CHAPTER IV
COUSINS
"So you have seen Mikail Suvaroff!" said Boris. He shook his head. "Wehave seen little of him in the last few years. He and my father do notagree. Mikail is on the side of the men about the Czar who want nochanges, who want to see the people crushed and kept down. My fatherwants a new Russia, with all the people happier and stronger."
"Then I should think they wouldn't agree," said Fred, heartily. "Mikailis like the Russians one reads about, dark and mysterious, and alwayssending people to Siberia and that sort of thing."
"It isn't as bad as that, of course," said Boris, with a laugh. "Russiaisn't like other countries, but we're not such barbarians as some peopletry to make out. Still, of course, there are a lot of things that oughtto be changed. Russia has been apart from the rest of the world becauseshe's so big and independent. That's why there are two parties, theconservatives and the liberals. My father is all for the Czar, but hewants the Czar to govern through the men the people elect to the Duma.After this war--well, we shall see! There will be many changes, I think.You see, this time it is all Russia that fights. Against Japan we werenot united. It is the Russian people who have made this war."
"I only knew there was danger of war the night it began," said Fred. "Isuppose it is on account of Servia, though?"
"Yes. That started it. They are Slavs, like ourselves. It is as it waswhen we fought Turkey nearly forty years ago. The Turks were murderingSlavs in the Balkans, and all our people called on the Czar to fight.This time we could not let Austria bully a nation that is almost like alittle brother to Russia."
"I can understand that," said Fred. "I suppose there's enough of theSlav in me, from my mother, to make me feel like that, too."
"Even after the way Mikail treated you? Tell me about that. Why did hebehave so, though I suppose you may not know?"
"I don't, really. My father is dead, you know. I and my mother arealone. She has always loved Russia, though she calls herself anAmerican, and is one, and has always made me understand that I am anAmerican, before all. But she has taught me to love Russia, too. And shehas always told me that there were estates in Russia that belonged toher, and would belong to me. She and my father were angry and hurtbecause of the way her family treated them, but she said that some timeshe wanted me to take possession of the estate, and to live for a littletime each year in Russia. She said that the peasants on the place wouldbe better off if I did that."
"Yes," Boris nodded. "That is what those who criticise us do not alwaysremember. Russian nobles do look after their peasants. The peasants inRussia have not had the advantages of the poor in other countries. Theyare like children still. My father is a father to all the people on ourestate. When they are sick, he sees that they are cared for. If thereare bad crops, he gives them food and money. We must all do suchthings."
"That's what she told me. Well, she wrote letters and she could get noanswers. So she decided to come herself. But she was taken ill. Notseriously, but ill enough so that the doctor did not want her to travel.And that was why I came. I went to my uncle, because he was in charge ofher affairs. And then, though he was kind enough when I first saw him,and promised to help me, I was arrested. All my papers were taken away,and all my money. And he brought me to Virballen, after I had been keptin a sort of prison for three or four weeks. There I was taken off thetrain for Berlin and put across the border, without any money orpassports. The German lieutenant himself was going to send me to Berlin,but then the news came that war had been declared, and he advised me towalk. I was held up at the first village I came to, and I got as far asthis. You saw what happened here in this little village."
"That is very, very strange," said Boris, vastly puzzled. "Do you knowwhat charge was made against you?"
"No! Some tommyrot about a conspiracy against the Czar. But just what itwas I was never told. I am forbidden to re-enter Russia."
"I don't understand at all," said Boris. "Mikail can't want to keep yourmother's property for himself. He is a very rich man--by far the richestof the family, though none of the Suvaroffs are poor. And I know aboutyour mother's lands, because they are next to our own."
"The money that comes from them has always been sent to her," said Fred."That was what I was thinking of, too. There was no trouble, you see,until it seemed that we might want to live on the place from time totime."
"Yes. My father has had something to do with the arrangements. Yourmother is well off, even without her own property, isn't she?"
"Yes. My father was not a millionaire, but he always had plenty,"answered Fred, very frankly.
"Mikail did hate the idea of her marriage," said Boris, reflectively. "Icould understand this better if I thought that he was trying to keep herinheritance from her to show his dislike. But it cannot be that. Thereis something very mysterious. I wish my father were here! I thinkperhaps he would understand."
"Where is he, Boris?"
"With the army by this time! He did not believe there would be war, tothe very last. That is the only reason I am still here. But he himselfwas called back as soon as things began to look serious. I stayed herewith my tutor but he is gone now. He is a German, and has been calledout. It is fortunate that my father had gone, because the Germans wouldhave held him, of course, if he had been here. They have come here threeor four times to look for him, but now I think they have decided that wehave told the truth, and that he is not here."
