THE RUSSIAN OFFICER
With Carlo's death, Natalie had lost her last friend; with the stolenmoney and diamonds, Marianne was robbed of her last pecuniary means. ButNatalie paid no attention to Marianne's lamentations. What cared she forpoverty and destitution--what knew she of these outward treasures, ofthis wealth consisting in gold and jewels? Natalie knew only that shehad been robbed of a noble, spiritual possession--that they had murderedthe friend who had consecrated himself to her with such true and devotedlove, and, weeping over his body, she dedicated to him the tribute of atear of the purest gratitude, of saddest lamentation.
But so imperfect is the world that it often leaves no time formourning--that in the midst of our sorrow it causes us to hear theprosaic voices of reality and necessity, compelling us to dry our eyesand turning our thoughts from painfully-sweet remembrances of a losthappiness to the realities of practical life.
Natalie's delicately-sensitive soul was to experience this rough contactof reality, and, with an internal shudder, must she bend under the roughhand of the present.
Pale, breathless, trembling, rushed Marianne into the room whereNatalie, in solitary mourning, was weeping for her lost friend.
"We are ruined, hopelessly ruined!" screamed Marianne. "They will driveus from our last possession, they will turn us out of our house! All themisfortunes of the whole world break over and crush us!"
The young maiden looked at her with a calm, clear glance.
"Then let them crush us," she quietly said. "It is better to be crushedat once than to be slowly and lingeringly wasted!"
"But you hear me not, princess," shrieked Marianne, wringing her hands."They will drive us from here, I tell you; they will expel you from yourhouse!"
"And who will do that?" asked the young maiden, proudly rising withflashing eyes. "Who dares threaten me in my own house?"
"Without are soldiers and bailiffs and the officers of the Russianembassy. They have made a forcible entrance, and with force they willexpel you from the house. They are already sealing the doors and seizingeverything in the house."
A dark purple glow for a moment overspread Natalie's cheeks, and herglance was flame. "I will see," said she, "who has the robber-likeboldness to dispute my possession of my own property!"
With proud steps and elevated head she strode through the room to thedoor opening upon the corridor.
The bailiffs and soldiers, who had been placed there, respectfully stoodaside. Natalie paid no attention to them, but immediately advanced tothe officer who, with a loud voice, was just then commanding them toseal all the doors and see that nothing was taken from the rooms.
"I wish to know," said Natalie, with her clear, silver-toned voice--"Iwish to know by what right people here force their way into my house,and what excuse you have for this shameless conduct?"
The officer, who was no other than Stephano, bowed to her with aslightly ironical smile.
"Justice needs no excuse," said he. "On the part and by command of herillustrious majesty, the great Empress Catharine, I lay an attachmentupon this house and all it contains. It is from this hour the sacredpossession of her Russian majesty."
"It is the exclusive property of the Count Paulo!" proudly respondedNatalie.
"It was the property of Count Paul Rasczinsky," said Stephano. "Butconvicted traitors have no property. This criminal count has beenconvicted of high-treason. The mercy of the empress has indeed changedthe sentence of death into one of eternal banishment to Siberia, butshe has been pleased to approve the confiscation of all he possessed. Invirtue of this approval, and by permission of the holy Roman government,I attach this house and its contents!"
Natalie no longer heard him. Almost unconscious lay she in Marianne'sarms. Paulo was lost, sentenced to death, imprisoned, and banished forlife--that was all she had heard and comprehended--this terrible newshad confused and benumbed her senses.
"Sir!" implored Marianne, pressing Natalie to her bosom, "you will atleast have some mercy upon this young maiden; you will not thrust usout upon the streets; you will grant us a quiet residence in this houseuntil we can collect our effects and secure what is indisputably ours!"
"Every thing in this house is the indisputable property of the empress!"roughly responded Stephano.
"But not ourselves, I hope!" excitedly exclaimed Marianne. "Thisimperial power does not extend over our persons?"
Stephano roughly replied: "The door stands open, go! But go directly,or I shall be compelled to arrest you for opposing the execution of thelaws, and stirring up sedition!"
"Yes, let us go," cried Natalie, who had recovered herconsciousness--"let us go, Marianne. Let us not remain a moment longerin a house belonging to that barbarous Russian empress who has condemnedthe noble Count Paulo as a criminal, and, robber-like, taken forciblepossession of his property!"
