againbefore his departure, promising that, at every risk, he would return erehe joined the army, while during the interval, he would regularly informLadislau of his proceedings.
After quitting his son in the grounds which encompassed the mansion, theBaron repaired forthwith to the chamber of the lady, who received himwith a proud and dignified air, before which even he for a moment pausedabashed.
"Your time, Madam, I have discovered, is not always passed in the dismalsolitude of which you so repeatedly complain. Hear me! you would seducethe affections of my son! Ha. Madam, is it so? You turn pale andtremble! This moment I parted from the youth; and as I taxed him withmy suspicions, his look of conscious guilt revealed the truth. He hadnot a word to urge in his own defence. Do you answer for him? Am I notcorrect? Speak, woman!"
The lady stood for a while in mute astonishment at the accusations sosuddenly and violently brought against her. At length she uttered, in avoice, choking with emotion:
"Be Heaven my witness that I speak the truth, when I declare that I amguiltless of the crime you charge me with."
"Deceitful woman, thou liest!" cried the Baron, giving vent to a burstof uncontrollable anger; he gnashed his teeth, while his eyes rolledwildly; he lifted his arm, and struck the defenceless female. Sheuttered no cry; but every drop of blood quitted her cheek, and she wouldhave fallen to the floor, had not the wall supported her. Rivetting hereye on her oppressor, and mustering all her energy, she proudlyconfronted him in scorn and contempt, branding him with the epithet ofcoward. The ruffian, in his turn, trembled, and quailed before thesuperior might--the majesty of a lovely woman, conscious of herunsullied virtue. He felt himself to be the despicable being she termedhim; his honour had been for ever disgraced by this foul indeliblestain. He felt that his name was for ever blotted from the rolls ofchivalry; that every slave who crawled in chains on his land would bedeemed more worthy to touch a lady's hand than he.
The haughty lord answered not: his tongue was tied--he was conquered.Without even daring to meet her glance of scorn, he turned away, andquitted the apartment. When left in solitude, the lady sunk on a couch,and pressed her brow within her hands.
"For what fate am I reserved?" she cried. "To perish by the hand ofthis dastard tyrant! No more to revisit my own sunny hills and smilingvales. Yet, for the sake of that loved one, I can and will bear all.Could I but feel assured of his happiness, I would yield to deathcontentedly. There is, however, one duty more due to him--then welcomedeath!"
Volume 1, Chapter VIII.
Ivan was fully equipped for his journey to Moscow, in pursuance of hisfather's orders, when he received a summons to attend him.
"I have desired your presence," said the Baron, as he entered, "tocommunicate my last orders. I will allow you an ample sum for yourexpenses, and a sojourn of six weeks in Moscow. Dedicate that period toamusement; at its expiration you will be attached to my staff; meanwhilehave your uniforms prepared. You may now depart."
The young man withdrew, his parting salutation being scarcely noticed.He was met in the court-yard by his friend the dwarf, who shed tears asIvan mounted his horse; while he himself felt sad in parting from one ofthe few friends he possessed in the world. He took a last look at theapartment occupied by the lady so deeply beloved by him. All was closedand mournful there. Then spurring his horse, he rode rapidly from thechateau.
A lively and bustling scene met his view as he entered Moscow. It was aday dedicated to one of the numerous saints in the calendar of the Greekchurch, and a holiday; so that all the world was abroad, takingrecreation during their brief but beautiful spring.
The sumptuous equipages of the nobles were dashing by, with their fourspirited horses, harnessed in long traces, and guided by a tinypostillion, while a portly, liveried coachman was seated more for statethan service, on the richly ornamented coach-box. Officers, in variousuniforms, and followed by wild and fierce-looking Calmuc Tartars,galloped in every direction. Countless were the gay vehicles in motion;conspicuous amongst these, was the light-formed drosky, drawn by a pairof horses, the animal in the shafts advancing at a finely paced trot,while his companion, now prancing and curvetting, now sidling ingraceful bounds, attracted the spectators' admiring gaze. Costly werethe dresses, and glittering the stars with which the proud nobles werearrayed, as they rode or drove past in rapid succession, offering amarked contrast to the humble and bearded citizens assembled on theoccasion. Every human being, whatever his garb or condition, seemedhappy; and the young visitor unconsciously caught the same feeling.Having given his friend Thaddeus notice of his intended coming, he wasnot surprised, though much pleased, to be welcomed by him on dismountingat his hotel.
