Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 82 — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

oo, Iron Wrist. rere & he caught up an opera glass to ascer- | inquiry, but the minister said nothing more, and ) tain w the gate being too great for his unassisted vision. He stamped his foot with an exclamation of were the new-comers, the distance to , t | he czar ejaculated: ‘“Do what is best. I trust you.” Strogonoff left the room, and Olaf Iron Wrist remained alone with the czar, who did not seem joyful surprise. There was Strogonoff, erect | > observe ves | so deep were his meditations, as and stern as ever, while beside him was the figure of the swordmaster. e emperor could hardly restrain his joy within the bounds of etiquette, as he waited for the coming of the two, e fumed and fretted over the delay made at the gate by the officer of the guard, who hesitated to admit the minis- ter of police in the dusty dress he then wore, s ( had much ado to restrain himself from ‘ishing out bareheaded into the garden to cut short the ppp b Only the knowledge that such a course would show his anxiety too plainly, prevented him from doing so, and he forced himself to wait pa- tiently till the minister had surmounted the »bstacles of etiquette and was ushered into the tabinet, followed by Olaf. As soon as the servant had retired, Nicholas turned to Iron Wrist with a countenance full of scorn and anger. He thought that Strogonoff had beaten the swordmaster in some way; and with the caprice of a tyrant, whose word is law, letermined to visit his former anxiety on Olaf’s 1ead. ‘So, sir,” he exclaimed, ‘‘ I see that with all your prowess, the police minister has taken you, tingle-handed. ere are the dispatches I gave you?” He asked in a sharp, angry tone, but Olaf re- plied, with imperturbable x shea ‘The dispatches were delivered by me to his highness, as your majesty ordered. After I had bxecu your majesty’s commands, Count Strogonoff showed me the order from your ma- lesty to arrest me. Of course 1 surrendered, I im here a The czar listened with lowering brow, and then turned on the chief of police with a savage marl, “You said you would bring back those dis- natches. Where are they, sirrah?’ But Strogonoff was equally imperturbable. ‘* Here, sire.” He handed the dispatch to the emperor, who looked at it, eagerly, and then exclaimed: “Tt has been opened. Who did it?” ‘‘His imperial highness, the Grand Duke Constantine.” ‘“What! my brother opened this, and yet you ‘have it?’ ‘“‘ His highness gave it back to me, sire.” ‘‘Where, then, is his highness, now?” asked the emperor, with an uneasy sense that all was not right. Boom!!! The deep report of a heavy gun from the for- ress of Cronstadt shook the lodGwe of the pal- ace as the czar spoke, and Olaf Iron Wrist took ie liberty of replying: “He was entering Postavly when we were | alf-way to Psakoff, sire; but, judging from the ‘\lutes, he must now be in sight of this city.’ Boom!!! Boom!! Boom! Three more guns announced that Olaf was ‘ght, and the czar turned pale. Constantine “as back again, | CHAPTER XXVIII. THE ORDER OF ARREST. CONSTANTINE ROMANOFF, ‘‘the mad duke,” us his enemies called him, ‘‘ the good duke,” as the soldiers fondly christened him, was indeed hack in St, Petersburg; and even as the czar oxoked forth from the windows he could see the long train of dust that announced the approach of the carriage. In truth, Constantine, whose open and gene- tous nature had always abhorred the restraints of intrigue and secrecy, had taken a vigorous resolution, when surprised by the dag baa of Diaf and Strogonoff at Grodno. He found that he had miscalculated the powers of the empe- ror’s agents to disconcert his scheme of a secret marriage with Natalie Dembinski, and determ- ined to come back and face the worst for the sake of love. As the emperor saw the i Reon dust pass the gates of the Summer Palace, and go on to the bridge that spanned the river and led to Vassili Ostrof, he was still more surprised and alarmed. His face turned deadly pale as he saw the carriages trot rapidly over the bridge and actually file openly into the hated Dembin- ski Palace in broad day. With the epee ee one could now plainly see five or six large openings in the gray stone walls, and the lately lonely and deserted ens were full of glittering spears and scarlet jackets, as the Red Cossacks of the grand duke’s escort pranced about. The chief of police looked out with the ezar, and he, too, turned pale. He knew that the