AN UNEXPECTED MEETING
Frank Wyatts's work throughout the campaign had been arduous in the
extreme. It is true that it was done on horseback instead of on foot,
that he had not hunger to contend against, and that for the most part
his nights were passed in a shelter of some kind. But from daybreak
until sunset, and frequently till midnight, he was incessantly occupied,
from the moment when Napoleon turned his back on Moscow, until the last
remnant of his army crossed the frontier. Until after the battle at
Malo-Jaroslavets on the 24th of October, when the French army owed its
safety solely to Kutusow's refusal to hurl all his forces against it, he
had remained at headquarters, where he was assisted in his work by the
Earl of Tyrconnel, who was now also acting as aide-de-camp to Sir Robert
Wilson. He was a delightful companion and a most gallant young officer,
and a fast friendship became established between him and Frank, during
the time the Russian army was remaining inactive, while Napoleon was
wasting the precious time at Moscow, unable to bring himself to
acknowledge the absolute failure of his plans caused by the refusal of
the Russians to treat with him, after his occupation of their ancient
capital. But after Kutusow had allowed the French to slip past they saw
but little of each other, for one or other of them was always with the
troops pressing hard on the French rear, it being their duty to keep Sir
Robert, who was necessarily obliged to stay at headquarters, thoroughly
informed of all that was going on in front, and of the movements both of
the French and Russian divisions.
Sir Robert himself was so utterly disgusted with the obstinacy and, it
almost seemed, deliberate treachery of Kutusow that, for the most part,
he accompanied General Benningsen, who was a prompt and dashing soldier,
and who, with the whole of the Russian generals, was as furious with the
apathy and delays of the worn-out old man who was in command, as they
had been with those of Barclay. The English general still acted as the
Emperor's special representative, and kept him fully acquainted with all
that was going on. Alexander was as much dissatisfied as were his
generals and soldiers with Kutusow's refusal to put an end to the
terrible struggle, by an action which must have ended in the destruction
or capture of Napoleon and his army. He felt, however, that he could not
at present remove him from his command. Kutusow was a member of the old
nobility, who were straining every nerve for the national cause, were
stripping their estates of their serfs, and emptying their coffers into
the military chests, and who would have greatly resented his removal.
The people at large, too, overjoyed at the retreat of Napoleon and the
success of their arms, and ignorant of all the real circumstances of the
case, regarded Kutusow with enthusiastic admiration; and Alexander felt
that, great as might be his faults, the injury that would be inflicted
by his supercession would be greater than the benefits derived from it.
An ample supply of horses had been placed at the disposal of the English
general and his aides-de-camp, and Frank, having three always at his
orders, was able to ride them by turns, and therefore got through an
immense amount of work. The scenes that everywhere met his eyes were far
more trying than the fatigues he had to undergo. The hideous barbarities
that were perpetrated by the peasants upon the French who fell into
their hands, filled him with burning indignation, and at times placed
his life in serious danger when he endeavoured to interfere on their
behalf. He always started on his rides in the morning with his
saddle-bag stored with provisions, and a small keg of spirits fastened
behind him, and these were divided during the day among the unfortunate
men, Russians and French alike, who, wounded or exhausted, had sunk by
the way.
[Illustration: THE LAST OF A VETERAN OF NAPOLEON'S GRANDE ARMÉE.]
Innumerable were the appeals made to him daily to end their sufferings
with a pistol-ball; and, although he could not bring himself to give
them the relief they craved, on several occasions, when he saw that the
case was altogether beyond hope, and that but a few hours of mortal
agony remained, he yielded to their entreaties, handed them one of his
pistols, and walked a few paces away, until the sharp report told him
that their sufferings were over.
The horrors of the hospitals at Wilna and other places affected him even
more than the scenes of carnage that he had witnessed at Borodino. At
Wilna the Earl of Tyrconnel was seized with a fever and died, and Frank
lay for some time ill, and would probably have succumbed had not Sir
Robert obtained a lodging for him at the house of a landed resident,
three or four miles from the infected city. He was, in a sense, thankful
for the illness, because it spared him the sight of the last agony of
the broken remains of Napoleon's army. Quiet and rest soon did their
work. The breakdown was the result more of over-fatigue, and of the
horrors of which he was so continually a witness, than of actual fever.
Frank, therefore, rapidly recovered, and declared after a fortnight that
he could again sit on his horse.
The general, however, would not hear of this.
"I shall be leaving for St. Petersburg myself in a few days," he said,
"and we will travel together by post. You will be sorry to hear that
to-day Kutusow has been decorated with the great order of St. George.
The Emperor himself begged me not to be present. He called me into his
cabinet and confessed to me that it would be too humiliating to him were
I to be there. He acknowledged that he felt by decorating this man with
the great Order he was committing a trespass upon the institution; but
he had no choice. It was a cruel necessity to which he had to submit,
although he well knew that the marshal had done few things he ought to
have done, with nothing against the enemy that he could avoid, and that
all his successes had been forced upon him."
Sir Robert himself had urgent need of change and rest. The
responsibility upon his shoulders had been tremendous. The Emperor had
relied upon him entirely for information as to the true state of things
in the army, and the Russian generals regarding him as specially the
Emperor's representative, had poured their complaints into his ears.
Had they but received the slightest encouragement from him they would
have led their divisions against the French in spite of the orders of
the marshal, and it was with the greatest difficulty that he persuaded
them to restrain their exasperated troops, and to submit to carry out
the disastrous policy, which entailed as much loss and suffering upon
the Russian soldiers as upon the French.
It was the end of January when Sir Robert Wilson and Frank reached St.
Petersburg, and, putting up in apartments assigned to them in the
palace, rested for a few days.
