By Right of Sword

  CHAPTER XXII.

  THE BEGINNING OF THE END.

  It was not until a night's rest had somewhat redressed the balance ofmy emotions and had rendered me again subject to the pressure ofactualities that I fully realised how the avowal of my love had ratherincreased than diminished the difficulties of our position.

  Despite my fatigue and wound I was stirring in good time, and had hadthe doctor's report and seen the Colonel to get leave from regimentalwork, in time to get round to see Olga pretty early. I wished to seeher and discuss the whole position before going to report to PrinceBilbassoff the result of things with Devinsky.

  The manner in which Olga met me was one of the sweetest thingsimaginable and the presence of the good aunt, Countess Palitzin, addedto its effect. They were sitting together when I entered.

  "It is Alexis, aunt," said Olga rising. She was a mixture of laughinglove and sisterly indifference.

  "Alexis, you are a good lad, a dear lad," said the old lady, usuallyvery stately and punctilious. "Come here, boy, and kiss me and let mekiss you. You have done splendidly and bravely in this matter of Olga.She has told me all about it."

  "All?" I echoed, looking at Olga, who tried to keep the smile that wasdancing in her eyes from travelling to her lips.

  "All that a sister need tell," she said.

  "Olga, I have no patience with you," exclaimed the aunt. "You have abrother in a thousand--in ten thousand, and yet you speak in that way.And I see you never kiss him now. I should like to know why. Are youashamed of him? Here he has saved you from all this trouble, and yougive him the points of your finger nails to touch. Yet you are notcold and feelingless in other things."

  "I am glad that you speak to her like this," I said, gravely. "Sheseems to think that a sister should never kiss such a brother as I am."

  "Do you mean to say you think I have given you no reason to believe Iam thankful for what you have done?" she retorted, fencing cleverly.

  "I don't echo our aunt's words, that you are cold and feelingless,Olga--she is not that, Aunt Palitzin. But I do find that as a sistershe places a strong reserve on her feelings."

  "To hear you speak," said Olga, laughing lightly, "one might think Ihad two characters: in one of which I was all warmth and affection; inthe other all coldness and reserve."

  "And I believe that would be about right, child," said the Countess."For when the boy is not here your tongue never tires of praising him;and yet the moment he comes, he might be a stranger instead of your ownnearest and dearest."

  Olga blushed crimson at this.

  "Brothers have to be treated judiciously," she said.

  "'Judiciously,' Olga. Why, what on earth do you mean? How could youlove a brave fellow like Alexis injudiciously?"

  "Love is often best when it is most injudicious," said I,sententiously, coming to Olga's rescue; but she betrayed me shamefully.Looking innocently at me she asked:--

  "Would you like us to be a pair of injudicious lovers, then, Alexis?"

  "If I never shew more lack of judgment than in my love for you, I shallget well through life, Olga," I retorted.

  "You are certainly a most unusual brother, I can tell you," she said,smiling slily.

  "If every brother had such a sister, the tie that binds us two would bea much more usual one," I answered.

  "You are incorrigible," she laughed and turned away.

  "I am glad you speak so seriously, Alexis," said my aunt. "I'll be noparty to any deception. She does love you, boy, however much she maytry to hide it when you are here;" and with this, which set us bothlaughing again, the old lady went away.

  "Does she?" I asked; and the question brought Olga with a happy lookinto my arms.

  But I had not come to make love, sweet though it was to have the girl'sarms about me; and as soon as I could, I began in talk seriously aboutthe position.

  In the first place I told her everything that had happened; and therewas one thing that amused her, despite the tremendously critical stateof our affairs. It was about the great suitor the Prince had promisedfor her.

  "What, another?" she said, with a comical crinkling of her forehead."Upon my word what with brothers and lovers, I am sorely plagued. Thismakes the..." she stopped.

  "How many?"

  "I don't think I know. Either two or three, according as we reckonyou. While you're my brother, two I suppose. Otherwise three."

  "'Otherwise' is a good deal shaky, I'm afraid," said I, shaking myhead. "And I begin to question whether he'll ever count."

  "He may not; but in that case no other ever will," returned Olgaearnestly. "Did you say that on purpose to get another assurance fromme?"

  "No, indeed. I only spoke out of the reality of my doubts;" and thenwe went on threshing the thing out.

  "There is but one possible chance," said I, after I had told her all."It's a remote one, perhaps, but such as it is, we must use it. Youmust go...."

  "I won't leave Moscow unless you go," she broke in. "I wouldn't havedone it before when you wanted, but now...." she paused and blushed andher eyes brightened--"wild horses shan't tear me away."

  "There are stronger things than wild horses, child; and I shall appealto one in your case. You must go in order to try and get me out of themuddle here."

