"I should like to enter the country on foot and walk to the capital; it
is a whim, I know, so if you don't feel inclined please say so."
"It is a first-rate plan, I think, and will be most enjoyable. Anyway,
Karena is not far distant from the northern frontier."
"It will be hard going, from what I can gather, but it ought to be worth
while."
"When shall we start?"
"Oh," I said, looking at my engagement book, "would a week from to-day
suit you?"
"Perfectly, it will give us time to work out details."
Once the matter was settled definitely, I began to indulge in a little
wild speculation. I was, naturally perhaps, excited at the idea of
seeing my own country, hearing my own tongue spoken every day and all
day, by my own countrymen and women.
The week fairly flew past. I had written to my mother informing her of
our proposed trip, and received an answer back bidding me God-speed, and
also advising me on no account to seek to find out anything about my
father. It was pointed out to me that I had only a few months to wait
and any premature disclosures might do much damage.
This, of course, was so much double Dutch to me, and only added to the
mysteriousness of everything. I therefore refused to think about it, but
I also resolved to abide by her wish. The letter finished by expressing
satisfaction at the idea that I was to travel as an Englishman.
*CHAPTER III*
With as little impedimenta as possible, Mr. Neville and I bade au revoir
to Paris, little thinking that we had made it our head-quarters for the
last time. Since then I have never stayed more than one night in that
city, when passing through. I always feel glad that I saw as much of it
as I could, for, to my mind, it is eminently a city to induce memories,
and I like to look back on the jolly times I have had there.
We went by express to Nerane, the nearest stopping-place to the northern
frontier of Rudarlia, and drove in a cart to Melanov, that now famous
little town; in those days it was not known at all well. We arrived as
night was falling, and it was too dark to see anything of the country
which on the morrow we were to enter. The cart deposited our shaken
remains at the only inn the place possessed.
I was glad there was only one, for if there had been another, with the
same failings, Melanov should have ceased to exist, at least that is
what I should have hoped. We had sent our luggage to Karena by train,
and had with us just the necessities of life, in our knapsacks. Our
visit excited an unreasonable amount of interest, but the innkeeper, a
fat, oily Greek, was obsequiousness itself, hovering round with a look
of cupidity and craftiness upon his most unprepossessing countenance.
Having removed traces of travel as well as we could, the next thing was
food. This was rough and plentiful, with accent on the rough; but, in
spite of having recently left Paris, we had managed to acquire healthy
appetites and ate good dinners.
Having filled our pipes, we made ourselves as comfortable as the chairs
would permit and started talking; but just as we began to warm up to our
subject--which I remember dealt with the use of aircraft in war--there
was a bang on the door, and in stalked a soldier.
"Good evening," I said.
"Good evening, messieurs. I must apologise for this intrusion, but as
Commandant of this frontier, I always make a point of inviting
travellers to spend an hour or so with me, in order, if I may speak
frankly, to prevent myself becoming too much of a barbarian to associate
with gentlemen. I therefore beg of you to consider my poor quarters as
your own, at least the chairs there are in better repair than those you
are sitting on."
"You are very kind," I said. "May I introduce Mr. Neville? My own name
is Stevens."
"And I am Colonel von Quarovitch. Now, since we know each other's
names, will you accompany me to what poor hospitality I can offer?"
We accepted his invitation with more pleasure than he could have any
idea of, for more reasons than one. I think, in my case, it was the
knowledge I had already gained of those inhabitants of the inn who did
not pay taxes, and who seemed to like the taste of me.
The Commandant gave us some most excellent coffee. At first, I believe,
he took us for spies, or at least emissaries of some foreign power; but
after a while his suspicions seemed to calm down, and soon we were
talking and laughing like good friends.
We informed him of our proposed trip, a thing to him undreamed of; but
all Englishmen are mad, that is well understood, so he gave an
expressive shrug of his shoulders, and offered us any assistance in his
power.
He was a fine, rugged-looking man, with great fierce eyebrows and eyes,
and I thought to myself that he should be a good soldier. There was,
however, an undercurrent of deep resentment in his conversation when
speaking of his country's affairs.