And, following the first impulse of her noble pride, the young maidentook Marianne by the hand and drew her away.
"They, at least, shall not forcibly eject us," said she; "no, no, wewill go of our own free will, self-banished!"
"But where shall we go?" cried Marianne, wringing her hands.
"Where God wills!" solemnly responded the young maiden.
"And upon what shall we live?" wailed Marianne. "We are now totallydestitute and helpless. How shall we live?"
"We will work!" said Natalie, firmly. A peculiar calm had come over her.Misfortune had awakened a new quality in her nature, sorrow had strucka new string in her being; she was no longer the delicate, gentle,suffering, unresisting child; she felt in herself a firm resolution, abold courage, an almost joyful daring, and an invincible calmness.
"Work! _You_ will work, princess?" whispered Marianne.
"I will learn it!" said she, and with a constantly quickened step theyapproached the outlet of the garden.
The gate which led out into the street was wide open; soldiers inRussian uniform had been stationed before it, keeping back with theircarbines the curious Romans who crowded around in great numbers, glad ofan opportunity to get a peep into the so-long-closed charmed garden.
"See, there she comes, the garden fairy!" cried they all, as Natalieneared the gate.
"How beautiful she is, how beautiful!" they loudly exclaimed.
"That is a real fairy, a divinity!"
Natalie heard none of these expressions of admiration--she had but oneobject, one thought. She wished to leave the garden; she wished to goforth; she had no regrets, no complaints, for this lost paradise; sheonly wished to get out of it, even if it was to go to her death.
But the soldiers stationed at the gate opposed her progress.
Natalie regarded them with terror and amazement.
"They cannot, at least, oppose my voluntary resignation of my property,"said she. "Away with these muskets and sabres! I would pass out!"
And the young maiden boldly advanced a step. But those weapons stretchedbefore her like a wall, and Natalie was now overcome by anguish anddespair; the inconsolable feeling of her total abandonment, of hermiserable isolation. Tears burst from her eyes, her pride was broken,she was again the trembling young girl, no longer the heroic woman; shewept, and in tremulous tone, with folded hands, she implored of theserough soldiers a little mercy, a little compassion.
They understood not her language, they had no sympathy; but thecrowd were touched by the tears of the beautiful girl and by the sadlamentations of her companion. They screamed, they howled, they insultedthe soldiers, they swore to liberate the two women by force, if thesoldiers any longer refused them a passage. Dumb, unshaken, immovable,like a wall stood the soldiers with their weapons stretched forth.
Through the hissing and tumult a loud and commanding voice was suddenlyheard to ask, "What is going on here? What means this disturbance?" Anofficer made his way through the crowd, and approached the garden gate.The soldiers respectfully gave way, and he stepped into the garden.
"Oh, sir," said Natalie, turning to him her tearful face, "if you are anhonorable man, hav
e compassion for an abandoned and unprotected maiden,and command these soldiers, who seem to obey you, to let me and mycompanion go forth unhindered."
The Russian officer, Joseph Ribas, bowed low and respectfully to her."If it is the Princess Tartaroff whom I have the honor of addressing,"said he, "I must in the name of my illustrious lord, beg your pardon forwhat has improperly occurred here; at his command I come to set it allright!"
Thus speaking, he returned to the soldiers, and in a low tone exchangedsome words with their leader. The latter bowed respectfully, and at hissignal the soldiers shut the gate and retired into the street.
"Am I to be detained here as a prisoner?" exclaimed Natalie. "Am I notallowed to leave this garden?"
"Your grace, preliminarily, can still consider this garden as your ownproperty," he respectfully responded. "I am commanded to watch that noone dare to disturb you here, and for this purpose my lord respectfullyrequests that you will have the goodness to permit me to remain in yourhouse as the guardian of your safety."
"And who is this generous man?" asked Natalie.
"He is a man who has made a solemn vow to protect innocence everywhere,when he finds it threatened!" solemnly responded Joseph Ribas. "He isa man who is ready to shed his blood for the Princess Tartaroff, whois surrounded by enemies and dangers; a man," he continued, in a lowertone, "who knows and loves your friend and guardian, Count Paulo, andwill soon bring you secret and sure news from him!"
