Eγ Neva's Waters.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 65, 16 March 1908, Page 8

Eγ Neva's Waters.

Being an Episode of the Secret History of Alexander the First, Czar of All the Bnssias.

BY JOHN R. CARLING. AUTHOK OF '"THE SHADOW OF THE CZAE." "THE VIKING'S SKULL " "THE WEIED PICTUXE. ,

AUTHOK OF C -XHE SHADOW OF THE CZAE." "THE VIKING'S SKULL " "THE WEIED PICTUXE. ,

CHAPTER XVl.—(Continued.)

CHAPTER XXn. A VOW TO ST.Ay

. Entering the chamber, the ministers stond in a respectful semi-circL? at a little distance from Alexander, who was seated at a table. Beside him was his mother, the ex-Empress llary, whose pres?Q. s iL w _ ce a n?w feature at ministerial meeting's. She scarcely deserved the dis•ldam.'* applied to her she had not yet reach- ■■ "d year, and still remagnificent beauty of : wore a troubled look; t he and his mother had been divided upon som-e question, and her barely suppressed smile of triumph showed in whose lavour the dispute had encicd. For a few moments the Emp.?ror did not sneak. His head was turned to a large window that commanded a view of the vast crowd outside, whose voices had all joined in singing the national anthem. The Czar? eyes kindled as hi? listened. His people were with him —whom, then, should he fear? "■ 'Tis a loyal crowd," said the Empressmother. '"Loyalty to the Czar,"' broke in Pahlen. "should also include loyalty to the minister? appointed by him. I make request. Sire, that a certain picture be withdrawn from the front of the Orphan Asylum." "For what reason?" said the Empress. "Does it not tell the truth?" '"It has made us ministers odious in the eyes of the people. They have attempted our life." "Terrible !"' said the Empress. "One may kill a Czar, but when it comes to killing a minister " She paused, as if unable to express in words the enormity of such a deed. "But." continued she. "this is a matter over which the Czar hath no jurisdiction. The Orphan Asylum is ray own private property, and if T choose to decorate ita exterior with a historic picture, who shall

say mc nay?" "My mother speaks truly." =aid Alexander. "If you would kave the picture

■withdrawn, it is to her you must addres= your persuasions." '""You will choose, Sire." said Pahlen, "between the removal of the picture or the resignation of your chancellor." The Empress laughed contemptuously. "Chancellors are cheap enough!" The singing of the national anthem having now come to an end. was superseded by various cries, the most frequent being. "Down with the Ministry!" "The voice of the people is the voicS of God,"' said the Empress. "Go forth! Show yourself! Give them the answer they desire. Tell them that the Czar and justice are the same words." Her authority over the Emperor was great, and she seemed pleased that the ministers should see it. He rose, walked to the window, and, opening it, stepped out upon the balcony. - No sooner was he seen than the air rang with cries of greeting. The lifting of the Czar's hand was like the lifting of a magic wand. An instant hush fell upon the crowd. "Good-day, my children."' "Good-day, Little Father!"' '"What is your will with me?"' -— Almost before the words had left the Czar's lips, a man, evidently desirous of shaping the people's answer, cried— "Justice on the regicides!" The cry was immediately taken up; it rolled from mouth to mouth through the length and breadth of the crowd, and was repeated again and again—■ "Justice on the regicides!" Then, as if surprised by their own 'boldness, the crowd became quiet again, waiting for the Czar's answer. Would he grant the request thus irregularly made ?

Alexander hesitated for a moment, as if reflecting, and then replied— "Depart quietly to your homes. The Czar will do justice."' With simple and touching faitli the crowd accented this assurance of the Imperial tribune. "The I.inle Father will punish the murderer;: Hourra! Hourra! Mow let us go. He will not let his word fall ground.*' Alexander, believing that his own withdrawal would accelerate the departure of the crowd, turned and entered thp council chamber. He seemed to have derived fresh courage from this brief interview with his people. His air of restraint had vanished: ho spoke with authority and dignity. "Messieurs les Ministies. it must ever be the aim of a ruler to hold by the good-will of his subjects. Yon see for .yourselves that I shall forfeit that goodTrill by retaining you in office. It behoves mc, therefore, for the sake of publ:c peace, to dispense with your services. "Perhaps," he continued, as if desirous of softening the humiliation of this dismissal, "perhaps at some future day—it may be—that——" Here he paused, not willing- to make a rash promise. "In t-hu-s dismissing us." said Pahlen. "you break your written pledge." "Not so. My pledge to retain you in bffiee was made dependent upon mv father - ? deposition. But you took from him not his crown only, but his life. As you have broken faith with mc, I count it no wrong to break faith with you. Gentlemen., you will retire from *the city to your country seats." "No greater punishment than that!" .

