In the private room of Count Golitzine, the Czar's private secretary,
sat two men--the Count himself and Lord Ickfold, the British
Ambassador. The apartment was in a secluded wing of the Winter Palace.
The Ambassador was reading aloud from the Baron's covering letter,
which he held in his hands.
"Remember, the young man, Corsini, whom I am sending you is everything
for your purpose. Only you must keep him in entire ignorance of the
part he is to play--at any rate for the present--as he is still very
young and might be open to the influence of women. This is a most
vital point. He is very intelligent without being suspicious;
honourable, trustworthy, and innocent, without being a fool. I think I
have taken his measure pretty accurately. He is devoted to his art--he
is really a most accomplished musician, as the notices I enclose will
prove--and you must get him pushed forward to the premier place,
through the good offices of your friends. The Zouroffs are returning
for a short space to the Court and he will have the _entree_ to their
house. I fancy, from what I have heard, that the Princess Nada is just
a little attracted by him. The important thing, however, is to get him
an introduction to La Belle Quero. She is hand in glove with Prince
Zouroff, and from that fact alone to be suspected. They have been in
correspondence with each other all the short time he has been in
England; but although I have tried my best, I have never been able to
get hold of any of their letters."
Lord Ickfold paused a moment and looked at the Count, who nodded his
head.
"Yes, I agree. Corsini may be very useful, especially if he manages to
captivate La Belle Quero. That is, no doubt, what Salmoros has in his
mind, amongst several other things."
The Ambassador resumed his reading. "I regret that I have but a slight
clue to what I conceive to be a very bold and desperate conspiracy, in
which Zouroff is one of the leading figures. The man has a certain
amount of brains and a considerable amount of daring, which makes him
the more to be feared. But the information which I send your
Excellency in other letters is absolutely reliable. For the present,
until we can learn more, use all your influence through Golitzine and
others to make sure that the Emperor does not appear in public more
often than is absolutely necessary. Otherwise, I fear disaster."
The two men discussed the situation for some time. There were other
documents besides the covering letter which they read very carefully.
Golitzine summed up, as it were. "Our hopes lie in the direction of La
Belle Quero through this young Italian, who, you tell me, is handsome
and also a talented artist."
"You have read in one of those other letters what Salmoros has said
of him--that he has created a considerable success in London, and only
just wants a little influence to push him into the front rank."
The Count smiled. "That is easy, my dear friend. The Director of the
Imperial Opera is getting a trifle old. We will pension him, and put
Corsini in his place."
"A bold stroke," said Lord Ickfold admiringly. "There is something to
be said for an autocratic government after all. We dare not do
anything of the kind in our country; all the Press would be up in
arms. With you, a stroke of the pen settles everything."
The Count's smile deepened. "And after all, my lord, in the long
run, it works as well as in your democratic country. In the end,
substantial justice is done, rather more swiftly, by our methods."
"It seems to me that La Belle Quero is the crux," commented the
Ambassador. "Suppose she refuses to fall in love with this Corsini,
what then?"
"She will not refuse," replied the Count, speaking with his assured
man-of-the-world air. "The relations between her and the Prince have
been of long standing, I admit, and she is also a woman who might be
attracted by a certain amount of brutality which our excellent friend
Boris has in perfect abundance. But this young man is a Latin like
herself, an artist like herself. Bah! In twenty-four hours Zouroff
will be forgotten. Besides, he is verging on middle age, and this
Corsini is a youth. Besides, further, he will be the Director of the
Imperial Opera. She will be dependent upon him for small kindnesses,
little favours, which I shall instruct him to be lavish of. You
understand?"
The morning after the interview between these two exalted personages,
the Ambassador's smart carriage stopped at Nello's hotel. The slim
secretary alighted and sought the young musician, with a message from
his chief that he desired to see him immediately at the Embassy.
"You see I have not forgotten you, Signor Corsini," was Lord Ickfold's
cordial greeting as Nello entered the room. "Salmoros has asked me to
use all my influence to advance you in your profession, and I intend
to do so. It will give me the greatest pleasure."
He wrote a brief note and handed it to the young man. "This is a
letter to Count Golitzine, the Emperor's secretary, who wields more
influence than anybody in St. Petersburg. You will find him at the
Winter Palace. My carriage is waiting to drive you there."
Events were happening very rapidly, Nello thought. When Salmoros took
a thing up, the wheels of action appeared to move very easily. Also,
he was beginning to get a firm foothold in the great world of
diplomacy and politics. Yesterday he had made the acquaintance of the
British Ambassador; this morning he was to interview the Emperor's
private secretary, the most powerful man in St. Petersburg, and
consequently in Russia.
The Count received him with more than ordinary graciousness, and
questioned him kindly about his London experiences. Lounging by the
mantelpiece of the room in which the two men were seated, was a tall,
quietly-dressed middle-aged man in civilian clothes. Nello took him to
be either an official of the Court or a private friend of the
secretary.
