The door opened, yet she durst not turn her head.
Through the corridor came the solemn roll of the organ, and with it the voices of the white-robed choir: "Deposuit potentes et exaltavit humiles."
Why had Faustus ordered the "Magnificat" to be sung? Could it be that—?
"Barbara!"
A delicious feeling of relief thrilled her whole frame as that word fell on her ear.
She looked up from her knees. Yes, it was the living Paul, and not his spirit; Paul smiling tenderly, and apparently unhurt. She tried to speak, but emotion checked her utterance. Paul raised her drooping figure from the ground and girdled her in a grasp of iron.
"My sweet floweret. You must not faint. All is well. Your throne is safe."
"Your life is safe," she faintly articulated, "and that is all I care for."
Then followed a long interval of silence. Their joy was too deep for words. At last Barbara spoke.
"And is Bora really dead?"
"May all enemies of the princess be as the duke is."
"And you? Are you not wounded—hurt?" she asked, holding him at arm's length.
"There is not a scratch upon me."
"And the Czar—?"
"Is taking a lesson in the school of humiliation."
And here Paul proceeded to relate what he had been doing during his absence. He had gone away boldly resolved on making an attempt to persuade the English Foreign Secretary to interest himself on behalf of Czernovese liberty.
With this view, then, Paul, on the very first night of his arrival in London, called at the residence of Viscount Palmerston, and sent in his card. That statesman had no sooner read the notable name "Paul Woodville," thanhe gave orders that the visitor should be instantly admitted to his presence.
He received Paul with great affability, expressing his regret that a young soldier, certain of promotion, should have so strangely quitted the service of a great empire for that of one of the smallest states in Europe.
"You have sadly disappointed the British public," he remarked with a smile. "We were preparing great honors for you in England."
"I desire no other honor, my lord," replied Paul, boldly, "but that England should observe towards my adopted home that faith to which she stands pledged by the Treaty of Vienna."
Now it was a point in Paul's favor that Lord Palmerston had warningly declared from his place in the House of Commons at the close of the session of '46 that "The Governments of Austria, Russia, and Prussia, would recollect that if the Treaty of Vienna was not good on the Vistula, it might be equally invalid on the Rhine and on the Po." Therefore he became immediately attentive when Paul began to hint at an intended violation of this treaty; ever the friend of nationalities striving to be free, he listened with considerable warmth and indignation as his visitor went on to describe the insidious attempts made by Russia to undermine the independence of Czernova.
At this particular date Russia was thebête noireof Lord Palmerston, who had long viewed with misgiving the continual advance of that Power in the direction of India. He had learned from the despatches forwarded both by Paul and by other officers, that a considerable body of Russians had joined the Afghans in the attack upon the British garrison at Tajapore; but since it could not be proved that these auxiliaries had acted with the authority, or even with the knowledge of the Czar's ministry, the English cabinet had been obliged to let the matter pass.
The affairs of Czernova, however, seemed to afford a favorable opportunity, both for administering a check to Russia's growing spirit of aggression, and also of asserting British authority in the councils of Europe.
Accordingly, when certain of the Continental powers had been sounded as to their views upon the matter, the English ministry, after due deliberation, decided to uphold that clause of the Vienna Treaty which guaranteed independence to Czernova.
A Queen's messenger carrying the cabinet's decision was despatched to St. Petersburg. Paul himself had accompanied this emissary, and after lingering a day or two by the Neva, had set off for Czernova, so arranging the stages of his journey that he might reach Slavowitz on the eve of the coronation. An unforeseen breakdown on the way had delayed him by twenty-four hours.
"The English ambassador at St. Petersburg," he added, "favored me in confidence with an outline of 'Old Pam's' despatch. Ignoring the Charter altogether, it declares that Czernova shall continue to exercise that independence which it has exercised since 1795."
"But," said Barbara, who had listened in breathless wonder, "to what point is England prepared to go in order to maintain the integrity of Czernova?"