One bright morning Frank strolled down to the Nobles' Club, of which he
and the general had been made honorary members. It was his first visit
to St. Petersburg. His fur coat was partly open and showed his British
uniform. He was looking about with interest at the scene in the Nevsky
Prospect when he noticed a gentleman in a handsomely appointed sledge
looking fixedly at him. As the uniform attracted general attention he
thought little of this, but after going a short distance the sledge
turned and passed him at a slow rate of speed. The gentleman again gazed
fixedly at him, then stopped the coachman, and leaped from the sledge to
the pavement.
"Frank!" he exclaimed, "is it you, or am I dreaming?"
Frank stepped back a pace in astonishment. It was the voice rather than
the face that he recognized.
"Julian!" burst from his lips, "my brother, can it be really you?"
Julian held out both his hands, and they stood for a moment in silence,
gazing into each other's face. Julian was the first to break the
silence.
"Jump in here, Frank," he said, leading the way to the sledge. "They
must all think that we have gone mad, and we shall have a crowd round us
in a minute."
Still completely bewildered, Frank followed his brother.
"Drive out into the country," Julian said to the coachman as he took his
seat. "This is little short of a miracle, old fellow," he said, as they
drove off. "I thought you were living quietly at Weymouth; you thought I
was rotting in a French prison, and here we run against each other in
the heart of Russia."
"I can hardly believe even yet that it is you, Julian, you have altered
so tremendously. Thank God, old man, that I have found you."
"Thank God, my dear Frank, that, as I see, that stupid business of mine
has not prevented your entering the army, as I was afraid it would do;
though how you come to be here is more than I can guess."
"I am General Wilson's aide-de-camp, and have been with him all through
the war; and you, Julian, what on earth are you doing here? But first of
all, I suppose you have not heard that you have been cleared completely
of that charge of murder."
Julian's face paled at the sudden news, and he sat for a minute or two
in silence.
"Quite cleared, Frank?" he asked in a low tone; "cleared so that no
doubt remains, and that I can go home without fear of having it thrown
into my face?"
"Completely and entirely," Frank replied. "You were cleared before you
had been gone a day. The coroner's jury brought in an open verdict, but
a warrant was issued against that poacher Markham; and your letter
first, and his confession a year later, completely bore out the evidence
at the inquest, and established his guilt beyond question."
"To think that I should never have known it," Julian said. "If I had
dreamt of it I would have attempted to break out from Verdun, and make
my way home. I don't know that I should have succeeded, but at any rate
I should have tried. But tell me all about it, Frank; my story will keep
just at present."
"You seem to have fallen on your legs, anyhow," Frank remarked. "May I
ask if this is your Imperial Highness's sledge. I have learned something
of the value of furs since I came out here, and that coat of yours is
certainly worth a hundred pounds, and this sable rug as much more."
"It is not my sledge, nor is it my rug, though I have two or three of
them quite as handsome. The coat is my own, the sledge belongs to my
intimate friend Count Woronski, with whom I am at present staying."
"You really must tell me your story first," Frank said, laughing. "Now
that you know you are cleared, you can very well wait to hear all the
details, and I refuse to say a word until you have told me what all this
means."
"Well, Frank," Julian said seriously, "mine is not altogether a pleasant
story to tell now; but I acted for the best, and under the belief that
there was no chance of my being able to return for years to England. The
story is too long for me to give you the details now, but I will give
you the broad facts. I was sent prisoner to Verdun. I was there about
ten months. There was fever in the place, and we died off like sheep.
There seemed no possibility of escape, and if I could have got away I
could not, as I thought, make for England. I was getting hopeless and
desperate, and I don't think I could have held out much longer. Then
there was an offer made to us that any of us who liked could obtain
freedom by enlisting in the French army. It was expressly stated that it
was going east, and that at the end of the campaign we should,--if our
corps was ordered to a place where it was likely to come in contact with
the English,--be allowed to exchange into a regiment with another
destination.
"Well, it seemed to me that it mattered very little what became of me.
Even should I be exchanged and sent to England I could not have stayed
there, but must have gone abroad to make my living as best I could, and
I thought I might as well go as a soldier to Russia as anywhere else; so
I accepted the offer, little knowing what would come of it. I regretted
it heartily when I saw the misery that was inflicted by the misconduct,
partly of the French, but much more of the Poles and Germans, on the
unfortunate inhabitants. However, there I was, and I did my duty to the
best of my power. When I tell you that I was in Ney's division, you may
imagine that I had my share of it all."
"Extraordinary!" Frank said, "to think that you and I should both have
been through this campaign, and on opposite sides. Why, we must have
been within musket shot of each other a score of times."
"I have no doubt I saw you," Julian said; "for I often made out a bit
of scarlet among the dark masses of the Russians, and thought that there
must be some English officers with them. The first time I noticed them
was on the heights opposite to Smolensk. Two officers in scarlet were
with the batteries they planted there and drove our own off the hill on
our side of the river."
"Those were the general and myself, Julian. We had only joined two days
before. But still, I am as much in the dark as ever. What you have said
explains how you come to be in Russia, but it does not at all explain
how you came to be here like this."
"It was on the day after we got past the Russians. It was a strong place
with a hard name--Jaro something or other. The next day, as we were
marching along, we came across an overturned carriage. A coachman and a
woman were lying dead. On nearing it, I heard a little cry, and I
stepped out from the side of my company--I was a sergeant and was
marching on the flank--and I found among the cushions a little girl,
about six years old, who was already almost frozen to death. I fastened
her on to my back under my cloak, and carried her along with me. She
came round, and was a dear little creature. Well, I carried her all
through the retreat. Sometimes, when there was an alarm, I had time to
stow her away in one of the waggons; when there was not, she went on my
back into the middle of the fighting, and you know that was pretty rough
occasionally. However, we both of us seemed to possess a charm against
balls. We got on all right until the day before we were to arrive at the
Berezina. Then I went out foraging with some companions; they got into a
hut, lit a fire, and would not leave, so I started alone with her.
