IN DEFIANCE OF THE CZAR
In all the interviews I had had with the czar during the many months of
my association with him he had maintained the condition that he had
himself made at the beginning, which was that we should meet on the
basis of friends and equals. Whenever we were alone together he
commanded me to forget that we were other than two friends who were
enjoying an opportunity for a chat with each other, and as at such
times we invariably conversed in French, he always insisted that I
should address him by the simple term "monsieur." When the prince was
with us, as was nearly always the case, the degree of familiarity was
slightly, though hardly perceptibly modified, and I must say that I had
learned to enjoy such occasions exceedingly.
For Alexander I had begun to feel a sincere affection. I doubt if there
was any other man in Russia who understood him so thoroughly as I did.
During these familiar hours we had passed together he had told me many
things concerning himself, his ideas, and his hopes; and these
confidences had revealed the real man--that is, the man behind the
czar--to me, and I knew that of the thousands of crimes attributed to
him only a few had ever come to his knowledge until it was too late for
him to interfere, or too impolitic for him to do so. Intellectually, he
was not preponderant; indeed he was rather deficient in this respect;
but he was naturally a kindly disposed man, and at the beginning of his
reign, and indeed through more than half of it, he proved that fact to
the people. It was just before the time of my arrival in St. Petersburg
that he allowed himself to fall more and more into the power of the
nobles who in reality ruled the empire, and who do so still. Easily
influenced by those in whom he trusted, thousands of crimes were
committed in his name of which he had no knowledge and of which he had
never known. At all events, I liked him, and moreover, I had thorough
faith in my own influence over him.
In like proportion to my familiarity at court and to the emperor's
fondness for my society, I was cordially hated by the nobility; but as
they feared me quite as much as they hated me, and as my real standing
among them remained a mystery, I was constantly fawned upon to a degree
that was nauseating. Even the story I had so lately heard from the lips
of the princess had not materially lessened the liking I felt for
Alexander, for I could understand much better than she could, all the
influence that had been brought to bear upon the emperor not to pardon
the woman in whose possession had been found cyanide of potassium
intended for his wine. I did not believe he had intended that she
should go to the island of Saghalien; I did not believe that he could
be held accountable for the evils that befell poor Yvonne in the
isolated garrisons of Siberia. He had been convinced that she intended
to poison him, and he banished her; there his part of the evil ceased.
The awful things that happened in the garrison he did not know about,
could not hear about, for I believe that among all his friends, I was
the only one who dared to tell him the truth. Even the prince lied to
him, for I had often heard him do so.
As to the killing of Stanislaus, who could blame the czar for that? The
man had endeavored to kill him; had twice snapped a pistol in his face
and still held it in his hand when the emperor tore it from his grasp
and struck him on the head with it. Who would not do the same? I repeat
all this as my excuse for still feeling that affection for him which
our intercourse had taught me. The real criminal in the case of the
story of Yvonne was Durnief. Him I hated, and his name was on one of
the lists that had been read off to me before going to the palace that
night. There were special orders concerning him, too--but that will be
dealt with later.
Now, as I entered the cabinet with the prince, I confess that I had
some doubts concerning my reception for I had no idea what the prince
had said to his majesty, and I knew only too well the inclination of
the czar to listen to anything that had a suspicious side to it,
particularly if that suspicion concerned one of his closest and most
intimate associates. I could at any time, within five minutes, have
poisoned the mind of the czar against the prince; and I did not doubt
that he could accomplish the same delicate attention for me. The prince
preceded me; the czar rose as we entered.
His majesty was alone, and I advanced at once with extended hand, as he
had often requested me to do when I discovered him thus; but he bowed
coldly, feigning not to see it. I halted, drew myself up, and returned
his bow in the same manner that he had given it. Then I waited for him
to speak.
"You are late, sir," he said. "You have kept me waiting."
"I was not aware that your majesty expected me," I replied. "Otherwise
I should have been here sooner."
"The prince expected you and led me to do the same."
"Had the prince done me the honor to tell me he intended to receive me
in your cabinet, I should have understood. The prince--perhaps
unintentionally--deceived me."
Prince Michael flushed hotly, but said nothing. The czar smiled grimly.
"What detained you?" he demanded.
"The same business which detains me in Russia, your majesty."
"Ah; you were concerned in the work of our fraternity?"
