The Circassian Chief: A Romance of Russia
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turn our view to a chamber in the chateau of the BaronGaletzoff. It was furnished with heavy and old fashioned hangings whichgave it a solemn and sombre air, increased by the windows being closedto exclude the glare of day; one stream of light alone entering throughthe curtains, and throwing a still darker shade into the rest of theroom. Two female attendants stood by the side of a couch, on whichreclined, now wan and emaciated, that unhappy and mysterious lady, whomIvan had so short a time before left in health, and all the majesty ofbeauty.
Her eye fixed and regardless of all around, her thoughts seemed to befar away, wandering perchance amid the scenes of her youth, with theloved beings of other days, whom she had long, long ago lost, but soonhoped again to meet in other and happier realms. As she gazed, theirairy forms flitted before her eyes, and the well remembered lineamentsbecame clear, and distinct, beckoning her to follow. She moved not, shespoke not, and as the attendants looked on her, they thought her spirithad departed.
A slow and gentle step approached: it was that of a venerablegrey-headed man in the robes of a priest, whose clear, calm eye, andplacid countenance, betokened an amiable and tender heart. He seatedhimself quietly by the side of the couch, but the movement roused thelady from her seeming trance, and she turned her eyes towards him.
"Daughter," he said, "I could not rest away from your side, and as soonas I had performed the duties which called me hence, I returned toafford you all the consolation of which religion has so great a store."
"Father!" she answered in a low voice, "to your instructions do I owethe great, the inestimable benefits which I may now partake of; else hadI remained like the beast that perishes, without that faith and hopewhich now sustain me."
"Daughter! those are the sentiments which should possess the bosoms ofall who are about to leave this vale of tears," continued the holy man;"clear your thoughts of all things appertaining to this world, and fixthem on the next."
"I would do so, Father, but I cannot!" answered the lady. "I must, ereI die, see one, the dearest to me on earth; till then I cannot tear mythoughts from him. Has he arrived? Oh! that I could see him, ere myspirit wings its flight from hence. Oh! let there be no delay when hecomes, for each instant I feel the throbbing of my heart grow weaker."
"There shall be no delay, my daughter! a faithful messenger has beensent to summon him; but, when I just now entered the house, he had notarrived," said the priest. Scarcely had he uttered the words, when thelady exclaimed, "Ah, I now hear his horse's steps approaching; oh!haste, Father, and bid him come hither."
"You are mistaken, daughter, I heard no sound, and he could scarcelyarrive by this hour," answered the priest.
"Ah, no! Father, I mistake not, even now I hear his footstep in thehall. He approaches. Oh, my heart! cease not to beat, till I have seenhim once again," she exclaimed, nor had her sense of hearing deceivedher; rendered still more acute, as her other faculties were fastfailing.
In a few moments, a gentle knock was heard, and the dwarf entered. "Iknow that he is come," said the lady, "oh! let me see him without delay;and holy Father, I would be alone with him." The priest rose to obeyher wishes, and withdrew with the attendants, as Ivan entered.
As she saw him, her faded eye brightened; and she stretched out her armsto receive him, as throwing himself on his knees by the side of thecouch, he shaded his face with his hands, and a convulsive sob escapedhis bosom.
"Do I find you thus?" he exclaimed after a moment's pause, "my friend--my kind protectress? why was I not before apprised of your illness? whywas I not here to solace and comfort you?"
"I knew not that death was making such rapid strides towards me,"answered the lady; "but think not that I am unhappy. Now that I haveyou with me, loved one! I am content to bear my lot; but I must notwaste these precious moments, for I have much to say and my time onearth will quickly end. Listen to me," and she spoke in that languagewhich she had taught Ivan in his youth, and in which they loved tocommune together.
"Can you remember the early days of your youth, and those scenes ofwhich I once forbade you to speak?" she said.
"Yes--yes--vividly can I now recall several to my mind," answered Ivan."I remember a strange land, and scenes far different to this country;and also your kindness, your love from my earliest days."
