subject to their crueland unjust laws. Ought not I to have prevented that loved girl fromtrammelling herself with the affairs of others, who would show butlittle gratitude for her exertions, even if successful; and now too,probably, she herself may be in danger: and if so, what resource have Ibut to declare her parentage. That would save her: but the so doingwould bring ruin on one who still lives. If she falls into the power ofthe tyrannical dispensers of the law, her fate would be dreadful.Should I not then save her? Yes, I must, even at the expense of theoath I so thoughtlessly took. It provided not for such an emergency.It must be done; and even thus, it would well nigh break my heart topart from her; to see her subject to all the deceit and treachery towhich her station would expose her--to see her free-born spiritoppressed by the strict rules and absurd etiquette of society; to seeher governed by one who could not appreciate her qualities, andshrinking before his stern and savage glance; confined too within walls,and no longer allowed to wander in free and unrestrained liberty. Andyet, some will say that I am acting wrongly; that I am depriving her ofthe enjoyment of luxuries and of wealth, which are her due. Fools--fools! who value worthless gold, outward pomp, and idle, debilitatingeffeminacy, to health, and the free air of heaven."
As he again turned, he saw the object of his thoughts approaching, at aquick pace, from the direction of the city. Azila appeared hurried andeager in manner; and after holding a short conference with her father,they entered together within the circle of tents. The gipsy chief thensummoned round him the men who yet remained in the encampment--personsin whom he could place the utmost reliance in cases of emergency.
"Men of Rommany!" he said, addressing them in that style of languagewhich they most love to hear, "there is an arduous and dangerous task tobe performed, which will require the utmost sagacity and care. I have,therefore, summoned you around me, to select one who will swear toundertake it; but whoever offers himself, must know, that he risks hisliberty, and perhaps his life."
As he finished speaking, a youth stepped forward from the circle of hiscompanions, exclaiming:
"I am ready to undertake whatever you propose, if it be within the powerof man!"
The keen, lustrous, dark eye; handsome and intelligent countenance; andwell-knit limbs of the youth, were powerful recommendations in hisfavour; and the chief, without hesitation, selected him.
"I well know that I can trust you," said the chief; "the task willrequire all your sagacity and courage. Its main object is to ensure thefreedom of the young stranger. But remember, Javis, that if yourattempt be discovered, chains, imprisonment, and banishment, willinfallibly be your lot: and for your reward, if you succeed, the utmostI can give, are my own and Azila's grateful thanks. More she cannotgive," he added, as a blush rose, for a moment, on the youth's darkcheek.
"I ask not for reward," answered the youth. "It is but a debt ofgratitude each man of the tribe owes to the young stranger; and I shouldbe base if I were not ready to pay it: I will save him, or perish in theattempt."
"I trust you fully, Javis," said the chief; "and now we will call Azilato our conference."
He beckoned his daughter to approach; and for a considerable time theyheld an earnest consultation together.
As they finished speaking, a boy ran in, to inform the chief that astranger was approaching the encampment.
"I will speak with him," said the chief.
In a few minutes the boy returned, accompanied by a peasant, whose wearyand sorrowful appearance seemed to demand compassion.
"Who are you?" said the chief, eyeing him narrowly, and apparentlysatisfied with his scrutiny. "Who are you, who come uninvited among thepeople of Rommany? What do you seek with us?"
"If you are the person I take you to be, you shall presently know,"answered the peasant; "tell me, are you not that kind, honest Gipsy, whowas once very civil to my master; my poor young master, whom I have beenseeking all over the city, and can hear nothing of. Alas! alas! I fearthat he is in great peril."
"Who is your master?" asked the Gipsy; "when I know that, I may perhapsanswer some of your questions."
"My poor young master," replied the peasant, who proved to be our oldfriend Karl, "is the son of Baron Galetzoff. Well, I was sent to Moscowto-day, and venturing to pay a visit to my young Lord, I heard that hehad disappeared, nobody knows where. I have been seeking for him allday, in every place I could think of, and have now come to ask you, ifyou know any thing of him?"
