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If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Savrola - A Tale of the Revolution in Laurania - -Author: Winston Spencer Churchill - -Release Date: January 24, 2016 [EBook #50906] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SAVROLA *** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines - - - - - - - - - SAVROLA - - A TALE OF THE REVOLUTION IN LAURANIA - - - - BY - - WINSTON SPENCER CHURCHILL - - AUTHOR OF "THE RIVER WAR: AN ACCOUNT OF THE RECOVERY - OF THE SOUDAN" AND "THE STORY OF THE MALAKAND - FIELD FORCE" - - - - LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. - 91 AND 93 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK - LONDON AND BOMBAY - 1900 - - - - - COPYRIGHT, 1899, BY - LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. - - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - - - - TYPOGRAPHY BY J. B. CUSHING & CO., NORWOOD, MASS. - - - - - THIS BOOK IS INSCRIBED - TO - THE OFFICERS - OF THE - IVTH (QUEEN'S OWN) HUSSARS - IN WHOSE COMPANY THE AUTHOR LIVED - FOR FOUR HAPPY YEARS - - - - -PREFATORY NOTE - -This story was written in 1897, and has already appeared in serial form -in _Macmillan's Magazine_. Since its first reception was not -unfriendly, I resolved to publish it as a book, and I now submit it -with considerable trepidation to the judgment or clemency of the public. - -WINSTON S. CHURCHILL. - - - - - CONTENTS - - I. An Event of Political Importance - II. The Head of the State - III. The Man of the Multitude - IV. The Deputation - V. A Private Conversation - VI. On Constitutional Grounds - VII. The State Ball - VIII. "In the Starlight" - IX. The Admiral - X. The Wand of the Magician - XI. In the Watches of the Night - XII. A Council of War - XIII. The Action of the Executive - XIV. The Loyalty of the Army - XV. Surprises - XVI. The Progress of the Revolt - XVII. The Defence of the Palace - XVIII. From a Window - XIX. An Educational Experience - XX. The End of the Quarrel - XXI. The Return of the Fleet - XXII. Life's Compensations - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -AN EVENT OF POLITICAL IMPORTANCE. - -There had been a heavy shower of rain, but the sun was already shining -through the breaks in the clouds and throwing swiftly changing shadows -on the streets, the houses, and the gardens of the city of Laurania. -Everything shone wetly in the sunlight: the dust had been laid; the air -was cool; the trees looked green and grateful. It was the first rain -after the summer heats, and it marked the beginning of that delightful -autumn climate which has made the Lauranian capital the home of the -artist, the invalid, and the sybarite. - -The shower had been heavy, but it had not dispersed the crowds that -were gathered in the great square in front of the Parliament House. It -was welcome, but it had not altered their anxious and angry looks; it -had drenched them without cooling their excitement. Evidently an event -of consequence was taking place. The fine building, where the -representatives of the people were wont to meet, wore an aspect of -sombre importance that the trophies and statues, with which an ancient -and an art-loving people had decorated its façade, did not dispel. A -squadron of Lancers of the Republican Guard was drawn up at the foot of -the great steps, and a considerable body of infantry kept a broad space -clear in front of the entrance. Behind the soldiers the people filled -in the rest of the picture. They swarmed in the square and the streets -leading to it; they had scrambled on to the numerous monuments, which -the taste and pride of the Republic had raised to the memory of her -ancient heroes, covering them so completely that they looked like -mounds of human beings; even the trees contained their occupants, while -the windows and often the roofs, of the houses and offices which -overlooked the scene were crowded with spectators. It was a great -multitude and it vibrated with excitement. Wild passions surged across -the throng, as squalls sweep across a stormy sea. Here and there a -man, mounting above his fellows, would harangue those whom his voice -could reach, and a cheer or a shout was caught up by thousands who had -never heard the words but were searching for something to give -expression to their feelings. - -It was a great day in the history of Laurania. For five long years -since the Civil War the people had endured the insult of autocratic -rule. The fact that the Government was strong, and the memory of the -disorders of the past, had operated powerfully on the minds of the more -sober citizens. But from the first there had been murmurs. There were -many who had borne arms on the losing side in the long struggle that -had ended in the victory of President Antonio Molara. Some had -suffered wounds or confiscation; others had undergone imprisonment; -many had lost friends and relations, who with their latest breath had -enjoined the uncompromising prosecution of the war. The Government had -started with implacable enemies, and their rule had been harsh and -tyrannical. The ancient constitution to which the citizens were so -strongly attached and of which they were so proud, had been subverted. -The President, alleging the prevalence of sedition, had declined to -invite the people to send their representatives to that chamber which -had for many centuries been regarded as the surest bulwark of popular -liberties. Thus the discontents increased day by day and year by year: -the National party, which had at first consisted only of a few -survivors of the beaten side, had swelled into the most numerous and -powerful faction in the State; and at last they had found a leader. -The agitation proceeded on all sides. The large and turbulent -population of the capital were thoroughly devoted to the rising cause. -Demonstration had followed demonstration; riot had succeeded riot; even -the army showed signs of unrest. At length the President had decided -to make concessions. It was announced that on the first of September -the electoral writs should be issued and the people should be accorded -an opportunity of expressing their wishes and opinions. - -This pledge had contented the more peaceable citizens. The extremists, -finding themselves in a minority, had altered their tone. The -Government, taking advantage of the favourable moment, had arrested -several of the more violent leaders. Others, who had fought in the war -and had returned from exile to take part in the revolt, fled for their -lives across the border. A rigorous search for arms had resulted in -important captures. European nations, watching with interested and -anxious eyes the political barometer, were convinced that the -Government cause was in the ascendant. But meanwhile the people -waited, silent and expectant, for the fulfilment of the promise. - -At length the day had come. The necessary