The Prince of India, vol 2 | Page 4

"It is not a supposition,
Sergius."
Though surprised, he returned: "Without it I could not have your
decision first."
"Thou, Sergius, art the distressed neophyte."
He held his hands out to her: "Give me thy judgment."
"The Hegumen of the St. James' is the accuser."
"Be just, O Princess! To which is the obligation first owing?"
"I am the accused," she continued, in the same tone.
He would have fallen on his knees. "No, keep thy feet. A watchman
may be behind me now."
He had scarcely resumed his position before she asked, still in the quiet
searching manner: "What is the highest religious crime? Or rather, to
men in authority, like the Hegumen of your Brotherhood, what is the
highest of all crimes?"
He looked at her in mute supplication.
"I will tell you--HERESY."
Then, compassionating his suffering, she added: "My poor Sergius! I
am not upbraiding you. You are showing me your soul. I see it in its
first serious trial.... I will forget that I am the denounced, and try to help
you. Is there no principle to which we can refer the matter--no Christian
principle? The Hegumen claims silence from you; on the other side,
your conscience--I would like to say preference--impels you to speak a
word of warning for the benefit of your patroness. There, now, we have

both the dispute and the disputants. Is it not so?"
Sergius bowed his head.
"Father Hilarion once said to me: 'Daughter, I give you the ultimate
criterion of the divineness of our religion--there cannot be an instance
of human trial for which it does not furnish a rule of conduct and
consolation.' A profound saying truly! Now is it possible we have here
at last an exception? I do not seek to know on which side the honors lie.
Where are the humanities? Ideas of honor are of men conventional. On
the other hand, the humanities stand for Charity. If thou wert the
denounced, O Sergius, how wouldst thou wish to be done by?"
Sergius' face brightened.
"We are not seeking to save a heretic--we are in search of quiet for our
consciences. So why not ask and answer further: What would befall the
Hegumen, did you tell the accused all you had from him? Would he
suffer? Is there a tribunal to sentence him? Or a prison agape for him?
Or torture in readiness? Or a King of Lions? In these respects how is it
with the friend who vouched for you to the head of the Church? Alas!"
"Enough--say no more!" Sergius cried impulsively. "Say no more. O
Princess, I will tell everything--I will save you, if I can--if not, and the
worst come, I will die with you."
Womanlike the Princess signalized her triumph with tears. At length
she asked: "Wouldst thou like to know if I am indeed a heretic?"
"Yes, for what thou art, that am I; and then"--
"The same fire in the Hippodrome may light us both out of the world."
There was a ring of prophecy in the words.
"God forbid!" he ejaculated, with a shiver.
"God's will be done, were better! ... So, if it please you," she went on,
"tell me all the Hegumen told you about me."

"Everything?" he asked doubtfully.
"Why not?"
"Part of it is too wicked for repetition."
"Yet it was an accusation."
"Yes."
"Sergius, you are no match in cunning for my enemies. They are
Greeks trained to diplomacy; you are"--she paused and half
smiled--"only a pupil of Hilarion's. See now--if they mean to kill me,
how important to invent a tale which shall rob me of sympathy, and
reconcile the public to my sacrifice. They who do much good, and no
harm"--she cast a glance at the people swarming around the
pavilions--"always have friends. Such is the law of kindness, and it
never failed but once; but today a splinter of the Cross is worth a
kingdom."
"Princess, I will hold nothing back."
"And I, Sergius--God witnessing for me--will speak to each
denunciation thou givest me."
"There were two matters in the Hegumen's mind," Sergius began, but
struck with the abruptness, he added apologetically: "I pray you,
Princess, remember I speak at your insistence, and that I am not in any
sense an accuser. It may be well to say also the Hegumen returned from
last night's Mystery low in spirits, and much spent bodily, and before
speaking of you, declared he had been an active partisan of your
father's. I do not think him your personal enemy."
A mist of tears dimmed her eyes while the Princess replied: "He was
my father's friend, and I am grateful to him; but alas! that he is
naturally kind and just is now of small consequence."
"It grieves me"--

"Do not stop," she said, interrupting him.