"It is not my custom to answer the questions of those whom I do notknow," said the Gipsy. "Tell me, how came you to suppose, that I couldtell you any thing of your master?"
"Why, for this reason," said Karl; "I once heard my poor young master,and his friend Thaddeus Stanisloff, speak of a Zingani chief, who hadpromised to assist them, if they got into any difficulties. Well, as Iwas wandering about, and looking in search of my master, I saw some ofthe Rommany people; and I bethought me that I would come out here, andlearn if their chief was in the neighbourhood, and if he knew any thingof my dear master."
"Well, my good friend," said the Gipsy, who was pleased with poor Karl'ssimplicity and sincerity, "go back now to the city, and say not a wordmore of your master; but return here to-morrow, at day-break, and becareful that you are unobserved, and perhaps you may then see him."
"Thanks, most kind and worthy Sir," answered Karl, "you have made myheart light and happy again."
He then took his leave, as desired, and returned to Moscow; where, as hewas wandering about, looking into various shops, to pass the time, hemet an acquaintance, to whom he could not resist giving the gratifyingintelligence, that he had heard of his young master, the son of theBaron Galetzoff, as he still persisted in calling Ivan. He did notobserve that a stranger was standing within ear-shot, at the time; buthe soon found, to his cost, the effects of his thoughtlesscommunication; for, within, an hour, he was seized by some of thepolice, and dragged immediately before a magistrate.
He was at first mildly interrogated respecting Ivan, in the hope ofextracting some voluntary information from him. The magistrate thenpressed him more severely, but discovered that the prisoner was a mostdifficult subject to exert his authority upon, and when sternly orderedto confess all he knew, he stoutly denied ever having received anyinformation of the person in question.
Unfortunately, however, for poor Karl, his perseverance was of no availto himself, for his acquaintance, who had confessed all he knew, wasconfronted with him. Another person was found, who proved that he was aserf of the Baron Galetzoff, and consequently must have known the son ofthat noble. His denial was therefore of no further service to him, andthe next day, he was ordered before a criminal court then sitting, wherefor his contumacy in refusing to answer any questions, he was condemnedforthwith to receive the punishment of the knout.
Poor Karl turned pale when he heard his sentence pronounced, but hiscourage did not forsake him, and he determined to undergo any torture,rather than betray his young master. He was dragged off, therefore, toreceive his punishment, with two other criminals convicted of heinouscrimes, and whose pallid countenances and trembling limbs, betokenedtheir dread of the coming torture.
The place of execution and punishment is in an open space, outside oneof the barriers of the city; and there a mob of skin-clad labourers andpeasants had collected, as they saw the prisoners approach, conducted bytheir guards and the officers, whose duty it was to see that punishmentwas duly inflicted.
Even in Russia, the executioner or Palatch, as he is called, is lookedupon with the same opprobrium and dislike as in most other countries,and he is always some criminal, still considered as a prisoner, butlodges by himself in a solitary house outside the gates of the city.Instances have occurred of criminals actually refusing the odiousoffice, preferring, rather than undertake its cruel duties, the wearyand toilsome journey to Siberia, with all the miseries and wretchednessincident to it, and an eternal banishment from their country.
The Palatch, on the present occasion, was a criminal sentence
d for lifeto hard labour in the Siberian mines for murder. The mere appearance ofthis man, bespoke that savage disposition, which could findgratification in the exercise of his horrid occupation. Underneath hisred tangled locks, a scowling forehead protruded, exhibiting beneath hisrough eye-brows, a pair of bleared eyes; a flattish, turned up nose, wasthe only other feature to be seen on his face, his mouth being concealedby a mass of grizzly red hair, which covered the lower part of his face.Even the yoke-necked, slavish multitude, set up a shout of disgust, asthe hated inflictor of cruelty appeared; but he seemed callous to theirfeelings, commencing the preparations for his loathsome office, withcool indifference.
The two real criminals were to suffer first, all three being stationedready for punishment, in a conspicuous place. The first culprit