The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-02-18

Il
night-see her it may be for the Iast
time. She was sleeping soundlv-Pris
ella told me SO. Once more II mus
look upon that beautiful face that
may carry Its exact image with me fol
thousands of miles!
1 crept upstairs and entered hel
room. | stood by the bedside and gazee
with eyes full OF tears on my wife-vet
not my wife. | felt like a criminal. :
oeSecrator, so little right, knew. | haC
10 De IN the room. Her pale pure fac.
lay on the pillQw-the fairest face in al
the world to me. Her bosom rose anC
fell with her soft regular breathing.
falr and Wife as an angel she looked
and swore, as | gaZed on her that no
word OF man should make me doubt her
innocence. Yet / would go To Siberia.
would have given worlds for the
rlght TO lay my lips on hers, TO have
been able 10 awake her with kiss. and
see those long dark lashes rise. and her
eyes beam with love for me. Even as
u was 1 could not refrain from kissing
her gently on the temple. Just where
the soft thick hair began To grow. She
stirred n her steep. her eyelids CULVER
ed. and like one detected at the COM
mencemeHt OF crime / fed
The next day | was hundreds of miles
away, and my mind was in a steiner
i frame. II when | reached if ever / did
reach. Ceneri, / found That 1iaclri had
not lIed-f0und that | had been fooled.
eaJoled, made tool of. / should. at
least. have the grim consolation Of Ie-
Veuge. ] shOuld'be able to gloat upon
! The misery of the man who had deceived
BE and used me for his own purposes.
should see him dragging ont his
WTetclted life in chains and degradation
should see him slave, beaten and ill.,
treated. II this was the only reward
should reap it would repay me for nay
long Journey. Perhaps. considering all
mat had passed and my present anxiety
and dread TINS unchristiau state Of
Mfne was not unnatural to an ordinary
son Of Adam
It. Petersburg at last The letter I
bear. and the letter already received on
my account. insure me gracious re-
ceptlOn from her majesty $ noble rep
r"SrutatIVe in the Russian capital Nv
request is listened to atteHtiVelV: not
( secuted as ridiculous. | am told it is I'M
precedented. but the words impossible
10 be granted are not rsed. There are
difficulties, great difficulties, III the way
but. as my business Is purely of do
nestle nature. with no political tend
ency. and as the letters bear the magic
autograph of a person whom the noble
lord IS eager to Oblige, | am not told
that the obstacles are insuperable
must wait patiently for days. it NAV be
weeks. but | can be sure that every
thing VIII he lone that can be done.
There is at present. or so the newspa-
pers say, little friction between the
two Governments. Sometimes this is
shown by requests more simple than
mine being refused. Still. we shall see
Meanwhile, who is the prisoner, and
where is he?
At T
him as a doctor named Ceneri-an Ital-
ian-an apostle of freedom-patriot-
conspirator | was not foolish enough
to Imagine he had been tried and SEN
fenced under the name | knew him bY
| supposed this to be false one.
Lord-Was certain that no one of that
name had been sentenced within the last
few months. That mattered little. Per
mission accorded, with the data | had
given, the man would at once be identi-
fled by the police. Now. goOd-mOrning
the embassy.
And one word of caution, Nh
| Vaughan" said his lOrdship. You are
not in England. Remember that a
haSty word, even look; casual re-
mark to any stranger you sit next at
dinner, may utterly defeat your ends.
The system of government here is diff
ferent from ours"
| thanked him for his advice although
| needed no warning. The truth is that
an Englishman in Russia has an even
e. exaggerated dread of spies and the con
sequences OF a loose tongue. More of
us are looked upon with suspicion from
our taciturnity than from our garrulity.
| was not likely to err on the latter
point.
| went back to my hotel, and for the
next few days whiled away the time as
best | could. Not that under ordinary
much difficulty in so doing. st. Peters
burg was one of the places Ihad always
wished to visit. Its sights were new
and strange to me; its customs worth
studying; but | took little interest il
anything | saw. | was longing to be
away in pursuit of Ceneri.
was not foolish enough to poster the
4 ambassador and make myself NUS
4 ance. Believing he would do all he
could, | waited patiently and in silence
until | received letter asking me tc
call at the embassy. Lord received
me kindly.
, 1T is all settled" he said. You vii
go to Siberia armed with authority
: which the most ignorant jailer or sol
pledged my honor that in no way vii
I
that your business is purely private"
expressed my thanks, and asked fol
instructions.
a First of all, he said, "my instruc
v tons are to take you to the palace. Th'
t Gar desires to see the eccentric En-
: glishman who wishes to make such ;
a long journey in order to ask few ques
a tons"
e l would right willingly have declined
| the honor, but as there was no chance
S of escaping from it, nerved myself t
Y meet the autocrat as well as [ could
e The ambassadors carriage was at tn
It door, and in few minutes we wer
e driven to the Imperial Palace.
f | retain a confused recollection o
Y gigantic sentries, glittering officers
t grave-looking ushers and other officials
) noble staircases and halls; paintings
n statues, tapestry and gliding; then, fol
:, lowing my conductor, | entered larg
e apartment, at one end of which stood
y tall, noble-looking man i'll military al
II tire; and | realized that | was in tn
presence of him whose nod could swa
Il millions and millions of fellow-crea
: tures-the Emperor of all the Russia
+ the White Car. Alexander III. TIL
t sovereign whose rule stretches from tn
e highest civilization of Europe to thu
lowest barbarism of Asia.
L
i cruel death reached England, though
g of him as | saw him that day-in tn
Z prime of life, tall, commanding, an
4 graciouS-a man it does one good t
: look at. Whether-if the whole trut
h of his great ancestor Catharlne tn
! Seconds frailtieS were known-th
e blood of a peasant or king ran in hi
4 veins, he looked every inch ruler Q
O men, splendid despot.
a To me he was particularly kind an
a condescending. His manner set me a
o much at my ease as it is possible for
man to be in such august company
a Lord-presented me by name, AN
; after proper reverence | waited tn
l. Cars commands.
q He looked at me for a second fror
: his towering height. Then he spoke
Il me in French, fiuently and withou
r much foreign accent:
n Il am told you wish to 60 to Siberiai
d with your majesty's gracious pei
!: mission"
!. "To see political prisoner. Is tia
4 so?"
replied in the affirmative
:. at is a long journey for such a pul
/ pose
y My business is of the most vital in
-e portance, your majesty"
" Private Importance, | understan
n from Lord"
n He spoke in quick, stern way whic
J. showed that he admitted of no prevar
~ cation. | FASTENED to assure him of ii
n purely private nature of my desired il
Y terview with the criminal.
II rs he dear friend of yours"
o Rather an enemy. your majesty: bJ
!, my happiness and my wife's happmeS
% are at stake"
T. He smiled at my explanation. ~Yo
: English are good to yonr wives. Nel
o WELL Mr.. Vaughan, it shall be as yo
: wish The Minister of the Interior wi
i provide you with the fullest passport
= and authorities. Bon rogags."
I Thus dismissed. bowed myself on
praying mentally that no redtapeism (
!. bureaucracy might delay the TRANSMIT
|. sion of the promised documents.
i In three DAYS | received them. III