preparations for summoning -the seventy thousand male electors to record their votes had been -carried out by the public officials. The President, as the custom -prescribed, was in person to sign the necessary writ of summons to the -faithful citizens. Warrants for election would be forwarded to the -various electoral divisions in the city and the provinces, and those -who were by the ancient law entitled to the franchise would give their -verdict on the conduct of him whom the Populists in bitter hatred had -called the Dictator. - -It was for this moment that the crowd was waiting. Though cheers from -time to time arose, they waited for the most part in silence. Even -when the President had passed on his way to the Senate, they had -foreborne to hoot; in their eyes he was virtually abdicating, and that -made amends for all. The time-honoured observances, the long-loved -rights would be restored, and once more democratic government would be -triumphant in Laurania. - -Suddenly, at the top of the steps in the full view of the people, a -young man appeared, his dress disordered and his face crimson with -excitement. It was Moret, one of the Civic Council. He was -immediately recognised by the populace, and a great cheer arose. Many -who could not see him took up the shout, which re-echoed through the -square, the expression of a nation's satisfaction. He gesticulated -vehemently, but his words, if he spoke at all, were lost in the tumult. -Another man, an usher, followed him out hurriedly, put his hand on his -shoulder, appeared to speak with earnestness, and drew him back into -the shadow of the entrance. The crowd still cheered. - -A third figure issued from the door, an old man in the robes of -municipal office. He walked, or rather tottered feebly down the steps -to a carriage, which had drawn up to meet him. Again there were -cheers. "Godoy! Godoy! Bravo, Godoy! Champion of the People! -Hurrah, hurrah!" - -It was the Mayor, one of the strongest and most reputable members of -the party of Reform. He entered his carriage and drove through the -open space, maintained by the soldiery, into the crowd, which, still -cheering, gave way with respect. - -The carriage was open and it was evident that the old man was painfully -moved. His face was pale, his mouth puckered into an expression of -grief and anger, his whole frame shaken with suppressed emotion. The -crowd had greeted him with applause, but, quick to notice, were struck -by his altered appearance and woeful looks. They crowded round the -carriage crying: "What has happened? Is all well? Speak, Godoy, -speak!" But he would have none of them, and quivering with agitation -bade his coachman drive the faster. The people gave way slowly, -sullenly, thoughtfully, as men who make momentous resolutions. -Something had happened, untoward, unforeseen, unwelcome; what this was, -they were anxious to know. - -And then began a period of wild rumour. The President had refused to -sign the writs; he had committed suicide; the troops had been ordered -to fire; the elections would not take place, after all; Savrola had -been arrested,--seized in the very Senate, said one, murdered added -another. The noise of the multitude changed into a dull dissonant hum -of rising anger. - -At last the answer came. There was a house, overlooking the square, -which was separated from the Chamber of Representatives only by a -narrow street, and this street had been kept clear for traffic by the -troops. On the balcony of this house the young man, Moret, the Civic -Councillor, now reappeared, and his coming was the signal for a storm -of wild, anxious cries from the vast concourse. He held up his hand -for silence and after some moments his words became audible to those -nearest. "You are betrayed--a cruel fraud--the hopes we had cherished -are dashed to the ground--all has been done in vain-- Cheated! -cheated! cheated!" The broken fragments of his oratory reached far -into the mass of excited humanity, and then he shouted a sentence, -which was heard by thousands and repeated by thousands more. "The -register of citizenship has been mutilated, and the names of more than -half the electors have been erased. To your tents, oh people of -Laurania!" - -For an instant there was silence, and then a great sob of fury, of -disappointment, and of resolve arose from the multitude. - -At this moment the presidential carriage, with its four horses, its -postilions in the Republican livery, and an escort of Lancers, moved -forward to the foot of the steps, as there emerged from the Parliament -House a remarkable figure. He wore the splendid blue and white uniform -of a general of the Lauranian Army; his breast glittered with medals -and orders; his keen strong features were composed. He paused for a -moment before descending to his carriage, as if to give the mob an -opportunity to hiss and hoot to their content, and appeared to talk -unconcernedly with his companion, Señor Louvet, the Minister of the -Interior. He pointed once or twice towards the surging masses, and -then walked slowly down the steps. Louvet had intended to accompany -him, but he heard the roar of the crowd and remembered that he had some -business to attend to in the Senate that could not be delayed; the -other went on alone. The soldiers presented arms. A howl of fury -arose from the people. A mounted officer, who sat his horse unmoved, -an inexorable machine, turned to a subordinate with an order. Several -companies of foot-soldiers began defiling from the side street on the -right of the Chamber, and drawing up in line in the open space which -was now partly invaded by the mob. - -The President entered his carriage which, preceded by an entire troop -of Lancers, immediately started at a trot. So soon as the carriage -reached the edge of the open space, a rush was made by the crowd. The -escort closed up; "Fall back there!" shouted an officer, but he was -unheeded. "Will you move, or must we move you?" said a gruffer voice. -Yet the mob gave not an inch. The danger was imminent. "Cheat! -Traitor! Liar! Tyrant!" they shouted, with many other expressions too -coarse to be recorded. "Give us back our rights--you, who have stolen -them!" - -And then some one at the back of the crowd fired a revolver into the -air. The effect was electrical. The Lancers dropped their points and -sprang forward. Shouts of terror and fury arose on all sides. The -populace fled before the cavalry; some fell on the ground and were -trampled to death; some were knocked down and injured by the horses; a -few were speared by the soldiers. It was a horrible scene. Those -behind threw stones, and some fired random pistol shots. The President -remained unmoved. Erect and unflinching he gazed on the tumult as men -gaze at a race about which they have not betted. His hat was knocked -off, and a trickle of blood down his cheek showed where a stone had -struck. For some moments