Not Peace, But a Sword; OR, THE CHOICE OF MASIA KOVALEVSKI.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 283, 28 November 1896, Page 1 (Supplement)

Not Peace, But a Sword; OR, THE CHOICE OF MASIA KOVALEVSKI.

A NIHILIST STORY,

J3T HILDA RATH BOBS-,

[all rightm reserved,]

CHAPTER XXIII

The Qdkst ok a Modekn Knight Errant. The same day Ivan obtained an interview with the warder already mentioned, formerly a serviag man of his father's and a soldier in the regiment he had commanded.

Potolsbi's chief fears were leet the iucter should refuse to give him the required help and information, or even, owing to the peculiar arrangements of the Petropaulovski fortress, should wholly ignore the prisoners' place of interment. Fortune, however, favoured him in this matter, for it so happened fchut Lavreteki and his half-brother, Andro Karenine, were both employed on the staff of the Troubstekoi Rave'yn, tha portion of the prison specially consecratod to thc«e under Bontonce ot death, and wero, in fact, in charge of the very cells occupied by Kovalevaki and his daughter. The regulations of this particular dungeon exacti.-.ir that no gaoler fihall enter a prinon cell save in the company of another, it foil to tha duty of these two men to visit tho colis together. The Petropaulovski Prison, that vast; and gloomy fortress, ' gorged with tho best blood of Russia,' is situated on the bauks of Neva, in the very heart of St. Petersburg, the very centre of that same tyranny of which it is ono of the main supporting bulwarks and bastions. Over its entrance aa over Danto's Heil might well be written ' Laaciato Ogni Speranza voi chi eutrato.'

To enler hero ia indeed to enter among the lost, for few who pass bunoath ever return by ite gloomy portals, save to clio or suffer fresh tortures.

Individuals have even been cent here unknown to any save those whoso interest ib was to inter thorn, wheso very names have never boon divulged, evon to tboir gaolers,and who henceforth practically lost and .load for ever to all thdir friends and relations, to their fellow prisoners, and all within tho precincts of tlio fortress, wero only known as a number. To captives condemned to solitary confinement, all intercourse with their fellow prisoners or oven their warders is forbidden, a prohibition which is enforced with singular vigour and circumspection. To all save thomselvos and their Maker these unfortunates have lontr since practically censed to oxist, their identity completely merged and losb beneath a cnsaningles? iiguro. Kara in old day* ol mediaeval injustice, whan tli9 law was as yet too feeble or too corrupt to interfere in such matter?, tho Cz'irs of Russia were wonb to inter those unhappy individuals of whose preeooco, for so.:,e reason nr other, they desired to be disembarrassed ; and the march of civilisation, which in happiur countries has put an end to euch horrors, in the Potropaulnvski fortress haa merely replaced those solitary political offenders by scores of Nihilist martyrs. A political prison under purely military nsanngernont and jurisdiction, men and women with nil tho cull.vie and refinement of the 10th contury aro still called upon to enuuro barbarity and injustico only worthy of the dark ages.

It was hero that on tho fatal r.i;;;ht;, already described. Masia and her futhor had boon conducted, and the following morning tried bi'foro v military tribunal, after the futal result of which trial they had been removed, not to thoir formot colls, miserable enough in all conscience, but rituatod, nevertheless*, in the less insanitary part <f the turtle??, but to ihe colls of tho^e coadamned to dip, in the Troubetskoi Ravolyn.tho foulest, purfc oi the prison. Meanwhilo Ivan had no small difficulty in obtaining an interview with Luvreiski, and, once having done ?n, found it yet harder to broach tho subjoct of which alone he was thinking.

Bub thero hud always cxietod in his relations with the latlor, something of that cordial and affectionate familiarity which in Russia is very easily established between an old servant and tho eon of his mister. Lavrotski had never married. Hard, grim and rtbiconb in speech, appearance and manner, amongst; women lie had npvor known how to express or inspire affection, and perhaps tho groanost spot in hia somewhat) barren nature was hia affoction for the family of Ma former master. Ho had, however, ono other vulnerable point. Naturally cautious, reserved and prudont, and but li'tle givou to excesses of any sorb, advancing years and a solitary and psmewhsib aimless cxista^eo had nevertheless developed in him one of fcboaa passions which ago itself ia less prone to soothe than intensify, ho inclined to become a miser. Ivan now half dm consciously appealed to both these tender points in his disposition when, after a few minutes somewhat aimgoss conversation, he saw fife to inform Lavretski of tho fate of the Kovslevskts, and of his own personal anxiety ; which he, indeed, betrayed sufficiently in face, voice and manner, and ended by offering him n. far larger reward than he could well afford to oiler if the latter would give him any information on this particular subject.

