WHEN I WAS CZAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12362, 29 August 1903, Page 3 (Supplement)

WHEN I WAS CZAR.

I [PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL AEKANGEMENT.] j

BY ARTHUR W. MAROHMONT. Author of "By Right of Sword," " In the •' Name of a Woman," etc. i CHAPTER XVl.—(Continued.) That Helga was deeply moved she could not hide from me. She ' stood with lowered head, her bosom heaving, her lips trembling as she bit them, and her fingers interlocked, until, with a deep sigh, she appeared to come to a decision, when she lifted her face and answered 'steadily— " I do not pretend not to understand you; but I cannot, and will not accept your help. You must go away;" "I will not take that answer, and I will not leave you." I spoke as I felt, quite resolved on that point. . , The answer pleased her,, and the hardness" ■ of her face relaxed. * • : ': «.■-.• :V;..-'-r-v; 1 :;':': "You are very obstinate," she said, and her. eyes were almost smiling ; certainly ; the light in them was soft. * • ,• '•. :■'.; " It doesn't matter what we call it. ■'It i& the thing that matters. Tell me frankly why you try to. refuse my help." ; . She did not answer directly, and her eyes were troubled. i " Yes, I will tell you. You have a- right' i to know," and she recrossed the room to her I former place. I followed to mine. '-'■ i. "How far would you go with your help V'. > she asked, leaning her chin on her "hand and i gazing at me earnestly. •- • , - ■■:; v " I should like to know what that look has behind it, but I can answer the question only in one "Way. I wish you! to be my wife, Helga, and let me help you at <avery turn, in life. -v"i love you." * ''And know nothing of me." "I know that you are'the one woman' the world holds for 'me. •; That is enough ; for me to know." " •.■■■'■. ' "You saw me yesterday ' for the first time." , ■'" It will be the same when yesterday-is ten or twenty years old. It is no ; question of mere time." ; ■" Yetl am not as other women." . "I don't love the other women." ~ ■■■ * "I do not mean that. You know, I mean I am not a, good i.w juiian—as women are counted good." .;' • '" I am accustomed to form my own judgments and to trust them.' ' , - < "I should only ruin you. It is impossible." ' - -.'■"•" Wait until I am ruined: and.,thenf see. But you would; not ruin - me;;.< on the- contrary, I should save you from ruin." ■ '. "You are very self-confident." ' . " Because I love you." , < -The directness of the reply seemed • to please her, for she smiled. "You are very concise, monsieur." "This is no ftime to 'waste words.,- We have a crisis to face." ' • She paused, and her face hardened little as if in defiance. > " I Lave been wooed before— you realise that?" , " You have not been won." ■ i "I mean I have led men on to woo me and have jilted them." "You did not love '.hem." - " You mean—" she began, with a Hash of her eyes which changed to a smile as she stopped abruptly'. '•:-, It died away when I said nothing,' and the air of -defiance returned. "It is that you, will hot understand me. '■" I did it to use them for the purpose of my life —and when they were of use no longer J flung them away." " Then why not use me?" "I meant to—at first," and she threw up her head. "Why not at last then?" "Ah, you drive me«to speak so plainly. I .tell:'you I am bad—bad to the core, heart- ■ less, heedless, sexless, if you will, where my ■ revenge is concerned. -Now will you go?" ;■■ "No." ;;•■•; ' ,: '.■"Well, then; if you will have the full truth, you shall. S"i> long as I lihought you were the Emperor I set myself with all my woman's wit and cunning to mijfce you love me. I planned it, schemed for it, and, , knowing. all that it might meaify I .yearned: for it. I told you 1' would havfem-lde any j sacrifice to have won your power' to my.side. >■ Now, perhaps,■.■you see how base a thing I ■ am."- ' •'.•■;:'.: •.•■'■• .-; •.;■■.:>.-•.■:-.•'.••. '■ ■■:)]■'.( :■':•.•■';■•'•.