the issue seemed doubtful. The crowd might -storm the carriage and then,--to be torn to pieces by a rabble! There -were other and more pleasant deaths. But the discipline of the troops -overcame all obstacles, the bearing of the man appeared to cow his -enemies, and the crowd fell back, still hooting and shouting. - -Meanwhile the officer commanding the infantry by the Parliament House -had been alarmed by the rushes of the mob, which he could see were -directed at the President's carriage. He determined to create a -diversion. "We shall have to fire on them," he said to the Major who -was beside him. - -"Excellent," replied that officer; "it will enable us to conclude those -experiments in penetration, which we have been trying with the -soft-nosed bullet. A very valuable experiment, Sir," and then turning -to the soldiers he issued several orders. "A very valuable -experiment," he repeated. - -"Somewhat expensive," said the Colonel dryly; "and half a company will -be enough, Major." - -There was a rattle of breech-blocks as the rifles were loaded. The -people immediately in front of the troops struggled madly to escape the -impending volley. One man, a man in a straw hat, kept his head. He -rushed forward. "For God's sake don't fire!" he cried. "Have mercy! -We will disperse." - -There was a moment's pause, a sharp order and a loud explosion, -followed by screams. The man in the straw hat bent backwards and fell -on the ground; other figures also subsided and lay still in curiously -twisted postures. Every one else except the soldiers fled; fortunately -there were many exits to the square, and in a few minutes it was almost -deserted. The President's carriage made its way through the flying -crowd to the gates of the palace, which were guarded by more soldiers, -and passed through in safety. - -All was now over. The spirit of the mob was broken and the wide -expanse of Constitution Square was soon nearly empty. Forty bodies and -some expended cartridges lay on the ground. Both had played their part -in the history of human developement and passed out of the -considerations of living men. Nevertheless the soldiers picked up the -empty cases, and presently some police came with carts and took the -other things away, and all was quiet again in Laurania. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -THE HEAD OF THE STATE. - -The carriage and its escort passed the ancient gateway and driving -through a wide courtyard drew up at the entrance of the palace. The -President alighted. He fully appreciated the importance of retaining -the good will and support of the army, and immediately walked up to the -officer who commanded the Lancers. "None of your men hurt, I trust," -he said. - -"Nothing serious, General," replied the subaltern. - -"You handled your troop with great judgment and courage. It shall be -remembered. But it is easy to lead brave men; they shall not be -forgotten. Ah, Colonel, you are quite right to come to me. I -anticipated some trouble with the disaffected classes, so soon as it -became known that we were still determined to maintain law and order in -the State." These last words were spoken to a dark, bronzed man who -had hurriedly entered the courtyard by a side gate. Colonel Sorrento, -for such was the newcomer's name, was the military chief of the Police. -Besides filling this important office, he discharged the duties of -War-Minister to the Republic. The combination enabled the civil power -to be supplemented by the military with great and convenient -promptitude, whenever it was necessary or desirable to take strong -measures. The arrangement was well suited to the times. Usually -Sorrento was calm and serene. He had seen many engagements and much -war of the type which knows no quarter, had been several times wounded, -and was regarded as a brave and callous man. But there is something -appalling in the concentrated fury of a mob, and the Colonel's manner -betrayed the fact that he was not quite proof against it. - -"Are you wounded, Sir?" he asked, catching sight of the President's -face. - -"It is nothing,--a stone; but they were very violent. Some one had -roused them; I had hoped to get away before the news was known. Who -was it spoke to them?" - -"Moret, the Civic Councillor, from the balcony of the hotel. A very -dangerous man! He told them they were betrayed." - -"Betrayed? What audacity! Surely such language would come within the -20th Section of the Constitution: _Inciting to violence against the -person of the Head of the State by misrepresentation or otherwise_." -The President was well versed in those clauses of the public law which -were intended to strengthen the hands of the Executive. "Have him -arrested, Sorrento. We cannot allow the majesty of Government to be -insulted with impunity,--or stay, perhaps it would be wiser to be -magnanimous now that the matter is settled. I do not want a State -prosecution just at present." Then he added in a louder voice: "This -young officer, Colonel, discharged his duty with great -determination,--a most excellent soldier. Please see that a note is -made of it. Promotion should always go by merit, not by age, for -services and not for service. We will not forget your behaviour, young -man." - -He ascended the steps and entered the hall of the palace, leaving the -subaltern, a boy of twenty-two, flushed with pleasure and excitement, -to build high hopes of future command and success. - -The hall was spacious and well-proportioned. It was decorated in the -purest style of the Lauranian Republic, the arms of which were -everywhere displayed. The pillars were of ancient marble and by their -size and colour attested the wealth and magnificence of former days. -The tessellated pavement presented a pleasing pattern. Elaborate -mosaics on the walls depicted scenes from the national history: the -foundation of the city; the peace of 1370; the reception of the envoys -of the Great Mogul: the victory of Brota; the death of Saldanho, that -austere patriot, who died rather than submit to a technical violation -of the Constitution. And then coming down to later years, the walls -showed the building of the Parliament House: the naval victory of Cape -Cheronta, and finally the conclusion of the Civil War in 1883. On -either side of the hall, in a deep alcove, a bronze fountain, playing -amid surrounding palms and ferns, imparted a feeling of refreshing -coolness to the eye and ear. Facing the entrance was a broad -staircase, leading to the state rooms whose doors were concealed by -crimson curtains. - -A woman stood at the top of the stairs. Her hands rested on the marble -balustrade; her white dress contrasted with the bright-coloured -curtains behind her. She was very beautiful, but her face wore an -expression of alarm and anxiety. Woman-like she asked three questions -at once. "What has happened, Antonio? Have the people risen? Why -have they been