, 1859-06-17


our number diminished. Soon saw no one with
me excepting Kaleyski and Stravinski; and,
soon afterwards, we heard the call Of Russian
sentinel, and we stopped alarmed. y'.T-.
"Let us kill him |" said Kaeyski to me.
testified the horror with which such pro.
position inspired me. - II
"Well, then, take care Of him yourselfln
Hc fled into the woods; Stravinski followed
himi Twas left alone with the king.
"Lovzinskii'' u he then said to me, ait Is Won /
! cannot doubt it; il is you'll ] know your
! answered not a word. He continued, with
mildness .fl - a'--TI- Z : -
ut is ycgi Who would have thought II, ten
We were then near the convent Of Beliany.
distant about league from Warsaw.
"Lovzinsk," continued the king, "allow mo
to enter that convent, and save yourself" s
You must follow me" was all my answer.
at is in vain" said the monarch, "that YOU
are disguised; it is in vain that you now try to
disguise your voice; l know you-I am sure that
you are Loyzi Iskil All who would have
thought Il ten years agoi Ten years ago YOU
would have given your life to save that Of your
friend" 9srI fiH lid - -
He was silent Weadvanced some time with.
out speaking, when he resumed:
an ONShCOuO Will Iullgucs III YOU WISH me
to live, allow me to rcpose q moment. ~
Ihelpcd him to alight; he sat down upon the
grass, and, making me sit beside him, he took
one Of my hands in his
"Loyzinski," he said, "you whom l have
loved so much, you who knew better than any
person the purity Of my intentions, how Is 4
possible that you have been able to arm your
self against met Ungrateful man, ought to
find you only amongst my most cruel enemiesS
Can you seek to see me only to sacrifice me Z"
He then rccounted in the most touching man
ner the pleasures Of our boyhood, the closer ties
Of our youth, the tender friendship which we
had sworn, and the confidence with which be
had always honored me. He spoke Of the hon
ors which he would have heaped upon me, dur
ing his reign, II had been willing to deserve
them; he reproached ne, above an, with the
unworthy enterprise Of which appeared to be
the chief but Of which, he added, be well knew
that was only the drst instrument He threw
the odium Of It principally upon Pulaski, vet
said that the author Of such an enterprise was
not alone culpable; that could not undertake
the execution Of Il without crime, and that nv
conduct, 90 criminal In . subject, was stilI more
inexcusable In . friend He concluded By urging
me to release him.
ely" he said, "and make sure that if your
pursuers inquire Of me, win direct them IL an
opposite course to that which you taxa
The king urged me earnestly; his natural elo-
qncnce, increased BY bis danger, carried persua-
sion into my heart, and awakened there the most
tender emotions was moved, hesitated
moment but Pulaski triumphed thought
heard that stern republican reproaehing me with
my weakness. Patriotism has perhaps, It's ihnat-
icism and its superstitions, but if l was then
guilty am so still. You see mo more than ever
convinced that, in compelling the monarch to re-
mount bis horse, performed . good and cour-
ageous action. q
$50" he said, molrnfhlly, "you reject tho
prayer Of your friend; you refuse the pardon
offered to you by your king. Well, let us pro-
coed; ] submit to my evil destiny, or you aban-
don yourself to yours" 4
We recommended our journey, but the re-
proaches Of the monarch, his entreaties, his
threats, the men.al struggles which I had under
gone, affected me 30 much that I was no longer
able to find my way. Wandering through The
country, kept no direct route, and after half
an hours march We found ourselves at Marimont
We had rctraccd our steps.
quarter Of league from there we met
Russian party. The king at once made himself
known to the commander, and Immediately ad-
ded: .5- n
"This evening lost my way in the chase.
This good peasant, whom you see, wished, be-
fore showing me my way, to give q frugal 70
past in his cottage; but as think have seen
some Of Pulaskis soldiers roaming about this
ncighborhood, I wish to return quickly thither.
As to thee, my friend" he said, al am sorry
that thou hast taken so much useless trouble,
but prefer returning TO my capital with these
gentlemen to going further away with thee.
Yet it would be strange if should leave thee
without reward. What wilt thou have9 will
give theo whatever favor thou askest"
You may imagine my embarrassment; 1yet
felt uncertain Of his intentions and sought 10 dis
cover the true meaning Of his equivocal language,
full Of the bitterest irony or Of the greatest mag
nanimity. NJ. de Poniatowsky LEFT me some
time in this painful doubt
"I see thou art much embarrassed" he said,
at length, with an air Of kindness which deeply
affected me; thou knowest not what TO choose.
Come then, my friend, let us embrace. There
Is more honor than profit In embracing king"
he added, laughing; "yet you must confess
that not many monarchs, In my situation, would
have been as generous as l. !"
He departed at these words, and leit mo over.
whelmed with 80 much greatness Of soul.
In the meantime, the danger from which the
king had so generously protected me, threatened
every instant to return. II was more than prob
able that q great number Of expresses from
Warsaw would spread rapidly on ali sides, the
astounding tidings Of the abduction Of the king.
Doubtless, his ravishers were already hotly pur-
sued; my singular equipage would cast suspi
cion upon me, and IL I cell into the hands Of the
better informed Russians, all the efforts Of the
king would not be able to save me. II Pulaski
had been fully as successful as he anticipated, he
must still be far away could not have less
than ten leagues to travel, and my horse was
nearly dead. tried to urge him, but he had
not gone five hundred PAGES before he iell under
INC.
A well-mounted cavalier passed me at the
same moment, on the road be saw the animal
iall, and thinking TO amuse himself at the ex.
pensc Of poor peasant, he said TO me: