The Shadow of the Czar

's long silence, "what think you of t

y, compelled by your office to attend her d

elf. Give me blue blood and a title, and I might aspire. The sovereign of Czernova must not marry

?" asked Paul, with

ute of Czernova," re

o Czernova? Better to have remained in ignorance of her fate

e, "that the marriage of the princess with the duke

long lecture on Czernovese polit

t all.

last fragment of the ancient kingdom of Poland; it is one o

ot only permitted him to retain his palatinate, but even created him Prince, and set her hand and seal to a new constitution framed by Lilieski himself, which conferred upon Czernova all the rights of a free and independent state. The Russians of to-day aver that the

ed times the stronger, what has pr

va shall be governed according to the Charter granted by Catherine

litical frame-work.

elements, but the two chief natio

man. They form a majority in the principality; but for the two past decades there has been a steady influx of imm

h is the Czar; their sympathies are of course pro-Russian, and if the Emperor Nicholas we

he crux of the po

er. In the Diet, Poles and Muscovites form two hostile factions; the debates are acrimonious; swords are sometimes drawn, a

Paul, "to find a ruler who shall

her for her nationality; and the Muscovites, if they do not love, are at least disposed to tolerate a ruler whom they believe to be a member of the

s secret faith which con

l be able to stand the shock. They may rise in arms and endeavor to seat the Duke of Bora on the throne, who has three recommendations in

their joint occupation of the throne is the only thing that can keep Pole and Muscovite from cuttin

by the duke! The thought

united on the question of

ts necessity. I can name two ministers, however, who,

they

venna and Ma

en he reflected that the cardinal was master of her secret history, and would therefore require to be conciliated. An uneasy suspicion began to form in his mind that Barba

that he would oppose the marrying of the prin

sa sm

s, whose motto is 'Trust in God and Zabern-especially Zabern.' Ask the Muscovites who Zabern is, and they will blaspheme and tell you that he is the incarnation of the devi

? But if the princess has set her mind upon i

t card is

e P

Church from marrying the duke, inasmuch as he is her first cousin. Th

Holy Father refu

assumed a very

that means. On the other hand, if she submits to the will of the Pope, and dismisses her ducal suitor, she will put herself in grave peril. The coronation takes place within four months from now, and the Muscovites a

ould not her ad

f the Czar. If there should be riots, and the Poles should take to burning and killing, the Muscovites will cry to Nicholas to protect his own kith and kin, and then, good-bye to Czernovese lib

he happened to see a lady well known to him entering the hotel. Asking Pau

not likely that under her changed circumstances she would consider herself bound by her past promises. Granting, however, that she still loved him; granting that the Duke of Bora would be so heroic as to efface hi

ernova he must have an interview with her. He must see her once more face to fa

ed by Count Radzivil. The pair were making their way along the balcony of the hotel, apparently wi

who belonged of prior right to himself. It was clearly state-policy that dictated her attitude towards the duke. Paul found it imp

did not perceive that the returning princess was not his first love? Barbara must have played her part well so to impose u

not tend to increa

round with a suddenness that formed a marked contrast with

her stood nor

m surprise. What right had this Czernovese grand

her stood nor

shoul

lashed savagely; his fa

Report yourself a pri

ask, why

d of amazement and fury. A whispered word from Radz

ping forward with a courteous bearing. "I am Count R

dville of the 24th Kentish. May

rm he had taken him for one of his own officers. The duke could ill bear rid

eal my dignity,"

But proc

f of the Czernovese army. Your English un

at the Czernovese is so

ably took you for a

ficient apology, and Paul, had he chosen, might have boasted tha

using air. "Surely not the Captain Woodville who cond

replied Pa

jealousy, the mean jealousy of the man who had do

and crosses, none of which had been gained by actual service in war. Bora felt the irony

are always welcome at the court of the princess. The princess, sir, takes a great interest in English affairs, so much so that some of our free-speaking newspapers (for as you are perhaps aware, we have no censorship of the press in Czernova) have ventured to term her an Anglomaniac; Anglophile w

riend, count. We studied tog

l, tapping his snuff-box pleasantly. "Your grace," he added, turni

the secretary, and as a corollary, all

s. But Trevisa succeeded in unravelling it. He is the author of a work on cryptography, I believe, though I am ashamed to say I haven't yet read it. The princess has no more loyal servant than Trevisa. He is more Czernov

videri,'"

