THE FATE OF THE APPROPRIATION BILL
By a singular turn of circumstances the day on which the fate of the
Appropriation Bill was to be decided, and possibly with that bill the
fate of Czernova itself, was likewise the day appointed for the annual
review of the Czernovese army.
This marshalling of troops took place in a spacious plain a few miles
to the north of Slavowitz, and was presided over by the princess
herself.
The muster fell considerably short of that of the previous year, due
to the fact that many of the troops were engaged in the duty of
keeping guard over the numerous monasteries of Czernova.
Still, in spite of absentee regiments, the review was a fine sight,
even in the eyes of Paul, accustomed as he was to much more striking
displays. His frequent expressions of admiration gave pleasure to
Barbara, who had been somewhat dreading his criticism, anticipating
that he, as a tried soldier, might disparage the merits of an army,
whose mettle had never yet been tested in actual battle.
A peculiar and significant feature of the scene was the proximity of
the Convent of the Transfiguration, which overlooked the place of the
review. Barbara's landau was drawn up almost within the shadow of its
gray Gothic towers.
The weird chant of the monks, that dirge which had never ceased day or
night for fifty years, was clearly audible, mingling with the more
stirring and martial sounds without, and contributing to impress Paul
with the curious character of Czernovese civilization.
The precincts of this convent were patrolled by sentinels whom the
Diet had sent thither to prevent any removal of monastic treasures on
the part of ecclesiastics who might feel tempted to evade the
provisions of the pending bill.
With bayonets flashing in the sunshine, the sentries paced slowly to
and fro, their presence grimly reminding the princess that there was a
greater than herself in Czernova, to wit, the Diet. That legislature,
regardless of her wish in the matter, might that very night pass a
measure destined to disclose the secrets of a conspiracy of which she
was the head.
Nothing had occurred during the course of the week to lead to the
opinion that the Diet would change their views respecting the
Appropriation Bill; on the contrary, judging from the tenor of the
debates, it seemed probable that the majority in its favor would be
increased on the third and final reading.
No wonder then, that, though she smiled pleasantly upon each regiment
in the grand march past, winning all hearts by her gracious demeanor,
Barbara nevertheless felt a terrible depression of spirit at the
thought of the coming night,--a depression which all Zabern's
assurances could not remove.
The review being over, the princess and her suite set off for
Slavowitz. Paul and Radzivil sat side by side in the same landau with
Barbara, while Zabern rode in the rear at the head of a troop of
horse.
About a mile from the scene of the review the road for a considerable
distance was bordered on each side by thick woods.
As the carriage rolled on, the postilions beheld in the distance two
men by the wayside sitting upon the trunk of a fallen tree. They were
fellows of rough appearance, seemingly woodmen or charcoal-burners;
one, with a black beard, was holding a newspaper in his hand and
apparently reading from it, while his companion, a red-bearded
individual, seemed to be listening.
When the princess's landau was a few yards distant, these two men
sprang to their feet with startling quickness, and then it was seen
that the red-bearded fellow held a revolver in his hand. Raising the
weapon he pointed it at the princess, and took aim so quickly that the
postilions had not time to raise a warning cry.
Barbara, though her face was set in the direction of her would-be
assassin, saw nothing of his action, being occupied at the time in an
animated conversation with the premier.
One shot whizzed its flight clean through the brim of her hat; a
second bullet sang past her temple so closely as to scorch her skin
with its fiery glow.
Then as if overcome by sudden terror at the boldness of their deed, or
possibly fearful lest the advancing cavalry should prevent their
escape, the two men turned, without waiting to see whether the shots
had taken effect, and plunged into the woodland bordering the roadside
just as Zabern's voice was heard thundering the word, "Fire!"
A dozen carbines rang out simultaneously, but the discharge came a
second too late.
Paul and Radzivil, sitting with back to the horses, knew nothing of
what was passing, till informed by the report of the firearms, and by
the sudden change that came over Barbara's face, for the sight of two
men running away, one of whom carried a smoking pistol, apprised her
of the peril she had escaped.
"Princess, you are not hurt?" cried the premier, looking far more
terrified than Barbara herself.
"No," she answered in a faint voice, but with a smile, "they have
missed me."
"Thank heaven!" said Paul. "Count, remain with the princess while I
give chase to the villains."
The startled postilions had reined in their horses, bringing the
landau to a standstill. Paul sprang from the vehicle just as Zabern
with the guards came galloping up, witnesses of the deed which they
had been unable to prevent.
Perceiving that the contiguity of the trees prevented the passage of
their horses, the troopers flung themselves from the saddle, and
dashed after Paul, who had now disappeared in the woodland. Foremost
among them was Zabern with his orderly Nikita.