"How did you happen to come to my aid in such a fashion? I wasbeginning to think that I was in serious danger down there."
"You were, Fred! They thought you were an English spy. And they hate theEnglish worse than they do us, I think. They have thought that theEnglish should be on their side. When they found it could not be so,they thought that at least England would be afraid to fight."
"I see that. But you--what brought you out?"
"I know those people. And when I saw that they were attacking someone,it seemed to me that I couldn't just stand by and look on. It was sureto be someone on my own side that they were treating so--the cowards!But a mob is always cowardly. And, of course, I knew that I could manageeasily with the automobile. They were sure to scatter when they saw itcoming, because they are afraid of motors, anyway."
"Well, you can belittle it as much as you like, but you certainly savedme from an awfully nasty situation. And you didn't know who I was,either!"
"No, I didn't, of course. But it makes me feel all the better to findout it was you, Fred. Still you know we're not out of the woods yet."
"We're all right here, aren't we?"
"I don't know. I think the Russians will be in East Prussia, and wellin, before very long. If that happens and the German army is pushed backof this line, these people will be entirely out of control, except ifRussian troops happen to come to this particular spot--and there's noespecial reason why they should."
"You mean they might attack the house?"
"They might do anything, especially if the war seems to be going againstthem. They're good enough people, as a rule, but in times like thesethere's no telling what will happen."
"I hadn't thought of that. But--yes, you're right, of course. What doyou think we'd better do, Boris?"
"There's nothing to be done at once. We've got to wait a little while,and let the situation develop. If we tried to get away now, it would bevery risky indeed, I think. You see, between us and the Russian borderthere are a lot of German troops. And, even if you went back now towardKoenigsberg and Berlin, I'm afraid you'd have a hard time. You see, youhaven't any passport. And you're partly Russian. Then you've been here,and they'd know that. I'm afraid you'd stand a good chance of beinglocked up. Tell me just what happened at Virballen."
Fred told him all that he could remember, and Boris frowned.
"Ernst will make a report, you see," he said. "I'm afraid they'll belooking for you. It makes it look as if you were in a bad hole."
"How do you mean? There's nothing in what happened there to interestGermany, is ther
e?"
"If things had been normal that night, you'd have found out what therewas, I can tell you! You see the Russian and the German secret policework together very well. It's all right when they're looking fornihilists and violent revolutionaries--the sort of people who wouldthink it a great thing to assassinate either the Kaiser or the Czar.But the trouble is that if a big man in either Germany or Russia has agrudge against someone, he can use that whole secret police machineryagainst him. That's what Mikail Suvaroff was doing to you."
"But the Germans?"
"He would have seen to it, I suppose, that the secret police on our sidetold the Germans here some cock and bull story--enough to induce them tomake it unpleasant for you. That was arranged in advance probably. Rightthere on the border, with war starting, those fellows lost theirimportance. The soldiers, like Ernst, were in full command. But they'llbe as busy and as active as ever a little way behind the fighting line,looking for spies. They'll remember what the Russians had to say aboutyou, and they'll decide that you're a suspicious character, and lock youup in some fortress till the war's over!"
"Gee! That's a nice prospect! Say, Boris, what am I to do? If I go toBerlin, I'll be arrested! If I go back to Russia, my uncle willprobably have me boiled in oil or something! If I stay here, yourpeasant friends down below will lynch me! I'm beginning to think I'm notpopular around here!"
Boris laughed, but his eyes were grave.
"It's a ridiculous situation," he said. "I don't really know what tosay. I don't believe you need to fear Mikail very much. He has a gooddeal to think of by this time, because, now that the war has come, hewon't have time for intrigue. He's a first-class soldier. He made asplendid record in the war with Japan--and not many of our generals did,you know. But I tell you what I think we'd better do. Wait here until wehear from my father. He will know. And when he learns that you are here,he will be able to protect you in some fashion."
"But how are you going to hear from him here?"
"That's a secret--yet! But there's a way, never fear. A way that theGermans don't suspect, and won't be able to interfere with. Tell me,Fred. If it is safe for you to go back into Russia, will you stand byme? Or would you rather take your chance of going home through Germany?I'm a Boy Scout, and we have known for a long time some of the work wewould have to do if war came."
"I'm with Russia, even if America stays out," said Fred, with instantdecision. "Blood's thicker than water--you know the old saying. And I amhalf a Russian. If there's any way that I can help, you can count me in.I'm a Boy Scout, too, when it comes to that. I didn't know there wereany in Russia, though."
"There are. They're all over Europe now, you know. Well, we'll see.What's this?"
A servant had entered.
"There is a man who would see you, Boris Petrovitch," he said, using thefamiliar address of Russian servants.
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