Looking upon us as passers-by, he no doubt felt safe in laying bare his
grievances. I do not suppose for one moment that he would have done
such a thing in the presence of any of his officers, or even civilians
of his own race. He was a grumbling old bear, and told us that he had
been in his present grade for eighteen years, and for twelve in this
place, badly paid.
"His beloved Majesty needs all the money for his prostitutes," he
growled. "There is no money for clothing or weapons for his army. Here
am I, who have been in every fight for thirty years or more, wounded a
score of times, with only a few hundred men to guard a frontier, on
starvation pay; seeing men who have never smelt powder made generals,
passed over my head simply because they have influence either through
their females or through money. And all the thanks I get for my
devotion to the monarchy is to be told that there are a hundred
applicants for my post if I request anything from head-quarters."
"Then your feelings are not over-kind to your King?" said Mr. Neville.
"King!" he roared. "He is no King of mine, usurper and assassin. I
continue to serve in his army, because there is no one who can fill my
place here properly, and my country comes before my own feelings still,
thank God. And yet," he continued almost wistfully, "I feel assured
that, if war was declared to-morrow, some captain with influence would
buy my place, and I should be retired, as too old. Too old, by God! I
who know every stick and stone for a hundred miles round, who was
created Colonel on the battle-field by his late Majesty, God preserve
his soul; I, who have studied war since I could read, who can yet march
the stoutest man off his feet."
"But they couldn't retire you, Colonel?" I said inquiringly.
"Could they not, my young friend? Ah, you don't know to what we have
fallen; not the people, they are as true and brave as ever, but the
courtiers, our rulers, rotten, degraded panders to a gross sensualist's
vices; bah! they sicken me. Retire me they would without a thought, and
I could take my nobility back to my own dilapidated castle, and feed it
on the thousand pounds or so I have saved in thirty years' service."
"Is there not a great deal of discontent in the country?"
"Naturally! where do you find men who would not be discontented and
disgusted with underpay and insufficient food? The peasants, too, are
ground down with taxes, until they starve. One day some man, driven
desperate, will commit the crime of regicide, but perhaps it would not
be a crime in this case."
"Would that improve matters?" asked Mr. Neville.
"That I cannot say. The next heir to the throne is a cousin, with
little Rudarlian in him; from all accounts he resembles the present man
in tastes and habits. Ah! if only I had been in Karena twenty years
ago, with just the troops I have here, history would have been written
differently, and Rudarlia would have been another country, unless
Merlin's son had developed badly. As it was, I, with many more
Loyalists, had been sent by a hound of a Minister to the other end of
the country; when we got back it was all over. The whole of the
reigning family, father, mother, and son, had been assassinated; and the
present man Ivan was King, he had been waiting near the frontier for the
word to come."
"Had they no one to defend them?"
"Those who did were shot without scruple. You know the miscreant fired
the royal apartments, burning the bodies of the Queen and the Crown
Prince; they were only recognised by the jewellery found on the charred
remains."
"What a terrible crime it was!" I said.
Colonel von Quarovitch sprang to his feet.
"Crime!" he cried, shaking his clenched fists above his head. "Crime!
God's curse on the authors of it, it has ruined my country."
We stayed only a few minutes after this, finally wishing him good night,
and retired.
As we reached the inn, Mr. Neville and I looked at each other.
"Thank God for such men as that," said my companion.
His eyes were misty as he shook my hand, and turned away to his room. I
did likewise, but slept little, I was too excited, I imagine; to-morrow
I was to enter Rudarlia, my own country.
My thoughts were extremely upsetting, the conversation we had had with
Colonel von Quarovitch had made me think a great deal.
Here was an elderly man, devoting his whole life to his country, without
hope of recompense.
His was an example of quiet heroism that set my blood on fire. I
compared his position with mine, I blushed inwardly at the comparison;
of course so far I was not to blame, as I was not yet legally my own
master, but in a few months from now I should be; what then would my
course be?