•-;.:'--' "Well, you have succeeded, and have .) made me love you—though heaven knows 1 needed no making. What then':'* "My God, will nothing open your eyes .': and drive you from me?" i "One thing; but yon have not said it yet." . . ■ . .;-'-. She looked at ma, and emotion seemed to master her till, she said passionately—; 5 "You are no use to me./ Had you been in i truth the Emperor, as God is my judge, I would have > been your mistress, , But, being what you are, I will not be your wife." - "You are very anxious to blacken youri self in ray eyes," I said after a pause. !'- "You at any, rate shall know the truth . see me for what I am." >' ■'. , .. 1 " Why?" "I wish you to know it." "I will tell you why,, Help. , There are '■ limits even to the recklessness of your selfslander. I have done you mure wrong than ~ I deemed. You have caught yourself in your .' . own . toils and .-.. come- ; . to—to ■;love'- the■„■ Em- i „ ...,..'.|. ■■.;: '.vi.i .-:..- ■■'>,: ! ■[ ::.'-v .■■■'..;:.:.'-■>-■:.■- ,; : peror,". : , ~ . ■■' I spoke slowly and deliberately, and as the words left my lips she started as if; to make some indignant retort, but checked herself and leant back in .her seat, pale , and set, her brows wrinkled in intensely earnest thought. , I .watched he closely,, ," and presently a flush began to spread oyer • her. cheeks, and she said slowly, .without i looking at me—- ■ : '.\ /„-./;, : [ "Why should I deny it? You wish the ; truth and shall have it." I .Then she sat up again and bent forward toward me.~..-,'■' "Yes,.l love you—if love.be too long to , do what you ask, and yet.be strong enough ■ to put all thought of" doing it but. of my [ heart. I do love you, I believe, and yet , I am resolved never to look on your face . again. • I hate you for the deceit you prac- ; tised, which has ruined everything for me . at the very moment when 'all seemed to be ,'. won. And yet"— voice and eyes soften-; ,- ed and she sighed"and yet I—l am glad . you came." "I ask no more'than that'at present. Except leave to ask ; for more ; when »I - have undone the mischief . I have claused. You will grant that?" , ~, " ' "Nono, a hundred times no." "You may make it a million. It will not. alter my resolve." . , She laughed with delicious softness., "Now you know why I will not have -. your help." " Now I do not care. I mean to. force it on'you; will make it necessary to you You have shown mc the road in what you ■ said. Yon will marry me when I,have helped you to revenge upon old Kalkov. '-. Very well." ;"-■'.'.''.'•.'■:-. " "No; I said I would never marry yon." I i "I know you did, but that was because you declaredl was of no use' to you. I will i make myself of use. , I-accept your own terms, and from now on I take hold:'of the thing and. handle it'in my way." -, - - ' ■' , J , "You are very;masterful," she cried. , \\ ;." No; only American. I've : a large ' in- ; 1 terest in it now, and on our side we believe 1 j I in good management. ; ; You've' bungled things awfully, you see ; made a holy mess: of them all round and wasted no end of op- , portunities. For all, I know you may have spoilt every chance. But there's still ; one way, and I shall try that." [ ~. ' "I can manage my own affairs,",she pro-:' tested. ■■'""You can : mismanage them, you mean; I'm too deep in ■ now to trust your methods any longer. We go my way from now." Indeed ; and what is your way?" v i I believe all women at heart like to be .' forced to submit/- and Helga's manner now ' was a curious mixture of the resentment " which' her * pride dictated and pleasure at ! meeting a will just a bit stronger than her own. ■ • "■■'■'■', ,-■ ■ ; "I am going to \ get you to the Emperor ' before the duchess can prejudice him." r "How?" > " Never mind how ; I'm going to do it. What you have to do is to go and get some 1 sleep. You can. have three hours, and then 1 you must be ready to start, and Madame Korvata must be ready too." > , • . . ■"But I—". ■ , , ■ ':,-'',; • "I'm not going to let you talk any more," ! and I got up and opened the door. * J . She rose and laughed with a shrug of the shoulders.. • , -, .-. •■.'.;. :-.■' -■ ..;'■■<.'■.::::•■>■ : :-..■:.. .;■ . ■ .- ■ : ■" ■■. ,; ; . ■•:: '..'" ..::■■.:■'.'. r-.',',',.;...,i ,j,..,,'..-,-•■.