firing?" She paused timidly at the head of the stairs, -as if fearing to descend. - -"All is well," replied the President in his official manner. "Some of -the disaffected have rioted, but the Colonel here has taken every -precaution and order reigns once more, dearest." Then turning to -Sorrento, he went on: "It is possible that the disturbances may be -renewed. The troops should be confined to barracks and you may give -them an extra day's pay to drink the health of the Republic. Double -the Guards and you had better have the streets patrolled to-night. In -case anything happens, you will find me here. Good-night, Colonel." -He walked up a few steps, and the War-Minister, bowing gravely, turned -and departed. - -The woman came down the stairs and they met midway. He took both her -hands in his and smiled affectionately; she, standing one step above -him, bent forward and kissed him. It was an amiable, though formal, -salutation. - -"Well," he said, "we have got through to-day all right, my dear; but -how long it can go on, I do not know; the revolutionaries seem to get -stronger every day. It was a very dangerous moment just now in the -square; but is over for the present." - -"I have passed an anxious hour," she said, and then, catching sight for -the first time of his bruised forehead, she started. "But you are -wounded." - -"It is nothing," said the President. "They threw stones; now, we used -bullets; they are better arguments." - -"What happened at the Senate?" - -"I had expected trouble, you know. I told them in my speech that, in -spite of the unsettled state of affairs, we had decided to restore the -ancient Constitution of the Republic, but that it had been necessary to -purge the register of the disaffected and rebellious. The Mayor took -it out of the box and they scrambled over each other to look at the -total electorates for the divisions. When they saw how much they were -reduced they were very angry. Godoy was speechless; he is a fool, that -man. Louvet told them that it must be taken as an instalment, and that -as things got more settled the franchise would be extended; but they -howled with fury. Indeed, had it not been for the ushers and for a few -men of the Guard, I believe they would have assaulted me there and then -in the very Chamber itself. Moret shook his fist at me,--ridiculous -young ass--and rushed out to harangue the mob." - -"And Savrola?" - -"Oh, Savrola,--he was quite calm; he laughed when he saw the register. -'It is only a question of a few months,' he said; 'I wonder you think -it worth while.' I told him that I did not understand him, but he -spoke the truth for all that;" and then, taking his wife's hand in his, -he climbed the stairs slowly and thoughtfully. - -But there is little rest for a public man in times of civil -disturbance. No sooner had Molara reached the top of the stairs and -entered the reception-room, than a man advanced to meet him from a door -at the far end. He was small, dark, and very ugly, with a face -wrinkled with age and an indoor life. Its pallor showed all the more -by contrast with his hair and short moustache, both of which were of -that purple blackness to which Nature is unable to attain. In his hand -he carried a large bundle of papers, carefully disposed into -departments by his long and delicate fingers. It was the Private -Secretary. - -"What is it, Miguel?" asked the President; "you have some papers for -me?" - -"Yes, Sir; a few minutes will suffice. You have had an exciting day; I -rejoice it has terminated successfully." - -"It has not been devoid of interest," said Molara, wearily. "What have -you got for me?" - -"Several foreign despatches. Great Britain has sent a note about the -Sphere of Influence to the south of the African Colony, to which the -Foreign Minister has drafted a reply." - -"Ah! these English,--how grasping, how domineering! But we must be -firm. I will maintain the territories of the Republic against all -enemies, internal or external. We cannot send armies, but, thank God, -we can write despatches. Is it strong enough?" - -"Your Excellency need have no fears. We have vindicated our rights -most emphatically; it will be a great moral victory." - -"I hope we shall get material as well as moral good out of it. The -country is rich; there is paying gold; that explains the note. Of -course we must reply severely. What else?" - -"There are some papers relating to the army, commissions and -promotions, Sir," said Miguel, fingering one particular bundle of his -papers, the bundle that lay between his first and second fingers. -"Those sentences for confirmation, a draft of Morgon's Budget for -information and opinion, and one or two minor matters." - -"H'm, a long business! Very well, I will come and see to it. Dearest, -you know how pressed I am. We shall meet to-night at the dinner. Have -all the Ministers accepted?" - -"All but Louvet, Antonio. He is detained by business." - -"Business, pooh! He is afraid of the streets at night. What a thing -it is to be a coward! Thus he misses a good dinner. At eight then, -Lucile." And with a quick and decided step he passed through the small -door of the private office followed by the Secretary. - -Madame Antonio Molara remained standing for a moment in the great -reception-room. Then she walked to the window and stepped out on to -the balcony. The scene which stretched before her was one of -surpassing beauty. The palace stood upon high ground commanding a wide -view of the city and the harbour. The sun was low on the horizon, but -the walls of the houses still stood out in glaring white. The red and -blue tiled roofs were relieved by frequent gardens and squares whose -green and graceful palms soothed and gratified the eye. To the north -the great pile of the Senate House and Parliament buildings loomed up -majestic and imposing. Westward lay the harbour with its shipping and -protecting forts. A few warships floated in the roads, and many -white-sailed smacks dotted the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, which -had already begun to change their blue for the more gorgeous colours of -sunset. - -As she stood there in the clear light of the autumn evening, she looked -divinely beautiful. She had arrived at that age of life, when to the -attractions of a maiden's beauty are added those of a woman's wit. Her -perfect features were the mirror of her mind, and displayed with every -emotion and every mood that vivacity of expression which is the -greatest of woman's charms. Her tall figure was instinct with grace, -and the almost classic dress she wore enhanced her beauty and -harmonised with her surroundings. - -Something in her face suggested a wistful aspiration. Lucile had -married Antonio Molara nearly five years before, when he was in the -height and vigour of his power. Her family had been among the stoutest -supporters of his cause, and her father and brother had lost