honors you. He is quoting the m

inscribed on the golden band of the seal which Pau

t affixed to his watch-chain, and scarcely knowing

e sparkling sapphire. He started, took a step forward-an

u possessed

ressive in the duke's manner that an

receive it

atalie, and had been lost by her in the secret passage where Paul had found it. No wonder that Bora was incensed at its re-appearance in this fashion! Jealousy caused him to

ave you t

our grac

e," cried Bo

ing nervously around. "Let us have no scandal in p

owances. I do not wish to quarrel with you. This seal was not given to me by a

s self-restrain

re? When? Under wh

ons that I must d

ref

cert

u shall

's arrogant manner, was not at all

ming into Czernova was to fight a duel with her future consort. He would thus appear in her eyes as

shall not fight,"

how brave these English are against all the savage races of the world,-how reluctant to face the Euro

carried he brought it down

filled with disgust and anger he wal

ace leaving it deadly white save f

neering smile and raising his cane again, "or d

ion. "Send your second here without delay to meet mine. I ho

ous joy passed ov

first a caution to Radzivil. He hath too talkati

tel-attendants, the passers-by on the boulevard, had seen the duke's action, and concluded that i

, and then of the fair, graceful head of Barbara pillowed on the br

een his set teeth. "I shall be doing Barb

ed only that Radzivil should have shown such marked disapproval, mo

he occupied a delicate position. It was not polite to make a

et that duelling is f

, and above the law," r

ti-duelling Act. For one of her own ministers to fly in the face of it is to treat her with contempt. Your grace

it. Remember," he added with a menacing air, "if her Highness bec

ine, and shot a ferocious

Radzivil, that that sapphire seal was a gift of mine to Natalie? Whene

say so; and inasmuch as it is now in the Englishma

ery innocent matter; why, then, does

d, that the mildest-natured individual would have taken u

d your gra

given to yon fellow

n Woodville's first visit to Czernova. When

tered Bora, grinding his teeth and gripping his sabr

race, e

matia from three to six months? There i

en she was affianced to you! You wron

eturn so melancholy in mood that I almost doubted whether she were the lively

this is midsu

efers our nuptials. Why? There is the cause!" with the same gesture as before. "She

il. "And yet she has kept him

o walk securely in Czernova. She would protect him from my sword. She thinks he may safely venture here now. She has doubtless been corresponding with him since her return from Dalmatia, their common

g that he was about to jump up for the purpose of making an onslaught upon Paul, tried to diver

at cipher-writing, but at present

do you

gh as to call for the intervention of the night watch, who marched the offenders to the guard-house. The customary search taking p

uke's attention. Anger faded from his face. Paul an

concealed a large sheet of paper folded twice, and cover

as an agent travelling for a cloth merchant of Warsaw named Pascovitch; and, as a matter of fact, he carried a portfolio containing specimens of cloth. Inquiries show that the

ellow go after

Zabern's ears, and he had

numerals mean?

ets of my business,

akoff refused to give the meaning of the mysterious paper; he failed to account for certain portions of his time spent at Slavowitz; and the marshal, convinced that the fellow is a spy in th

the cipher pu

no headway wi

pleased than otherwis

every man who comes fr

th. Zabern talks of employing the

," said the duk

ng," retorte

making an angry reply, but

ou say? If Zabern deems this a matter of such impo

n it was by accident. And," added the premier, weakly smiling at the acknowledgment that he was not master in his own cabinet, "you

a dark look, which implied that when he should come to occupy a moiety of

wine at one gulp, the duke rose

concluded that it had been unknowingly dropped by one of them. While he was wondering whether to let it lie, or to send it after them by

nd it to be a pocket-edition of the poet ?schylus containing the

eaves Trevisa suddenly stopped an

ll this trouble, and what is

, Sir Se

e keen black eyes of the duk

classics, you perceive," remarked B

id the secretary; "it isn't every student that takes

ting a hidden meaning in his reply, and

ight of the red line on his friend's

Strong," replied Paul, gr

astel Nuovo, suppressed the incident of the seal, making it app

th a look of the ut

ushing to certain death. The duke is mighty with t

eeing that Czern

y duels, seven of which ende

his thirty-first. And, Noe

was frightfully prevalent; Poles and Muscovites were for ever challenging and fighting

a challenge! Humph! law-maker, law-breaker! And

l for murder. You are between the devil and the deep sea, Paul. If the duke should win, you die; if you

arbara in mourning, and himself red-handed, flying from justice! And yet

the princess. A word from me as

d the skirts of the princess, and begging for protection? Anything but that! But Noel, y

comes Baron Ostrova, the duke's secretary, and presumably his second, since he

At six. Sabres.

quietly as if a duel were