im- a order forbidding the association of the embinskis with any member of the Romanoff family had been in existence for some time, and here was the grand duke openly disobeying it. ‘‘Please your majesty, may this?’ he muttered in a low tone. ugainst life, my men will do their duty.” I see to Te it is life | e F cis to and fro, frowning. resently the Dane, who was becoming a lit- tle embarrassed by his position, coughed slight- ly. Nicholas started, and seemed to realize for the first time that he was not alone. Then an idea entered the emperor’s head, and he approached the swordmaster with an air of the most winning softness. ‘‘Ah, my brave Iron Wrist, itis thou. Thou hast obeyed my orders to the letter. Such men are sioréh their weight in gold in these times.” Olaf said nothing, but bowed low. Being by no means a fool, he realized that the emperor was, for unknown reasons, very much afraid of something or some one, and wished to secure his services as a guardian or agent. ‘Thou knowest, count, that my brother loves me not, and plots against my throne,” continued the czar. Olaf interrupted him without ceremony. ‘Your majesty is mistaken. I have heard his highness say that he loves to be grand duke in a province where he has no mt rather than to be one sovereign amid the kings of Eu- rope.” ut he is surrounded by a family of cursed see org Poles who wish to set him against me, Olaf. That scheming woman, the Princess Natalie, wishes to be czarina, and would stir up a rebellion, could she do so safely.” ° Olaf was silent. He had learned enough of court manners to know that it is not prudent to contradict an absolute monarch too often. ‘“*My faithful Olaf,” pursued Nicholas, ‘I have made thee colonel and swordmaster-gene- ral from a nameless stranger. Thou wilt serve me faithfully. Is it not so?” ‘*T will do anything to serve your majesty.” Nicholas looked at him steadily for a mo- ment, ‘“*Go and arrest my brother.” Olaf started slightly, but made no further sign of emotion as he inquired: ‘After arresting his highness what shall I do, sire?” ‘‘ Bring him here,” answered the czar, over- joyed at meeting no more resistance. ‘ And supposing that his highness calls on his suite to protect him from arrest, what shall I do, sire? The question was put in a matter-of-course way, but alarmed the czar, especially when Olaf continued : “The soldiers will not follow me to arrest him. . To make the attempt is to excite a mu- tiny. Orphen you must see that he does not remain in the palace of the Dembinski plotters alive,” said the czar, in alow tone. ‘“ You are to kill him if he resists, then come back and report to me. If you succeed in arresting him I will give you a post worth five times as much as you are getting now; if you kill him you shall he sent safely from Russia with a hundred thousand roubles in your pocket.” The swordmaster bowed low. ** 1 cannot rene to kill his majesty, for | have eaten his b ; but I can romise to bring him here or die in the at- mpt. Ihave the honor to wish your majesty eaok zaoende “nd Then he backed out of the presence, went down-stairs, and saw Nicolai the Cossack, who had followed him all the way from Grodno on the box of the tarantass, sitting there as stolid as ever beside the police driver. The Cossack saluted when he saw his officer, and Olaf said to him: ‘“Drive me over to Vassili Ostrof at once. Where has the Count Strogonoff gone?” ‘The count rode away on horseback, your nobility.” ‘*Then drive where I told you.” He flung himself down in the corner of the taran thinking over all sorts of plans to save his friend the grand duke from the danger which menaced him, and when at last the taran- tass rolled into the Dembinski garden he start- ed with surprise. He had forgotten where he ighness, your was. All the former mystery of this famous gar- den had vanished, for the stone doors stood wide open on their heavy iron pivots, and one could inly see the beautiful workmanship of the jembe, which had made so much mystery sible. bly | ern were — — Bese ron frames with rough masonwork, the in rounded off and smoothed in polished gr "e so that the chinks were imperceptible when the door was closed, the rest of the wall being built in the same fashion all the way round. But the Dane had but little time or thought for these things. He had a duty to perform, and he was one of those men whom no danger deters. He drove up to the open door of the agp where the sentries saluted him, thinking im still one of the household, and at once