Plunging along a narrow path thick-set on each side with leafy
boscage, Paul caught sight of the two retreating figures a few yards
only in front of him. They were running in single file, their running
being of a somewhat singular character, and very like the leaping of a
kangaroo, the cause of which Paul soon divined.
He had drawn out his pistol, and while still forging ahead he took aim
at the rearmost figure, but the shot flew aloft almost perpendicularly,
for in the very act of firing he stumbled over some hidden obstacle.
Though dazed by concussion with the hard earth he was instantly on his
feet again, observant of the fact that the two men had now disappeared
round a bend in the path. He dashed swiftly onward, but had scarcely
taken a dozen steps when he was once more brought to earth by the same
sort of contrivance that had caused his previous fall.
The desperadoes had taken precautions to secure their retreat. Strong
wires at irregular distances, placed at the necessary height, and
concealed by the profusion of weeds and bracken, had been drawn
transversely across the path from tree to tree. The contrivers of this
device, aware of the exact position of the wires, had cleared them by
a series of leaps, and hence their kangaroo-like motions.
Those following Paul were tripped up in similar manner by the wires
which, spread over a distance of about a hundred yards, retarded the
pursuit, and enabled the fugitives to obtain a good start.
At a point a little way beyond the last wire the path branched off in
three directions through the wood, and a momentary halt took place on
the part of the pursuers, doubtful as to which track they should take,
since the fugitives themselves were lost to view.
The quick eye of Zabern detected a bright-colored object lying a few
feet away down the left-hand path. It proved to be a red cap,
decorated with a paltry leaden medal of the Czar, a cap declared by
Nikita to have been worn by the black-bearded individual.
"Then, forward," cried Zabern, taking the lead. "They have fled this
way."
The trio set off again, the extreme narrowness of the path compelling
them to run in single file. The ground, hard at first, gradually
assumed a moist and muddy character. Its appearance brought Zabern to
a sudden stop.
"There are no foot-prints here. We are on the wrong track. Back again.
The villains must have flung that cap into this path purposely to
mislead us."
Chafing at their loss of time, they ran back to the place where the
tracks diverged. Other troopers had come up by this time, and while
Paul and Zabern and Nikita took the middle track others hastened along
the right-hand path.
"They may not have followed the path at all," said Paul, as he hurried
along in the rear of Zabern. "They may be lying hidden in the wood."
"True; but we'll post through first, and if we find no trace of them
in the road beyond, I'll draw a cordon round the wood through which
they shall not be able to break."
"Marshal, did you see the face of him who fired?" asked Nikita.
"Not clearly."
"Russakoff the spy, or may I turn Muscovite."
"The red-bearded fellow was not tall enough for Russakoff," answered
Paul. "In fact both men struck me as being remarkably short of
stature."
"My eyes have not erred."
"Have it so, then," replied Paul, as he stumbled onward. "Let us but
lay hands upon the villains, and we shall soon ascertain whether you
be right."
A run of a few minutes' duration brought them through the wood to the
highway beyond. A quick glance to the right threw Zabern into a
paroxysm of rage.
Far off on the white dusty road which stretched onward in a straight
line, till it seemed to touch the horizon, three black objects were
visible, each moment dwindling in size.
"The villains have escaped us," cried Zabern. "They had horses
tethered here with a third man to watch them. See! here are their
hoof-marks in the clay. They'll be over the frontier within ten
minutes. I warrant they are well provided with Russian passports."
The trio hurried back for horses, but, by the time they had passed
them through the wood, the pursuit had become a jest.
* * * * *
Night had fallen over Slavowitz.
Excitement was prevailing both within and without the Diet.
Beneath a glorious starlit sky in the great Zapolyska Square, which
fronted the broad and stately flight of steps leading up to the
entrance of the Sobieskium or Diet-house, now ablaze with light, was a
vast concourse of people, awaiting the stroke of twelve; for at
midnight the vote was to be taken on the Secular Appropriation
Bill--a measure which had been fiercely debated night after night
during the course of five weeks.
Poles, Muscovites, and Jews formed the bulk of this throng, but there
was a considerable sprinkling of other elements. Tartars, Cossacks,
Hungarians, Roumanians, Servians--representatives of all the motley
nationalities of Eastern Europe, elbowed and jostled each other,
talking, singing and cursing in a very Babel of tongues.
Diverse, however, as was the crowd, it fell politically into two sharp
divisions, the one eager for the passing of the bill, the other eager
for its defeat. There was no neutral party in that square.
So high did the spirit of faction run that Zabern's landau on its
appearance was overturned by a body of malevolent Muscovites, and the
marshal was compelled to lay about him with his sabre till the
military came to his rescue.
The indignant Poles retaliated a few minutes later by making an onset
upon Lipski, and that deputy escaped only after a severe mauling.
