The Circassian Chief: A Romance of Russia
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situated a littleway up the mountain side, which, from time immemorial, had been lookedon with veneration, by the inhabitants; because there, according totradition, their ancestors had formerly worshipped the Great Spirit, andhis Son who once visited earth. In his wanderings, Thaddeus haddiscovered the ruins he mentioned, which were those of a church ofconsiderable size, as appeared by the fragments, still remainingscattered here and there, among the herbage; but many years must havepassed since it was reduced to its present state, from the large treesgrowing amidst the stones.
The foot of the cross itself, formed from two large blocks, had beendeeply imbedded in a rock, projecting from the mountain's side. Overthe sacred emblem, the trees had formed a sheltering arbour, itsexistence there being a fit symbol of the Christian religion, standingon the rock amid the ruin and decay even of its own temples and rites.
To this spot resorted those, who would ask some special favour of themighty spirit they worshipped; but, ignorant of him who had chosen it ashis emblem, they would fall down in adoration before it; many believingthat the spirit himself dwelt within it, and that the stone retainedhidden virtues. It was also considered as a sanctuary, which none woulddare to violate. Any one followed by his most deadly enemy, who couldreach it, might cling to its support and there be safe from vengeance.Even those professing Islamism still held it in veneration. Chaplets offlowers, the votive offerings of the worshippers, were hung on thesurrounding trees until they withered away.
Thaddeus eagerly hastened to the spot, long ere the time he might expectthe coming of his mistress; but he wished to be alone in that sacredplace to commune with himself, to dwell upon the anticipation of hisbliss should his hopes of her answer be fulfilled. He wandered roundthe ruins of the once sacred pile; sometimes he feared she could notreally love him, and a moment afterwards he felt confident of winningher. Then he threw himself beneath the shade of some tree, andanxiously watched the lengthening shadows; and next he would rise andhasten through the grove, towards the direction whence his mistressshould come; but he saw her not. The sun had not yet sunk low enough inthe heavens, and he regretted that he had not persuaded her to come atan earlier hour. He again returned, lest, perhaps, she might havepassed some other way.
Inspired by the solemnity of the spot, he threw himself down before thecross, and offered up his thanksgiving to heaven for his ownpreservation, and his prayers for future blessings. Deeply absorbed inhis devotions, he thought not of the lapse of time; and, as he rose andgazed eagerly around to see if Ina was near, the sun had reached theedge of the mountain, tinging its sides with a saffron hue, and throwinga deep shade at its base. The minutes now passed like hours; he fearedsomething might have prevented her coming; some accident might havebefallen her; he thought of the revenge of the Khan and trembled for hersafety.
As despair was about taking possession of him, at length, his heartbounded as he caught sight of her, moving amid the trees like somebenign spirit of the groves. At a little distance from her, followedConrin, slowly and mournfully; who, on seeing Thaddeus, turned aside.
The young lover hastened forward to meet his mistress; he gently tookher hand, which she did not withdraw, as he led her to a seat, formed ofa broken architrave, beneath the cross. For some minutes neither spoke,as they sat gazing on the rich and smiling valley below them, which wasclothed with a soft mellow light; a serene and solemn silence reignedover the whole scene. The lovers felt perfect happiness; they feared tospeak, lest a word might break the soft enchantment.
Thaddeus turned to Ina, and, gazing on her eyes, so liquid and tender,yet so lustrous, he saw an expression there which gave him courage tospeak. "Ina," he said, "I came to this land a stranger among yourpeople. All my hopes in life were blighted. I had been an imprisonedfelon, condemned to death, every instant expecting to die by the handsof my comrades, but was rescued by your brother's bravery. To him I oweall I now possess: I owe him my life, and--more far more than life--thehappiness of seeing you. From the moment I saw you, I loved you; fromthat moment your image has never been absent from my thoughts. In theardour of the chase, in the solitude of the night, I have thought aloneof you; and oh! the rapture, when I found you were saved from theruffian who would have torn you from me! Sweetest Ina, I love you!"
Ina gazed at him. A sweet smile irradiated her features; her eyessparkled with animation.