"I lost my way, and was found by a lot of peasants, who would have made
very short work of me, but the child stepped forward like a little queen
and told them that she was the Countess of Woronski, and that her
father was a friend of the Czar's, and that if they sent us to him they
would get a great reward. Thinking that it was good enough, they took us
to their village and dressed me up in peasant's clothes, and kept us
there a fortnight. Then the head man and the village Papa came with us
here by post. The child's father and mother had given her up as dead,
and their gratitude to me is boundless. It has been deemed unadvisable
to say anything about my ever being with the French, and I am simply
introduced by the count as an English gentleman whom he regards as his
very dear friend. I sent letters home to you and Aunt a fortnight since,
and if I had heard that the charge of murder was still hanging over me I
should probably have remained here for good. The count has already
hinted that there is an estate at my disposal. He is as rich as Croesus,
and he and the countess would be terribly hurt if I were to refuse to
accept their tokens of gratitude. They have no other child but
Stephanie, and she is, of course, the apple of their eye."
"Well, you have had luck, Julian. I did think that if you once got out
of prison you would be likely to fall upon your feet, because you always
had the knack of making yourself at home anywhere; but I had no idea of
anything like this. Well, I don't think you are to blame for having
entered the French service rather than remaining a prisoner, especially
as you were, as far as you knew, cut off from returning home. Still, I
agree with you that it is as well not to talk about it at present. It is
marvellous to think that you were with Ney through all that fighting.
The doings of the rear-guard were, I can assure you, the subject of the
warmest admiration on the part of the Russians. Sir Robert Wilson
considers that the retreat from Smolensk was one of the most
extraordinary military exploits ever performed. And so you were made a
sergeant after Borodino? Well, Julian, to win your stripes among such a
body as Ney led is no slight honour."
"I received another, Frank; not so much for valour as for taking things
easy." He took from his pocket the cross of the Legion of Honour. "This,
Frank, is an honour Napoleon sent to me, and Ney pinned on my breast. I
would rather that it had been Wellington who sent it, and say Picton who
pinned it on; but it is a big honour none the less, and at any rate it
was not won in fighting against my own countrymen. This document it is
wrapped up in, is the official guarantee that I received on enlisting,
that I should under no circumstances whatever be called upon to serve
against the English."
"You have a right to be proud of the cross, Julian. I should be proud of
it myself, British officer as I am. But how do you say that you got it
for taking things easy?"
"It was not exactly for taking things easy, but for keeping up the men's
spirits. Discipline was getting terribly relaxed, and they were losing
their military bearing altogether. A lot of us non-commissioned officers
were talking round a fire, and I suggested that we should start marching
songs again as we used to do on our way through Germany. It would cheer
the men up, get them to march in military order and time, and shorten
the road. Ney and some of his staff happened to be within hearing, and
he praised the idea much more than it deserved. However, the men took it
up, and the effect was excellent. Other regiments followed our example,
and there can be no doubt that, for a time, it did have a good effect.
Ney reported the business to Napoleon, who issued an order praising the
Grenadiers of the Rhone for the example they had set the army, bestowing
the Legion of Honour on me, and ordering that henceforth marching songs
should be sung throughout the army. However, singing was dropped at
Smolensk. After leaving there we were reduced to such a handful that we
had not the heart to sing, but it did its work, for I believe that the
improvement effected by the singing in the _morale_ of Ney's troops had
at least something to do with our being able to keep together, and to
lessen the fatigues of those terrible marches.
"Now tell me more about yourself. How was it that you had the wonderful
luck to be chosen to accompany Sir Robert Wilson as his aide-de-camp?"
"It was to his suggestion when I first joined, Julian, and to nearly a
year's steady work on my part. He got me gazetted into his old regiment,
the 15th Light Dragoons, and at the same time told me that if, as was
already anticipated, Russia broke off her alliance with Napoleon, he was
likely to be offered his former position of British commissioner at the
Russian headquarters. He said that if by the time that came off I had
got up Russian, he would apply for me to go with him, so I got hold of a
Russian Pole in London, a political exile, a gentleman and an awfully
good fellow. I took him with me down to Canterbury, where our depôt was,
and worked five or six hours a day with him steadily, so that when, at
the outbreak of war, Sir Robert got his appointment he was able to apply
for me upon the ground, that I had a thoroughly good colloquial
knowledge of Russian."
"You always were a beggar to work, Frank," his brother said admiringly.
"I worked for a bit myself pretty hard at Verdun, and got up French well
enough to pass with, but then you see there was no other mortal thing to
do, and I knew that it would be useful to me if ever I saw a chance of
escape. Of course, at that time I had no idea of enlisting: but it must
have been a different thing altogether for a young officer to give up
every amusement, as you must have done, and to slave away at a crack-jaw
language like Russian."
"It required a little self-denial I have no doubt, Julian, but the work
itself soon became pleasant. You may remember in the old days you used
to say that I could say 'No,' while you could not."
"That is true enough, Frank. I was a great ass in those days, but I
think that now I have learnt something."
"I should think you have, Julian," Frank said, looking closely at his
brother. "The expression of your face has very much changed, and you
certainly look as if you could say 'No' very decidedly now."
By this time they had, after a long drive, re-entered the city.
"You must come home with me first, Frank. I must introduce you to the
count and countess, and to Stephanie. Then to-morrow morning you must
come round early. I have heard nothing yet as to how the truth about
that murder came out so rapidly. It seemed to me that the evidence was
conclusive against me, and that even the letter that I wrote telling you
about it, was so improbable that no one but you and Aunt would credit,
in the slightest."
"It did look ugly at first, Julian. When I heard Faulkner's deposition I
could see no way out of it whatever. I could not suppose that a dying
man would lie, and, absolutely sure of your innocence as I was, could
make neither head nor tail of the matter. Is this the mansion? You
certainly have fallen on good quarters."