their -lives on the battlefield of Sorato. Her mother, broken down by -calamity and sorrow, lived only to commend her daughter to the care of -their most powerful friend, the general who had saved the State and -would now rule it. He had accepted the task at first from a feeling of -obligation to those who had followed his star so faithfully, but -afterwards from other motives. Before a month had passed he fell in -love with the beautiful girl whom Fortune had led to him. She admired -his courage, his energy, and his resource; the splendours of the office -that he filled were not without their influence; he offered her wealth -and position,--almost a throne; and besides he was a fine figure of a -man. She was twenty-three when they married. For many months her life -had been a busy one. Receptions, balls, and parties had filled the -winter season with the unremitting labour of entertaining. Foreign -princes had paid her homage, not only as the loveliest woman in Europe, -but also as a great political figure. Her _salon_ was crowded with the -most famous men from every country. Statesmen, soldiers, poets, and -men of science had worshipped at the shrine. She had mixed in matters -of State. Suave and courtly ambassadors had thrown out delicate hints, -and she had replied with unofficial answers. Plenipotentiaries had -explained the details of treaties and protocols, with remarkable -elaboration, for her benefit. Philanthropists had argued, urged, and -expounded their views or whims. Every one talked to her of public -business. Even her maid had approached her with an application for the -advancement of her brother, a clerk in the Post Office; and every one -had admired her until admiration itself, the most delicious drink that -a woman tastes, became insipid. - -But even during the first few years there had been something wanting. -What it was Lucile had never been able to guess. Her husband was -affectionate and such time as he could spare from public matters was at -her service. Of late things had been less bright. The agitation of -the country, the rising forces of Democracy, added to the already heavy -business of the Republic, had taxed the President's time and energies -to the full. Hard lines had come into his face, lines of work and -anxiety, and sometimes she had caught a look of awful weariness, as of -one who toils and yet foresees that his labour will be vain. He saw -her less frequently, and in those short intervals talked more and more -of business and politics. - -A feeling of unrest seemed to pervade the capital. The season, which -had just begun, had opened badly. Many of the great families had -remained in their summer residences on the slopes of the mountains, -though the plains were already cool and green; others had kept to their -own houses in the city, and only the most formal entertainments at the -palace had been attended. As the outlook became more threatening it -seemed that she was able to help him less. Passions were being roused -that blinded the eyes to beauty and dulled the mind to charm. She was -still a queen, but her subjects were sullen and inattentive. What -could she do to help him, now that he was so hard pressed? The thought -of abdication was odious to her, as to every woman. Must she remain -directing the ceremonies of the Court after the brilliancy had died -out, while enemies were working night and day to overturn all that she -was attached to? - -"Can I do nothing, nothing?" she murmured. "Have I played my part? Is -the best of life over?" and then, with a hot wave of petulant resolve, -"I will do it,--but what?" - -The question remained unanswered; the edge of the sun dipped beneath -the horizon and at the end of the military mole, from the shapeless -mound of earth that marked the protecting battery of the harbour, -sprang a puff of smoke. It was the evening gun, and the sound of the -report, floating faintly up to her, interrupted the unpleasing -reflections which had filled her thoughts; but they left a memory -behind. She turned with a sigh and re-entered the palace; gradually -the daylight died away and it became night. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -THE MAN OF THE MULTITUDE. - -Dismay and bitter anger filled the city. The news of the fusilade -spread fast and far, and, as is usual on such occasions, its effects -were greatly exaggerated. But the police precautions were well -conceived and ably carried out. Nothing like a crowd was allowed to -gather, and the constant patrolling of the streets prevented the -building of barricades. The aspect of the Republican Guard was -moreover so formidable that, whatever the citizens might feel, they -found it discreet to display an acquiescent, and in some cases even a -contented demeanour. - -With the leaders of the Popular party it was however different. They -immediately assembled at the official residence of the Mayor, and a -furious discussion ensued. In the hall of the Mayoralty an emergency -meeting was held, at which all the power of the party was represented. -Moret, the Civic Councillor and former editor of the suppressed TRUMPET -CALL, was much cheered as he entered the room. His speech had appealed -to many, and the Lauranians were always ready to applaud a daring act. -Besides, every one was agitated by the recent riot and was eager to do -something. The Labour delegates were particularly angry. Working-men, -assembled in constitutional manner to express their grievances, had -been shot down by a hireling soldiery,--_massacred_ was the word most -generally used. Vengeance must be taken; but how? The wildest schemes -were suggested. Moret, always for bold counsels, was for sallying into -the streets and rousing the people to arms; they would burn the palace, -execute the tyrant, and restore the liberties of the land. Godoy, old -and cautious, strongly opposed the suggestion, though indeed no -particular eagerness was shown to adopt it. He advocated a calm and -dignified attitude of reproach and censure, which would appeal to the -comity of nations and vindicate the justice of their cause. Others -took up the argument. Renos, the barrister, was for what he called -constitutional methods. They should form themselves into a Committee -of Public Safety; they should appoint the proper officers of State -(including of course an Attorney-General), and decree the deposition of -the President for violation of the fundamental principles contained in -the preamble of the Declaration of National Rights. He proceeded to -dilate upon the legal points involved, until interrupted by several -members who were anxious to offer their own remarks. - -Several resolutions were passed. It was agreed that the President had -forfeited the confidence of the citizens, and he was forthwith called -upon to resign his office and submit himself to the Courts of Law. It -was also agreed that the army had deserved ill of the