The game once begun was continued by both factions, so that it became
almost impossible for the succeeding deputies to reach the Sobieskium,
except under police or military escort, or unless attended by a strong
circle of their own adherents.
Cheers were given by the hostile sections as their respective
favorites were seen safely mounting the steps of the Diet-house
beneath the brilliant light of the suspended lamps; the singing of the
Polish and the Russian Anthems went on simultaneously all over the
square; there were ugly rushes, displays of fisticuffs, scenes of wild
disorder, that continued to deepen as the night advanced and the
throng increased.
Dorislas, who commanded the mounted cuirassiers drawn up four deep all
round the Sobieskium, was obliged to accord the crowd considerable
license, lest a too frequent interference on the part of the military
should lead to worse mischief.
The tumult and din that filled the Zapolyska Square penetrated the
Sobieskium to the distant chamber where the Sejm or Diet sat, the
Ministerialists or Poles to the right, the Opposition or Muscovites to
the left of the dais, where was the chair, table, and bell of the
President Brunowski, he who had been one of Paul's opponents in the
_salle d'armes_.
The presidential bell was in constant requisition on this particular
night, for the debate had taken an extremely acrimonious turn. The
temper of many of the deputies had not been sweetened by the treatment
they had received at the hands of the populace.
Lipski boldly accused the ministers of hiring ruffians whose orders
were to stop certain members of the Opposition from reaching the
Diet-house and thus to prevent them from recording their votes.
Zabern, pointing to his own frayed uniform and to the ugly scratches
on his face, replied that though it would be easy to retort with a
"_Tu quoque_" he would refrain; that the charge was absurd, for the
mob had bestowed their favors impartially upon both sides of the
House.
The Duke of Bora sat in the chamber, for though no longer of cabinet
rank he was still a member of the Diet, and he gave clear indication
of the way in which he intended to vote by vacating his usual seat and
taking a place next Lipski himself.
Lesko Lipski, deputy for Russograd, editor of the "Kolokol," an
anti-dynastic newspaper, leader of the Opposition, and author of the
Secular Appropriation Bill, was, as regards appearance, the very
antithesis of the typical Russ. He was slim and beardless, and dressed
in the latest Parisian fashion, though his costume at that moment,
owing to the playfulness of the mob without, was not quite the same as
when it had first left the tailor's hands. He had black beady eyes,
and his habit of constantly questioning ministers upon every topic
under the sun seemed to have permanently impressed his face with an
eager, hungry look.
There was in the air of the chamber that nervous feeling of expectancy
which always arises when the issue of a contest is problematical. On
the previous evening every member of the Diet, Pole and Muscovite
alike, had departed with full conviction that the Appropriation Bill
would pass.
The attempted assassination of the princess had given a different turn
to the matter by creating a feeling of sympathy for her, a feeling
which was likewise extended to her political views. To secure the
triumph of a measure known to be hateful to the young princess in the
first hours of her joy at escaping the assassin's bullet seemed an
unchivalrous proceeding; and those of the Poles who had hitherto
regarded the bill with favor now began to reconsider their attitude.
The attempt on the princess's life, deplorable from one standpoint,
was from another decidedly advantageous, and the ministry were hopeful
that they would capture from the Opposition the minimum six votes
necessary to secure the rejection of Lipski's measure.
Half-an-hour before midnight Zabern rose to wind up the debate for the
ministerial side.
His rising was the signal for a hostile ebullition from the Muscovite
members who dreaded Zabern's oratory. Not that the marshal was
particularly eloquent; far from it. He had all a soldier's contempt
for speech-making and for the "men of words," as he was wont to term
the Czernovese deputies; a military dictatorship was more to his
liking than a democratic legislature. Hence his voice was rarely heard
in the chamber, but when he did speak it was always to the point, and
his plain, blunt way of putting matters had often decided wavering
voters, and at that moment there were a good many wavering voters.
At first Zabern was unable to obtain a hearing. Every time he
attempted to speak, his words were drowned in a terrible din,
occasioned by the clamor of voices, the stamping of feet, and the
banging of desk-lids. Though the Duke of Bora did not join in yet, as
he made no attempt to check the tumult, Zabern strongly suspected him
of being its secret instigator.
For fully two minutes President Brunowski continued to swing his bell,
but without producing any effect upon the Opposition, whose intention
was plainly to continue the uproar till midnight, in order to prevent
Zabern from addressing the assembly.
Brunowski whispered a few words in the ear of an attendant, who left
the chamber and returned almost immediately with a file of gendarmes.
In the sudden stillness that followed upon their entrance, Brunowski
sternly announced his intention of suspending both from the sitting
and from the voting all future disturbers of order, a threat which
effectually silenced the Muscovite clamorers, who felt that in the
present conjuncture they could not afford to lose a single vote.