Leaving their fur coats in the hall they went upstairs. They found the
countess seated in an arm-chair. The count was reading the last gazette
from the army to her, and Stephanie was playing with a doll. The count
and his wife looked surprised as Julian entered with a young English
officer.
"I have the honour, countess," Julian said, "to present to you my
brother, who is aide-de-camp to the English General, Sir Robert Wilson,
whom he accompanied throughout the campaign. Count, you will, I am sure,
rejoice with me, in this unexpected meeting."
"We are glad, indeed, to make the acquaintance of the brother of our
dear friend," the countess said, holding out her hand to Frank.
[Illustration: JULIAN INTRODUCES STEPHANIE TO HIS BROTHER FRANK.]
"I regret, countess, that I am not able to reply to you in French,"
Frank said in Russian. "I had thought that Russian would be absolutely
necessary here, but I find that almost everyone speaks French. Had I
known that, I could have saved myself a good deal of labour, for to us
your language is very difficult to acquire."
"You speak it extremely well, Mr. Wyatt," the count said. "I can
scarcely imagine how you have acquired such familiarity with it in your
own country."
"I learned it from a Russian Pole, a political exile, with whom I worked
for about six hours a day for nearly twelve months, in order that I
might qualify myself to accompany Sir Robert Wilson."
"This is my little friend Stephanie, Frank," Julian said, lifting the
child up on his shoulder, her favourite place.
"And this is my Nurse Julian," the child said with a laugh. "Isn't he a
big nurse?"
"He is big," Frank agreed, looking up at him. "I feel quite small beside
him. He was always a great deal taller than I was, and he has grown a
good bit since I saw him last. But he looks rather big for a nurse."
"He is not too big at all," Stephanie said earnestly. "He could never
have carried me so far if he had not been very big and strong. Could he,
papa?"
"No, Stephanie; though I think goodness of heart had as much to do with
it as strength of body. Your brother has, of course, told you, Mr.
Wyatt, how deep an obligation he has laid us under."
"He said that he had had the good fortune to find your little girl, and
that he took her along with him in the retreat; but he seemed to
consider that the service she did him when they fell among the Russian
peasants quite settled matters between them. Doubtless, they mutually
saved each other's lives."
"Mr. Wyatt," the count said gravely, "the one act was momentary and
without risk. The other was done at the cost of labour and sacrifice
daily and hourly for nearly a month. You have been through the campaign,
and know how frightful were the sufferings, how overwhelming the
exhaustion of the soldiers. You can judge, then, how terrible was the
addition to a soldier's labours to have to carry a child like that for
so long, when his own strength was hourly weakening, and when every
additional pound of weight told heavily upon him. The tears come into
the eyes of the countess and myself every time we think of it. It was an
act of self-devotion beyond words; altogether beyond the understanding
of those who know not how terrible were the sufferings endured on the
march."
"They were indeed terrible, Count," Frank said gravely. "It was agony
for me to witness them, and I cannot but share your wonder how my
brother supported the extra weight, even of your little daughter, and
came through it safely, while tens of thousands of men not so burdened
fell and died along the road."
Julian did not understand what was being said, but he guessed by their
faces what they were speaking of.
"I suppose you are saying that it was hard work carrying the child," he
broke in in English; "but I can tell you that I believe it aided me to
get through. It gave me something to think of besides the snow, the
distance, and the Russians. She was always cheerful and bright, and her
merry talk lightened the way, but in addition to that the warmth of her
body against my back by day and curled up in my arms at night, greatly
helped to keep life in me. I think that it was largely due to her that I
got through safely where many men as strong as myself died."
The count looked inquiringly at Frank, who translated what Julian had
said. He smiled, "Your brother is determined to try to make out that
the obligation is all on his side, but it will not do. There is the
simple fact that we have our little daughter again, safe and sound. If
it had not been for him she would have been lost to us for ever."
Julian went down to the door with Frank. "Of course you will tell the
general all about it, Frank. I suppose he knows something of the
circumstances under which I went away, as he was a friend of our
father's, and got you your commission, and takes such an interest in
you. I daresay he will be shocked to hear that I have been carrying a
French musket, but I am not ashamed of it myself, and consider that
under the circumstances I was perfectly justified in doing so. Come
round in the morning the first thing after breakfast. I have yet to
learn all about how you found out that Markham committed that murder,
and then you can tell me, too, what the general says."
On going upstairs Julian told his hosts that he had been completely
cleared of the charge that had hung over him and darkened his life, and
that there was nothing to prevent him from returning to England. They
expressed much gratification at the news, but at the same time said that
for themselves they could not but regret that this would prevent their
having the pleasure they had looked forward to of having him settled
near them.
"This, however, we must talk about again," the count said. "At any rate,
I hope that you will from time to time come over to stay for a while
with us and Stephanie."
"That I will assuredly do, Count," Julian said warmly. "I do not quite
know at present what I shall do. As I have told you, I shall, in
addition to my share of my father's money, inherit some from my aunt,
and shall be able, if I choose, to buy a small estate and settle down. I
am too old to go into our army now, but, besides, I think that ere long
this European struggle will be over, and in that case there will be
nothing for a soldier to do. Still in any case I shall be able
occasionally to make a voyage here; and I can assure you that it will be
one of my greatest pleasures to do so."
Sir Robert Wilson was greatly surprised when he heard from Frank of his
meeting with his brother, and of the adventures through which he had
passed.