Republic. It was -resolved to prosecute at civil law the soldiers who had fired on the -people, and a vote of sympathy was carried in favour of the relations -of the killed and wounded, or _martyrs_ as they were called. - -This scene of impotence and futility was ended by the entrance of the -remarkable man who had raised a party from the dust, and had led them -from one success to another until it had seemed that the victory was -won. Silence fell upon the assemblage; some stood up in respect; -everyone wondered what he would say. How would he bear the crushing -defeat that had fallen upon them? Would he despair of the movement? -Would he be angry or sad or cynical? Above all, what course would he -propose? - -He walked to the end of the long table around which the members were -grouped, and sat down deliberately. Then he looked round the room, -with a face as calm and serene as ever. In that scene of confusion and -indecision he looked magnificent. His very presence imparted a feeling -of confidence to his followers. His high and ample forehead might have -contained the answer to every question; his determined composure seemed -equal to the utmost stroke of Fate. - -After a moment's pause, invited by the silence, he rose. His words -were studiously moderate. It had been a disappointment to him, he -said, to find that the registers had been mutilated. The ultimate -success was deferred, but it was only deferred. He had waited before -coming to the Mayoralty to make a few calculations. They were -necessarily rough and hurried, but he thought they were approximately -correct. The President, it was true, would have a majority in the -forthcoming Parliament, and a substantial majority; but they would win -certain seats, in spite of the restricted electorate; about fifty, he -thought, in a house of three hundred. Smaller minorities than that had -overthrown more powerful Governments. Every day added to their -strength; every day increased the hatred of the Dictator. Besides, -there were other alternatives than constitutional procedure,--and at -these words some set their teeth and looked at each other in deep -significance--but for the present they must wait; and they could afford -to wait, for the prize was worth winning. It was the most precious -possession in the world,--liberty. He sat down amid brighter faces and -calmer minds. The deliberations were resumed. It was decided to -relieve, out of the general funds of the party, those who were in -poverty through the massacre of their relations; that would increase -their popularity with the working classes, and might win the sympathy -of foreign nations. A deputation should wait on the President to -express the grief of the citizens at the mutilation of their ancient -register, and to beg that he would restore their franchises. It should -also demand the punishment of the officers who had fired on the people, -and should acquaint the President with the alarm and indignation of the -city. Savrola, Godoy, and Renos were named as the members of the -deputation, and the Reform Committee then dispersed quietly. - -Moret lingered till the end and approached Savrola. He was surprised -that he had not been suggested as a member of the deputation. He knew -his leader much better than Renos, a pedantic lawyer who made few -friends: he had followed Savrola from the beginning with blind -enthusiasm and devotion; and he now felt hurt that he should be passed -over like this. - -"It has been a bad day for us," he said tentatively; and then as -Savrola did not reply, he continued, "Who would have thought they would -have dared to trick us?" - -"It has been a very bad day,--for you," replied Savrola thoughtfully. - -"For me? Why, what do you mean?" - -"Have you reflected that you have forty human lives to answer for? -Your speech was useless,--what good could it do? Their blood is on -your head. The people too are cowed. Much harm has been done; it is -your fault." - -"My fault! I was furious,--he cheated us,--I thought only of revolt. -I never dreamed you would sit down tamely like this. That devil should -be killed now, at once,--before more mischief happens." - -"Look here, Moret: I am as young as you; I feel as acutely; I am full -of enthusiasm. I, too, hate Molara more than is wise or philosophic; -but I contain myself, when nothing is to be gained by giving way. Now -mark my words. Either you learn to do so, or you can go your ways, for -I will have none of you,--politically, that is,--as a friend, it is -different." - -He sat down and began to write a letter, while Moret, pale with that -mortification which is made up of anger and self-reproach, and -quivering under his rebuke, left the room in haste. - -Savrola remained. There was much business to do that evening; letters -had to be written and read, the tone of the leading-articles in the -Democratic Press explained, and many other matters decided. The -machinery of a great party, and still more of a great conspiracy, -needed careful and constant attention. It was nine o'clock before he -finished. - -"Well, good-night, Godoy," he said to the Major; "we shall have another -busy day to-morrow. We must contrive to frighten the Dictator. Let me -know at what time he will give audience." - -At the door of the Mayoralty he called a hackney-coach, a conveyance -which neither the dulness of the social season nor the excitement of -political affairs could restrain from its customary occupation. After -a short drive he arrived at a small though not inelegant house, for he -was a man of means, in the most fashionable quarter of the town. An -old woman opened the door to his knock. She looked rejoiced to see him. - -"La," she said, "I have had a fearful time with you away, and all this -shooting and noise. But the afternoons are chilly now and you should -have had your coat; I fear you will have a cold to-morrow." - -"It is all right, Bettine," he answered kindly; "I have a good chest, -thanks to your care; but I am very tired. Send me some soup to my -room; I will not dine to-night." - -He went upstairs, while she bustled off to get him the best dinner she -could improvise. The apartments he lived in were on the second -storey--a bedroom, a bathroom, and a study. They were small, but full -of all that taste and luxury could devise and affection and industry -preserve. A broad writing-table occupied the place of honour. It was -arranged so that the light fell conveniently to the hand and head. A -large bronze inkstand formed the centrepiece, with a voluminous -blotting-book of simple manufacture spread open before it. The rest of -the table was occupied by papers on files. The floor, in spite of the -ample waste-paper basket, was littered with scraps. It was the -writing-table of a public man. - -The room was lit by electric light in portable shaded lamps. The walls -were covered with shelves, filled with well-used volumes. To that -Pantheon