"To the point of the bayonet, if necessary. The present despatch, I am given to understand, contains no threats, but its language, though diplomatically polite, is quite unmistakable. France, too, is with us in this matter; the Porte likewise, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. Therefore, take courage, Barbara. The Czar will not risk a European war for the sake of Czernova."
For a moment the princess gazed at Paul, admiration, pride, and love shining from her eyes. Then with a low, sweet cry of rapture she flung herself into his arms.
"Paul, you have saved Czernova," she said.
Paul here ventured to call Barbara's attention to the papers entrusted to him by Zabern.
No sooner did the princess realize the character of the documents than she gave a second cry of delight. The one document was a certificate of marriage between Thaddeus Lilieski, Prince of Czernova, and one Hilda Tressilian; the other a baptismal certificate of an infant, Barbara Lilieska, described as the daughter of the aforesaid Thaddeus and Hilda.
How these documents came into the possession of the cardinal could only be surmised. Probably he had secured them prior to springing his plot upon Thaddeus, conjecturing that the prince, on seeing the claims of his beloved daughter Natalie threatened, would do his best to destroy all proofs of Barbara's relationship to himself. Afterwards, when Thaddeus became anxious to establish the fact that he had another and a legitimate daughter, Ravenna had maintained silence respecting these documents, thinking perhaps that secrecy would be more conducive to his own interests.
Be that as it may, there the documents were, and their genuineness was not called in question by the legal experts, to whose inspection they were afterwards submitted.
Paul, gazing upon Barbara, saw her face "as it had been the face of an angel." No marvel that she was filled with an exquisite sense of joy! She was now free from the imputation of illegitimacy. She could assume her rightful name instead of masquerading under a false guise. The sword of Paul had kept her throne from becoming the prize of the duke; and, thanks to the ægis of Britain, Czernova was safe from the aggression of Russia.
Best and sweetest thought of all, there was now no obstacle to her union with Paul, for who among her ministers would oppose her marriage with the gallant Englishman who had saved the principality?
The sound of approaching footsteps caused the princess to withdraw from the arms of Paul; and immediately afterwards Zabern entered the sacristy, followed by Katina and by most of the ministry.
"Princess," said Zabern solemnly, and Barbara observed that there were tears in his eyes; "princess, amid your joy give a thought to the brave men who have died to save our secret."
"What mean you, marshal?"
"Early this morning the Convent of the Transfiguration was seized and occupied by a regiment of the Paulovski Guards."
"By that act, then, the Czar has violated the Treaty of Vienna."
"True; but considering what that convent contained," said Zabern with a melancholy smile, "we shall act wisely in ignoring this raid upon our territory, especially as the Czar has paid the penalty of his act by losing a splendid regiment. Dorislas, who invested the convent, has just sent this message."
Zabern handed the princess a note inscribed with the following words,—
"At noon convent blew up with tremendous explosion. Building and inmates reduced to atoms. Some of our men injured by falling débris, but none killed.—Dorislas."
Barbara's face saddened.
"So the monks kept their vow," she murmured, "and fired the powder-magazine, sacrificing their own lives to save us from discovery."
"Fortunately your Highness has saved Faustus by inviting him here to crown you, and yet the old abbot is grieving because he has not died with the rest of his brethren."
"Though it be harsh to say it," remarked Paul, "the destruction of that monastery is, under the present circumstances,the best thing that could have happened to Czernova. If it could be proved that the principality is the nucleus of Polish conspiracies directed against the Czar's rule, the protecting arm of England will of necessity be withdrawn. This thought troubled me during my interview with Lord Palmerston."
"Then we will not abuse the good-will of England," commented the princess. "From henceforth I cease to be a conspirator. My dream of a wider realm is over. I must leave to others the liberation of Poland," she continued with a sigh. "But," she added, knitting her brows, "a conspirator I must be,nolens volens; for have I not secretly pledged my written word to assist Kossuth and the Magyars with gold, if not with arms?"