"I do not blame him in any way," he said. "Had he been a king's soldier
or sailor the matter would have been altogether different. To have
entered a foreign army then would have been a breach of his oaths. But
as a private individual he was free to take service abroad, as tens of
thousands of English, Scotch, and Irish have done before him. It would,
of course, have been much better had he entered the army of a power
friendly to England, but the document that he received on enlisting goes
far to absolve him from any responsibility in the matter. At any rate,
he was not a deserter, and seeing that he could not go back to England
even if he escaped, that he was practically friendless in the world, and
that, had he not acted as he did he might have died at Verdun, I do not
think that even a severe moralist would be able to find any fault with
his decision. So he was one of Ney's heroes! Well, Frank, when this war
is over, and the bitterness between the two nations has passed away, he
will have good cause to feel proud of having been one of that
unconquerable band. No troops have ever gained greater glory by victory
than they have by retreat; besides to have won his stripes in such
company, and to have received the Legion of Honour from Ney, is as high
an honour as any soldier could wish for. At the same time, I think that
he and his friends have done wisely in keeping silence as to the part he
played--it might have led to all sorts of trouble. Had it been known, he
might have been claimed as a prisoner of war; and even if this had not
been done, he might have been embroiled in quarrels with hot-headed
young Russians; and it is scarcely probable, Frank, that he is such a
dead shot with the pistol as you are."
The next morning Julian heard from Frank full details of the manner in
which the truth had been arrived at of the circumstances of Mr.
Faulkner's murder.
"By Jove! Frank," he exclaimed, when his brother brought the story to a
conclusion; "you ought to have been a Bow Street runner. I can't think
how it all occurred to you. Thinking it over, as I have done hundreds of
times, it never once occurred to me that the footprints in the snow
might prove that I had set off in pursuit of Markham, and that they
would have shown that he was standing behind that tree whence the shot
was fired, while I went straight from the road to the place where
Faulkner was lying. What a head you have, old fellow!"
"It was simple enough, Julian. I was certain that you had not committed
the murder, and it was therefore clear that someone else must have done
so. Then came the question, first, how Faulkner had come to charge you
as he had done, and, second, how and why you had disappeared. The only
conceivable explanation that I could find was that you must have run
into the wood, caught sight of the murderer, and followed him up.
Directly we found your footprints on the snow overlapping his it made
that a certainty. We had only then to go into the wood and pick up the
whole story bit by bit. For a time I certainly thought that you had been
killed by the friends of the man that you had followed, and you may
imagine what a relief it was to us when your letter came.
"And now, old fellow, I suppose you will be going home? Sir Robert has
told me that he will be willing to give me leave at once, and that he
considers I ought to have a thorough rest, to get the seeds of that
horrible hospital fever out of my blood. Therefore, I am ready to start
with you whenever you are ready to go. He does not know yet whether he
will continue as commissioner here when the campaign recommences in the
spring; but there is little doubt that he will do so, and in that case I
shall rejoin as soon as the weather breaks sufficiently for operations
to commence. I got my lieutenantcy three months ago owing to the
vacancies made in the regiment during the campaign in Spain; and Sir
Robert has been good enough to speak so strongly of my services here
that I have every chance of getting another step before I return."
"I see no reason why I should not start at the end of the week, Frank.
Of course, I am extremely comfortable here; but now that I know I can go
back all right I am longing to be home again. Indeed I should soon get
tired of having nothing to do but to drive about and eat dinners here;
and besides, I cannot but feel that I am in a false position, and am
very anxious to get out of it."
Frank nodded. "I quite understand that, old fellow, and I agree with you
thoroughly. A question might be asked any day that you could not reply
to without saying how you came to be here; and for the sake of the count
as well as yourself, that should be avoided if possible."
The count was loud in his expressions of regret when he heard that
Julian was about to leave with his brother at once; but when Julian
urged that he was constantly in fear that some chance question might be
asked, and that the falseness of his position weighed heavily upon him,
the count could not but admit the justice of the view he took.
Preparations were immediately begun for departure. They were to travel
by sledge through Finland, passing through Vibourg to Abo, and there to
cross the Gulf of Bothnia to the Swedish coast, a few miles north of
Stockholm, and to travel across the country to Gothenburg. The count
placed one of his travelling carriages on runners at their disposal as
far as Abo, and insisted on sending one of his own servants with them to
attend to their wants on the road.
Stephanie was inconsolable at the approaching departure of her friend,
and even the promise that he would return and pay them another visit
before very long, scarcely pacified her. In three days all was ready.
The luggage, packed in a light waggon, had been sent off in charge of
one of the count's servants forty-eight hours before; and the travelling
carriage had but to take three or four great hampers stored with
provisions and wines. The count and countess had had on the previous day
a long talk with Frank, who at their request called at an hour when
Julian would be out paying a long round of farewell visits. The
conversation was a serious one, and had ended by the count saying:
"You see, Mr. Wyatt, nothing will alter the determination of the
countess and myself in this matter; and if you had not consented to
accept our commission and to carry out our wishes, we should have had no
course open but to communicate with our embassy in London, and to
request them to appoint someone to act as our agent in the matter. This
would not have been so satisfactory, for the agent would of course have
been ignorant of your brother's tastes and wishes; whereas you will be
able to learn from him exactly the position that would be most
agreeable. All we ask is that you will not go below the minimum we have
named, and the more you exceed it the better we shall be pleased. You
know well how we feel in the matter, and that anything that can be done
in this way will still fall very far short of the measure of gratitude
we feel towards your brother."
"I will carry out the commission that you have given me to the best of
my abilities, Count; and will endeavour to act as if my brother was an
entire stranger."
"Thank you greatly, Mr. Wyatt. I agree with you that if you dismiss
altogether from your mind the fact that your brother is interested in
the matter, and that you regard yourself as simply carrying out a
business transaction as our agent, it will simplify matters greatly. I
don't wish you to have the trouble of the actual details. I shall write
myself to our ambassador, who is a personal friend of mine, and request
him, as soon as he hears from you, to instruct an English lawyer to
carry out all the business part of the arrangement."
