The remainder of the journey was completed without any further
adventure, and they at last found themselves out of the Russian
dominions, when they were met by the uncle of the princess, who, as a
Pole, was not sorry that his niece had escaped from being wedded to a
Russian. He warmly greeted O'Donahue, as his connection, and
immediately exerted all the interest which he had at the court to pacify
the emperor. When the affair first became known, which it soon did, by
the princess not returning to court, his Majesty was anything but
pleased at being outwitted; but the persuasions of the empress, the
pleading of the English ambassador, who exerted himself strenuously for
O'Donahue, with the efforts made in other quarters, and more than all,
the letter of O'Donahue, proving that the emperor had given his consent
(unwittingly, it is true), coupled with his wish to enter into his
service, at last produced the desired effect, and after two months a
notice of their pardon and permission to return was at last despatched
by the empress. O'Donahue considered that it was best to take immediate
advantage of this turn in his favour, and retrace his way to the
capital. McShane, who had been quite long enough in the situation of a
domestic, now announced his intention to return home; and O'Donahue,
aware that he was separating him from his wife, did not, of course,
throw any obstacle in the way of his departure. Our little hero, who
has lately become such a cipher in our narrative, was now the subject of
consideration. O'Donahue wished him to remain with him, but McShane
opposed it.
"I tell you, O'Donahue, that it's no kindness to keep him here; the boy
is too good to be a page at a lady's shoestring, or even a servant to so
great a man as you are yourself now: besides, how will he like being
buried here in a foreign country, and never go back to old England?"
"But what will he do better in England, McShane?"
"Depend upon it, major," said the princess, for she was now aware of
McShane's rank, "I will treat him like a son."
"Still he will be a servant, my lady, and that's not the position--
although, begging your pardon, an emperor might be proud to be your
servant; yet that's not the position for little Joey."
"Prove that you will do better for him, McShane, and he is yours: but
without you do, I am too partial to him to like to part with him. His
conduct on the journey--"
"Yes, exactly, his conduct on the journey, when the wolves would have
shared us out between them, is one great reason for my objection. He is
too good for a menial, and that's the fact. You ask me what I intend to
do with him; it is not so easy to answer that question, because you see,
my lady, there's a certain Mrs McShane in the way, who must be
consulted; but I think that when I tell her, what I consider to be as
near the truth as most things which are said in this world, that if it
had not been for the courage and activity of little Joey, a certain
Major McShane would have been by this time eaten and digested by a pack
of wolves, why, I then think, as Mrs McShane and I have no child, nor
prospect of any, as I know of, that she may be well inclined to come
into my way of thinking, and of adopting him as her own son; but, of
course, this cannot be said without my consulting with Mrs McShane,
seeing as how the money is her own, and she has a right to do as she
pleases with it."
"That, indeed, alters the case," replied O'Donahue, "and I must not
stand in the way of the boy's interest; still I should like to do
something for him."
"You have done something for him, O'Donahue; you have prevented his
starving; and if he has been of any use to you, it is but your reward--
so you and he are quits. Well, then, it is agreed that I take him with
me?"
"Yes," replied O'Donahue. "I cannot refuse my consent after what you
have said."
Two days after this conversation the parties separated: O'Donahue, with
his wife, accompanied by Dimitri, set off on their return to Saint
Petersburg; while McShane, who had provided himself with a proper
passport, got into the diligence, accompanied by little Joey, on his way
back to England.