Should I remain in England, with everything a man could wish for, or
come here to Rudarlia, and exert myself to the utmost, in trying to
cleanse the country of abuse?
Although I was young, I was not idiotic in my romanticism. I fully
realised the futility of starting to wage war on a throne without a
great deal of assistance. Could I obtain sufficient following, was I
capable of directing the campaign? I would not use force, it would have
to be far more subtle; the Press must be won over first, and the natural
leaders among the people. Was it possible?
I turned and twisted in my most uncomfortable bed, finding the greatest
difficulty in concentrating my thoughts. There were so many conflicting
lines of argument to be considered; dreams, and ambitions, rose-tinted,
would confuse them.
I dreamed of a Rudarlia set high above the neighbouring countries in
everything, well governed, possessing a magnificent army, thoroughly
trained and equipped, faithfully paid, fed and clothed, returning for it
all a loyal devotion--to whom?
There, my thoughts balked--to the present King Ivan? Impossible. His
heir, according to Quarovitch, was little better. Who then? God knows
the misery I experienced in that _cul-de-sac_; I could see no way out,
except in the idea of a republic, and the thought of Rudarlia as
anything but a kingdom was unthinkable.
The only foreign power to which we could turn in safety for a monarch
was England. No German princeling or Austrian Archduke would serve.
Russia? As well ask a fox to take care of a chicken. Fool that I was,
here was I, a stranger, imagining that I alone could save the country;
there must be hundreds of brave men, far more shrewd than I, with
influence and wealth, who had no doubt thought and even tried to do the
same thing, yet they had failed. That was my opinion when I reached the
blank wall in my mind, yet I could not give in, some power seemed to be
urging me to try other ways.
Morning came, and found me still puzzling, still without any loophole
through which to squeeze to the help of my beloved country.
I say "beloved," for now that I was on the borders, only a few yards
into Rudarlia, I felt surge over me an almost mad exultation, a thrill
of passionate feeling, quite foreign to my nature; I felt that that day
had marked a change in my life.
Any help that I could give must be a matter of time and the deepest
consideration; I would see what Mr. Neville and my parents said--and Mr.
Smith too. I had forgotten him, had, I am ashamed to say, forgotten the
oldest of my friends, and one who would doubtless be overjoyed to hear
that I was in Rudarlia.
He would help me, perhaps, in any way that he thought good.
Well, it would wait with many things until my majority.
While dressing I thought of my stepfather; what would he think, as an
American, would he advise a republic?
And then his advice flashed across me: "Spend money when you think good
will come of it."
I had never followed his advice to any large extent, a hundred pounds or
so at a time.
"I wonder," I said aloud, "whether this is an opportunity?"
It was a fresh idea, and I dawdled over my toilet, so as to have more
time for consideration.
Could I in any way help Quarovitch and his men: would he accept
financial assistance, not for himself but for the troops he commanded?
I must see him, I decided that there and then. It might be that I
should have to divulge my nationality to him, what did it matter? He
was an honest and honourable man, on that I would have wagered anything.
So now, I could finish my dressing, and go down to my breakfast.
Mr. Neville was already in the room waiting for me; he looked at me
intently as I entered.
"Sleep well?" he asked.
"No, very badly, the conversation of last night upset me, I think."
"H'm. Well, do you know it did me too, but for different reasons, no
doubt. Let us have breakfast, and talk." He seated himself and began.
"We had better stick to English, it's safer," he remarked. "One never
knows who can overhear. First of all, I propose to tell you why you did
not sleep, then, why I was likewise kept awake; if I am wrong tell me.
You," he began decapitating an egg, "were engaged in thinking how you,
as a Rudarlian, could help your country. You made and unmade many
plans, each one, however, was to your mind impracticable; am I right?"
"Quite right," I said.
"It was this knowledge of your thoughts that kept me awake," continued
my companion. "I felt convinced that you would have glorious dreams,
which would break like glass before reason. I knew that you would
finally decide to abandon any active policy at present, meaning to
return to it in the near future. Now I know something of these things;
and the anxiety for your future kept me from slumberland."