of Literature none were admitted till they had been read and -valued. It was a various library: the philosophy of Schopenhauer -divided Kant from Hegel, who jostled the Memoirs of St. Simon and the -latest French novel; RASSELAS and LA CURÉE lay side by side; eight -substantial volumes of Gibbon's famous History were not perhaps -inappropriately prolonged by a fine edition of the DECAMERON; the -ORIGIN OF SPECIES rested by the side of a black-letter Bible; THE -REPUBLIC maintained an equilibrium with VANITY FAIR and the HISTORY OF -EUROPEAN MORALS. A volume of Macaulay's Essays lay on the -writing-table itself; it was open, and that sublime passage whereby the -genius of one man has immortalised the genius of another was marked in -pencil. _And history, while for the warning of vehement, high, and -daring natures, she notes his many errors, will yet deliberately -pronounce that among the eminent men whose bones lie near his, scarcely -one has left a more stainless, and none a more splendid name_. - -A half-empty box of cigarettes stood on a small table near a low -leathern armchair, and by its side lay a heavy army-revolver, against -the barrel of which the ashes of many cigarettes had been removed. In -the corner of the room stood a small but exquisite Capitoline Venus, -the cold chastity of its colour reproaching the allurements of its -form. It was the chamber of a philosopher, but of no frigid, academic -recluse; it was the chamber of a man, a human man, who appreciated all -earthly pleasures, appraised them at their proper worth, enjoyed, and -despised them. - -There were still some papers and telegrams lying unopened on the table, -but Savrola was tired; they could, or at any rate should wait till the -morning. He dropped into his chair. Yes, it had been a long day, and -a gloomy day. He was a young man, only thirty-two, but already he felt -the effects of work and worry. His nervous temperament could not fail -to be excited by the vivid scenes through which he had lately passed, -and the repression of his emotion only heated the inward fire. Was it -worth it? The struggle, the labour, the constant rush of affairs, the -sacrifice of so many things that make life easy, or pleasant--for what? -A people's good! That, he could not disguise from himself, was rather -the direction than the cause of his efforts. Ambition was the motive -force, and he was powerless to resist it. He could appreciate the -delights of an artist, a life devoted to the search for beauty, or of -sport, the keenest pleasure that leaves no sting behind. To live in -dreamy quiet and philosophic calm in some beautiful garden, far from -the noise of men and with every diversion that art and intellect could -suggest, was, he felt, a more agreeable picture. And yet he knew that -he could not endure it. 'Vehement, high, and daring' was his cast of -mind. The life he lived was the only one he could ever live; he must -go on to the end. The end comes often early to such men, whose spirits -are so wrought that they know rest only in action, contentment in -danger, and in confusion find their only peace. - -His thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of the old woman with a -tray. He was tired, but the decencies of life had to be observed; he -rose, and passed into the inner room to change his clothes and make his -toilet. When he returned, the table was laid; the soup he had asked -for had been expanded by the care of his house-keeper into a more -elaborate meal. She waited on him, plying him the while with questions -and watching his appetite with anxious pleasure. She had nursed him -from his birth up with a devotion and care which knew no break. It is -a strange thing, the love of these women. Perhaps it is the only -disinterested affection in the world. The mother loves her child; that -is material nature. The youth loves his sweetheart; that too may be -explained. The dog loves his master; he feeds him; a man loves his -friend; he has stood by him perhaps at doubtful moments. In all there -are reasons; but the love of a foster-mother for her charge appears -absolutely irrational. It is one of the few proofs, not to be -explained even by the association of ideas, that the nature of mankind -is superior to mere utilitarianism, and that his destinies are high. - -The light and frugal supper finished, the old woman departed with the -plates, and he fell to his musings again. Several difficult affairs -impended in the future, about the conduct of which he was doubtful. He -dismissed them from his mind; why should he be always oppressed with -matters of fact? What of the night? He rose, walked to the window, -and drawing the curtains looked out. The street was very quiet, but in -the distance he thought he heard the tramp of a patrol. All the houses -were dark and sullen; overhead the stars shone brightly; it was a -perfect night to watch them. - -He closed the window and taking a candle walked to a curtained door on -one side of the room; it opened on a narrow, spiral stair which led to -the flat roof. Most of the houses in Laurania were low, and Savrola -when he reached the leads overlooked the sleeping city. Lines of -gas-lamps marked the streets and squares, and brighter dots indicated -the positions of the shipping in the harbour. But he did not long look -at these; he was for the moment weary of men and their works. A small -glass observatory stood in one corner of this aerial platform, the nose -of the telescope showing through the aperture. He unlocked the door -and entered. This was a side of his life that the world never saw; he -was no mathematician intent on discovery or fame, but he loved to watch -the stars for the sake of their mysteries. By a few manipulations the -telescope was directed at the beautiful planet of Jupiter, at this time -high in the northern sky. The glass was a powerful one, and the great -planet, surrounded by his attendant moons, glowed with splendour. The -clock-work gear enabled him to keep it under continual observation as -the earth rolled over with the hours. Long he watched it, becoming -each moment more under the power of the spell that star-gazing -exercises on curious, inquiring humanity. - -At last he rose, his mind still far away from earth. Molara, Moret, -the Party, the exciting scenes of the day, all seemed misty and unreal; -another world, a world more beautiful, a world of boundless -possibilities, enthralled his imagination. He thought of the future of -Jupiter, of the incomprehensible periods of time that would elapse -before the cooling process would render life possible on its surface, -of the slow steady march of evolution, merciless, inexorable. How far -would it carry them, the unborn inhabitants of an embryo world? -Perhaps only to some vague distortion of the vital essence; perhaps -further than he could dream of. All the problems would be solved, all -the obstacles overcome; life would attain perfect developement. And -then fancy, overleaping space and time, carried the story to periods -still more remote. The cooling process would continue; the perfect -developement of life would end in death; the whole solar system, the -whole universe itself, would one day be cold and lifeless as a -burned-out firework. - -It was a mournful conclusion. He locked up the observatory and -descended the stairs, hoping that his dreams would contradict his -thoughts. