Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-11-20
THE EMPEROR'S PARDON.

You will not give up the e people,
then, Ivan dedrest-Nou Will not give
them up; them and lhcirwild, reckless
schemes not even for your Mari
anne's sake not even Tor me?'
With "A beating heart ! waited for
the reply that my Russian lover was
slow To give. He stood irown ny and
looking al the ground and seemed
ixesolutc. But when he did speak.
iSwas with sufficient iirmncss that he
made answer:
mo, Marianne. no! Never, even
for your dear sake, can separate my
hopes and my efforts from those OF
the comrades. who, at all costs to
themselves, are striving To liberate
Russia from thIaldom such as your
happier, luckier land never knew. !
aui~ledgcd, tor veal or woe, to east
in my lot with my brethren.
"I have had my answer it is
enough SAID, sobbing. and without
another word | left hm.
A very brief space viii suffice to
explain our mutual position /, Ma
rhine Esmonde-an orphan whose
parents had died IN India. and who
had no near rtlativeS surviving except
my young brother, Paul, who lived
with ne in the big house, standing in
its own grounds. as in my grand
mothers time, amid tall trees and
lawn, and flowers was rich. and, |
believe, admired. Old Lady Leslie,
orr grandmother. had left me ali her
wealth, and there were those who
wondered that Marianne Esmonde
was Yet unmarried was hethrothed.
however Several months since | had
pighted my promise to a young Rus
sian noble. whom | had first met in
Rome, aud later in London. and it was
with sorrow and dismay that learned
partly through the talk of others, but
chiefly from his own lips, that Count
Ivan CarlOvitch, whose father had
been iPvOrite courtier of the late
Gar. was leagued with the dangerous
fahtion of nihilists, and had embraced
their frantic doctrines with the fervor
Of convert. In vain had | reasoned,
pleaded, and implored. My influence
was not strong enough, sincere as was
lvan's love for me, To counteract the
effect of evil counsels, and every day
il seemed as if the conspirators with
whom he was now leagued were draw
ing him more hopelessly into the net
Of their gigantic plot. must give
him up; felt that the voice OF nv
conscience must be obeyed, but he was
- dear TO me, with his winning ways
and his bright sweet nature, that his
loss meant misery TO myself.
can remember well how | stood
alone in my own room. when my last
appeal had failed, holding between
my fingers the heavy medallion set
with brilliants, which enclosed Ivan's
portrait and which was fastened to
my neck by golden chain of Venetian
workmanship. | could scarcely bear
to divest myself OF thiS-his gift, and
~. how could |, a loyal English girl,
whose ancestors had fought and bled
at Marston and Worcester. marry one
who consorted with men whose hourly
study was best how 10 compass the
cold blooded murder Of their sover-
cign, Bad rs the system of Russian
rule might be, had sense enough 70
SEQ that ii would never be remedicd
by such means a dynamite and dag
gers And vet | hesjtated rs to
whether inclination should not prevail
over duty. and |. as the wife of des
peratc man. link my fortunes with those
of lyan--be they what they might.
Duty triumphed. | tore the gold chain
from my neck. and ilung the medal
lion, with Ivan likeness, among the
blazing Goals of the fire that was burn
ing in the CRATE. and then throwing
myself ON my bed. sobbed passionate
~ for hours. rs il seemed TO me, unit
my weeping ended in worn out silenc,
and sadness.
refused 10 see Ivan again, anC
wrote but few cold lines in reply tC
his letters Even when Paul. my
brother. came on his behalf to urg,
me TO grant TO him an interview,
would not Weld. and seemed, | hav,
nv doubt, hard and stern. The fac
was that dared not trust myself anC
my good resolutions again in the pres
ence OF my discarded lover, lest tn,
tables should be turned again. TheI
Ivan, after some wretc he'd weeks o
waiting, left England for his nativ,
country, and month or two later
learned 1t at a reception at the Aus
trlan Embassy, where. of course, for
Sgn diplomatic guests were numerou
-Count Ivan Carlovtch had beef
arrested in Moscow, tried by cour
marital, and sentenced asa Nihilis
'onspirator TO Siberia for life. An,
then 1T was for the first time | SCENE,
TO realize how loved him my poor
misguided bOy-and to determine L
make such efforts as woman neye
made before, to save him vet. NJ
plans were soon shaped. was m
own mistress, had wealth at nv com
mand, and Paul, the best of brothers
would have gone to the ends of th
cayth TO serve me.
Within n fortnight from the tim
when the fatal tidings reached m,
Papl and ] found ourselves in 81
Petersburg.
That fortnight had not been wastec
had obtained excellent letters of il
PRODUCTION TO Russians whose high d,
sition might enable them to aid M