AT MIDNIGHT.
A candelabrum set before the altar in the chapel of Count Talvi’s
house cast a soft light upon the face of the old priest and upon the
little group around him. Huge and unwieldy, like some broken pillar,
was the figure of Bonzo back in the shadows. But the Man of Iron
thought and planned no longer. The difficult mission which had carried
him to England was accomplished. For the rest he cared nought.
Kronstadt had lost a good soldier, but her secrets were safe. The
clever little woman, who knelt before the altar with the light of love
awakened in her eyes, would betray the citadel no more. Everything
else was indifferent to the servant of the Gate. Love was the
recreation of children. He had never loved.
Near to the Man of Iron sat old Tolma. There was upon his face a look
of sly triumph and of elation. He had crossed swords with Bonzo of
Kronstadt and had defeated him. The pretty English girl would bring
sunshine into his house in Paris. Paul should become a son to him in
deed and act. This strange marriage, at night in a house of Western
London, appealed to an insatiable appetite for romance. He recalled
the faces of all the women to whom he would willingly have given
himself under similar circumstances. What a roll-call it was! The
subjects of his amours would have numbered a battalion.
The remaining witness to this strangest of strange marriages was the
master of the house. Count Talvi showed how much his old friend’s
happiness meant to him. He came often to Paul’s side; he whispered
words of congratulation to him. Hither and thither he moved with
silent step, now to help the priest, now to give orders to the
lackeys. He was a servant of Russia still, but this was his holiday.
The priest raised his hands to bless those whom God had joined
together in the holy mystery of marriage. For one long moment Paul
held his wife’s burning face close to his. Then all rose and passed to
the great dining-room below.
Here lights from many electric lamps shone down upon Talvi’s guests.
Lackeys were busy at the tables laid for supper. It was the moment for
congratulations.
“You forgive me?” cried old Bonzo, holding out both his hands to the
trembling girl. “You forgive an old soldier for making you a Russian?”
Marian turned laughing eyes to his.
“I don’t know what I am or where I am,” she said bewilderedly; “I
cannot believe that any of you are real.”
Bonzo laughed his great laugh, which filled the house with a
tumultuous sound.
“Fichtre!” he roared. “I--Bonzo--I am not real! Oh, c’est bien drôle!
Will you not kiss me, my child, and see if I am real?”
Tolma, waddling laboriously, put his arms round the girl’s neck and
kissed her on both cheeks.
“You must eat and drink, little girl,” he said; “you must remember
that you are the daughter of Tolma. It is ten o’clock, and the train
is at midnight.”
“The train?” she asked wonderingly.
“Yes, the train to your Devonshire. It is there you will go until the
house in Paris is prepared for you.”
“To little Dick,” she said, and the words were his reward.
* * * *
The mail rushed on towards the West. By sleeping villages, through
silent towns, above dark swirling rivers, away to the gardens of
England it carried the man and the woman who had suffered. But the day
of suffering was forgotten already.
In the corner of their carriage Paul held Marian in his strong arms. A
rug was wrapped about them. The wan light of the feeble lamp fell
dimly upon their happy faces.
“It is good to rest,” she said, as his arm closed about her and she
laid her pretty head upon his shoulder.
“The rest shall be for ever,” he answered.
THE END
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
This book was also published as _A woman of Kronstadt_.
The D. Appleton and Co. edition (New York, 1899) was consulted for
many of the changes listed below.
Minor spelling inconsistencies (e.g. frock-coat/frock coat,
warships/war-ships, etc.) have been preserved.
Alterations to the text:
Punctuation fixes: some quotation mark pairings, and assorted missing
periods, commas, and semicolons.
[Chapter II]
“the Prince jests with us and we shall _anwer_ him” to _answer_.
[Chapter XVI]
“And she must not deny him that _pportunity_” to _opportunity_.
[End of text]