"Your Highness, I am happy to state that the treaty is non-existent," remarked Radzivil. "The Hungarian envoy who carried the treaty, while endeavoring to pass the Austrian frontier in the dark, was detected and chased by the sentinels; knowing that it meant death to be caught with the document upon his person, he, seeing his pursuers gaining upon him—"
"Destroyed the treaty?"
"Effectually, for heateit."
Barbara smiled sadly as she replied, "Kossuth will deem me unjust, but I fear there can be no renewal of the treaty."
"Your Highness," said Radzivil, with a significant glance at Paul, "the first act of to-morrow's Diet shall be the repeal of the princely marriage statute."
"But," whispered Zabern to Katina, "since no such statute bars our way, why should not old Faustus make us one ere the night come?"
Katina blushed and averted her head. But, be it noted, she offered no opposition to the marshal's desire.
"Princess," said Zabern, glancing at his watch, "your coronation has been delayed two hours by the action ofthe duke and the Czar. Your loyal subjects in the cathedral are beginning to ask whether there is to be any coronation. Let your Highness resume your place in the choir, and receive your lawful crown, thus triumphing in the very presence of the Czar."
The party withdrew from the sacristy, and the ladies entered to aid the princess in her robing.
As Paul made his appearance in the choir, he was greeted with a cry which, rolling through the cathedral and penetrating to the sacristy, caused Barbara's cheek to color with pride and pleasure. For that cry was—
"LONG LIVE PAUL, PRINCE OF CZERNOVA!"
THE END
LITTLE, BROWN, & CO.'SNew and Popular FictionIN THE COUNTRY GOD FORGOTBy FRANCES CHARLES. 12mo. 338 pages. $1.50.Of this original and engrossing tale of the Southwest theLouisville Courier-Journalsays: "Arizona was never more truthfully described than in this book."It is essentially a rugged book. The particular woman and child whose destinies are followed in this story are the wife and son of Bax Weffold, whose father, old Carl Weffold, has cherished toward him a lifelong and implacable hatred.—New York Commercial Advertiser.A GIRL OF VIRGINIABy LUCY MEACHAM THRUSTON. Illustrated by Ch. Grunwald. 12mo. 306 pages. $1.50.Frances Holloway, the daughter of a professor in the University of Virginia, is as lovable a heroine as any one could wish for. There is something wonderfully attractive about her,—she is so pretty, proud, and high-spirited, and, at the same time, so intensely real and human. It is a pleasure to say that the author of this "love story of the university" has given us a picture of modern girlhood that goes straight to the heart and stays there.—Commercial Advertiser.By the Same AuthorMISTRESS BRENT.A Story of Lord Baltimore's Colony in 1638. Illustrated. 12mo. $1.50.LAFITTE OF LOUISIANABy MARY DEVEREUX. Illustrated by Harry C. Edwards. 12mo. 427 pages. $1.50.The remarkable career of Jean Lafitte during the French Revolution and the War of 1812, and the strange tie between this so-called "Pirate of the Gulf" and Napoleon Bonaparte, is the basis of this absorbing and virile story,—a novel of love and adventure written by a skilled hand.This work is one of the most ambitious of its class, and it has in the introduction of Napoleon as Lafitte's guardian angel a picturesque feature which makes it of rather unusual interest.—Philadelphia Record.By the Same AuthorFROM KINGDOM TO COLONY.Illustrated by Henry Sandham. 12mo. $1.50.UP AND DOWN THE SANDS OF GOLD.12mo. $1.50.THE GOD OF THINGSBy FLORENCE BROOKS WHITEHOUSE. Illustrated by the author. 