The marshal, being free to speak, began by affirming the obligation
imposed upon him of making some comment upon the recent attempt to
assassinate the princess.
At this statement Lipski rose.
"Mr. President, I must protest. The marshal is not in order. He is
evading the subject of the debate, which is the Secular Appropriation
Bill."
"The marshal will doubtless show the relevancy of his remarks to the
matter under discussion," returned Brunowski. As President of the
assembly he tried to be impartial, but he could not always forget that
he was a Pole.
"The House will understand presently," continued Zabern, "why the
honorable deputy wishes the name of the princess to be kept out of the
question. Who is responsible for this day's outrage? Not the wretched
dupe, who, happily for Czernova, missed his mark. No! as well blame
the bullet, or punish the pistol. Sir," continued Zabern, addressing
the President, "the real authors of the act are the persons who by
their words and writings have labored to create in Czernova a spirit
of hostility to its legitimate ruler. And of those persons," thundered
the marshal, looking round upon the assembly, "the deputy for
Russograd is the chief."
Lipski was on his feet again in an instant.
"Mr. President, must I sit and hear assassination imputed to me
without raising my voice in protest?"
"Certainly not. The marshal must withdraw the charge, or prove it."
"The proof is forthcoming. The two miserable wretches who fired at the
princess were seen before the deed seated at the wayside, and
strengthening their wicked determination by reading from a certain
newspaper. I already see the editor of that journal beginning to look
uneasy, for the name of the journal is the 'Kolokol,' and its editor
is one Lesko Lipski. The would-be assassins were diligent students of
the 'Kolokol;' they evidently regarded its editor as a great political
teacher."
"How do you know?" inquired the voice of the duke.
"Well, I judge from this circumstance," answered Zabern, producing a
dirty copy of the 'Kolokol' and unfolding it. "Here is the identical
paper dropped by the two men in their flight. It contains an article
entitled, 'Harmodius the Patriot;' and on the margin of this article
pencil-notes have been scrawled, such as 'Good!' 'True!' 'This seems
reasonable,' and the like; nay, more, we have here in badly spelled
Russian this sentiment: 'Death to the girl-tyrant!'"
At this point Zabern held up the journal for the inspection of the
assembly.
"Now I need scarcely remind the House that Harmodius was a man of
ancient days, who assassinated the ruler of Athens, and was in
consequence honored as a splendid patriot by his fellow-citizens. Why
does the editor of a journal, supposedly devoted to current politics
and affairs of to-day, publish an article on an event that happened
twenty-three centuries ago? Simply because he wishes to inculcate the
doctrine, that, as it was a fine piece of patriotism to assassinate
the ruler of ancient Athens, so would it be an equally fine piece of
patriotism to assassinate the ruler of modern Czernova."
"I deny the inference that you draw from that article," cried Lipski.
"Two at least of your readers understand what you mean, and have acted
upon your hints. Now, on seeing practical effect given to your
teaching, you would cravenly shirk the responsibility for your part in
this outrage. Be honest; do not run away from your own words. Perhaps
the House will bear with me while I read a few sentences from this
'Killing No Murder' essay."
"You must read the whole of it, or none," said Brunowski, "inasmuch as
one passage may be modified by another."
Zabern adopted the President's first alternative, and read the entire
article, which, although written in guarded language, with a view of
preserving its author from the possibilities of legal indictment, was
obviously a plea for the assassination of rulers who have become
obnoxious to their subjects.
At the conclusion of the marshal's reading, there was a storm of
hisses from the Right. The Left sat in sullen silence.
"It is known to all that on coming to the throne the princess, with
one stroke of her pen, abolished the censorship of the press. And
this," continued Zabern, pointing to the criminatory article in the
"Kolokol,"--"this is how the privilege has been requited! Such,
gentlemen of the Diet, such are the sentiments--such is the character
of the deputy for Russograd! And yet this teacher of assassination has
the effrontery to come forward and solicit the votes of the Poles--the
Poles, who, whatever may be their faults, are at least men of honor,
and loyal to their princess. Vote for this bill? Not if it were the
finest piece of legislation ever devised by the wit of statesmen.
Those who can may separate the man from his bill; for my part, the two
are identical. Every suffrage cast on the side of Lipski, every vote
given in favor of this bill, is a vote in favor of assassination."
"No, no," cried the Left. "We are not assassins."
"That statement shall be proved by your votes. Let those who repudiate
the work of the assassin, let those who rejoice at the escape of the
princess from death, show their sympathy by rejecting a bill which is
hurtful to the best feelings of the princess."
And now ensued a dramatic tableau pre-arranged by the wily Zabern. A
small door opened upon the right of the presidential chair, and
Barbara herself entered the hall of debate, to the utter confounding
of the deputies, whose first thought was that she had come to dissolve
the Diet.