' ' ' ■ ■ ■.•--■:--.,:--■;:•, . =g=B=g ■!" '-ag ; v :;->'■■ : "It's -. new sensation to-be ordered it -this way." '' ' ' , - - , , \2 "In,three hours we shall at*'t, w wM »y reply." ■-..-. .■■■■.■■'■ ... . .;-.\ -..: ', --■<... v. ■:>< "My nerves are tingling with denjre to ■ ■'■'*''• I rebel,'' she said, as she came across the ! room slowly, and when she reached > this j door she stood; and looked at me, smilftig. ! "Do all you Americans make—nialde love in this way?" • ■''; ',';',/":'■ j.- "I'm the business man at present; the * I lover will - come afterwards. ". You won't; ; ' I mistake him when his turn comes." I "Good night, Monsieurl'Emperor," she. cried, her look a challenge and her. whole expression radiant. "You will make the lover rush things, . .' Helga, if you look at the business man uk« ' that. You ought to be asleep already. Goodnight," : "Asleep? After to-night!" ; and with a toss of the nead she was gone. ' * ': ' ~'■■"-' ■ '--■v:''''' '■■' '-' ';■■" i v^--''^' l ": I V-' ! :H'' , ' : .V-;.:',!■■;'?' | CHAPTER XVII. ' | AT THE GATES 01? THE PALACE. ' ' , I As soon as Helga .was gone I sent for .. Ivan, and told him to have everything in , !■ readiness for the start' in three hours' time, and that of course he would go with us. •: ,'*' Where ' are we going, monsieur?"' he ' asked. : "■■■.'"'. ' . .'■''■" I don't know. ," : You spoke of some place* ' where mademoiselle' could safely lie hidden for a while. Which is the safest and nearest to Petersburg?" • . ■ ' ■ ■;" "There is a house in the city itself, in the Square of San Sophia, monsieur quite safe, if the mademoiselle will adopt her old disguise.", . • , "What disguise is that i" ' "A Sister of Charity, monsieur." "Is it safe from both the police and the , brotherhood?" ; . ' "Quite, monsieur," , '~ ■ j ■"Then we could go there Is it ready! for her?",, '■ ■■■..- "I can send on ,i carriage with a couple of the women." .■ ; ■ ■■': ..•--.-.' '/.'."■. "Good; then see to it. at once." , ".' ■ "But if we leave here, there is one thing, monsieur. Have vou forgotten-—the body-. ,-' of Va,tic?" ' ' '.. , - ; ■ . ; "Yes,"Cindeei>, I ■ lia'd forgotten. Go and see to the other things, and I'll think what to do." i; ' ' •' '-" ■ •■■;.■ ' : ;"'--;. i It was a prickly problem '•> truth.. ■ To leaVe it)at Brabinsk out of the questiort; to bury it ; and try to hush the thing up equally impossible; and to take it with us to the city'more hazardous than either. He threatened to be as much trouble to us: dead as alive, -and I smoked a cigar and tried to think the thing out. My intention was: to make a clean hi east . .'.'■'', of the matter to Kalkov, leaving him and ' his police to do what- they liked and I;; ' % \ did not doubt they • would find little diffi- ■ , ,• culty in arranging matteis. > r \ But where should I tell them to look for V the body? To bring them after it to Bray ■• . binsk would only put them on the scent .'•...■ ;, after a result full of dangerous possi- " bilities.-; ■ ■•'-','■■ :_ ■■ ':'■■''■■■'■ ■' >: i ' . Yet how to get it away? It occurred to me that Ivan and I. might, carry it off some miles from the house and hide it in a wood, or pond or somewhere: but tiie ; personal risks /attending «ik-1i -a venture. ; were too considerable, mid in a way un-I'"^.^, necessary." ,'■''■■-- : ■ , * ?<}j Thus in the end I was driven back upon , ' the decision to leave it at Brabinsk : and Ivan and I had to undertake the exceeding- ', ,-i Iv gruesome and revolting task of burying it tinder the floor of a distant outhouse., ' J ( I shall not readily forget that experience. Ivan -was cool enough ; but' for ray -.part - I felt nearly as bad as any murderer could : have felt when seeking to hide the body of his victim, and when I got back to the house a stiff glass nt brand? was .necessary to enable me to shake off the feeling olf chilly horror. ' ' * „ , "lion I had In plan my further. mover ■" -; ments. Roughly, ,lwy intention was to get , , back to the Palacte and obtain /audience s < ! L of the Emperor at- the earliest possible moment, and* beg him to see Helga. , ' , .; Prince Kalkov I did riot wish to see unttl. after that. I took Helga's view of matters,' and believed that if she could get the story .'