Lavrotski at first boldly denied any knowledge of the prisoners, but, after much demur, under further pressure, ab laet conceuted to divulge lii« sccrer.

But when Pobolski, offering to double bho promised sum, further begged the old gaoler to obtain him an interview with Masia, he stoutly refused, entering into a long-sus-tained and healed argument on all tho risks he would incur thereby ; the game was nob worth the candle. His foars, objoctions and scruples appeared po strong that Potolski more than once waa almost tempted to despair of obtaining his object. But, to-night, he appeared endowed with a certain courage of despair, a certain dogged resolution and persistence, which defied every possible obstacle and gave him a strange new power, ali which he himself was astonished, n«d which did nob fail to exert its influence even on the cold and impenetrable Lavrebski. The rewaid, moreover, to be perfectly candid, o» fchia is c truthful story and deals nob with pure ideals, was not without its attractions, and to bins second yob harder request of Ivan's the old man ab laab re'uetantly coasunted. They now evolved a plan which appeared to reduce the necessary risks to a minimum.

It was agreed that Fotolski should borrow the clothea of Andre Kavenine, Lavretfki's hail-brofcher.and t"ke bis place for the moment. The latter nead not be told more than waß necessary, and there was small fear of ill-timed opposition on his part. He waa completely under the dominion of his elder brother, having ah one time been guilty of a serious infringement of those prison regulations to which the warders are subject, an offence of which Lavrebski alone was cognisant, but which, if discovered, would havo aaaure<% secured him a very severe retribution. His tongue could therefore be easily tied if necessary, and it would not be difficult to make him absent himeo'f for a while, should hie absence be required. It- is true nhat Ivan was rnllor, fairer, broader shouldered and more strongly and stoutly built than the man he meant to inuiorsonats. but in the di<» twilizbb of the

prison corridors, this would not greatly matter. He could wrap up to the eyes if necessary. The cold and damp air of the fortress gave plentiful excuse for so doiDg.

Communications were rare amongst the prison officials, when on duty, the atmosphere of the place lending itsalf but little to gaiety or fiivolity, and should anynne perchance address them it would probably bo sufficiently easy for Lavretski to answer for his brother. Nevertheless, it would not be wise for Ivan to play the roie cf Andre any longer than was necessary to übiain hia interview with Masia. He must nob on any consideration retain the disguise till morning.

The exact spot where the change of clothes could be effected, on entering and Quitting; the prison, the hour which would be most likely to prove favourable to the enterprise, and offer least probability of inconvenient encounters, all the details and circuznsi&ncea of the projected plot, were discussed and arranged with masterful forethought and precision. Ib was six in the evening before Por.olski fini -bud his conversion with Lavretski, whose duties now compelled him to leave i.he young officer, who had been with him more than an hour.