  "Yes, I'll go for that, if it's necessary," she declared as readily asa moment before she had declined.

  "It is necessary. Shortly, my idea is this. We can't get awaytogether at the same time. We are shut in here in the very centre ofRussia; and if we left together we could not hope to reach the frontierfor many hours after we had been missed from here; while if we weremissed only ten minutes before we got to the barrier, it would be longenough for us to be stopped. Besides, there are ten thousand thingsthat come in the way. But that doesn't apply to your travelling alone;and if I can get a passport or a permit for you, I believe you will beable to get across the frontier before anyone has an idea that you haveeven left the city. In my case that would be impossible. There arethree separate sets of lynx eyes on me. The Prince's police--the mostvigilant of all; the Nihilists--the most dangerous; and PaulaTueski's--the most vengeful. I shall have the most difficult task toevade them, and I believe it will be only possible, if at all, by asort of double cunning. But there is one way you can help."

  "What is that?" asked Olga, whose interest was breathless.

  "I have a friend, Balestier; you've heard of him--the Hon. RupertBalestier. He saw your brother in Paris and believes that somedevilment is on foot. If you can find him and tell him all that hashappened and the mess that things are in, I believe, in fact I know,that he would exhaust every possible means of helping me. It ispossible that our Foreign Office might be moved by the influence hecould bring to bear; and I know that in such a task he'd stir up everyfriend and relative he has in the world. My plan is simply this. Youmust go with all possible speed to Paris: find him, tell him all, andget him to do what he thinks best and use what efforts he can. In themeantime if I can't escape I shall either have to feign consent withthis wretched duel and marriage business and wait on events: or if Iget a chance of leaving, slip off in an altogether different direction."

  "It is a terrible trouble I have brought you to, Alexis," said the girlsadly.

  "I would pay a far bigger price for this trouble," I answered, takingher hand and kissing it. "And when we are once out of this toohospitable land of yours, we shall laugh at it all together."

  "Yes, when?" she said; and her tone suggested a hopelessness whichresponded only too well with that which I felt secretly.

  While we were together, however, it was impossible for us to feeldowncast for long. There was such infinite pleasure in merecompanionship, that the grim troubles which surrounded us were shut outof our thoughts. The present was so bright that it seemed impossiblethe gloom could soon close in on us.

  But when I had left her and was alone in my rooms, I was gloomy enough;and my spirits were certainly not raised when my new ser
vant ushered inPaula Tueski.

  "You would not come to me, Alexis, so I have to come to you," was hergreeting. "You neglect me. I suppose because of the great friends youhave made."

  "Great friends?" For the moment not understanding her.

  "Yes. I hear that you are finding great pleasure in the society of acertain great lady."

  "Oh, you mean the Princess Weletsky?" I laughed as I spoke.

  "It does not make me laugh," she said, frowning.

  "You are in mourning, and laughter sounds ill with tears," I returned.I hated the woman worse every time I saw her.

  "If I am in mourning it is you who are the cause," she cried, stampingher foot, angrily. "I want to know what this new--new friendship,shall I call it?--means."

  "You may call it what you like. The Princess is nothing to me," saidI, thinking more of my affections than of the facts.

  "And never will be?" said my companion abruptly.

  "And never will be, I hope," I agreed, with the accents of unmistakablesincerity.

  But my visitor was suspicious and did not believe me. She got up andcame close to me, and stared hard into my eyes as if searching therefor the truth.

  "Then why are you so cold to me? Not a kindly word, not a gesture, nota glance that you mightn't have thrown to the veriest beggar in thestreet have you given me. You, who used always to brighten when I camenear you. I have seen your eyes light up a hundred times, Alexis, whenyou have let them rest on me, praising, pleasing, and loving me. Andnow you are as cold as a tombstone. Will you swear to me you have nolove for this other woman--this Princess?"

  "Most certainly I will."

  "Ah, what is the use of an oath in which there is no fire, no life,nothing but dead cold ashes! What has changed you? Are you thinkingof marrying this woman?"

  "If she waits till I wish to marry her, she'll die unmated," I returned.

  "Why can't you say yes or no to my questions?" she cried, stamping herfoot again, irritated by the little evasion. "Are you thinking ofmarrying her?"

  "No. Is that answer blunt enough for you?"

  "It sounds like a forced lie more than anything else. Do you know whatI would do, Alexis, if I thought you meant to try and deceive me?"

  "I can pretty well guess," I answered, calmly. "Probably go round andhave afternoon tea with her and tell her that little fable which youtold me the other day. You weary me with these constant threats,Paula. They get like a musket that's held so long at one's head thatit rusts at the lock and the trigger can't be pulled. It would be somuch more interesting if you'd go and do something."