12mo. 288 pages. $1.50.Of this novel of modern Egypt thePhiladelphia Telegraphsays: "It is a tale of fresh, invigorating, unconventional love, without the usual thrilling adventures. It is wholesome, although daring, and through its pages there vibrates a living spirit such as is only found in a few romances."TheBoston Heraldsays: "Engages the attention of the reader from the skill shown in the handling of the subject,"—divorce.THE HEROINE OF THE STRAITBy MARY CATHERINE CROWLEY. Illustrated by Ch. Grunwald.. 12mo.. 373 pages.. $1.50.A romance of Detroit in the time of Pontiac, of which thePhiladelphia Timessays: "A very interesting work, and one that gives a vivid picture of life among the early settlers on the frontier. It is full of local color, and the story is told in a clear and straightforward manner that should give the volume a high place among current historical fiction."Through the story runs the gayety of the French-Canadian, with its peculiar flavoring.—New York Times Saturday Review.By the Same AuthorA DAUGHTER OF NEW FRANCE.Illustrated by Clyde O. De Land.. 12mo.. $1.50.A MAID OF BAR HARBORBy HENRIETTA G. ROWE. Illustrated by Ellen W. Ahrens.. 12mo.. 368 pages.. $1.50.A fascinating tale of Mt. Desert before and after society had taken possession of the island. The heroine, Comfort, says theBoston Courier, "is an example of a pretty, womanly, determined down-east girl, whom it is a real pleasure to know."SIR CHRISTOPHERA Romance of a Maryland Manor in 1644. By MAUD WILDER GOODWIN, author of "White Aprons," "The Head of a Hundred," etc.. Illustrated.. 12mo.. $1.50..12th thousand.IN THE EAGLE'S TALONBy SHEPPARD STEVENS. Illustrated by A. Russell, 12mo. 475 pages. $1.50.A romance of the Louisiana Purchase which theBuffalo Commercialsays is "A lively story, a pretty romance, and interesting, as it throws a strong light on the private character of Napoleon Bonaparte ere he realized his ambitions."Mrs. Stevens has felicitously related an absorbing story and has re-created the atmosphere and scenes of the first days in the history of this region, as well as of the stirring times in France under the First Consul.—St. Louis Globe-Democrat.THE PHARAOH AND THE PRIESTFrom the original Polish of ALEXANDER GLOVATSKI, by Jeremiah Curtin, translator of "Quo Vadis," etc. Illustrated. 12mo. $1.50.No novel of such interest and power as "The Pharaoh and the Priest" has been written about ancient Egypt thus far. In this book the Egyptian state stands before us as a mighty living organism. The author depicts vividly the desperate conflict between the secular and the ecclesiastical powers during the career of Rameses XIII., in the eleventh century before Christ.TRUTH DEXTERBy SIDNEY McCALL. 12mo. $1.50.50th thousand.LITTLE, BROWN, & CO.254 WASHINGTON STREET, BOSTON, MASS.
LITTLE, BROWN, & CO.'SNew and Popular Fiction
IN THE COUNTRY GOD FORGOT
By FRANCES CHARLES. 12mo. 338 pages. $1.50.
Of this original and engrossing tale of the Southwest theLouisville Courier-Journalsays: "Arizona was never more truthfully described than in this book."
It is essentially a rugged book. The particular woman and child whose destinies are followed in this story are the wife and son of Bax Weffold, whose father, old Carl Weffold, has cherished toward him a lifelong and implacable hatred.—New York Commercial Advertiser.
A GIRL OF VIRGINIA
By LUCY MEACHAM THRUSTON. Illustrated by Ch. Grunwald. 12mo. 306 pages. $1.50.
Frances Holloway, the daughter of a professor in the University of Virginia, is as lovable a heroine as any one could wish for. There is something wonderfully attractive about her,—she is so pretty, proud, and high-spirited, and, at the same time, so intensely real and human. It is a pleasure to say that the author of this "love story of the university" has given us a picture of modern girlhood that goes straight to the heart and stays there.—Commercial Advertiser.
