CHAPTER XLI
LOVE OR COMRADESHIP?
"I knew thou wouldst come," she said in French, as he caught thoseoutstretched hands in his.
She looked pale and worn, as was natural,--but lovelier than ever, asshe stood, a shadowy figure in her dark gown against the gloom behindher, for there was no light within the synagogue. The lurid glare fromwithout shed an unearthly radiance on her white face and shining hair.
"I am not alone," he said. "Maurice Wynn is with me; and the good Mishkaand his father."
She glanced at me doubtfully, and then held out her hand, flashing at methe ghost of her old arch smile.
"It is Maurice, indeed; how the beard has changed you,--and the uniform!I did not know you," she said, still in French. "But come; there isstill much to do, and we must be gone before daylight. How did you drivethem off? Will they make another attack?" she asked, turning to Loris.
"I think not; they have had enough for one time. You must thank Mishkahere for putting them to the rout," he answered. "Ah, Stepan, you arehere also, as I expected," he added to a young man of about my own age,whom I guessed to be Anne's cousin, Count Vassilitzi, from the stronglikeness between them, though his hair was much darker than hers, and hewore a small mustache.
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What passed in the synagogue both before and after we came, I onlylearned later; for Mishka and I were posted on guard at the entrance ofthe square, while Pavloff went off to seek our horses and intercept themen who were following us. If he met them in time, they would make a_detour_ round the town and wait for us to join them on the furtherside.
Our sentry-go business proved an unnecessary precaution, for no morerioters appeared; the excitement in the town was evidently dying out,the _pogrom_ was over,--for the time.
Some of the bolder spirits among the Jews came from the synagogue,exchanging pious ejaculations of thanks to God for their deliverance.They slunk furtively by us; though one venerable-looking old man pausedand invoked what sounded like a blessing on us,--in Hebrew, I think.
"You can keep all that for the gracious lady," growled Mishka. "It is toher you owe your present deliverance."
"It is, indeed," he answered in Russian. "The God of our fathers willbless her,--yea, and she shall be blessed. And He will bless you,Excellencies,--you and your seed even to the third and fourthgeneration, inasmuch that you also have worked His will, and havedelivered His children out of the hands of evil-doers."
Mishka scratched his head and looked sheepish. This blessing seemed toembarrass him more than any amount of cursing would have done.
"They are harmless folk, these Jews," he grunted. "And they are brave intheir way, although they are forever cringing. See--the old man goeswith the others to try and check the course of the fires. They are likeants in a disturbed ants' nest. They begin to repair the damage while itis yet being done. To-morrow, perchance even to-day, they will resumetheir business, and will truckle to those who set out to outrage andmurder them this night! That is what makes the Jew unconquerable. But itis difficult to teach him to fight, even in defence of his women; thoughwe are doing something in that way among the younger men. They must havedone well to hold out so long."
"How did they get arms?" I asked.
"They have not many so far, but there is one who comes and goes amongthem,--one of themselves,--who brings, now a revolver or two, now ahandful of cartridges, now a rifle taken to pieces; always at the riskof his life, but that to him is less than nothing."
"Yossof!" I exclaimed.
He nodded, but said no more, for Count Vassilitzi came across the squareto us.
"All is quiet?" he asked. "Good. We can do no more, and it is time wewere off. You are Monsieur Wynn? I have heard of you from my cousin. Wemust be friends, Monsieur!"
He held out his hand and I gripped it. I'd have known him anywhere forAnne's kinsman, he was so like her, more like her in manner even than inlooks; that is, like her when she was in a frivolous mood.
There was quite a crowd now on the steps of the synagogue, a crowd ofweeping women--yes, and weeping men, too,--who pressed around Anne,jostling each other in the attempt to kiss her hands, or even the hem ofher gown.
She looked utterly exhausted, and I saw,--not without a queer pang atheart,--that Loris had his arm round her, was indeed, rather carrying,than merely supporting her.
"Let us through, good people," I heard him say. "Remember that her perilis as great as yours, even greater."
As he spoke, her eyelids drooped, and she swayed back on to hisshoulder. He swung her into his arms as I had seen him do once before,on that memorable summer night more than three months ago, when Ithought I had looked my last on her; and, as the women gave way beforehim, he strode off, carrying his precious burden as easily as if she hadbeen a little child.
We followed closely, revolvers in hand; but there was no need to usethem. The few streets we traversed on the route Loris took weredeserted; and though the houses on either side were smouldering ruins,we passed but few corpses, and some of those were Russians. The worst ofthe carnage had been in the streets further from the synagogue.
"You came just in time," remarked Vassilitzi. "We were expecting thedoor to be burst in or burnt every moment; so we packed the women andchildren up into the women's gallery again--we'd been firing from theretill the ammunition was gone--and waited for the end. Most of the Jewswere praying hard; well, I suppose they think their prayers wereefficacious for once."
"Without doubt," I answered. His cynical tone jarred on me, somehow.
"They will need all their prayers," he rejoined, shrugging hisshoulders. "To-night is but a foretaste of what they have to expect. Butperhaps they will now take the hint, and learn to defend themselves;also they will not have the soldiers to reckon with, if they can holdout a little longer."
"How's that?" I asked, because he seemed to expect the question; notbecause I was particularly interested; my mind was concentrated on thosetwo in front.
"Why, because the soldiers will be wanted elsewhere, as I think you knowvery well, _mon ami_," he laughed. "Well, I for one am glad this littleaffair is over. I could do with some breakfast, and you also, eh? Annais worn out; she will never spare herself. _Ma foi!_ she is a marvel; Isay that always; and he is another. Now if I tried to do that sort ofthing"--he waved his hand airily towards Loris, tramping steadily along."But I should not try; she is no light weight, I give you my word! Stillthey make a pretty picture,--eh? What it is to be a giant!"
I'd have liked to shake him, and stop his irresponsible chatter, whichseemed out of place at the moment. I knew he wouldn't have been able tocarry Anne half across the street; he was a little, thin fellow,scarcely as tall as Anne herself.
But I could have carried her, easily as Loris was doing, if I'd had thechance and the right.
Yet his was the right; I knew that well, for I had seen the look in hereyes as she greeted him just now. How could I have been such a conceitedfool as to imagine she loved me, even for a moment! What I had dared tohope--to think--was love, was nothing of the kind; merely frank_camaraderie_. It was in that spirit she had welcomed me; calling me"Maurice," as she had done during the last week or two of her stay atMary's; but somehow I felt that though we had met again at last, she wasimmeasurably removed from me; and the thought was a bitter one! Sheloved me in a way,--yes, as her friend, her good comrade. Well, hadn't Itold myself for months past that I must be content with that?
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