Zabern, though a Catholic himself, and that mainly because the Czar was a Greek, was nevertheless a politician before all things, and he here intervened with a characteristic suggestion.
"Since your Highness has not yet publicly avowed yourself a Catholic, you are free to deny that you are one. Act diplomatically. Publicly attend the services of the Greek basilica; privately have your own oratory in the palace here. The Pope will doubtless grant you a dispensation to this effect."
"No more such counsel, I pray you," said Barbara, coldly. "I am a Catholic, not a Jesuit."
"Your Highness corrects me with admirable judgment," returned Zabern, who made a point of always agreeing with his sovereign, for by such course he usually contrived to secure his own way in the end.
"Our representative proceeds to say," remarked the premier, referring again to his despatch, "that the Czar"s words and manner were regarded by all the amba.s.sadors present as a distinct menace to your Highness.
"The annexation of the princ.i.p.ality," and "_Finis Czernovae_" pa.s.sed from lip to lip."
"Czernova has survived many similar threats," said Barbara disdainfully.
"It is the contention of the Czar and his ministers," pursued the premier, "that as a Catholic your Highness is precluded from reigning.
We would not alarm your Highness unnecessarily, but we cannot disguise the fact that we are approaching a very grave crisis."
"Be it so," replied Barbara, firmly. "My faith is dearer to me than crown or life. I shall not change it to please the Czar."
Radzivil looked the picture of melancholy at this avowal.
"As the Czar has promised to send an envoy," remarked Zabern, "your Highness will, of course, delay your answer till his arrival?"
To this Barbara a.s.sented.
"And in the interval," smiled Zabern cynically,--he was never happier than when opposing Russian designs,--"we will set the jurists to work to discover whether they cannot put upon the coronation-oath an interpretation different from that taken by the Czar. We will appeal to the decision of the other Powers; they being interested in opposing Russian aggrandizement will readily lay hold of any ambiguity in the wording of the oath."
After a brief interval of silence the princess, knitting her brows into a frown, said,--
"How comes the Czar to be aware of that which I revealed to my cabinet under pledge of secrecy?"
The two ministers interchanged significant looks.
"The statement we are about to make," began Radzivil, "is of so distasteful, so startling a character that we have hitherto withheld it from your Highness, hoping that it might prove false. In vain, however. We can no longer blind ourselves to the fact that there is a traitor in the cabinet."
"A traitor!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Barbara.
"Reluctantly we are forced to this conclusion. Secrets discussed in the privacy of our council-chamber have been reported to the ministers of the Czar. The previous letters of our amba.s.sador leave no doubt on this melancholy question."
Here the premier began to read various extracts, all tending to prove his statement.
"One of my own ministers secretly corresponding with the Czar!"
murmured Barbara in dismay. "Who is the traitor! Whom do you suspect, my lords?" turning sharply upon her ministers.
"I know not in the least at whom to point the finger," replied the premier.
A smile flickered over Zabern"s face, and he murmured to himself, "Blind Radzivil!"
"You suspect some one, marshal?" said Barbara, reading his looks.
"Your Highness, I do, but prefer to verify my suspicions ere stating them. I will say this much, however," continued Zabern, bending forward over the table and speaking in a whisper, "he whom I suspect is not one of the "Transfigured.""
The princess seemed somewhat relieved by this last statement.
"My spies are attentive to the traitor"s movements," continued Zabern.
"Nay, more; I have his emissary under lock and key in the Citadel."
"You refer to the man Russakoff?" asked Radzivil.
"Yes. I am convinced that he is the intermediary of this treasonable correspondence, and nothing but her Highness"s clemency prevents me from learning the name of his princ.i.p.al."
"My clemency? How?" asked Barbara in surprise.
"The rack would soon make him confess."
"Oh! no, marshal," returned the princess, quickly. "No prisoner shall be put to the torture during my _regime_. I am trying to civilize Czernova. The rack would indeed be a return to barbarism."
"Then we must fall back upon our secretary, Trevisa, and pray the saints that he will unravel that cipher despatch. It may give us the clue we want."
"A traitor in the cabinet!" murmured Barbara. "Russia"s arm is long and crafty; when will it be stayed? That desire of our hearts, a war betwixt England and Russia, seems as far off as ever."
"Nearer than men think," returned Zabern. "And strange to say, our capital contains at the present moment an Englishman whose words may have the effect of bringing it about."
"Who is this potent personage?" asked Barbara in surprise.
"A certain Captain Woodville, lately returned from India."
Zabern had been apprised by Radzivil of the duke"s suspicion as to a former love-affair between the princess and this English captain, and therefore while speaking he watched Barbara with an eye ready to detect the slightest change in her manner. But the princess showed no confusion of face at the mention of the name "Woodville," and the marshal was forced to the conclusion that the duke was laboring under an error. Or, he murmured to himself, "the princess knows well how to hide her feelings."
"Woodville? Woodville?" repeated Barbara pensively; and then her face brightening, she added, "Surely not the Woodville of Taj.a.pore renown?"
"The very same," replied Radzivil. "He is staying at the Hotel de Varsovie. I had a--a brief conversation with him this morning."
At this moment the premier received from Zabern a look which warned him to say as little as possible concerning that interview.
"The siege of Taj.a.pore!" said the princess. "Ah! that was a n.o.ble defence. Would four hundred of our men have done the like, think you, Zabern?" and without waiting for reply she turned to Radzivil and asked: "Did you inquire of Captain Woodville how long he intends to remain in Czernova?"
"His stay will be very brief, I fear," replied Radzivil, thinking of the duel and its probable issue.
"Very long, you mean," said Zabern in a grim whisper to the premier, "for you believe he"ll never quit Czernova."
"I should like to see this ill.u.s.trious Englishman ere he departs.
Count, you must arrange for an audience."
And the count, knowing that he was conniving at a breaking of the law which would probably end in the death of this same Englishman, felt extremely uncomfortable, and but for the presence of his colleague, would certainly have revealed the whole truth.
"But how," inquired Barbara, "can Captain Woodville"s words bring about an Anglo-Russian War?"
"Why, thus," returned Zabern. "He was interviewed at Alexandria by the correspondent of the English "Times," to whom he stated his belief that the artillery officers commanding the Afghans in their attack upon Taj.a.pore were really Europeans in disguise, his opinion being based upon the superior way in which they handled their guns. And of what nationality they were is shown by the fact that Russian words were frequently heard in the heat of the _melee_. Captain Woodville has already embodied his views in despatches which are now under the consideration of the British cabinet. We shall soon have a troubling of the diplomatic waters. Lord Palmerston, alarmed at the recent advances made by Russia in Central Asia, is in no mood to be trifled with. He may seize upon the siege of Taj.a.pore as a _casus belli_. If an Anglo-Russian war should come--"
Zabern checked his utterance and tapped the hilt of his sabre significantly.