Brunowski immediately vacated his chair in favor of the princess, who
took her place on the dais, but remained standing. Her mien, graceful
and bright, offered a pleasing contrast to that of the angry debaters.
Even the Muscovites were forced to admit that if beauty of person
should entitle one to a crown, their princess would have carried off
all the diadems of Europe.
The silence that came over the chamber caused the din of voices in the
square to be much more plainly heard. The tumultuous sounds without
lent additional excitement to the scene within.
The princess glanced slowly around the assembly, and then, as if moved
by a sudden idea, she removed her hat,--the same hat that she had worn
on her return from the review. In the act of taking it off the light
from behind gleamed through a hole in the brim, a mute appeal to the
sympathy of the House, the more striking because unintentional.
"Your Highness, do not uncover," cried Brunowski.
"I crave your pardon, Mr. President," replied Barbara, and her
utterance sounded like a clear silvery bell after Brunowski's
magnificent bass voice, "but I understand that the usages of this
House require that only one person shall remain covered."
This was said in reference to Lipski, who, while all the rest of the
deputies were standing uncovered, sat with his hat on his head.
Zabern, with his sabre clinking against his spurs, strode across the
floor of the House.
"Fellow!" he muttered, grinding his teeth, "if you do not remove your
hat, my troopers shall nail it to your pate."
And Lipski, seeing Zabern's savage demeanor, prudently doffed his
head-covering.
"Mr. President," said Radzivil, "I move that the deputy for Russograd
be suspended from this sitting for treating the person of the princess
with contempt."
"Oh, no, Count," observed Barbara. "Let it not be said that we sought
to deprive a deputy of his vote."
When the ringing of the President's bell had repressed the cheers
evoked by this remark, Barbara proceeded to explain the reason of her
appearance.
"Mr. President, Ministers and Deputies," she began, speaking with
self-possession and dignity, "it may be said that the princess ought
not to intervene in the affairs of the Diet, but should remain
quiescent, and simply register the decrees of the majority. But, sir,"
she added, with a graceful inclination of her head towards Brunowski,
"your princess is not an automaton, but a human being with feelings
that can be moved. I feel strongly on this bill, and I do not hesitate
to say so."
She paused for a moment, and then resumed.
"I shall always act with regard to the Constitution. If this bill
should pass I shall affix my signature."
Cheers arose from the Left.
"But I trust the House will not let it pass."
Counter-cheers arose from the Right.
"If my sentiments can in any way influence the decision of deputies, I
would appeal to them, irrespective of party, to reject this measure."
With this she bowed to the Diet, and withdrew from the chamber, amid
enthusiastic cries of "Long live the Princess of Czernova!"
The chivalry of the Poles, if not of the Muscovites, was evoked. The
assassin's pistol-shot, the princess's personal appeal, had produced
more effect than all the oratory of the five previous weeks.
As soon as Brunowski had resumed the presidential chair, Zabern again
spoke.
"The princess has made it a personal question between herself and
Lipski. Well, gentlemen, you have seen the princess, and--you see
Lipski," he continued, pointing to that deputy, who looked far from
amiable at that moment. "Can any man doubt," he added, with fine
scorn, "can any man doubt for whom he shall vote? Let it not be said
that--"
Zabern paused. A sound louder than any they had yet heard penetrated
to the chamber. A mighty roar was rising from the Zapolyska Square.
Twenty thousand voices blending into one proclaimed that the time had
come for deciding the great controversy. The iron tongue of the
cathedral-clock was booming forth the hour of midnight.
"The vote will now be taken," cried Brunowski, amid a scene of
indescribable excitement.
"I move that it be taken by secret ballot," exclaimed Zabern.
"I oppose it," said the Duke of Bora.
The President put the question to the assembly, and the proposal for
secret ballot was carried by acclamation.
Zabern smiled grimly as he observed the secret glances of rage
interchanged between Bora and Lipski. By this manoeuvre on his part
they were prevented from learning whether those Poles who had secretly
taken the gold of Orloff would vote according to promise.
In the Diet of Slavowitz, when voting by ballot, each deputy took from
his desk one of a set of discs. These discs were of two colors, white
for affirmation, black for negation.
Concealing the disc between the fingers and the palm--carrying it
openly was forbidden on pain of forfeiture of the vote--each deputy
walked past the presidential table, and placing his hand within the
mouth of a large bronze urn, dropped the disc.
As a precaution against the artifice of giving more than one vote, the
names of the deputies were marked on the roll as each person passed
by, and the number of counters checked by this arrangement.
In prescribed order the deputies quitted their seats, and filed past
the table, and for a few moments nothing was heard but the clink of
the metallic discs as they fell within the urn. Brunowski took no part
in the division, but had the right of a casting-vote.