CHAPTER XXIV,

Tub Pathway of Tears,

It was nob till nearly nine that Potolsk ! had agreed to meet Lavret&ki in the neighbourhood of the prison. There was etill nearly three hours of cruel suspense and endurance to bo got; through after some fashion before he could attain his object. It was not worth while returning to hia lodgings, nor had he the heart to do so. Fqually impossible did it seem to him at fhub moment to reaorfe to the house of a friemi. or eeek distraction in one of the numerwua theatres, whose doors were already oponinc „ Dos-pite the bitter cold and the darkness, for tho days were then at their shortest, he confined himself to wandering aimlessly ; through the lighted streets of the city, and hauntine the public parks and bridges. Every few minutes ha looked at his watch, or asked the time of somo pas*er by, that he might compare his own, morbidly anxious leat the latter should bo in error and ha should thereby miss tho appointed hour. Pausing awhile on one of the bridges, beneath which a hole had been made in the ice tor some reason or another, ho gazed at the brilliant reflection of tho stars shining far, far away, deep down below the calm untroubled surface ot ''he river. Could ho bun see her once again and plunge immediately into the dark and silent watera, how easily all would be ended. Would it nob after all bo ft fair solution of the matter? Was there anything left to live for? Trite thought and commonplace reflection. Hackneysd situation likewieo, already worn threadbare by romance and the drama, and vulgarised by reality and the common use of (ho plebiscite, by whom it is most generally affected, being more especially in vogue amongst the humblo and outcast, and those whose name society never mention* and sweeps up her skirts in passing, to whom she seldom ranches an ungloved hand and rarely addresses save from the !of y pedestal of philanthropic eolf-rightoousness, nnd boldly describes aa lo«h, though nob lost, perhaps, to their Futhor. Yes, in truth, a hackneyed enough position, yot ono which, like many other hackneyed and commonplace things, is only coiumonpluco to the spectator, but ever fraught with terrible, new and vivid significance for each fresh human soul to whom for the rin=fc time the idlo tale becomes a bitter and living reality, and to whom, in that hour, it is pcant consolation to reflect that hia case la tho case of thousands ; oven though I his li'O bo a poor oi>e, and tl;o young muv talk, light-y of dying, moro especially when they are strong and happy; (md such talk forms a fashionable par-time, the ordinarily constituted human being must indeed have reached a pitch of misery linrd even to imagine ere ha Gipa the ills ho knows of in order to cope, ill equipped, ! with otbura of which he knows absolutely no tiling. Then suddonly rang out on the stillness in tho cold, clear, s-ilenfc moonlight, far above him, far ,'ibovo tho dull, subdued roar of the atill busy and crowded street?, that camo to him "softened by distance, the chimos of the prison clock, the voice which alone recalls the out-fide world to those buried within its dreary precincts, alono mark? for them tho march of that time which, for many, iong ago has consed to : exi^t ofcn!l or bo of the faintest significance. It announced the hour of eight;. Although he had been awaitingishesound, ! Potalski started and shivered slightly. In another hour ho was to meet Lavrereki. In little more ho might be faco to face with the vifeion that had haunted him since tha | morning. A little Liter ,n truth, he was following Lavrotpki, who carried a small j dark lantern through a series of winding vaults and package* vthero ab noonday the light never penetrates and which now were in perfect obscurity. The air in the prison J seemed almost moro damp and chill than that ho had recently matted, and possessing in addition the roustinosa of confinement; he drew his cloak more closely around him. Ou entering tho vast gloomy buildings of the prison, it almost seemed to his sick fancy for a moment as though ho himself wora bidding fnrcwoll forever to life and daylight and liberty. And el-ill fcho passages continued. Ah, now they wero descending ; and gradually, as they descended, a low, dull, monotonous roar grew ever louder in their ears ; that must be tho sound of tho rivor, and these must be the underground cells of those condemned to die, bolow tho level of the Neva. Was this then where they had taken her? The passages seamed to grow n«rro*rer, the mof to descend more every momanb, till in some places they could barely hold themsolves erect, while they continually collided with the walls on eithor uitlo from which water appeared to be trickling slowly. Every now and again a rat scampered from beneath their feeb, and disappeared into one of tha chinks of tho flooring. At last Lavrotski stopped, and seemed to be fumbling with something, when suddenly a durk cavity appearod to open in the wall before them, tho murmur of water grew more distinct, and a sound of rabs could be heard, scattering in all directions. The cavity turned out to be a door nome five fecb high, through whid> Lavrotski disappeared stooping, beckoning to Potolalci to follow, which the latter, owing fco his r;''<?ater height, did with considerable j difficulty. Tho lantern-bearer now came to a stand still, and from where bo Bbaci behind him, as coon as his "yes grew accustomed to the prevailing gloom, which fche dim light) of the lantern merely served to convert from gross darkness into peoii-obscurity, Potolski could take in the picture. He was in a cell some eight feeb long by six broad, with walls of roughly hewn stone, whose damp mouldering coiling (less than seven feeb high) seemed almost to descend upon him and gave him a sensation of choking. It rose only a few inches above his head, he could barely hold himself uprighb, Opposite him a narrow dark casemeab, heavily coated with the d,usb of years, through ■ which the shadows of the massive iron bars outsida were merely discernible by greater darkness, formed the only apparent outlook of the chamber, if ib indeod wero nob a pomewhab cruel irony to bestow on ib any i puoh title.

Beneath him wqb a broken, uneven brick floor, worn into endless hill.? and furrows by the silent trump of the centuries, full of chinks and crannie?, through ono of which,

between the bricks at his feefe, a startled rat was rapidly disappearing. The air of the cell was chill and foul and damp, and from the walls dirty water was perpetually oozing. There seemed not a particle of furniture in the rui^erable hole, neither chair, nor bed, nor t .ble. Then Lavretslji moving for n moment, Potoloski suddenly became aware of a miserable etruw mabtress placed on the bare floor, on OP9 end of Which a woman waa crouching, bt*r arms crossed on her breast convulsively clasping some threadbare covering acios3 her trembling shoulder?.

Her features were pale and dra^n with cold and suiienng, and amidst their prevailing pallor her dark, startled eyes looked preteniaturally large and brig!?* as they gazad apprehensively into the dii» twilight to discover tha intruder.