The journey across Finland was a very pleasant one. Both were in high
spirits. The cloud that had hung over Julian had been dispelled, and
Frank's constant anxiety about him had been laid to rest. They had gone
safely through the most wonderful campaign of modern times, and were now
on their way home. Julian's supply of money was untouched save for the
purchase of a variety of presents for his aunt. They travelled only by
day. The carriage was constructed with all conveniences for sleeping in,
and when, on their arrival at the end of their day's journey, they
returned from a stroll down the town to an excellent dinner prepared by
their servant, they had but to turn in for a comfortable night's rest in
the vehicle. At Abo they found their baggage awaiting them.
"By Jove! Julian," Frank said laughing, as he looked at the great pile
of trunks in the post-house, "one would think that you were carrying the
whole contents of a household. Those modest tin cases comprise my share
of that pile."
"It is tremendous!" Julian said almost ruefully. "I feel quite ashamed
to turn up with such an amount of baggage. The first thing we must do,
as soon as we get back, is to effect a division. I am afraid that my
outside clothes will be of no use to you--they would require entire
remaking; but all the other things will fit you as well as me. I do
believe that there are enough to last me my life-time; and it will be
downright charity to relieve me of some of them. You may imagine my
stupefaction when I came back one day to the count's and found my room
literally filled with clothes."
"I will help you a bit," Frank laughed. "The campaign has pretty well
destroyed all my kit, and I shan't be too proud to fill up from your
abundance."
They found that the servant who had preceded them with the baggage had
already made all the arrangements for their crossing the gulf. The
extreme cold had everywhere so completely frozen the sea that there was
no difficulty in crossing, which, they learned, was not often the case.
Three sledges had been engaged for their transport. The distance was
about 120 miles; but it was broken by the islands of the Aland
Archipelago, and upon one or other of these they could take refuge in
the event of any sudden change of weather. They were to start at
midnight, and would reach Bomarsund, on the main island of Aland, on the
following evening, wait there for twenty-four hours to rest the animals,
and would reach the mainland the next day.
The frost continued unbroken, and they crossed the gulf without
difficulty, travelled rapidly across Sweden, and reached England without
adventure of any kind. They waited for a day in London. Frank carried
despatches from Sir Robert Wilson, and was occupied at the War Office
all day, having a very long interview with the minister, to whom he gave
a much more detailed account of the campaign than had been given in the
general's reports. The minister expressed much satisfaction at the
information he afforded, and said at the conclusion of the interview:
"Sir Robert has spoken several times as to your services, and I am happy
to inform you that your name will appear in the next gazette as promoted
to the rank of captain. I consider that the manner in which you devoted
yourself to the acquisition of the Russian language was most highly
meritorious, and I wish that many young officers would similarly acquire
foreign or oriental languages. I trust that you will thoroughly recover
your health, so as to be able to rejoin Sir Robert Wilson by the time
that the troops take the field again. The campaign is likely to be a
most important, and--we have great grounds for hoping--a final one."
Before leaving the building Frank found out where Strelinski was at
work. He was engaged in translating a mass of Russian documents. He rose
from his seat with an exclamation of delight when he saw Frank, who,
after a short chat, asked him to come that evening to his hotel. He
there learned that the Pole was getting on very well. His knowledge of
German as well as of Russian had been very valuable to him; his salary
had already been raised, and he was now at the head of a small
department, having two of his countrymen and three Germans under him,
and his future in the office was quite assured.
"The work is somewhat hard," he said, "for when a ship comes in from
Germany or Russia we are often at work all night, sometimes
eight-and-forty hours at a stretch, but we are all paid overtime. The
work is pleasant and interesting, and your officials are good enough to
say that we get through a wonderful amount in the time, and the minister
has twice expressed his approbation to me. Ah, Mr. Wyatt, how much do I
owe to you and the good general?"
"I owe fully as much to you as you owe to me, Strelinski," Frank said.
"Putting aside the interest there has been in witnessing such mighty
events, it has been a splendid thing for me in my profession. I shall be
gazetted captain this week, while I am pretty sure of a brevet majority
at the end of the next campaign, and of further employment in the same
line afterwards."
Julian was not present at the interview. He had never been in London
before, and after spending the day in strolling through the streets and
visiting the principal sights, had gone to a theatre, leaving Frank to
talk with the Pole. The latter had not left when Julian returned. He and
Frank had found such an abundance of subjects to talk about that they
were scarcely aware how the time had passed. The latter proposed that
they should go to one of the fashionable taverns to supper. Julian would
have excused himself, but Frank insisted on his accompanying him. As
they were sitting there, two gentlemen passed by their table. One of
them stared hard at Frank, and then with an angry exclamation turned
away. Then Strelinski said:
"That is your old antagonist, unless I am mistaken, Mr. Wyatt. You
pointed him out to me once when I was in barracks with you, and I
thought I remembered his face; that empty sleeve assures me that it is
him."
Frank nodded.
"What is that?" Julian asked.
"Oh, it is nothing," his brother said hastily.
"No, no, Mr. Wyatt, it was a grand thing. Has not your brother told you
of it, Mr. Julian?"
"No, he has told me nothing about an antagonist."
"You do not know, then, that Mr. Frank may claim to be the finest pistol
shot in the British army."
Julian looked at his brother in astonishment. "I did not know that you
had ever fired a pistol in your life, Frank."
"I practised pretty hard while I was at Canterbury," Frank answered. "I
suppose that I had a good eye for it, and certainly came to be what you
would call a good shot, though I dare say there are others just as good.
I got involved in a quarrel with the man who has just passed me, who was
a captain in the Lancers, and a notorious bully and duellist. We went
out. I hit him in the hand, and he lost his arm above the elbow, and
there was the end of it."
"Perhaps you will be kind enough to tell me a little more about it, Mr.