  With that I turned away and lighted a cigarette, almost wishing in myheart that I could offend her sufficiently to drive her away; and yetsick at the knowledge of her power over Olga and me.

  "I like that tone better," she said, with a laugh. "At least it shewssome kind of feeling. I hate a log. You will find I can 'dosomething,' as you say, when the time comes, if you drive me. Mymuskets don't miss fire."

  "No, nor your daggers blunt their points. I admit you can be deadlyenough where you hate."

  "Don't make me hate you, then," she retorted, quickly.

  "Is that possible, Paula?" I replied, turning to her with a smile.

  The instant change in this most remarkable woman at this one slighttouch of tenderness was wonderful. She was hungering for the love Icould no more give her than I could have given her the Crown of Russia,and at this little accent of kindness she turned all softness andsmiling love.

  "Ah, God! You can do as you like with me, Alexis," she cried,excitedly. "Just then you were rousing all the devil there is in me;and now no more than a smile drives out of my heart every thought saveof my love for you. If it is so easy to make me happy why kill me withyour coldness? Kiss me, Alexis." She came to throw her arms round mebut wishing to avoid this caress, I remembered my wound and steppingback, kept her off.

  "Mind, I have a little hurt here;" and I pointed to the place.

  Little did I think of the consequences of that most simple action, orof the price I should have to pay for shirking a few distastefulkisses. She was at once all anxiety.

  "A hurt? A wound? Tell me what it is. Have you--was it inconsequence of rescuing your sister? Have you had some fight or other?"

  I told her in as few words as I could, glad to turn her thoughts fromthe wish to caress me. When I had to admit that it was a slight swordthrust, however, she insisted upon seeing the wound as well as theplaces where I had torn my arm in the efforts to get rid of my bonds.

  No one could fail to see her care was prompted by deep feeling.

  I took off my coat and just turned up my sleeve to satisfy hercuriosity, and held out my arm for her to see, laughing halfshamefacedly as I did so, to assure her there was no cause for realanxiety, and that she was making much of nothing.

  But the effect it had on her was startling indeed.

  After glancing at the marks which were fast dying away, for my skinalways heals very rapidly, she smoothed them gently and kissed them.

  "It is the left arm, Alexis, always the left arm," she said, glancingup with a smile, and speaking as if there were some specialsignificance in the fact--though what that could be I could not evenguess, of course.

  The chief mark was on the lower part of the upper arm, just above theelbow, and when she had kissed it and had turned it round so that thefront part of the forearm, where the muscles are broadest was in fullview, I felt her start violently, and heard her catch her breathquickly, as if with a gasp of surprise.

  She stared at it for fully a minute without raising her eyes, her onlygesture being to pass her fingers across the muscles twice.

  When she raised her eyes and looked at me, there was an astoundingchange in her face. She was as white as death, and trembled soviolently that even her face quivered, while her eyes were fixed on mewith an expression of wildness and mingled emotions such as I could notread or even guess at.

  "Are you ill?" I asked.

  She started again as I spoke; and her lips merely moved very slightlyas she moistened them with her tongue.

  And all the time she kept the same staring, strained, frowning,questioning look fixed on me.

  "What's the matter?" I cried again. "Are you ill?" I thought she wasin for a fit of some kind.

  But all she did was to continue to stare with the same indescribableintensity, the heavy brows closing together as the frown deepened onher forehead.

  "My God!"

  The exclamation seemed to be wrung from her in sheer pain of thought.

  She took hold of my arm again and examined the same place once morewith briefer but no less fierce scrutiny.

  Then looking up again into my face she let the arm fall. She seemed toshrink from me as she drew in one long deep shivering breath thatsounded between her teeth. Next she turned away and sat down, pressingboth her hands to her face.

  Every vestige of feeling and passion had passed, leaving only theclose, concentrated, strained tension. The colour had left her cheeks:and the roundness and beauty of her face appeared to have beentransformed in a moment into a veritable presentment of lean, haggard,vigilant doubt.

  Many minutes passed before either of us spoke. Then she got up andagain came quite close to me and staring right into my eyes, asked in avoice all changed and unmusical--a sort of keen piercing whisper, thatseemed to send a chill through me--while she pointed to my arm:--

  "What does it mean? Who are you?"

  I returned the look steadily, but bit my lip nearly through as Iguessed well enough the discovery she had made. I answered lightly:--

  "Excellently acted. But what is it all about?"

  "Who are you? That tells me who you are not." She spoke in the samehard discordant whisper, and pointed to my arm again.

  "Are you mad?" I cried sternly. "What do you mean by this pretence?"