Could this indeed be Masia? He bad little citne left for doubting. "Ivan, is that you,' she suddenly exclaimed, while the chords of her voic9 vibrated with a deep undercurrent, the soul's great cry of joy, indescribable in its pathos. Lavrotski stepped silently back into the passage and closed the door behind him. The giri still wore' the dress in which she had been captured, with no addition save the slain woollen counterpane which formed the only covering of the prison bed. and which she had borrowed to conceal her bare shoulders when that morning Ehe attended the trial, while for warmth she had BtUl retained it.

4 Masia ! you here V Potolski ab last found strength to übter. ' And you, what brings you, Ivan ? -what foolieh risks are you running V exclaimed the girl, ac her dark eyes filled with brimming tears, and the caressing tondernesa in her voice belied the severity of her language, 'ilasia, how could I stay away? Oh, can you ever forgive me ?' ' What have I to forgive you, Ivan ?' 'Oli, everything, but it -was not I who betrayed you.1 11 never believed ib for a moment.'

There was a brief silence between them ; and now they were standing- oogethar, but Lavretski did not overhear nheir. conversation, and prison walls tell no secrets. Ivan epoko to her of her mother and. of his love for herself, to which was now added a strange new reverenco and pity, arid she understood he had never ho iofed her as in that, moment.

'Nay, do not pity me,'she. exclaimed at length, endeavouring vainly to express a thought past all expression. ' It) has always, .•cvinad to mo one could never have happir nt;bß without pain, and if I lived a fchouearwl years I could nob be happier than at this moment.'

' Oh, do nofc talk like tha* or you 'will brock my heart, Masia. You are an angel, and co you think all this, bus as for :me, I cannot, I can only think of the ci'u.f)! fate that awaits you, of how soon all will be ended. It seeims to me that it iB an evil god, noi a gooii deity, that rule* th/j world, ; rewards duty with pain, and tortures us tor ' Hii pleasure. Has Ho nofc, ac a cat p'aya i with a mouse, only shown us the true meaning of happiness that he may the better snatch ib away from us, tlvxb he may the better torment us. Where is your God, Mafia, of whom rau are always talking V 'Nay, do nob despair, Ivan Stepanovitch,' rang oat* in a tone of prophetic authority the claar strong voice cf iVlaaisu, its deep chords fcneinbiing jtvith passioa, as gently pressing hfm a little way back trom her, with a hand on either shoulder, her dark, eoul-stirring ga/.e seemed to pass right out beyond him, and lose itself in the infinite. Doubtless already physical suffering and privation had sharpened the edge of the spiiib. 'For us,' she continued, 'there will be another existence, where those who only seek to act aright will nob bo condemned to perpetually strive raith each other, where those v/iio do well vnif. not bo punished tor doing it, where wo tshail belong to each other—and, at; least, Ivan, in this world or the nexfc wo will hawe »io more tnisui'iderstanding?. If you cannot even now understand all that I do, «ab least; you will nob misjudge me If you will but trust me, as I trust you, thon neither life nor death,, nor anything else, can come bacween us. Oh, say,' she continued anxiously, ' do we nob now understand each-other? Ara we not one in spirit V The young officer was silent for a moment, his grave eyes earnestly benb upru her, while in the troubled obscurity of bheir depths feebly struggled the first faint gleam and dawning of the light of that- larger sphere that was suddenly let in upon him. Then hesitating slightly. 4 No, I do nob say that I understand you, Masia,' he at la*t Btuinmered alowly unu painfully, 'No, I cannot cay that I understand you,1 ha repeated sadly, 'but neither do I understand the D<eity, nor many other things that are beyond ma. Bub I love and trust you entirely. Surely, surely.' he added, hnlf to himself, as though in troubled soliloquy, ' there must be something in a faith that inspires such devotion that a eairi^ like you can die for, I could not myself do more for my Czar and my country.' i But at that moment a furtiva knocking at the door reminded the r,wo that their brief lease was already expended. Potolfki promptly recalled the preconcerted signal and his own solemn promise of obedience. He bid Masia a brief and bitfcor farewell, and thon a moment later tho heavy sliding door with its iron bolta pud bats had abut out irrevocably the last fair gloam of human joy nnd gladoess that was ever destined to brighten the dark, tragic end of Masio. On his return home, Potaiski found nn order awaiting him bidding him, on the morrow, superintend the execution of Michael Kovaleski and his daughter, in conjunction with and under the orders of Lieutenant Boric Doblinbov, in grade his inferior officer. Ib was the only punishmenb the Czu\ in his mercy, saw fie to inflicb upon the faithful and loyal subjecb, whoso only crime had been to love a suspect maiden.

{To be Continued.)