"One hundred and nineteen members have voted," said the chief clerk,
looking up from the register, after the last suffrage had been given.
This was a record division, being the largest that had ever occurred
in the history of the Czernovese Diet. Every deputy, with the
exception of Cardinal Ravenna, was present and had voted.
The great question was how had they voted?
Amid a hush like that in the chamber of the dying when the fatal
moment has come, the chief clerk, at a sign from the President, slowly
inverted the urn, and poured out the discs upon the red table-cloth.
In their excitement the deputies rose and stood upon seats and desks,
craning their necks forward, eager to catch the first glimpse of the
black and white counters, eager to learn which of the two was the
prevailing color.
* * * * *
To the waiting populace in the Zapolyska Square the time taken in
recording the votes and in counting the same seemed unnecessarily
long.
A great sensation had been created when the officials of the House
reported to those near the doors that the princess herself had
appeared in the Diet with an appeal for the rejection of the bill. The
story gathered in detail as it passed from mouth to mouth, and men on
the outskirts of the crowd told how the princess with tears in her
eyes had gone down on her knees before the assembly, and how Zabern,
sabre in hand, had stalked up and down the chamber threatening to cut
the throats of all who would not vote against the bill.
And when the hour of midnight began to toll, and Dorislas was seen to
fling himself from his charger, and hurry up the steps of the
Diet-house, for the purpose of recording his vote within the chamber,
the interest grew to fever-heat.
Wild work had been going on in the square, but now the knowledge that
the great division was taking place had a somewhat quieting effect
upon the crowd. All eyes were turned towards the grand entrance,
brilliant with light that streamed far out into the darkness, for from
this entrance the result was to be proclaimed.
Ten minutes after midnight there was a movement at the head of the
stairs; the gendarmes parted, and the white-haired clerk of the House
was seen holding in his hand the paper inscribed with the momentous
result. Dorislas appeared at the same instant and mounted his charger
in readiness for the riot which he knew to be imminent.
Standing at the head of the steps the clerk raised his hand, and at
that signal the crowd, which but a moment before had been surging this
way and that, became instantly immobile. The square was a sea of
upturned faces, each gleaming with painful curiosity. Even the
cuirassiers extended along the front wall of the Diet-house forgot for
a moment their discipline, and bent sideways in the saddle, eager to
hear the result. The stillness of death prevailed. Not a movement. Not
a word. Not a breath.
"People of Czernova," said the clerk, speaking in a voice that
penetrated to every portion of the square, "in a House of one hundred
and nineteen members, thirty-nine have voted for the Secular
Appropriation Bill, and eighty against it. The measure therefore
stands rejected by a majority of forty-one."
These figures seemed to show that the voting had been conducted
strictly on party lines. The Muscovite members of the Diet numbered
thirty-eight, or, with the addition of the Duke of Bora, thirty-nine.
The tale of the Poles was eighty-one; the vote of the absent Ravenna
being deducted, the majority of forty-one was thus accounted for.
The publication of the figures was followed by a moment of bewildering
silence. The Poles could not believe in such a victory, nor the
Muscovites in such a defeat. Some among the crowd, supposing that the
clerk had made an error in his statement, called upon him to read it
again.
But now at the side of the clerk appeared the tall figure of Zabern,
waving his helmet and greeting his adherents with a triumphant smile.
All doubt vanished. Exultant cries of "Slava! slava!" burst from
Polish throats. The Muscovites replied by yells of execration. The two
factions were intermingled; the triumph of the one evoked the fury of
the other, and in a moment more the Zapolyska Square was transformed
to pandemonium.
"Forward!" cried Dorislas, waving his sabre. "Clear the square."
And loud above the trampling and the din arose a carillon of bells
from the cathedral of St. Stanislas, pealing forth a jubilation over
the victory gained by the Latin Church.
Inside the House the excitement was equally great. Pole shook hands
with Pole, for it was felt to be a splendid party triumph. The
Muscovite members stared sullenly at each other, Lipski himself
looking the very incarnation of malignity. More than a score of Polish
deputies, after accepting splendid bribes, had betrayed him by voting
with Zabern, and he was precluded from making their duplicity known by
the fact that the procuration of a deputy's vote by bribery was an
offence punishable by perpetual exclusion from the Diet.
Both parties streamed out into the corridors to discuss the event,
leaving Brunowski and a dozen members in the chamber to pass the
resolution: "That the military be withdrawn from the monasteries."
In a small apartment, adjacent to the hall of debate, sat Barbara,
surrounded by her radiant ministers. An ardent politician, she was in
her element on such nights as these.
"A two-thirds majority of the House!" she murmured with a glow on her
cheek. "Thirty-nine for the bill, and eighty against it. What a
triumph!"
"Thank heaven, our secret is safe!" said Radzivil. "Kossuth can have
his gold."
