Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-10-25

CHAPTER XXI
KAvANAGH CONFESSES.
The movement of the brougham at start
ing aroused Taras from his lethargy, and
he made an effort to shake off sleep, but
with a long drawn sigh his head dropped
again the next minute l drew him to-
ward me- and with his dear face pillowed
on my shoulder could scarcely wish our
journey to end.
When we drew up at length at our house
in Lambeth, Kavanagh came to the door,
took the latchkey from Taras' pocket and
after lighting the candles in our living
room came back to me.
I'VE must lay our friend on the couch in
the sitting room," he said, and turning to
the cabman, who had stationed himself in
front of us in evidence of his continued Wig
lance, continues: Can you give me hand
heref There's n man to hold your horseF
head"
With no pretsnse at disguise, he called
Drigo by name, and the man came from
the foot of the bridge where l had last seer
him and silently placed himself in front of
the horse at kaVanagh's bidding.
HE will not waken before midday, said
Kavanaga in French when Taras was COM
fortably disposed on the couch. The
sleeping draft gave him is perfectly harm
less. You can see that he is not in the
slightest pain, poor old chap!'
The tone of affection in which he spoke
was not less astonishing than the Openness
of his confession. The audacity of his
hypocrisy astounded me, and yet as 1 look
ed ut him bending over Taras with those
soft, feminine eyes l could find nothing in
the expression OF his face to belle his senti-
ment.
i must speak to you before l CO." he
continued, raising his head and looking me
calmly in the face. The cabman shall wait
outside till go, in the room with us if
you prefer il"
I'm not afraid of you,' replied.
He bowed, and going to the outer door
;old the cabman to back his cab and wait
there where he could hear if he were called.
Then he told the driver of his brougham to
return TO the news and babe Drigo go
with him. These orders l heard distinctly
As l sat on the stool beside the couch where
Taras lay.
kavanagh returned to the room, leaving
The doors open, and seating himself on the
couch by Taras' feet he leaned forward and
said gravely:
This is the second time you have de-
:eated my plans for saving the life of our
friend. Yet l took every precaution that a
man could take, short of contiding my pur-
pose to you this second time"
And if you had done that do you think
should have helped YOU" asked fierccly.
Yes, | believe you would. l set a man
to watch you, and thought that enough
And so it would have been if l hadn't
found means to get away without his see
ing me- l said triumphantly.
whether overrated his ability or I'M
derrated yours matters little now" said
he with shrug, after regarding me in ST
lence for Il minute. Il ought to have told
you all. With your help we must have
succeeded
In what:'
I'm getting Taras safely away. At this
moment he might have been on the steam
er waiting for him on the river and on his
way to Russia
Constituent for time. Then, doubling
whether l had rightly caught the sense of
his words, said:
You think l would have consented to
such thing as that?"
YES: if had shown you that it was the
only way of saving his life. Understand
this, the czar has said that Taras must be
silenced-that means that he must be taken
back to Russia, where he will be prevented
from publishing works offensive to the
czar. that he will be secretly assassinat-
ed, for ii is hopeless to think of rest raining
him while he lives here in freedom. l have
done my utmost in that direction. l made
it impossible for him to burn the group of
statuary until Gordon undertook to build
n kiln for that purpose, and it was l who
destroyed the group the day before it was
to be cast. You know now that it was the
hand of a friend, and not an enemy, who
did that
You call yourself "a friend, who did
that" l exclaimed.
YES. and you would do the same if you
perfectly realized his position"
Destroy what he has made-the work so
dear to him? Never"
Would you rather that he himself
should be destroyed" He paused for an
answer, but as found no reply to make
he continued:
unfortunately, nothing is to be gained
by it, or it should be beaten down again
He has said that he will carry the work
/ through, though he have to stand by it
with revolver by his side from first to
last
And he willi'' cried
Il was as fully convinced Oh that point
you are before l abandoned the idea.
No, there is no other alternative He must
I 60 back to Russia"
I He would rather die
But we would rather that he lived.
And surely if the means of preserving him
were offered you-if another opportunity
of removing him should occur''-
/ Il will not listen to you," cried with
| indignation as 1 started to my feet. Moth
( ing in the world could persuade me to join
you in this shameful plot"
For heavens sake, be reasonable, my
poor girlr' said he in a soothing tone
You have seen those pictures of prison
/ life and fancy that Taras would be exposed
to such cruelty and hardships as are repre-
sented in them. You are altogether mis-
taken, as he himself would tell you if you
asked him. His rank alone secures him
] against i'll treatment. The car is not I'M
merciful. Imperial interests compel him
/ to take strong measures. His hostility
toward Taras is tempered with profound
respect for political adversary of high at
/ tainmentS and unim peachable honesty. In
! Russia Taras will be treated with the ut
most consideration and kindness. He will
be allowed to live where he likes, and the
only restriction put upon his liberty will
be with regard to the propagation of revo-
lutionary ideas, and this restriction will
be but temporary. The country is ripe for
revolution, and in a short time the present
government will be overthrown, and then
/ Taras will be free. On the other hand, if
he is not conveyed to Russia, his fate is
death. Can you hesitate in choosing which
lot shall be his?'
/ 1T isn't for Inc to choose, nor for YOU
/ Tell Taras what you have told me and let
J MIN ueClue ne IS not u 1901 or child that
should take his guidance in our hands -
He is a child in some thinGs-in sim
plicity and recklessness. Suppose he
chooses to face the danger of assassination,
as probably he will:''
What thens You will not find him I'M
prepared nor me either"
1T is not with me that you will have to
deal next time, but with one whose pur-
pose is unbiased by friendship"
'Friendship"' said through my clenched
teeth, feeling that l should strike the man
for the blasphemous use of a word so sacred
to my heart. How dare you speak of
friendship? Do you think 1 am an idiot to
be fooled by lie? What proof of friend