The Emperors Candlesticks | Page 8

are absolute masters of the
situation. I don't think we gain anything by discussing any further what
Lavrovski and Madame Demidoff may or may not do. They must be
strictly watched, that is evident, but the message to Taranïew is the
most important; we can include as many conditions in our letter as we
like, and leave them at Petersburg to do the rest."
"Yes, the message, the papers," was the unanimous assent to the
president's last decision.
He took up the papers one by one that were lying on the table, and
divided them into two bundles.
"These," he said, handing one of the packets to his neighbour, "are not
of much value, and in view of the approaching crisis, in my opinion
had better be destroyed. Will you glance through them and decide?"
The papers were handed round, carefully examined by most of the
present and the president's decision being endorsed, they were
consigned to the flames.
"This," said the president, with a certain amount of solemnity, "is our

account of the Tsarevitch's abduction, as planned and executed by us;
and this is the letter, which Taranïew must find means of conveying
into Alexander III's own hands; these two papers, together with this
small bundle of notes and plans, relating to our brotherhood, are the
vital things that we will entrust to our messenger for safe delivery into
Taranïew's keeping. We are thus not giving into his hands, not only our
own lives and liberty, who are assembled here to-night, but the last
hopes of Dunajewski and our unfortunate companions who are in
prison. Would to God there were no such necessity for so much written
matter- hopelessly compromising so many of us- to be taken across the
frontier, but unfortunately that necessity is an imperative one, and we
must remember that we all may trust our messenger implicitly."
All eyes now turned towards Ivàn Volenski, as, almost trembling with
emotion, he had received, from the president's hands, the letters and
papers which were held out towards him.
Descended from an ancient and once glorious family, Ivàn Volenski
was now the private secretary and confidant to his Eminence cardinal
d'Orsay, the Papal Nuncio, accredited to the courts of Paris, Vienna and
Petersburg. But the polish blood within him could not rest peacefully in
the midst of comfortable surroundings. The spirit of plotting peculiar to
his countrymen - fanatical, hot-headed and enthusiastic - had thrown
him into the arms of this Socialistic brotherhood, for whose sake he
daily risked his position, his liberty, his very life.
In the midst as it were of diplomatic and social life, Ivàn Volenski was
a priceless ally to these plotters, who needed men of his stamp, that
mixed in with the very society they wished to annihilate, and could
keep them well informed of the comings and goings of the exalted
personages whom that wished to attack.
It was Volenski who found out for his comrades that the Tsarevitch was
in Vienna under the strictest incognito, attended only by an elderly
court functionary, and a confidential Russian valet, and staying at the
Hotel Imperial under an assumed name, and in the guise of a private
gentleman, remaining in town to view the Carnival.

Then is was that the daring plan was conceived by some of these
fanatics, to obtain possession of so august a hostage, and then barter his
liberty against that of some comrades in Russia, who, implicated an
abortive intrigue, were awaiting condemnation, languishing in a
Moscow prison.
Ivàn Volenski now leaned across the table and said, turning towards the
president -
"I am happy and proud to feel that it is my power to render the
brotherhood so great a service. I will convey the letter, the news, and
the papers, safely to Petersburg."
Many hands were stretched across the table towards the young Pole,
who grasped them warmly.
"When can you start?" asked Mirkovitch.
"In about two days," replied Ivàn.
"Too late, cannot you go before?"
"Impossible! The Nuncio leaves Vienna the day after to-morrow. I shall
be forced to remain twenty-four hours longer to finish and classify his
correspondence, after that I am free and can start immediately."
"Let Ivàn act as he thinks best," said the president; "not one of us could
cross the fr0ontier as safely as he, and a delay of three days is so
dangerous as the entrusting of the papers to anyone else."
"So far I have never been suspected," said Volenski reassuringly; "true,
those brutes on the frontier did seize and search all my papers once," he
added sullenly; "that was after Dunajewski's arrest, when every Pole
was an object of that type of tyranny. Fortunately I was not carrying
anything compromising then."
"And this time?" asked an anxious voice.
"I shall take the