"Is it possible?" she said, with an inquiring look. "That you,Thaddeus, accustomed to the magnificence of the cities, and theaccomplished beauties of Frangistan, can think of a mountain maid likeme, who has never passed her native shores? Perhaps, you spoke but insport; but no, you would not tamper thus with my heart."
"Ina, could words alone convince you how ardently I love you, I wouldspeak them," answered Thaddeus; "but no language has fitting words toexpress my feelings. I would die to save you from harm. Dearest Ina,can you love me?"
"Love you? Blessed joy! oh yes! Perhaps, I do not love you as I ought;still I would not that any arm but yours should have saved me from himthat would have torn me from you. Do you think I love you now?"
"Yes, dearest," said her lover, folding her in his arms as her head sankupon his neck. "Yes, Ina, by yonder cross I swear to guard you with mylife; to love no other but you."
"Indeed 'tis bliss to hear you speak such words," answered the maid. "Ashort time ago I thought I loved but one--my honoured father; and then,my brother coming, shared my love; but now I feel my heart too small tohold the love I bear for you. The feelings which I bear for those dearones I would tell to all the world; but what I feel for you is atreasured secret I would tell to none but you."
"Ina, you are my own," exclaimed Thaddeus. "Oh never deem that I couldshare my love for you with any other: the very thought were sacrilege.How ardently have I longed before to say this to you--to learn from yourown sweet lips, if you could feel the same for me! But still I fearedthat I could not be worthy of such love as yours."
We must no longer attempt to describe the words with which the youngPole told the deep feelings of his heart to the pure and gentle Ina.Side by side they sat, nor thought how fast the hours sped. The sun hadlong gone down, the stars came out glittering in the dark clear bluesky, and the moon arose in pure and tranquil majesty to witness theirguiltless love, throwing her silvery beams through the dark trees of thegrove. Yet still they lingered, pouring into each other's ears thewords of soft endearment.
At length they rose from the spot hallowed for ever in their memory,when a gentle step approached, and young Conrin stood before them. Inathought she heard a sob. He spoke at last in low and hurried tones--
"I came to warn you that night approaches," he said. "You'll be soughtfor anxiously in the hamlet, and great alarm will be felt when you aremissed."
"Ah, is it indeed so late?" said Ina. "I thought we had passed but afew minutes here. We will hasten home."
"I will guard you to your home, dear Ina!" said Thaddeus, as hesupported her steps.
Though both knew that they ought to hasten, yet neither felt anyinclination to quicken their pace, as they passed through the sacredgrove, and chose, they knew it not, the longest road to the village.They had yet much to say, when they found themselves at the gate of theanderoon. Young Conrin followed slowly, and again they heard thathalf-stifled sob; but he sought to avoid their observation.
They stopped at the gate to whisper many more endearing words; andperhaps they might have spent another hour, fancying it but a minute,had they not been startled by the harsh sounds of Kahija's voice, whohad bustled out in no sweet temper at the long absence of her youngcharge.
"Truly, these are pretty doings for a maiden, to be staying from home atthis late hour. What would have been said, had any of the inmates ofold Mustapha's harem, at Stamboul, taken it into their silly heads towander about in this way? They would soon have found themselves at thebottom of the Bosphorus, I warrant. That is the way young ladies aretreated, who misbehave themselves in the only civilised country in theworld--an
d a very proper way too. A pretty example you set my younglady, Zara. I suppose that she, who has always been so correct--thanksto my instructions--will take it into her head next, to go gadding aboutin the same way. But, I'll take care she does no such thing I'llpromise her. I hope to see the free manners of the girls, of thiscountry, reformed before I die. It's quite dreadful, scandalous, to seethem wandering about in this independent manner, with their veils thrownoff their faces to let everybody stare at them who likes. Come, Sir,"she said, turning to Thaddeus; "I wonder you stay here. I thought youknew that the anderoon was forbidden ground to any man but my lord. Ishould think you had enough of my lady's company already."
But Thaddeus felt no inclination to move without speaking a word more offarewell; and old Kahija, having vented some