the saddle, eager tohear the result. The stillness of death prevailed. Not a movement. Nota word. Not a breath.
"People of Czernova," said the clerk, speaking in a voice thatpenetrated to every portion of the square, "in a House of one hundredand nineteen members, thirty-nine have voted for the SecularAppropriation Bill, and eighty against it. The measure thereforestands rejected by a majority of forty-one."
These figures seemed to show that the voting had been conductedstrictly on party lines. The Muscovite members of the Diet numberedthirty-eight, or, with the addition of the Duke of Bora, thirty-nine.The tale of the Poles was eighty-one; the vote of the absent Ravennabeing deducted, the majority of forty-one was thus accounted for.
The publication of the figures was followed by a moment of bewilderingsilence. The Poles could not believe in such a victory, nor theMuscovites in such a defeat. Some among the crowd, supposing that theclerk had made an error in his statement, called upon him to read itagain.
But now at the side of the clerk appeared the tall figure of Zabern,waving his helmet and greeting his adherents with a triumphant smile.
All doubt vanished. Exultant cries of "Slava! slava!" burst fromPolish throats. The Muscovites replied by yells of execration. The twofactions were intermingled; the triumph of the one evoked the fury ofthe other, and in a moment more the Zapolyska Square was transformedto pandemonium.
"Forward!" cried Dorislas, waving his sabre. "Clear the square."
And loud above the trampling and the din arose a carillon of bellsfrom the cathedral of St. Stanislas, pealing forth a jubilation overthe victory gained by the Latin Church.
Inside the House the excitement was equally great. Pole shook handswith Pole, for it was felt to be a splendid party triumph. TheMuscovite members stared sullenly at each other, Lipski himselflooking the very incarnation of malignity. More than a score of Polishdeputies, after accepting splendid bribes, had betrayed him by votingwith Zabern, and he was precluded from making their duplicity known bythe fact that the procuration of a deputy's vote by bribery was anoffence punishable by perpetual exclusion from the Diet.
Both parties streamed out into the corridors to discuss the event,leaving Brunowski and a dozen members in the chamber to pass theresolution: "That the military be withdrawn from the monasteries."
In a small apartment, adjacent to the hall of debate, sat Barbara,surrounded by her radiant ministers. An ardent politician, she was inher element on such nights as these.
"A two-thirds majority of the House!" she murmured with a glow on hercheek. "Thirty-nine for the bill, and eighty against it. What atriumph!"
"Thank heaven, our secret is safe!" said Radzivil. "Kossuth can havehis gold."
"Another defeat for Russia!" grinned Zabern. "How Orloff will regretthe roubles he has wasted!"<
br />
In passing along one of the corridors Zabern encountered the Duke ofBora.
That ex-minister, long a traitor at heart, and a secret sympathizerwith the aims of the Opposition, had at last cast off the mask, but ona very inopportune occasion as he now perceived. Hoping to profit bythe anticipated defeat of the ministry, and the consequent confusion,if not fall, of the princess, he had crossed to the opposite side ofthe House, and he had seated himself cheek by jowl with Lipski and hiscolleagues, only to see them suffer a most crushing defeat. Hismortification, already great, was enhanced by Zabern's caustic smile.
"Ah, dear duke, you don't seem quite so cheerful as you did last weekon the Long Terrace. Payment within one hour after the division," hecontinued, exhibiting the duke's written pledge, "was not that ouragreement? May I trouble your grace, then, for the sum of ten thousandroubles, since our majority has exceeded twenty? Ten thousand roublesis rather a large amount, but you will doubtless recoup yourself fromOrloff's Bribery Fund."
If looks had power to kill, Zabern would certainly have fallen deadbeneath Bora's savage glance. Unable, however, to evade the fulfilmentof his word, the duke reluctantly wrote out a check for the requiredamount.
"An unforeseen circumstance has enabled you to win this wager," hesaid, curtly.