"I was."
"I understood that you were much more pleasurably employed."
"Whoever gave you so to understand that either did not know, or lied."
I turned so that I half faced the prince, and I saw that he made a
motion as if to spring upon and strike me; but he did not dare to
commit such an act in the czar's presence, and long training got the
better of his temper.
"Why, sir, did you take Princess Zara d'Echeveria to the house of
Prince Michael?" continued the czar.
"Because I believed him to be an honorable man who would stand ready to
protect her good name, and who would conceal from all the world, even
from your majesty, the fact that she was there. Because he had told me
that he loved her, and I was innocent enough to believe that his love
was unselfish; and further, because I regarded him as my friend. There
are three reasons, your majesty, any one of which seems to me to be
sufficient."
"But why was it necessary to take her anywhere?"
"That, your majesty, is a question which I must answer to you alone."
"Do you mean that you will not tell the prince?"
"I mean that it was my intention to tell the prince as soon as I
arrived at the palace, but that now I deem it unnecessary. He has
taught me a lesson in hospitality that is as new as it is unique."
"Perhaps she will explain the strange affair herself."
"I have no doubt that she will, your majesty."
"I have sent for her. She will remain here in the palace as long as
danger threatens her. She should be here by now."
"May I inquire of your majesty whom you sent?"
"The captain of the palace guard."
"Captain Durnief?"
"Yes."
I looked at my watch, replaced it in my pocket, and then said calmly:
"Captain Durnief will not return with the princess, your majesty."
Then I saw the heavy frown of rising anger. I knew my man, for kings
and emperors are less than men of the world when it comes to studying
them. Their own opportunities for observing others are so much more
limited. The czar angry, was a much easier man to influence than the
czar satirical.
"What do you mean?" he demanded. "Why will Durnief fail to carry out my
personal orders? Dare the princess refuse to accompany him?"
"She most certainly would not have the bad taste to refuse, and if she
did so, the captain would doubtless bring her by force; but Captain
Durnief has the misfortune to be, by now, a prisoner."
"Durnief a prisoner! The captain of my personal staff arrested! By your
order, sir?"
"By my order, your majesty."
"You have dared to do this?"
"I would dare to arrest the prince, or your own son, if I found either
of them inimical to your majesty's interests, and I beg you, sir, to
understand that I gave the order before I knew that your majesty had
sent him on the errand so treacherously suggested by Prince Michael." I
was angry at the prince for involving my affairs so meanly. I could not
withhold the thrust.
"It is a lie!"
It was the prince who spoke; but before I could reply to the
accusation, the czar waved his hand and commanded silence.
"Was it the princess who informed you that Durnief was a nihilist?" he
asked calmly, the smile returning to his face.
"No," I replied, understanding the motive behind the question. For I
could read the czar like a book, and I already knew much concerning the
villainy of Durnief; "but it was he who informed your majesty that SHE
was one."
"By heaven, Derrington, you know too much! I begin to think that the
days of your usefulness are past, in St. Petersburg. There seems to be
no limit to the authority you assume, and now you have begun to dictate
to me. I will not have it. I command that you tell me why you thought
it necessary to take the princess from her own house to-night."
I knew that the crucial moment had come. I knew that if I weakened now,
I was lost. The only possible escape for me, was to see the czar alone,
and that I determined to do. The manner of the prince, upon my arrival
at the palace, his conduct in the cabinet, the greeting accorded to me
by the czar and his bearing towards me since then, led me to a shrewd
guess which I determined to hazard. I decided to play my last card by
making one bold statement.
"Your majesty," I said, deliberately, "has never until now, had less
than perfect confidence in me. The prince, being jealous, and too
impatient to await an explanation at my hands, has prevailed upon you
to order me under arrest, for a time, in order that I may not return to
his house where I have left the princess. If I do not mistake, he now
has such an order, signed by you in person, in one of his pockets.
Permit me to inform your majesty, and him, that there is another reason
why he procured that order; he has guessed that my men, at this moment,
have instructions to place him under arrest. He only sought to
anticipate me, that is all. Order Prince Michael to his apartments, and
direct him to remain in them, your majesty; for unless I am free to act
as I see fit, this night, I would not give that"--and I snapped my
fingers--"for the life of a single member of the royal family."
Then I folded my arms, and waited.