by Mór Jókai
CHAPTER XL
DISCORDS
Zeneida was strolling alone through the shady winding paths of her parkin the twilight of evening. Nightingales were singing; from a pond closeby came the sound of croaking frogs; ever and anon the song of a boatmanon the Neva broke the stillness, or the distant sound of a violin orclarinet in an inn, or the howl of a chained-up dog. Again would comethe tones of the passing-bell, announcing a death, or from the vicinityof Monplaisir a sharp "Who goes there?" "Halt!" sometimes followed by ashot. Why that shot? Then again the song of nightingales, the croak offrogs, sounds of clarinet and passing-bell. These discords foundanswering echo in her heart.
Araktseieff's second return was hurrying on the crisis. No sooner hadthe Czar passed over the cares of government again to his favorite'sshoulders than he had secluded himself completely in the solitude ofMonplaisir. Just as he had formerly avoided his consort, so now did hedevote himself exclusively to her. He seemed as if he could not live anhour without her, as though he were endeavoring to atone by thisdevotion for his fourteen years of neglect. Now first he recognized thetreasure he possessed and had neglected; now first he perceived that thewife he loved was ill, that her protracted sorrows, her secret grief,had undermined her strength. And he trembled to think he might lose her.
But the Czarina was happy. She blessed the sickness which had given herback her husband. The Czarina's physician, Dr. Stoffregen, hadrecommended a milder climate for her through the severity of winter,perhaps that of Venice; but Elisabeth had answered, "A Russian empressshould not die anywhere else than on Russian soil." And it was thisthought alone which absorbed the soul of the Czar.
Of the devastations wrought by Araktseieff, armed as he was withunfettered power, none told the Czar. Of all that was passing on theother side of the poplars of Monplaisir he was ignorant. He was notinformed that Araktseieff's first step was to have the entire householdof Grusino, who had been witnesses to the murder, consisting of ten menand twelve maid-servants, brought to St. Petersburg to the pillory andlashed until they were half-flayed, for not having gone to Daimona'srescue. He was ignorant that the severity he had previously practised asa system was now, by his thirst for vengeance, increased to grosscruelty; that he had dismissed high officials of every kind from theirposts without any other reason than simply because they did not pleasehim; that he was filling the dungeons on mere suspicion; that he hadeven cruelly oppressed the poor Finns. Possessing nothing more that hecould take from them, he punished them through that which he "gave"them, his latest edict being that their toasts at public dinners mustbe given in Russian. All this had strained disaffection and discontentto its utmost limit. Of all this Alexander knew nothing. No. He wasabsorbed in devising how to procure fresh air without draught in hisbeloved patient's room; how to keep out the gnats; and, among theflowers for her apartment, how to select those that would not give her aheadache.
And Zeneida well knows what is looming in the distance. Secret societiesare no longer holding meetings; they are agreed what is to be done. Theonly question now is--"When?"
The outbreak must be general throughout the empire. The threads are inZeneida's hands. The artiste has retired from the stage. Moreover, theopera is closed during the summer months in St. Petersburg, and she willnot again appear as a member of the Imperial Opera Company, but willgive a concert for a charitable purpose in the course of the autumn. Theday was to be publicly announced in official papers ten days previously.When the announcement, therefore, appeared that "Fraeulein Ilmarinenwould sing for the benefit of the Orphanage" on such and such a date theconspirators would know that this was the day fixed for the rebellion.The government organ would itself spread the word throughout the empire.Thus in her hand are the shears which shall sever the fatal thread; andthe grave foreknowledge of all that it must bring with it is oppressingher spirit. The rebellion is unavoidable; no one will longer bear theheavy burden; from ragged mujik to titled magnate, all are yearning toburst the yoke, and the Kalevaines have more reason to weep than theirfellows. But what is to happen to the imperial pair in the outbreak?Both have been such kind protectors to Zeneida. The palace had been ahome to her. How will it be possible to save their lives without provinga traitor to their cause?
And then a second trouble--Pushkin. True, he had promised her he wouldwithdraw his name from "the green book"; but, when giving the promise,he had thought he would have the daughter of the Czar to wife. That isover now, and Pushkin has no further reason to withdraw from theNorthern Union. He, too, is in possession of the conspirators' plans;there is not a doubt but that as soon as he reads the announcement thatZeneida will sing for the benefit of the Orphanage he will appear thatday in St. Petersburg, even he must leave Paradise itself to be there.
How is she to hinder this without casting the slur of cowardice uponPushkin? The delights of love alone would not be strong enough to holdhim back--a yet stronger motive must be found. And she paces backwardand forward under the trees in the dusk; in her soul reign the samediscords which disturb the brilliant night, and she seeks in vain somequieting thought.
The Czar has grown melancholy; the Czarina is sick unto death; they livebut for each other; have shut themselves up from the world. Theirexample is contagious. Even Prince Ghedimin has become reconciled to hiswife, and no longer visits Zeneida. St. Petersburg society has scattereditself among the forty islands of the Neva. Every one lives to himself;all social life is extinct. Every visitor is looked upon suspiciously bythe host as one of Araktseieff's spies. There is an oppressive calm overeverything. People do not even write to each other any more. Theytremble at the black inquisition.
Pushkin gives no news of himself. He sits at home in his desert atPleskow. If he keeps silent about his happiness, he has a hundred goodreasons for that silence. It is possible that Bethsaba has written morethan once to Zeneida; but letters are an uncertain medium ofcommunication. Who knows into whose hands they may fall?
This great calm, this isolation, this striving to keep up the spirits,began to be oppressive. Chevalier Galban received orders to go fromvilla to villa and organize some amusements among the aristocracy.Husbands were no longer to be tied to their wives' apron-strings.
It was rumored that the lovely Princess Ghedimin would break the ice andbring society together again by means of a great reception on the day ofthe Feast of Masinka, and, in order to make the reconciliation of thePrince and Princess more publicly known, that Zeneida would be includedamong the Princess's invited guests.
The haughty Princess sending an invitation to the equally haughty Queenof Song, whom the world credited with having been one of the Prince'sflames! It is hard to say which woman has the greater courage, the onewho sends or the one who accepts the invitation.
But Korynthia has made a still more difficult decision. She means tosend Bethsaba an invitation, accompanied by a coaxing, forgiving,affectionate letter, written by her own hand. And in order to insure theyoung wife's acceptance, the Princess intends to offer the prospect ofthe imperial pardon. Bethsaba shall have the opportunity of solicitingforgiveness from the Czar for her own bold step, and the return ofimperial favor towards her husband, banished by the Czar's displeasureto Pleskow. This bait would be irresistible.
All this had Zeneida gathered from Chevalier Galban.
What did Korynthia hope to achieve by this? What does she aim at ingetting hold of Bethsaba?
It is next to impossible that the young wife should be tempted to leaveher home during her honeymoon, and alone, without her husband, who maynot leave the precincts of his estate. And yet, did she do so, whatwould be the consequences?
Zeneida thought she had found in the person of Bethsaba the missing linkin the chain. Now it is her work to fit that link in its place.