"Think you that the affection and fond solicitude with which I tendedyour youth, could ever have been felt by any but a mother! None but amother could feel the undying love which I bear for you. My boy! mychild! come to my arms, and let me hold thee there, before I die. Youare--you are my son, and though in life, I dared not, for your sake,acknowledge it, I rejoice to die, that now I may declare the truthbefore all the world."
"My heart always told me so," exclaimed the young man, fondly embracingher, as she held out her arms to receive him. "O my loved mother! wouldthat I might thus have called you before! but say who is my father? Isit not the Baron?"
"Thank great Heaven! no, my loved son--no! Your father was noble,generous, and brave; methinks, I now see his noble countenance reflectedin my boy; but my strength fails me, my voice grows weak. Listen, ereit be too late, to my story.
"It was in our own loved and beautiful land, amid the magnificentmountains, the green and fertile glens of Circassia, that your fatherwas distinguished as one of the noblest and bravest chieftains. Fivethousand daring horsemen assembled at his command, ready to followwherever he should lead. Many of the neighbouring chiefs were subjectto him; all honoured or feared him. He kept free from the feuds whichdistracted and weakened the other tribes, and all sought to be in amitywith him. He had numerous flocks and herds, which fed on the richestpastures; he had abundance of wealth; fleet and hardy steeds; richarmour and apparel; faithful and devoted servants.
"I was the daughter of a neighbouring prince; your noble father soughtand won me in marriage. We had two children, you my loved son, and afair young daughter; how my heart has bled as I have thought of thatlovely cherub, whom I have been destined to see no more, and whose fateI tremble to think of! But our happiness, which seemed as full asmortals could enjoy, was destined to be fleeting and transitory; we wereawoke, suddenly and without preparation, from our short-lived dream ofbliss.
"Our territories, which extended over many of the rocky and precipitousmountains bordering on the sea, had hitherto, on account of their loftysituation, almost inaccessible to attack, escaped the devastating visitsof the invaders of our country. Our home was near, the coast, and yourfather, confiding in the security of our situation, had gone with thegreater part of his followers to repel a distant inroad of the enemy,leaving only a few to protect our herds, when a fleet of the lofty shipsof the Russians, made a sudden descent on our coast. Their troopslanded in numbers, and stormed the passes leading to our dwellings,destroying the fields of corn on their road, and carrying off, orkilling all the cattle they could seize; the few of our men remaining inthe neighbourhood assembled in haste, and disputed each spot of groundpracticable of defence, with all the energy and bravery of despair; eventhe women seized arms and joined the men, aiding them to their utmost;some hurling down stones on the heads of the invaders, as they defiledthrough each narrow gorge. But what could a handful of men do, takenalmost by surprise, against a host of well-equipped and ferociousenemies? Frantic with our hopeless efforts, we fought till our men wereall slain, for none would yield, while they had strength to use theirweapons.
"My heart sickens even now at the wanton and cruel butcheries which theruthless barbarians committed. The children were torn from theirmothers' arms and slaughtered in their sight; some few of the womenhowever escaped with the infants under their charge, among whom was youryoung sister, and gained the mountains, beyond the reach of theirpursuers.
"A ruffian was about to destroy you, my boy, when you were rescued fromhis grasp by a more humane comrade, who, as I afterwards found, was aservant belonging to the leader of the enemy's forces. From a heightoverlooking the pass, I beheld you borne away in the arms of thesoldier, and I
sought to throw myself down, to tear you from therobber's grasp, or to share your captivity. I was, however, forciblyprevented by my attendants, who deaf to my entreaties and disobedient tomy commands, when I ordered them to release me, compelled me to remainconcealed in a cavern from the sight of our enemies. The Russians hadretired from the defiles and passes in the mountains and encamped nearthe seashore, under protection of the guns of then ships; we, thewretched and melancholy few who remained, watched from the neighbouringheights, there passing the live-long night, for we had no homes toreturn to; our once smiling dwellings were burnt to the ground, ourstreams choked with the dead, and tinged with their blood, our cattlecarried off, and desolation reigned around.
"We were aroused from our lamentations