"Another defeat for Russia!" grinned Zabern. "How Orloff will regret
the roubles he has wasted!"
In passing along one of the corridors Zabern encountered the Duke of
Bora.
That ex-minister, long a traitor at heart, and a secret sympathizer
with the aims of the Opposition, had at last cast off the mask, but on
a very inopportune occasion as he now perceived. Hoping to profit by
the anticipated defeat of the ministry, and the consequent confusion,
if not fall, of the princess, he had crossed to the opposite side of
the House, and he had seated himself cheek by jowl with Lipski and his
colleagues, only to see them suffer a most crushing defeat. His
mortification, already great, was enhanced by Zabern's caustic smile.
"Ah, dear duke, you don't seem quite so cheerful as you did last week
on the Long Terrace. Payment within one hour after the division," he
continued, exhibiting the duke's written pledge, "was not that our
agreement? May I trouble your grace, then, for the sum of ten thousand
roubles, since our majority has exceeded twenty? Ten thousand roubles
is rather a large amount, but you will doubtless recoup yourself from
Orloff's Bribery Fund."
If looks had power to kill, Zabern would certainly have fallen dead
beneath Bora's savage glance. Unable, however, to evade the fulfilment
of his word, the duke reluctantly wrote out a check for the required
amount.
"An unforeseen circumstance has enabled you to win this wager," he
said, curtly.
"Yes, it was a very fortunate--ah!--circumstance for us," drawled
Zabern, as he walked away with the check in his pocket, "but as to its
being unforeseen!--" He finished the sentence with a short laugh.
"Duke of Bora, you must be the biggest fool in Czernova not to suspect
the game I've played."
Averse to the noisy demonstrations, friendly or hostile, which her
presence in the crowded streets was certain to evoke, Barbara lingered
for some time in the Diet-house, conversing with the deputies of both
parties, and charming even the rugged hearts of the Muscovites by her
gracious and winsome manner.
When the streets were reported quiet she drove back to the Vistula
Palace, accompanied by Zabern and Paul, the latter of whom from a side
gallery had watched the course of the debate.
The trio retired to the White Saloon.
"That pistol-shot has wrought us so much good, marshal," observed
Barbara, "that I feel quite capable of forgiving the assassin."
"Then your Highness shall have an opportunity of doing so," replied
Zabern, "since he, or rather she, is in the next apartment."
He stamped heavily on the floor thrice. A door opened, and there
entered Katina Ludovska with her sister Juliska, not now garbed in
male attire, as when awaiting the princess's landau in the
forest-road, but dressed each in her own pretty Polish costume.
They advanced with a somewhat timid air and knelt, till requested by
the wondering princess to rise. They were not strangers to her, for
she had often witnessed their fencing feats in the _salle d'armes_.
"This lady," said Zabern, indicating Katina, "craves pardon for
shooting at the princess, without obtaining her Highness's permission,
but at the same time she can plead that she was acting under the
command of Marshal Zabern."
"Explain," said the princess, haughtily, and with a flash of her eyes
that made even the bold Katina quail.
"It was well known to the Diet," began Zabern, cool and unabashed,
"that your Highness was opposed to the Appropriation Bill. Six votes
only were wanted to secure its rejection.
"Now, if at the present crisis some desperado would only oblige us by
seeking to kill your Highness, the attempt would create such a feeling
of sympathy among the secessionist members of our party that not only
would the required six votes be captured, but many more in addition.
"I therefore resolved that such outrage should take place. But the
deed must have every appearance of reality. Blank cartridges might
suggest a mock attempt, but real bullets, missing your Highness's
person by a hair's-breadth only, would disarm all suspicion.
"Accordingly, I made overtures to the finest pistol-shot in Czernova,
Katina Ludovska, who consented to the plan.
"Do not accuse me of recklessly hazarding your Highness's life, since
I was fully convinced that Katina's hand would not fail, for Juliska
of her own accord gave me striking proof of her sister's unerring
marksmanship. She bade Katina regard her as the princess, and while
Katina stood revolver in hand upon the steps of the inn-door, Juliska
rode fearlessly past on horseback six times in succession; and on each
occasion Katina sent one shot through the brim of her sister's hat,
while the second whizzed close to her temple.
"This experiment convinced me of Katina's ability to do the trick, and
success has justified my opinion. A bold liberty on my part, your
Highness, but pardonable, considering the object I had in view."
Barbara's first emotion of breathless amazement was followed by a
sense of anger, as she recalled the dreadful sensation that came over
her when the hot bullet whizzed past her face.
"Remember," pleaded Zabern, cognizant of Barbara's feelings, "remember
that your Highness gave me _carte blanche_ to do whatsoever I pleased,
provided that I could but secure the rejection of the Appropriation
Bill."
