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The Daughter of an Empress

Page 127

Thus speaking, he led her into the house, where Marianne was waiting to

accompany her to her chamber.

Natalie silently followed her, but before entering her room she once

more turned, and, pressing her fingers to her lips, wafted kisses in the

air toward her friend.

"Good-night, Paulo!"

"Good-night, Natalie!"

The door closed behind her, and the smile instantly vanished from

Paulo's lips. With impetuous haste, beckoning Cecil to follow him, he

strode through the corridor leading to his own apartments.

When he had arrived there, and Cecil had closed the door behind him, the

count with a deep sigh threw himself upon a chair, whilst Cecil silently

busied himself in lighting the wax-candles and placing them upon the

table beside his master.

"Will not your grace now read the other letter?" he timidly asked, as

Count Paulo still remained buried in his silent reflections.

"Oh, this unblessed letter!" exclaimed the count, with a shudder. "I

tell you, Cecil, I feel that it contains misfortune. It has lain with

a heavy weight like a nightmare upon my breast and I yet felt not the

strength in me to draw it forth and read it in Natalie's presence!"

"That was well!" said Cecil, "and it was for that reason that I told you

in advance that the letter was from Russia, that you might be on your

guard. But now, Sir Count, we are alone, and now you can read it!"

"Yes, away with this childish fear!" cried the count, with resolution.

"I will be a man, Cecil, and whatever this letter may contain, I will

bear it like a man!"

Drawing forth the letter, he broke the seal with a trembling hand, and

threw the cover across the room. Then unfolding the letter, he

read. Behind him stood Cecil, involuntarily trembling with anxious

expectation.

The letter fell from the count's hands, and a deadly paleness spread

over his face, which bore the expression of utter despair.

"Oh, my prophetic soul!" he sighed.

"Your presentiment is then fulfilled!" anxiously asked Cecil.

"Yes, it is fulfilled! My property is sequestrated; they refuse to send

me the money I required; they command my immediate return to Russia, as

my conge has expired and my respite is at an end!"

"And you are lost, my lord, if you do not obey this command!" said

Cecil.

"And Natalie?" reproachfully asked the count. "Can I, dare I leave her?"

"She is much safer without than with you! They may not yet suspect who

she is! It is very possible that it in reality only is because your

leave of absence has expired, as the laws of Russia require that every

absentee should return to his country once in every four years. Fulfil,

therefore, this hard duty. Pretend to suppose that your recall is for

no other reason than the renewal of your passport, and the giving you

an opportunity to pay your homage to the empress. Appear innocent and

unconcerned, and all may yet go well!"

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