By the Same Author
MISTRESS BRENT.A Story of Lord Baltimore's Colony in 1638. Illustrated. 12mo. $1.50.
LAFITTE OF LOUISIANA
By MARY DEVEREUX. Illustrated by Harry C. Edwards. 12mo. 427 pages. $1.50.
The remarkable career of Jean Lafitte during the French Revolution and the War of 1812, and the strange tie between this so-called "Pirate of the Gulf" and Napoleon Bonaparte, is the basis of this absorbing and virile story,—a novel of love and adventure written by a skilled hand.
This work is one of the most ambitious of its class, and it has in the introduction of Napoleon as Lafitte's guardian angel a picturesque feature which makes it of rather unusual interest.—Philadelphia Record.
By the Same Author
FROM KINGDOM TO COLONY.Illustrated by Henry Sandham. 12mo. $1.50.
UP AND DOWN THE SANDS OF GOLD.12mo. $1.50.
THE GOD OF THINGS
By FLORENCE BROOKS WHITEHOUSE. Illustrated by the author. 12mo. 288 pages. $1.50.
Of this novel of modern Egypt thePhiladelphia Telegraphsays: "It is a tale of fresh, invigorating, unconventional love, without the usual thrilling adventures. It is wholesome, although daring, and through its pages there vibrates a living spirit such as is only found in a few romances."
TheBoston Heraldsays: "Engages the attention of the reader from the skill shown in the handling of the subject,"—divorce.
THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT
By MARY CATHERINE CROWLEY. Illustrated by Ch. Grunwald.. 12mo.. 373 pages.. $1.50.
A romance of Detroit in the time of Pontiac, of which thePhiladelphia Timessays: "A very interesting work, and one that gives a vivid picture of life among the early settlers on the frontier. It is full of local color, and the story is told in a clear and straightforward manner that should give the volume a high place among current historical fiction."
Through the story runs the gayety of the French-Canadian, with its peculiar flavoring.—New York Times Saturday Review.
By the Same Author
A DAUGHTER OF NEW FRANCE.Illustrated by Clyde O. De Land.. 12mo.. $1.50.
A MAID OF BAR HARBOR
By HENRIETTA G. ROWE. Illustrated by Ellen W. Ahrens.. 12mo.. 368 pages.. $1.50.
A fascinating tale of Mt. Desert before and after society had taken possession of the island. The heroine, Comfort, says theBoston Courier, "is an example of a pretty, womanly, determined down-east girl, whom it is a real pleasure to know."
SIR CHRISTOPHER
A Romance of a Maryland Manor in 1644. By MAUD WILDER GOODWIN, author of "White Aprons," "The Head of a Hundred," etc.. Illustrated.. 12mo.. $1.50..12th thousand.
IN THE EAGLE'S TALON
By SHEPPARD STEVENS. Illustrated by A. Russell, 12mo. 475 pages. $1.50.
A romance of the Louisiana Purchase which theBuffalo Commercialsays is "A lively story, a pretty romance, and interesting, as it throws a strong light on the private character of Napoleon Bonaparte ere he realized his ambitions."
Mrs. Stevens has felicitously related an absorbing story and has re-created the atmosphere and scenes of the first days in the history of this region, as well as of the stirring times in France under the First Consul.—St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
THE PHARAOH AND THE PRIEST
From the original Polish of ALEXANDER GLOVATSKI, by Jeremiah Curtin, translator of "Quo Vadis," etc. Illustrated. 12mo. $1.50.
No novel of such interest and power as "The Pharaoh and the Priest" has been written about ancient Egypt thus far. In this book the Egyptian state stands before us as a mighty living organism. The author depicts vividly the desperate conflict between the secular and the ecclesiastical powers during the career of Rameses XIII., in the eleventh century before Christ.
TRUTH DEXTER
By SIDNEY McCALL. 12mo. $1.50.50th thousand.
LITTLE, BROWN, & CO.254 WASHINGTON STREET, BOSTON, MASS.