stalked up to the grand saloon, He had not far te go te find Constantine, as xpeeted, ‘The eZar’s eyes met his in a glance ef startled he hade a There, in the midst of the saloon, with .Na- talie at his side, and surrounded by the mem- bers of the Dembinski family, the duke, looking angry and excited, for he Had! been in dispute with the old prince as to the rudence of his return, and was fast working> imself into a passion. To him, thus excited, the appearance of the: swordmaster was the signal for a burst of anger, as he cried: ‘*So, my brave Iron Wrist, you could not; ae Ps your charge from the police, it seems, ut must leave her to the nuns of Wilna! By my faith, all of my followers are playing me false, Here is Draukovitch, my chief aide-de- camp, in correspondence with Strogonoff, and you have es over to my brother’s service. hat next?’ The swordmaster advanced and bowed re- spectfully. ‘*T was the bearer of a message from his ma- jesty to your imperial highness, and exceeded my duty in order to place the honorable lady in safety. Your imperial highness found her safe, I believe.” « Indeed, your highness, the gentleman did as much as any ten common men could have done,” urged Natalie, in coaxing tones. ‘‘ He at least should not be blamed.” Constantine’s brow cleared, for the gentle voice of Natalie had power over him in his wildest moods. ‘* Well, what do you want?’ he asked, more placably. ‘*T am sent to request the attendance of your imperial highness before his majesty the czar, at once.” “* And suppose I refuse to come?” ‘Then your imperial highness will compel me to blow my brains out before the honorable lady,” was the quiet reply. i) d duke sta and looked earnestly at Olaf. The swordmaster had one hand in bis breast, and gazed with perfect calmness at his late patron. ‘Will your highness come?’ he asked once more, and he half drew his hand forth. Constantine turned pale for the first time in his life, and raised both hands deprecatingly. ‘* No, no; all the thrones in the world are not worth the life of my king of swordsmen. I will come: I willcome. But mark me, Olaf, if there be treachery—” ‘There can be no treachery while J am there,” said Olaf, ina grave tone. “If it comes to a question of life against life, it will not be that of your highness that will be lost. J an- swer for that.” CHAPTER XXIX. LIFE AGAINST LIFE. St. PETERSBURG was all ina ferment at the sight of Constantine returned; and the news that he had gone to the Dembinski palace spread with lightning rapidity. Of course the fact that his highness had been. carrying on an intrigue with the lady who was famed as the ‘‘ Pearl of Poland” was matter of scandal all through the city, and had been dur- ing the late ezar’s life. Princes cannot have se- crets. But the Russian nobility, noble-like, had ne-. ver associated the idea of honorable marriage with the matter. ‘* His highness amuses himself. None of our business,” was their usual comment. The return of the grand duke to St. Peters- burg, and the open sojourn of himself and suite in the Dembinski palace, changed all this. Peo- ple could not ignore the matter any longer. 1t was Clear that an explosion was at hand. As for the soldiers of the Guards, they were allin a ferment. The sound of the imperial sa- lute had warned them of the coming of the ezar’s brother, and they began to gather iu knots on the parade- ground, thicker and thicker, before the officers were aware of what was com- ing, amid every appearance of a full-fledged mutiny. In the meantime the Grand Duke Constan- tine, taking the Princess Natalie on his arm, said to Iron Wrist: ** Lead on, sir. I follow.” They entered a carriage together, and togeth- er proceeded to the Summer Palace, while Prince Dembinski and his son Ivan, seeing that the storm had burst and that there was no shel- ter for them save under Constantine’s wing, fol- lowed in the next carriage and dismounted at 4 steps at the same moment as the grand uke. Short as was the interval since Olaf had left the palace, he found that the active Strogonoff had improved it. The whole of the palace ounds was full of the dark-green uniforms of the police, armed with carbines and swords, the only force on which the minister could de- pend, Strogonoff himself, dark and menacing, stood near the foot of the grand staircase, and ad- dressed Olaf as he passed: ‘His majesty is in the throne-room. Take your prisoners there.” ‘“‘T have no prisoners,” was the curt answer, as Olaf passed on. Coustantine CLG 00, <S'E (0)