"Yes, it was a very fortunate--ah!--circumstance for us," drawledZabern, as he walked away with the check in his pocket, "but as to itsbeing unforeseen!--" He finished the sentence with a short laugh."Duke of Bora, you must be the biggest fool in Czernova not to suspectthe game I've played."
Averse to the noisy demonstrations, friendly or hostile, which herpresence in the crowded streets was certain to evoke, Barbara lingeredfor some time in the Diet-house, conversing with the deputies of bothparties, and charming even the rugged hearts of the Muscovites by hergracious and winsome manner.
When the streets were reported quiet she drove back to the VistulaPalace, accompanied by Zabern and Paul, the latter of whom from a sidegallery had watched the course of the debate.
The trio retired to the White Saloon.
"That pistol-shot has wrought us so much good, marshal," observedBarbara, "that I feel quite capable of forgiving the assassin."
"Then your Highness shall have an opportunity of doing so," repliedZabern, "since he, or rather she, is in the next apartment."
He stamped heavily on the floor thrice. A door opened, and thereentered Katina Ludovska with her sister Juliska, not now garbed inmale attire, as when awaiting the princess's landau in theforest-road, but dressed each in her own pretty Polish costume.
They advanced with a somewhat timid air and knelt, till requested bythe wondering princess to rise. They were not strangers to her, forshe had often witnessed their fencing feats in the _salle d'armes_.
"This lady," said Zabern, indicating Katina, "craves pardon forshooting at the princess, without obtaining her Highness's permission,but at the same time she can plead that she was acting under thecommand of Marshal Zabern."
"Explain," said the princess, haughtily, and with a flash of her eyesthat made even the bold Katina quail.
"It was well known to the Diet," began Zabern, cool and unabashed,"that your Highness was opposed to the Appropriation Bill. Six votesonly were wanted to secure its rejection.
"Now, if at the present crisis some desperado would only oblige us byseeking to kill your Highness, the attempt would create such a feelingof sympathy among the secessionist members of our party that not onlywould the required six votes be captured, but many more in addition.
"I therefore resolved that such outrage should take place. But thedeed must have every appearance of reality. Blank cartridges mightsuggest a mock attempt, but real bullets, missing your Highness'sperson by a hair's-breadth only, would disarm all suspicion.
"Accordingly, I made overtures to the finest pistol-shot in Czernova,Katina Ludovska, who consented to the plan.
"Do not accuse me of recklessly hazarding your Highness's life, sinceI was fully convinced that Katina's hand would not fail, for Juliskaof her own accord gave me striking proof of her sister's unerringmarksmanship. She bade Katina regard her as the princess, and whileKatina stood revolver in hand upon the steps of the inn-door, Juliskarode fearlessly past on horseback six times in succession; and on eachoccasion Katina sent one shot through the brim of her sister's hat,while the second whizzed close to her temple.
"This experiment convinced me of Katina's ability to do the trick, andsuccess has justified my opinion. A bold liberty on my part, yourHighness, but pardonable, considering the object I had in view."
Barbara's first emotion of breathless amazement was followed by asense of anger, as she recalled the dreadful sensation that came overher when the hot bullet whizzed past her face.
"Remember," pleaded Zabern, cognizant of Barbara's feelings, "rememberthat your Highness gave me _carte blanche_ to do whatsoever I pleased,provided that I could but secure the rejection of the AppropriationBill."
This was true, but who could have guessed that Zabern would haveresorted to such a desperate remedy?
"And you could devise no other plan than this for defeating the bill?"
"None, though I racked my brain for a week."
Barbara's anger began to yield to a mournful feeling. It was herbelief that no state can flourish long on duplicity. If her chiefminister could maintain her in power only by resorting to trickerysuch as this, then, indeed, the day of her fall could not be fardistant.
"It is past," she murmured. "I am scathless, and the bill is rejected;what more should I desire?" And then, addressing Katina and hersister, she said, "You played a very hazardous game as well with yourown lives as with mine. Why, marshal, you ordered the guards to fireupon the fugitives!"