Baid t'.ir- Emnrcss. "And there await my further pleasure."' Alexander added. The discomfited ministers withdrew. '"Trie slave of his mother," sneered BenrririgHTi. "Our power i.-. over. DiaJri?pn! to-day, to-morrow Siberia, if that old h.i£ has her way." Tlie ministers gone, Alexander turned a gratified faco upon the Empress. ' Mo'.b r. you have done well." he said.' to kiss her. "Thanks to a pie|uro 1 t-njoy a sen?;e of freedom unknown beforp. Who is the artist that " r '•"'i , ' ub such good service?"' "The Englishman. Oourtenav " Tlu- Czar's faon fell. His new-'fonnd n!mc Ure vaDisfaed be heard that

"And Ouvaroff. you say. is Paul's son?" remarked Paulino. "A natural son. of course? It was long suspected—the. likeness between the two was so remarkable —but Ouvaroff himself appears to have been almost the last to learn it. and that at a dreadful moment. Poor Ouvaroff! Xo wonder he looked so ghastly and wild next morning! Do you know he has not been seen since that df!T?"

"A pity that, for there was a matter I would fain discuss with him," said Wilfrid.-thinking of the night at the Silver Birch.

"No one knows where he is. Rome say that in penitence he has turned monk," And, then, coming back to the subject of the picture again, she continued, "And you didn't fear to set your name to the picture?"

"Feaj! Do you take mc for Alexan der?' .

Pauline thought it prudent to ignore this reflection upon her hero. She could not help inwardly a-cknowledging that while Alexnder had walked in darkness assenting to a course of deceit in the. matter of his father's death. Wilfrid, though well aware that grim fortresses and Siberian mines.awaited those who should give umbrage to ministers, had not shrunk from proclaiming the truth in the light of day.

"Three months' toil'" she said, her eyes round with wonder. "Did you do all this without hope of reward"? from a mere abstract love of justice?"

"No-—o! not exactly. I am to receive a .sort of—of douceur," said Wilfrid.

"Very much douce," he added, with a .'mile. "It's nature? Your pardon, Baroness. You shall know, but not yet. After it has been received."

Pauline thought Wilfrid was becoming very mysterious all at once. It was hard for her to put a curb upon her curiosity. After a short pause she murmured with a glad light in her eyes:

"Well, thanks to you. Benningsen ami Pahlen have ha-d to go."

"True," grumbled: Wilfrid, but it's rather mortifying to find that one result of my work is to confirm in office thf very man whose confusion both you and I desire to see. Count Baranoff, having had no part in Paul's murder, is not included in the list of disgraced ministers, and still retains his post." (To be continued daily.)

On the day following the dismissal of the Pahlen -Ministry, Wilfrid received a visit at his hotel from Pauline; a welcome visit, for Wilfrid was not so stupidly enamoured of the Grand Duchess as to be altogether insensible to the charms of other fair ladies, and Pauline with her bright smile, looked very charming indeed at that moment. "1 have been on two days' visit to Peterhof," said she, -'and returned only this morning to find all the city talking about you and your pictorial feat. 1 offer you my congratulations. You are a maker of history/ she continued admiringly. "Ma. foil if some of the ladies of St. Petersbnrg couJd only see you no-w! How they would envy mc my friendship with le bray' Anglais!" Wilfrid's mind turned to the one lady. Would she feel envy, he wondered, could she have seen Pauline at this moment jn confidential chat with him? "Xow at last," continued Pauline, "I have learned why for three months you lave lived an unsocial life, working mysteriously in an attic at the top "of the hotel, and why. whenever I have called, you have looked cross at my coming, and glad of my going; and " '"I assure you, Baroness," began Wilfrid, laughinjf, '"thai " "Hush!"' said Pauline, raising her forefinger playfully. "Don't say it wasn't so. I am not blaming you. You were engaged on a noble work." Naturally, Pauline was all curiosity to know whence he had learned the true account of Paul's death. Wilfrid enlightened her; but, desirous of keeping his love-story a secret, he referred to the Empress' intermediary as "a lady whose name I do not know, because she declined to give it"—herein stating nothing but what was true. '"The Empress Mary," he explained was very desirous that I should repeat the feat done by mc at Paris. There, though my paintbrush failed in upsetting a government, it might succeed here in upsetting a ministry; and, you see, it has done so."' "But how came you to hit off the likenesses so well, for I am told the faces were perfect portraits?"

"'That's easily explained. You know that for the space of a fortnight Paul's body lay in state in iSt. George's Hall. Twice a day the and the ministers hpard mass beside the bier. By favour of the Empress i was provided -with a eoipn of vantage. where. unobserved, I could take surreptitious sketches of the ministers, to be reproduced on canvas. "When the picture' was finished. I placed, by preconcerted arrangement, a blue lamp in my attic window, and that same nijrht the picture was fetched away by two men. Xow you know the whole story." he said in conclusion. "My patroness, the Empress, I have never seen; and, as for her fair intermediary, I have seen her but once only, namely on that strange night in the Michaelhof."'

"Rut, "objected Pauline, "if you attended the masses held in St. George's Hall, you must have seen the Empress ilaj-y eve Tγ dar."

"Doubtless, and the young Czaxina as well, and the Imperia.l Princesses. But I don't call it seeing a woman when her face is covered with a mourning veil." In truth, Wilfrid from his secret place of espial had breathed anything but a blessing upon the heavy veils worn by the Court ladies on the occasion in question, since the wearing of them prevented him from identifying the mysterious Duchess who, he doubted not, formed one of the group.