"How on earth did you know what I was thinking, are you capable of
thought reading, even when the thinker is absent?"
He laughed.
"I wish I were. No, it is only the result of logic, first, and the
knowledge I have of you, secondly. When you put a young man like
yourself before the picture displaying the ruin of his country, it is
natural for him to feel obsessed by the desire to reconstruct the
crumbled edifice. I fancy I could also guess the chief obstacle in your
various lines of argument."
"I should not be surprised," I said, laughing.
"Was it not the choice of a ruler?"
"Yes."
"Well, I don't wonder that you were brought to a halt, it has puzzled
me, too, a great deal; but we can discuss that on our journey. You have
quite decided to go over the mountains?"
"Oh yes, if you are agreeable; it will be much more interesting and
exciting."
"Very well, but we shall want a guide."
"The innkeeper will know of one, I'm sure."
"I'll ask him."
Our sleek host, looking more evil by daylight than I had anticipated,
knew just the man for us, the perfect guide: a mountaineer, strong,
honest, and intelligent, he would send for him at once.
"I wonder," I said, "whether our host is an authority on honesty."
Mr. Neville laughed.
"The same thought struck me; but, as we are armed, I don't think there
is anything to fear."
"Well, he won't be here for some time yet; and I want to ask your
opinion on a serious matter."
"Fire ahead, Victor."
I then proceeded to lay bare my plan with regard to Quarovitch; Mr.
Neville listened in silence.
"It is rather an extraordinary proposal," he said.
I remember that we were both silent for a considerable time after that
and then he said suddenly:
"I agree with you about Quarovitch; he is, I should say, a most
honourable man, but would he accept the trust? You would have to tell
him that you were a Rudarlian, even then it remains to be seen whether
he will consent to receive, from a civilian, the money that should come
from his government. I cannot say, although personally, in his place I
should."
"Then," I cried joyfully, "you think I can do it, you advise it?"
"I leave it to you, partner," said Mr. Neville, smiling.
"Oh, bother bridge, I feel that I shall never play again with any
pleasure; can't you ever declare?"
"Not on this hand. I should say, however, that you might make it no
trumps; you have the three aces--health, wealth, and enthusiasm."
"But the kings are against us, with perhaps the fourth ace."
"And that is?" asked my companion.
"Luck," said I, "but I'll risk it."
"How much do you propose offering him?"
"Five thousand; that should last until I come again."
"Always look ahead," said Mr. Neville, but he would say nothing more
about the sum I had named.
A few moments after this, the host returned; with him was a man, a
splendid looking fellow, with the free bearing and controlled muscles of
a mountaineer.
I spoke to him in Rudarlian, telling him that we wished for a guide over
the mountains; did he know of a way other than the main road? Yes, he
did.
Was it possible to work down by that route into the plains? Yes, it
was. Would he be content with so much? Yes, he would. What would be
necessary for the trip? He informed us that we must take food and
drink; if we had luggage, a pony to carry it. That was all as far as he
could suggest.
"What do you think, Mr. Neville?" I asked in English.
"H'm. He looks like a brigand, but then they mostly do to English eyes;
I think I should engage him."
I did. He would, he assured us, see about a pony, and all the necessary
things we needed, if we cared; also we must provide ourselves with rugs,
for the night.
"Indeed," said I, "why did you not mention that before?"
"I did not know that your Excellencies proposed starting at midday."
This had only been mentioned just before, so that the answer seemed
good; but I could not help feeling a slight anxiety, as the host was so
extremely unprepossessing. I almost wished that we had asked
Quarovitch.
I gave Piotr, as the man was called, the necessary instructions, bidding
him wait for us with his purchases at the inn; then we walked along to
the low, whitewashed building, used as the barracks.
From Melanov, little could be seen of Rudarlia, though the place was
high up, as the main road twisted round the side of an eminence,
blocking the view. There was nothing therefore to look at, as the one
street was empty save for a stray dog or so.
My thoughts were in a turmoil, as we strolled along. How was I to
broach the subject to the Colonel? Perhaps he would give me an opening.