"He knows Count Paulo!" joyfully exclaimed Natalie. "Oh, then all iswell. I may safely confide in whoever knows and loves Count Paulo, forhe must bear in his bosom a noble heart!"
And turning to Joseph Ribas with a charming smile, she said, "Sir, leadme now where you will. We will both gladly follow you!"
"Let us, first of all, go into the villa, and send away thosetroublesome people!" said the Russian officer, preceding the two womento the house.
The bailiffs and soldiers were still there, occupied with sealing thedoors and closets. Joseph Ribas approached them with angry glances, and,turning to Stephano, said, "Sir, I shall call you to account for thisover-hasty and illegal proceeding!"
"I am in my right!" morosely answered Stephano. "Here is the command toattach this villa. It has fallen to the Russian crown as the property ofthe traitor Rasczinsky."
"There is only the one error to be corrected," said Joseph Ribas, "thatthis villa was not the property of Count Rasczinsky, as he some monthsago sold it to his friend, my master. And as, so far as I know, theillustrious count, my master, never was a traitor, you will please torespect his property!"
"You will have first to authenticate your assertions!" respondedStephano, with a rude laugh.
"Here is the documental authentication!" said Joseph Ribas, handing apaper to Stephano. The latter, after attentively reading the documents,bowed reverentially, and said: "Sir, it appears that I was certainlymistaken. This deed of gift is _en regle_, and is undersigned by hisgrace the Russian ambassador. You will pardon me, as I only actedaccording to my orders."
Joseph Ribas answered Stephano's reverential bow with a haughty nod."Go," said he, "take off the seals in the quickest possible time, andthen away with you!"
But as Stephano was about retiring with his people, Joseph Ribasbeckoned him back again.
"You have, therefore, recognized this deed of gift?" asked he, and asStephano assented, he continued: "You therefore cannot deny that mymaster is the undisputed possessor of this villa, and can do with itaccording to his pleasure?"
"I do not deny it at all!" growled Stephano.
Joseph Ribas then drew forth another paper, which he also handedStephano. "You will also recognize this deed of gift to be regular andlegal! It is likewise undersigned and authenticated by our ambassador."
Stephano, having attentively read it, almost indignantly said:
"It is all right. But the count is crazy, to give away so fine aproperty!"
And still grumbling, he departed with his people.
Clinging to Marianne's side, Natalie had observed the whole proceedingwith silent wonder; and, with the astonishment of innocence andinexperience, she comprehended nothing of the whole scene, nor was asuspicion awakened in her childishly pure soul.
"He is, then, really going?" she asked, as Stephano was slowly movingoff.
"Yes, he is going," said Joseph Ribas, "and will never venture todisturb you again. Henceforth you will be in undisputed possession ofyour property. My lord has made this villa and garden forever yours by aregular legal deed of gift."
"And who is your lord?" asked Natalie. "Tell me his name--tell me whereI may find him, that I may return him my thanks?"
"Yes, conduct us to him," said the weeping Marianne. "Let me clasp hisfeet and implore his further protection for my poor helpless princess."
"My lord desires no thanks," proudly responded Ribas. "He does good forhis own sake, and protects innocence because that is the duty of everyknight and nobleman."
"At least tell me his name, that I may pray for him," sobbed Marianne.
"Yes, his name," said Natalie, with a charming smile. "Ah, how I shalllove that name!"
"His name is his own secret," said Ribas. "The world, indeed, knows andblesses him, calling him the bravest of the brave. But it is his commandthat you shall never be informed of it. He desires nothing, no thanks,no acknowledgments--he wishes only to secure your peace and happiness,and thus redeem the solemn vow he made to his friend, Count PauloRasczinsky, to guard and preserve you as a father, and to watch over youas your tutelar genius!"
"Thanks, thanks, my God!" cried Marianne, with her arms raised towardheaven. "Thou sendest us help in our need, Thou hast mercy on sufferinginnocence, and sendest her a saviour in her greatest distress!"
The young maiden said nothing. Her radiant glance was directedheavenward, and, folding her hands over her bosom, with a happy,grateful smile she murmured:
"I am therefore no longer alone, I have a friend who watches over andprotects me. Whoever he may be, he is sent by Count Paulo. Whatever maybe his name, I shall be forever grateful to him!"