At a pause in the conversation, this person, whoever he was, suddenly
turned to the young man and carelessly asked in French, "Do you know
any one of position in St. Petersburg, Signor Corsini?"
Nello frankly answered that with the exception of Lord Ickfold and the
Count, he knew nobody except the Princess Zouroff and her daughter. He
explained how he had met them, how he had played at their house in
London, and been invited to visit them here.
Nello fancied that a slight frown come over the unknown's face at
mention of the name Zouroff. But his comment was quite simple. "Ah,
the Ambassador and the Count between them will soon extend your circle
of acquaintance. I understand you come with strong letters of
introduction from that splendid old fellow, Salmoros."
Nello bowed. Evidently this personage, to whom he had not been
introduced, knew what was going on. He must certainly be an official
of some importance, and appeared to be quite at his ease in
Golitzine's presence.
The Count resumed his conversation with Nello, and the other man
quitted his lounging position by the fire-place, and walked down the
long room to the deep bay window, from which he pretended to look out.
But all the while he was listening intently to the other two.
"And now, Signor Corsini, I have a little surprise for you, and one
which I hope will be welcome," were the Count's parting words. "The
present Director of the Imperial Opera has for some time contemplated
retirement. He is growing a little deaf, and finds that the infirmity
militates against the proper performance of his duties. He will
relinquish his post next week, and I have much pleasure in conferring
the appointment upon you. I do so with the sanction of my Imperial
Master, to whom I have shown the Baron's strong letters of
recommendation."
Nello felt the room going round. Could he believe his ears? Only a few
hours in St. Petersburg, and promoted to one of the most coveted posts
in the musical world! Why, he was as great as Degraux. Truly, the
white-haired Salmoros was a wizard, masquerading under the guise of a
benevolent financier.
With a great effort he pulled himself together and stammered his
thanks. "I cannot sufficiently express my gratitude, your Excellency.
I shall do my best to justify your kindness. But I feel it will be no
easy task to follow in the footsteps of such an illustrious
predecessor."
As soon as Nello had retired, the man who was lounging in the bay
window turned round to Golitzine and shot at him the abrupt question,
"Well, what do you think of him, eh? Is that shrewd old fellow
Salmoros right? Will he be useful to us?"
The Count replied in respectful tones. "It is rather early to form a
judgment, your Majesty; but I must own I am very favourably impressed
with the young man. I think he would be as true as steel to those who
had befriended him."
Nello had little suspected that the tall middle-aged person, dressed
in civilian attire, whom he had taken for an official of the Court or
a personal friend of the Count's, was the Emperor Alexander himself,
the autocrat of all the Russias, supposed to be the strongest man in
Europe, who could bend a horse-shoe between his fingers.
"The one thing to do now is to bring this young Italian and La Belle
Quero together." The Emperor spoke in a musing tone. "That is what the
Baron intends. And we know besides that she is suspected by our secret
police. Half the men who go to her little parties are in their black
books; about Zouroff, we have already pretty convincing evidence. My
own belief is that she is one of the prime movers in the affair."
"So far, of course, nothing has been brought home to her. She
entertains these men, I know, but she is a foreigner, a Spaniard, and
cannot be well acquainted with our domestic politics," interjected the
Count, who was rather favourably impressed with the beautiful
contralto. "Still, in this direction, Corsini may be very useful. He
may be able to worm something out of her."
"Well, Golitzine, we will bring matters to a head as soon as possible,
so far as these two people are concerned," commanded his Majesty. "Let
your wife give a concert before the week is out and engage La Belle
Quero and this young Corsini for it."
The Count bowed. "I will execute your orders, Sire. I agree it would
be politic to introduce them under social auspices, rather than
strictly business ones. Next week he will be installed at the Opera,
and must at once come into touch with her in pursuance of his
professional duties."
"Precisely. That is just what I wish to anticipate. You have, as
always, most accurately taken my meaning."
A gleam of anxiety came into Golitzine's eyes as he ventured to give a
word of warning.
"I trust that your Majesty does not propose to do me the honor of
attending this function?"
"Why not? I had rather thought of coming, in order to learn from you
how the first act of the comedy was going. What are your objections?"
"You will remember, Sire, the solemn warning Salmoros has given me:
that you should show yourself in public as little as possible. I would
beseech your Majesty to pay heed to that warning. I cannot bar the
suspects from my house. Zouroff, for example, who arrives to-morrow,
must receive an invitation."
The Emperor indulged in an angry gesture. "It has come to something
when I have to slink away and hide myself from a traitor like that!
But you are right, Count; Salmoros is right. We must bide our time
until we can catch them red-handed. Then, Heaven help them! No, I will
not attend your wife's concert, from motives of prudence. But you will
let me know early next morning if the scheme is progressing?"
Count Golitzine accompanied his Royal Master to the door; then he
returned to his seat to meditate profoundly over what was happening.