Strelinski," Julian said, turning to the Pole, and in spite of a growl
from Frank that there was nothing to tell, the Pole related the whole
circumstances of the quarrel, the feeling that had been excited by it,
Frank's expressed determination not to inflict serious injury upon the
man but to carry away his trigger-finger only, and so put an end to his
duels in the future, and the manner in which his intention was carried
out.
"Well, I congratulate you, Frank, very heartily," Julian said, when
Strelinski had finished. "Why on earth did you not tell me about this
before?"
"Really, Julian, there was nothing to tell about. It was a disagreeable
incident altogether, and I considered then, as I have considered since,
that it was hardly fair of me to go out with him when I was so certain
of my shooting, and it was a hundred to one in my favour. I should never
have done it if he had not forced the quarrel upon young Wilmington; for
the young fellow must either have gone out, which would have been
throwing away his life, or left the service."
"Unfair, my dear Frank! why the man himself had always relied upon his
superior skill, and you were able to beat him at his own game. Well, I
wish I could shoot as well. However, as I am not going to do any more
soldiering, I don't know that it would be of much use to me; still I
should like to be able to do it."
The next morning they started by coach for Weymouth, leaving Julian's
heavier luggage to follow by carrier waggon. Mrs. Troutbeck's joy, when
her two nephews arrived together, for a time completely overpowered her,
and smelling salts and other restoratives had to be brought into play
before she recovered. The event created quite an excitement in Weymouth.
The appearance of Frank's name so frequently in Sir Robert Wilson's
despatches had been a source of pride to the whole town, and especially
to his old school-fellows, while the clearing up of the mystery that had
so long hung over Julian's fate was no less interesting. The sympathy
with him was so great and general that no one was surprised or shocked
that, under the circumstances, he had been driven to enlist in the
French army, and had taken part in the Russian campaign. Indeed, the
fact that he had been one of Ney's celebrated division, whose bravery
had excited general admiration, was considered a feather in his cap,
especially when it became known that he had been awarded the Cross of
the Legion of Honour by Napoleon himself. Had not the brothers received
the proposal most unfavourably, a public dinner would have been got up
to celebrate their return.
"Well, Julian, you will have to settle what you mean to do with
yourself," Frank said one day. "You can never settle down here without
any occupation whatever, after what you have gone through."
"No, I quite feel that, Frank. I have had enough of soldiering; that one
campaign is enough for a life time. I really can hardly make up my mind
what to do. Aunt was speaking to me yesterday afternoon when you were
out. The dear old soul said that it was nonsense for me to wait for her
death, wasting my life here, and that she was anxious to hand me over at
once half her money. She said that that would be £10,000, and with the
£8,000--my share of father's money--I could then buy an estate."
"It would be the best thing you could do, Julian, but, of course, there
is no hurry about it. What part of the country would you prefer to
settle in?"
"I don't know, Frank, I have never thought much about it. I don't think
I should choose anywhere near Weymouth, and I would rather go to a
flatter country, and a better wooded one. If I bought land, I should
like to have land that I could cultivate myself, so as to give me an
interest in it, and I should like, after a time, to be on the bench,
which would give one a good deal of occupation. I suppose I shall marry
some day, and so would prefer to be within reach of a town. I should
think, from what you say, the country round Canterbury must be pretty.
There is a garrison there, Dover is within reach, and it is a good deal
more handy for getting up to town than it is from here. However, as you
say, there is plenty of time for me to think about that."
Mrs. Troutbeck was, as Julian had predicted, astounded upon the arrival
of his baggage. "I never saw such a thing!" she exclaimed, as trunk
after trunk was carried into the house. "That Russian count of yours,
Julian, must be a little cracked, I should think. Why, my dear boy, if
you were to get stout what in the world would you do with all these
things?"
"That is a contingency I have never thought of, Aunt. You quite frighten
me. I must go in for a course of severe exercise to prevent the chance
of such a thing occurring."
"You might take to shooting," Mrs. Troutbeck said doubtfully; "and I am
sure that at present there is not a gentleman round who would not be
glad to give you a day's shooting."
"I have done enough shooting, Aunt," Julian said gravely. "It was the
means of my getting into a bad scrape here. In Russia it was often part
of my duty to shoot dying horses, to say nothing of shooting men, and I
have no desire ever to take a gun in my hands again. I have looked up my
old friend Bill, and shall take to sailing again, but I will promise you
that I will keep clear of smugglers."
Two days later Frank announced his intention of going up to London for a
few days, as he thought he had better offer to be of any assistance he
could at the War Office. He was away for nearly three weeks, and on his
return mentioned that he had run down to Canterbury, and had seen some
of his old friends at the depôt. A fortnight later he received a bulky
letter from town, and in the course of the day asked his aunt if she
felt equal to taking a journey with him.
"A journey, my dear!" she repeated in surprise. "Where do you want to go
to?"
"Well, Aunt, I want to go to London in the first place; we will travel
by post-chaise, so that everything will be comfortable; afterwards we
may go somewhere else. I can't tell you anything about it now; it is a
little secret. But I do very much want you and Julian to go with me."
"Then, of course we will, my dear," the old lady said. "I should very
much like to visit London again, and see the theatres and shows. What do
you say, Julian?"
"Of course I will go, Aunt, though I can't think what Frank has got in
his head. Still, I am very tired of Weymouth, and it will be a change. I
was saying to Dick Halliburne yesterday that unless I could hit on
something to do, I should have to ask them if they would let me go to
school again."
Six days later they drove up in a post-chaise to a fine mansion some
three miles from Canterbury. Julian's astonishment at Frank's mysterious
proceedings had been growing ever since they left Weymouth.
"Who on earth are we going to see here?" he asked, as they approached
the mansion.