"Most grave hermit," exclaimed his friend, "happy am I to find that youhave been enticed away from your contemplations amid groves and lakes,and I trust soon to initiate your philosophy in the mysteries of a cityexistence."
"Thanks, my good Thaddeus, I have determined upon seeing what you termthe world and its amusements, and resign myself entirely to your sageguidance."
It is unnecessary to follow the two friends through all the scenes ofgaiety, into which they plunged with the ardour of youth; it issufficient to say, that Ivan, in spite of his retiring disposition, soonfound himself much sought after, among the highest circles of rank andtone in Moscow, formed as he was both in person, and mind to adornsociety. He could not but feel gratified by the attentions he received,and amused by the various scenes of gaiety in which he moved; so thatsombre reflections had no opportunity to creep in, and mar his pleasure.Many days had thus flown quickly by, without a single interruption totheir light and joyous course; even the adventure with the Gipsies, ontheir journey from St. Petersburg, was forgotten; when one evening, atan entertainment given by the Prince Galitzin, they were startled onhearing announced the name of the Count Erintoff.
Shortly after, they saw him advancing with an acquaintance of theirs, inthe direction where they were standing, apparently without hisrecognising them, and he would have passed by, had not Ivan's eye beenfixed sternly upon him. A sudden start accompanied by a frown markedthe recognition, when his companion turning round, and observing the twoyoung men, stopped to present him to them. With a bland smile headvanced, and politely saluting them, began, without hesitation, a lightand diverting conversation on the common topics of the day. His addresswas so unembarrassed, and his manner so cordial towards them, that theybecame doubtful whether he actually remembered them as his formeropponents; a slight incident, however, took place later in the evening,which made them again feel certain, that he knew them. Ivan hadengaged, as a partner in the dance, a beautiful girl, to whom the Counthad been paying marked attention; and he was standing near to her, whenIvan advanced to claim her hand, which she offered with a smile.
The eyes of the Count turned upon him with a peculiarly dark and ominousexpression, indicating his feelings of animosity more fully and directlythan any words, that he could venture to utter in such an assembly; ereIvan had time to scrutinise that glance, the Count's features hadresumed their wonted bland expression; and he had turned with some wittyrepartee to the nearest lady.
"No matter," thought Ivan, "if he does recognise me, I may yet laugh at,and despise his vengeance."
On quitting the palace with Thaddeus, they fancied that their steps weredogged by some one, who appeared to be watching the course they took;but whoever it might be, he kept at so wary a distance, that they couldnot devise a plausible excuse for addressing him; and ere they hadreached their hotel, the individual had disappeared.
The following day was also a festival of the church, and again were thepromenades and public drives swarming with old and young; the gay noble,and sober tradesman.
Thaddeus engaged Ivan to accompany him in his drosky, to the favouritepromenade of the citizens, called "L'Allee des Peuples," which iswithout the city barrier; and were the shopkeepers and inferior classesof society assemble to enjoy their favourite pastimes. On their waythey observed in the
distance the state prisons, where the unfortunateexiles are confined, previously to their departure for Siberia;collected together from all parts of the Empire, in gloomy despondency,they there await the day, which always falls on Monday, when it shall betheir turn to set forth in a troop on their toilsome and dreary journey.
"Ah," thought Ivan, as he gazed on the long, low, but strongly guardedwalls, "how many an innocent victim has there parted from all the sweet,and fond ties of life, to march bare-footed, and in chains over hundredsof long leagues, weak and bleeding; his companions dying by his side,day after day, as lying down to rest, they find an everlasting repose,happier than the survivors left to eke out, with hopeless toil, amiserable existence, in an inhospitable clime."
It must, however be observed, that though the fate of most of the exilesis forlorn and miserable in the extreme; others of higher
The Circassian Chief: A Romance of Russia Page 14