"Nikita was in the plot, your Highness, and had taken the precautionto serve out blank cartridges to your _corps du garde_; so the volleywas a harmless one. But I confess my heart was in my mouth when I sawCaptain Woodville taking aim with his pistol. Fortunately he trippedup in the very act of firing."
"I little thought that I was taking aim at Mistress Katina," smiledPaul, "and grateful am I that she did not return the shot. And soNikita was in the plot? Why, the rogue vowed that one of the two wasRussakoff!"
"He couldn't resist the temptation of poking a little fun at you,"replied Zabern. "Had you looked round, you would have seen him chokingwith suppressed laughter."
"And I suppose, marshal, that you led the way down the path where thered cap lay--"
"Purposely to give Katina and Juliska more time to escape."
"And I presume, likewise, that it was your hand which annotated thecopy of the 'Kolokol' newspaper?"
"Precisely. Those marginal remarks were my own invention."
Paul could not refrain from laughter as he recalled the fine air ofindignation with which Zabern had pointed out to the Diet theannotations that his own pencil had made.
"Marshal, you lie with admirable grace."
"I have lived five years in Russia, you see."
"But, marshal," remonstrated Barbara, gravely, "you have placed me ina false position, by letting me pose before the Diet as the escapedvictim of an assassination plot."
"A splendid way of catching votes," returned Zabern, coolly. "Andvotes were what we wanted."
"And you have endeavored to connect Lipski with the deed. Is that welldevised, marshal?"
"Perfectly," replied the unscrupulous Zabern. "He has in his paperadvocated the slaying of rulers; he is therefore a potential, if notan actual, assassin. I have but given the people of Czernova apractical illustration of his teaching. O your Highness, let me showthat your consideration for Lipski is somewhat misplaced. You aredoubtless aware that to his editorship of the 'Kolokol' he also addsthe calling of gunsmith and armorer, and a very convenient calling itis for one who is ill-disposed to the state."
"Be plainer with me, marshal."
"I have long suspected Lipski of treasonable designs, and therefore,observing a few days ago that a priva
te house contiguous to hisestablishment in the Boulevard de Cracovie was to be let, I instructedone of my spies to rent and occupy the said house, the cellar of whichadjoins Lipski's. Last night my agent and I cautiously removed a fewbricks from the upper part of the intervening wall, and turned thelight of a lantern through the orifice thus made. Your Highness, thatvault, which is a lofty and spacious one, contains more rifles thanLipski will ever be able to sell, even if he should live to be acentenarian. They lie stacked up from floor to ceiling. I probably donot overshoot the mark when I say that there cannot be less than tenthousand. The law does not permit any citizen, even a gunsmith, topossess one-twentieth of that number."
"This is a grave matter," said Barbara. "Those arms must be seized."
"Certainly, your Highness; for while it is right for us to store uparms against the Czar, it's a monstrous thing that the Czar'shirelings should be permitted to pile up arms against ourselves. Neverlet others do to you as you would do to them."
"You have a cynical way of putting things, marshal."
"These arms are designed for the denizens of Russograd. As they aremuch too poor to purchase their own rifles, there is to be a freedistribution--probably on the night of the 14th of September."
"The eve of my coronation," said Barbara, startled by thisannouncement.
"The same. My spies report that there are whispers among theMuscovites of an armed rising to take place on the coronation day. Infact, they propose to hold a rival coronation in the Greek basilica.You can guess, princess, who is to play the central figure in thisunauthorized ceremony."
"A ceremony that shall never take place," said Barbara, with a flashof her eyes.
"True. We'll foil them. With your sanction, princess, I'll make nomovement at present in this matter. The longer we delay Lipski'sarrest the more the plot will develop, the wider will be the sweep ofour net when the cast is made, and the more fishes shall we enclose.Meantime, rest assured that my spy will keep a careful eye upon thatsecret store of arms."
"Be it so, marshal. We leave the matter to your wisdom."
"And your Highness pardons that little affair of the shooting?"
The princess with a smile extended her hand for Zabern to kiss.
"Without your constant vigilance, marshal, the princess were nothing."