  Her only answer was to stare with the same stony intensity right intomy eyes.

  "Shal
l I send for my own sister to identify me?" I cried, with what Iintended as sarcastic emphasis. But the effect of my question quitedisconcerted me.

  It broke her down and with a cry that was almost a scream, she threwherself into a chair and gave vent to emotions that were no longercontrollable.

  For an hour she was in this semi-hysterical condition; and I couldguess the leading thought of her frenzy. If I was not the man she hadbelieved, she would jump to the thought that Olga and I were lovers,and not brother and sister. Her jealousy made her a madwoman.

  By the time she had recovered from her frenzy I had resolved on mycourse. The only thing possible was to hold strenuously to the olddeception. What had shaken her belief in me, I could not, of course,even guess. If by any means she could make her words good, it wasclear she carried my life in her hands. Strong as the story which shehad concocted as to my supposed crime would have been against the realAlexis, it was a hundred times stronger as told against someoneimpersonating Alexis for what she would of course declare were Nihilistpurposes. The mere fact of the impersonation would be accepted asproof of guilt in everything: while Olga's share in the conspiracywould render her liable to a punishment only less in extent than mine.

  As I thought of all this, my rage against the woman passed almostbeyond control; but I forced it back and listened when shespoke--telling me of all the things which had made me seem sodifferent. My conduct to her; my manner; my lack of love; thedifference in looks, in gestures, and in what I said and the way I saidit; the thousand things that had set her wondering at the change in me.

  Then she spoke of the change in my sister's conduct; how a word from mehad made her friendly where a thousand words before had failed. Andwhen she spoke and thought of Olga, she seemed to lose again allself-control; declaring she had been made a tool and a dupe of for somepurposes of our own.

  My protestations were of no avail. She brushed them aside with abruptcontempt, and when I tried to find out indirectly what her proof was,she laughed angrily and would not tell me.

  "I will tell you when I bid you good-bye for Siberia, or see you forthe last time in the condemned cell. You shall not die in ignorance,"she said: and then she went on to dwell with horrible detail upon thepunishments that were in store for both Olga and myself.

  But she overdid it all; and shewed me her weak point. She thus gave mea clue to my best tactics. Her feeling was not hate of me, butjealousy of Olga. This strange and most impulsive woman had had herlove tricked as well as her judgment; and the love which she had hadfor Olga's brother was now transferred to me. Her chief fear was lestOlga was really to come between us. When she stopped, I tested her.

  "You have found a ridiculous mare's nest," I said, with a short laugh."And I have something more important to do than to listen to yourfictions. If you think there is any truth in the thing, by all meanstell all you know. But I warn you beforehand you will fail--failignominiously: and what is more, lose all you have said you wish togain. My great object now is to get Olga out of the country, so that Imay be free to carry out my plans."

  She looked up as I spoke, and I saw the light of hope in her eyes.

  "That you may follow her, I suppose you mean?"

  "You can suppose what you please," I answered, shortly. "If you wishto break off all between us by this ridiculous story, do so. But bearin mind, it is your act, not mine; and when once done, doneirrevocably."

  She wrung her hands in indecision.

  "Can I trust you?"

  "Can you get me a permit for Olga to leave the country? That's more tothe point."

  "Yes--alone." There was a world of meaning in that single word.

  "Then get it; and as soon as a railway engine can drag her across thefrontier, she will be out of Russia, and out of my way, much to myrelief."

  She sat silent in perplexity.

  "You can't go! You shan't go!" she cried. "You have made me do thesethings, whoever you are, and you must stay--for me."

  I smiled. I had won. Then I changed as it were to a rather fanaticalNihilist, and cried warmly:--

  "The ties that keep me here, Paula, are ties of death and blood; andsuch as no woman's hand can either fashion or destroy."

  She looked at me long and intently and put her hands on my arms and herface close up to mine and said in a soft seductive tone:--

  "If I get that permit, all shall be as it was?"

  "All shall be as it was, Paula," I answered, adopting her equivocalphrase, and bent and kissed her on the forehead. But I was playing fora big stake: Olga's life probably, and my own certainly: and I couldnot afford the luxury of absolute candour at that crisis of the game.

  But I did not win without conditions.

  "I will get it," she said; "but you remember what I told you before. Irepeat it now. You are more surely mine than ever; more surely thanever in my power, Alexis." She emphasized the word and a glance shewedme her meaning. "And we must be married secretly within three daysfrom now. I will make the arrangements."

  "As you will," I replied; and I felt glad that in a measure her resortto this compulsion gave me a sort of justification for misleading her.

  In less than three days' the Czar's visit would be over and I shouldeither be dead or out of Russia.

  But Olga would be saved; and that would be much.