He was seated at a table by the only window in the room; as we entered,
a subaltern saluted and passed out.
"Ah, messieurs, I am glad indeed to see you," said the Colonel, rising
from his chair, and warmly shaking our hands. "I hope my outburst last
evening did not alarm you, you must forgive an old man, who finds it
difficult to keep his temper sometimes."
"You did not alarm us at all, it was most justifiable."
"In fact," chimed in Mr. Neville, "so much so that it induced my friend
here to come to you this morning, to ask for a half-hour or so of your
time."
"Delighted, delighted; but I do not see the connection between the two."
"Then," said I, feeling desperately uneasy, "I must explain, if you will
give me permission."
"Please take a chair, and make yourselves as comfortable as these
quarters permit."
He pulled his own chair round as we seated ourselves, and held out a box
of cigarettes to us.
"I cannot offer you cigars like the ones I smoked last night," he said
apologetically.
"Now," he continued when we had lighted them, "an hour, or two hours, as
you will."
"I don't think it will take long, at least I hope not. You will
remember saying last night that the present government in Rudarlia left
the army in an almost necessitous state, almost without clothing and
food?"
"That is so," said Quarovitch, with a perplexed look.
"It struck me," I said, after a moment's hesitation, "that a man like
yourself, with a certain sum of money, might do a great deal to
alleviate such conditions among the men under your command."
"So he might, but I thought I made it sufficiently plain that I was
without private means."
"You did; therefore, I have come to offer them to you, or rather to ask
you to accept for your troops a sum of money from me."
He looked from me to Mr. Neville, with an inquiring lift of his
eyebrows.
"No," I said, smiling, "I am not mad, but I am intensely interested in
everything Rudarlian; and, if you could see your way to be banker for
your troops, you would place me enormously in your debt."
"It is impossible, of course," he said quietly. "Rudarlia is in a bad
way, I admit, but her army cannot be paid by an Englishman or any other
foreigner. I thank you for your offer, but it is impossible."
He rose from his seat as though to terminate our conversation. He was
angered, hurt too, by what he no doubt looked upon as an unwarrantable
intrusion on my part; I felt that he looked upon me as one who had taken
advantage of his outburst of the previous evening.
"One moment, Colonel, before you decide," I said. "You feel, no doubt,
that my offer is almost, if not quite an impertinence; believe me, I
anticipated that view, I have therefore to confess to misinforming you.
I am not an Englishman; although brought up there, I, like yourself, am
a Rudarlian. This is my first visit to my country since my babyhood;
now you see why your words yesterday had so much effect upon me."
He looked at me a trifle suspiciously.
"Stevens is not a Rudarlian name," he said.
"No," broke in Mr. Neville, "but Stefan is, I believe."
"So! you have astonished me, monsieur. You were taken away as a baby,
you say?"
"I think so, I am not quite sure."
"If you will pardon my interrupting, Colonel," said my companion, "but
Monsieur Stefan knows little of his birth or childhood. There are
reasons, grave reasons, why he should remain in ignorance until his
majority in a few months' time. I, however, give you my word that he is
a Rudarlian by birth."
"I did not doubt it, monsieur. I was staggered for the moment at the
idea of anyone making such a proposal; even now, that I know him to be
my countryman, I do not see my way to accept his offer."
"May I ask why?" I said despondently. "I had hoped so much to do
something for our army."
"Think, Monsieur Stefan, how could it be explained that I, a penniless
man, had accepted money to pay my troops? They would say immediately
that my nest was feathered too, and what reason do you suppose would be
accredited to the gift? Why, to buy their loyalty."
"Who for?" I asked quickly.
Colonel von Quarovitch looked puzzled.
"H'm! That is rather difficult to answer; they would say, most likely,
that you were the emissary of Russia, Austria, or Bornia; most probably
the latter, since they are our neighbours."
His argument was certainly sound; and I searched my brains for a
solution.
"Don't you ever speculate, Colonel?" I asked.
"Eh?"
"I thought you had invested a certain sum, a little while ago, in some
rubber company."
"Eh?" he said again.
Mr. Neville chuckled.