This was true, but who could have guessed that Zabern would have
resorted to such a desperate remedy?
"And you could devise no other plan than this for defeating the bill?"
"None, though I racked my brain for a week."
Barbara's anger began to yield to a mournful feeling. It was her
belief that no state can flourish long on duplicity. If her chief
minister could maintain her in power only by resorting to trickery
such as this, then, indeed, the day of her fall could not be far
distant.
"It is past," she murmured. "I am scathless, and the bill is rejected;
what more should I desire?" And then, addressing Katina and her
sister, she said, "You played a very hazardous game as well with your
own lives as with mine. Why, marshal, you ordered the guards to fire
upon the fugitives!"
"Nikita was in the plot, your Highness, and had taken the precaution
to serve out blank cartridges to your _corps du garde_; so the volley
was a harmless one. But I confess my heart was in my mouth when I saw
Captain Woodville taking aim with his pistol. Fortunately he tripped
up in the very act of firing."
"I little thought that I was taking aim at Mistress Katina," smiled
Paul, "and grateful am I that she did not return the shot. And so
Nikita was in the plot? Why, the rogue vowed that one of the two was
Russakoff!"
"He couldn't resist the temptation of poking a little fun at you,"
replied Zabern. "Had you looked round, you would have seen him choking
with suppressed laughter."
"And I suppose, marshal, that you led the way down the path where the
red cap lay--"
"Purposely to give Katina and Juliska more time to escape."
"And I presume, likewise, that it was your hand which annotated the
copy of the 'Kolokol' newspaper?"
"Precisely. Those marginal remarks were my own invention."
Paul could not refrain from laughter as he recalled the fine air of
indignation with which Zabern had pointed out to the Diet the
annotations that his own pencil had made.
"Marshal, you lie with admirable grace."
"I have lived five years in Russia, you see."
"But, marshal," remonstrated Barbara, gravely, "you have placed me in
a false position, by letting me pose before the Diet as the escaped
victim of an assassination plot."
"A splendid way of catching votes," returned Zabern, coolly. "And
votes were what we wanted."
"And you have endeavored to connect Lipski with the deed. Is that well
devised, marshal?"
"Perfectly," replied the unscrupulous Zabern. "He has in his paper
advocated the slaying of rulers; he is therefore a potential, if not
an actual, assassin. I have but given the people of Czernova a
practical illustration of his teaching. O your Highness, let me show
that your consideration for Lipski is somewhat misplaced. You are
doubtless aware that to his editorship of the 'Kolokol' he also adds
the calling of gunsmith and armorer, and a very convenient calling it
is for one who is ill-disposed to the state."
"Be plainer with me, marshal."
"I have long suspected Lipski of treasonable designs, and therefore,
observing a few days ago that a private house contiguous to his
establishment in the Boulevard de Cracovie was to be let, I instructed
one of my spies to rent and occupy the said house, the cellar of which
adjoins Lipski's. Last night my agent and I cautiously removed a few
bricks from the upper part of the intervening wall, and turned the
light of a lantern through the orifice thus made. Your Highness, that
vault, which is a lofty and spacious one, contains more rifles than
Lipski will ever be able to sell, even if he should live to be a
centenarian. They lie stacked up from floor to ceiling. I probably do
not overshoot the mark when I say that there cannot be less than ten
thousand. The law does not permit any citizen, even a gunsmith, to
possess one-twentieth of that number."
"This is a grave matter," said Barbara. "Those arms must be seized."
"Certainly, your Highness; for while it is right for us to store up
arms against the Czar, it's a monstrous thing that the Czar's
hirelings should be permitted to pile up arms against ourselves. Never
let others do to you as you would do to them."
"You have a cynical way of putting things, marshal."
"These arms are designed for the denizens of Russograd. As they are
much too poor to purchase their own rifles, there is to be a free
distribution--probably on the night of the 14th of September."
"The eve of my coronation," said Barbara, startled by this
announcement.
"The same. My spies report that there are whispers among the
Muscovites of an armed rising to take place on the coronation day. In
fact, they propose to hold a rival coronation in the Greek basilica.
You can guess, princess, who is to play the central figure in this
unauthorized ceremony."
"A ceremony that shall never take place," said Barbara, with a flash
of her eyes.
"True. We'll foil them. With your sanction, princess, I'll make no
movement at present in this matter. The longer we delay Lipski's
arrest the more the plot will develop, the wider will be the sweep of
our net when the cast is made, and the more fishes shall we enclose.
Meantime, rest assured that my spy will keep a careful eye upon that
secret store of arms."
"Be it so, marshal. We leave the matter to your wisdom."
"And your Highness pardons that little affair of the shooting?"
The princess with a smile extended her hand for Zabern to kiss.
"Without your constant vigilance, marshal, the princess were nothing."