< of her■! fathers ruin straight to the Emperor : before the Duchess Stephanie could: j .7. influence him, she would succeed in working • • upon his old friendship for,.- her : .;> father ', * .sufficiently at least, to cause some kind of ■ investigation.into the affair. . - But "in thfit we should have to rata - > with. Prince Kalkov, of ooui'sa, ,'«! he y* 1 j would be an ugly enemy. Fig">t he would, naturally, to the last gasp; and his influence, position, and parts would ensure , that suclC a struggle would be a desperate J'i't one. It was like, challenging the whole force of the government, and however good . ~" on* case- might be -there were a hundred ; things likely to arise to deftstt us. men I am.trying to think out a course " coolly I have an unfortunate Imack oi see- • ing all the dangers and obstacles thrpiugh . a kind of mental magnifying-glass, •and I yiw so many now, and they all appeared ,• . so great, that I could only, regard our chance*. • , as-Tittlw short of hopeless. , : :' V, 'Via. added to everything was -.his infernal 'Nihilist complication. Not' only .V | would it. afford Kalkov. a' lever of tremend- :{ ous power, against Ilelga, but it threatened ;,;■-,!; to dog our every movement ■ with peril out . .; personal risk. " ' It was in.this respect that.. Vast-it's death , ,;■„*■ was so threatening. The instant I told ; Kalkov of it hi would be in f possession otv* - the fact that Helga wan implicated with,th« , ■ brotberhodo. . He. would recognise iii a moment the importance 10 him of denouncing his accuser as -. : Nihilist 'vi the '« Nihilists, arid '~ would find ,or in- • vent a thousand proofs In support, of. tb«A.f,".'j charge; and the whole case would be .in- , , stantly tainted' mid turned. ;':..'' ; ;'- ■'' ■' '" ! ..The one linn slender' chance of cm '-," taking this catastrophe was to hide- [the fact .>■:; that Helgjv.Boreski, the Nihilist, and Helgia, :;■ •: • the daughtei of Prince Lnv.iUu the Kmperor's i»T«<r friend, were identicals but even this .forlorn hope would be cut off when {]. Duchess '■'Stephanie r;ot to the Emperor and told her story. Borenki him- - self knew all about it, .md in .ill prob.iMuty ' had told his wife.- , , , Will, wliali-vev rtv niighi atwmp.. there • were big risks, and we, must' be. content ,\l ,' J 10 take'them and deal with them as 'he-, threatened tis. The first consideration was 1 ■ to get at the Emperor before the duchess and strike the first blow. ". .'•• ' •..';:•...'- :,.-.-:':"-' A glance at ITclga's face when she came ; , down told me she had not slept. She was very pale. I told her where we were going, and added: ... " You have not taken my advice .and got some wleep." -■ .■ ' "" : . "I wish ft, -speak to. yon earnestly » ( moment. I hayo"been thinking. You must ■...,,,..;■; not ;do this thing for m* " .. ■ ' ',': "I will give it up on one condition— only one." "*" ; ' ; " ~ 't' l "What-is that?" ' , • "That vou give it up 'also, and, instead ... ■ ! 1 of going back to Petersburg,- you. cross the ■;,; - , j frontier with me'" _ t v ; r ■ "That you know is impossible,", and her ' .•■'•' face clouded • , ; .. .- "Come, then.and don't keep, the ;oarmge. • ; waiting." < '■•'■'■-. . 't'f-' "Bui. if you are to run this lisk it- .viill .'v <'\ be so much harder lor me.-;,I cannot bear '. v., "So long as you remain on thu side of - the frontier I remain .too;' so that you'll ' V ;-; bear it, I'm afraid," and I took her out to • the carriage in which Madams.Korvata was , ; already shivering iv the nipping morning ' - 1 air. That good lady was not in a pleasant * v : temper, moreover, at having beenvdiagged . ■ from her bed at such an early hour; and, as ,-': she Idid not know all that had occurred', and was not-- fully in our confidence, Heigt ' , and I could not speak much during the long ' drive . ~-,.. ■ VUIV *C« s ~ . (To lie continued daily

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