"Restrain your impatience for a few minutes longer, Julian, then you
shall know all about it. This mansion, I may tell you, belongs to a
friend of mine. It is the centre of an estate of some 2,000 acres, and
its rent-roll is about £3,000 a year."
"Very nice indeed!" Julian said. "Well, I won't ask any more questions
till we get there."
A gentleman appeared at the door as the carriage drove up. He shook
hands warmly with Frank, who introduced him to his companions as Mr.
James Linton, solicitor to the Russian embassy. The gentleman led the
way to a very handsome drawing-room, then he looked inquiringly at
Frank, who nodded. From a mahogany box on the table Mr. Linton produced
a large packet of papers.
"Mr. Wyatt," he said to Julian, "it is my pleasant duty to present you
with these documents. They are the title-deeds of this mansion and the
surrounding property. In purchasing them I have followed out the
instructions of Count Woronski, and have had the benefit of the
assistance of your brother in selecting an estate that would, he
thought, from its situation, be agreeable to you."
Julian looked at the speaker as if unable to take in the sense of his
words.
"I beg your pardon," he said hesitatingly. "I don't think I quite
understand you."
"It is as I said, Mr. Wyatt. Count Woronski wrote to me expressing his
desire to present you with an estate here as some slight token, as he
expressed it, of the enormous obligation under which you have placed him
and the countess, his wife. I may say that his instructions to me would
have authorized the purchase of a much larger estate than this, but he
begged me to be guided by the advice of your brother, Captain Wyatt, in
the matter, and the latter obliged me by taking the responsibility of
choosing an estate off my hands, and has selected this. My part in the
business has therefore been confined to carrying out the legal part in
the matter and completing the purchase."
"My dear Frank," Julian said, "this is monstrous."
"I have only carried out the wishes of the count, Julian. He and the
countess had a long conversation with me, and it was with some
reluctance that I accepted the mission to select an estate for you, and
only because he said that if I refused, he should have to request the
Russian ambassador to ask one of his secretaries to do so, and that it
would be very much more satisfactory to him that the place chosen should
be, in point of situation and other respects, just what you would
yourself like."
"I am overpowered, Mr. Linton. It has all come upon me so much by
surprise that I do not know what I ought to say or do."
"There can be no doubt what you ought to do," the solicitor replied.
"Count Woronski is a very wealthy nobleman. You have rendered to him and
his wife one of the greatest services one man can render to another. The
count mentioned in his letter that had you remained in Russia it was his
intention to transfer one of his estates to you, and the smallest of
them is of much greater value than this. As to your refusing the gift,
it is, if I may say so, impossible. Nothing could exceed the delicacy
with which the count has arranged the business, and he would naturally
feel deeply hurt were you to hesitate to accept this token of his
gratitude. I am sure you must see that yourself."
"I do indeed see it," Julian said, "and I feel that it would be not only
ungrateful but wrong for me to refuse this noble gift. But you will
admit that it is natural that I should for a time be overwhelmed by it.
I am not so ungracious as to refuse so magnificent a present, although I
feel that it is altogether disproportionate, not to the service I was
fortunate enough to render, but to my action in rendering it. Well, Mr.
Linton, I can only thank you for the part you have taken in the matter.
Of course, I shall write at once to the count and countess expressing my
feelings as to this magnificent gift, and will send the letter to the
embassy to be forwarded at the first possible opportunity. And now what
is the next thing to be done, for I feel almost incapable of forming any
plans at present?"
"I would suggest, Mr. Wyatt, that in the first place you should drive
round your estate. There are horses and carriages in the stable. The
estate had only been advertised a day or two before your brother came up
to town, and the purchase included the furniture, horses and carriages,
and the live stock on the home farm. I engaged the coachman, grooms, and
gardeners to remain until, at least, you should decide whether to take
them into your service. I should suggest also that, after driving round
the place, you should return to Canterbury for the night. Beyond an old
man and his wife, who are in charge of the house, I have not made any
arrangements, thinking it better to leave that to you and Mrs.
Troutbeck."
"You will have to move here, you know, Aunt," Frank said. "I gave
orders, before we came away from Weymouth, to Mary to lock up the house,
and to come up to town by the coach two days later, and then to come on
to Canterbury. I have no doubt that we shall find her at the _Fountain_
when we get there. I daresay you will be able to hear of some good
servants at the Hotel."
"You have taken away my breath altogether, Frank," Mrs. Troutbeck said.
"However, I am too bewildered to think for myself, and for the present
must do whatever you tell me."
Before Frank started three weeks later to rejoin Sir Robert Wilson he
had the satisfaction of seeing Julian comfortably established in his new
position, and settling down to the life. He himself went through the
tremendous campaign that brought about the conclusion of the war and the
downfall of Napoleon, and was present at the great battles of Lutzen,
Bautzen, Reichenbach, Dresden, Culm, and Leipsic. At the termination of
the war he received the rank of brevet major, and the appointment of
military attaché to the British embassy in Russia. He remained there for
some years, and then retired from the army with the rank of colonel.
Mrs. Troutbeck had by this time passed away, having first had the
pleasure of seeing a mistress installed at Julian's. The latter was now
a justice of the peace, and one of the most popular landowners in the
county. Mrs. Troutbeck, at Julian's earnest request, left the whole of
her property to Frank, nor could the latter persuade his brother to take
any share of it. Frank had no inclination for a country life, and
settled down near London, where, after a time, he too married.
He then went in for politics, and was returned for a Kentish
constituency. Although he took no very prominent part in party politics
he became one of the recognized authorities in the house on all matters
connected with the affairs of Eastern Europe, and took a lively interest
in the movements set on foot for the benefit of the British soldier.
Julian kept his promise to the count, and for many years went over
occasionally to stay with him. His wife accompanied him until the cares
of a rising family detained her at home. To the end of their lives
neither Frank nor he ever regretted that they had taken part in the
memorable campaign in Russia.
THE END.