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -THE DEPUTATION. - -It was the President's custom to rise early, but before doing so he -invariably received the newspapers and read such remarks as dealt with -the policy of the Government or criticised its actions. This morning -his literature was exceptionally plentiful. All the papers had leading -articles on the restriction of the franchise and the great riot which -had followed its announcement. He first opened THE HOUR, the organ of -orthodox mediocrity, which usually cautiously supported the Government -in consideration of occasional pieces of news with which it was from -time to time favoured. In a column and a half of print THE HOUR gently -regretted that the President had been unable to restore the franchises -unimpaired; it thus gratified the bulk of its readers. In a second -column it expressed its severe disapproval--(_unqualified condemnation_ -was the actual term)--of the disgraceful riot which had led to such -_deplorable consequences_; it thus repaid the President for sending -round the text of the English note, which had arrived the night before, -and which it printed _verbatim_ with pomp and circumstance as coming -from Our Special Correspondent in London. - -THE COURTIER, the respectable morning journal of the upper classes, -regretted that so unseemly a riot should have taken place at the -beginning of the season, and expressed a hope that it would not in any -way impair the brilliancy of the State Ball which was to take place on -the 7th. It gave an excellent account of the President's first -ministerial dinner, with the _menu_ duly appended, and it was concerned -to notice that Señor Louvet, Minister of the Interior, had been -suffering from an indisposition which prevented his attending the -function. THE DIURNAL GUSHER, a paper with an enormous circulation, -refrained from actual comments but published an excellent account of -the _massacre_, to the harrowing details of which it devoted much -fruity sentiment and morbid imagination. - -These were practically the organs on which the Government relied for -support, and the President always read them first to fortify himself -against the columns of abuse with which the Radical, Popular, and -Democratic Press saluted him, his Government, and all his works. The -worst result of an habitual use of strong language is that when a -special occasion really does arise, there is no way of marking it. THE -FABIAN, THE SUNSPOT, and THE RISING TIDE had already exhausted every -epithet in their extensive vocabularies on other and less important -incidents. Now that a severe fusilade had been made upon the citizens -and an ancient privilege attacked, they were reduced to comparative -moderation as the only outlet for their feelings. They had compared -the Head of the State so often and so vividly to Nero and Iscariot, -very much to the advantage of those worthies, that it was difficult to -know how they could deal with him now. They nevertheless managed to -find a few unused expressions, and made a great point of the -Ministerial dinner as being an instance of his "brutal disregard of the -commonest instincts of humanity." THE SUNSPOT was thought by its -readers to have been particularly happy in alluding to the ministers -as, "Indulging in a foul orgie of gluttony and dipping their -blood-stained fingers in choice dishes, while the bodies of their -victims lay unburied and unavenged." - -Having finished his perusal the President pushed the last paper off the -bed and frowned. He cared nothing for criticism, but he knew the power -of the Press and he knew that it reflected as well as influenced public -opinion. There could be no doubt that the balance was rising against -him. - -At breakfast he was moody and silent, and Lucile tactfully refrained -from irritating him by the laboured commonplaces of matutinal -conversation. By nine o'clock he was always at work and this morning -he began earlier than usual. The Secretary was already at his table -busily writing when Molara entered. He rose and bowed, a formal bow, -which seemed an assertion of equality rather than a tribute of respect. -The President nodded and walked to his table on which such parts of -correspondence as needed his personal attention were neatly arranged. -He sat down and began to read. Occasionally he uttered an exclamation -of assent or disapproval, and his pencil was often employed to express -his decisions and opinions. From time to time Miguel collected the -papers he had thus dealt with and carried them to the inferior -secretaries in the adjoining room, whose duty it was to elaborate into -the stately pomposity of official language such phrases as "Curt -Refusal" "Certainly not" "Apply to War Office" "Gushing Reply" "I do -not agree" "See last year's Report." - -Lucile also had letters to read and write. Having finished these she -determined to take a drive in the park. For the last few weeks, since, -in fact, they had returned from their summer residence, she had -discontinued what had been in former years her usual practice; but -after the scenes and riots of the day before she felt it her duty to -display a courage which she did not feel. It might help her husband, -for her beauty was such that an artistic people invariably showed her -respect. It could at least do no harm, and besides she was weary of -the palace and its gardens. With this intention her carriage was -ordered and she was about to enter it, when a young man arrived at the -door. He saluted her gravely. - -It was the boast of the citizens of the Republic of Laurania that they -never brought politics into private life or private life into politics. -How far they justified it will appear later. The present situation had -undoubtedly strained the principle to the full, but civilities were -still exchanged between political antagonists. Lucile, who had known -the great Democrat as a frequent visitor at her father's house before -the Civil War, and who had always kept up a formal acquaintance with -him, smiled and bowed in return and asked whether he came to see the -President. - -"Yes," he replied. "I have an appointment." - -"Public matters I suppose?" she inquired with the suspicion of a smile. - -"Yes," he repeated somewhat abruptly. - -"How tiresome you all are," she said daringly, "with your public -businesses and solemn looks. I hear nothing but matters of State from -morning till night, and now, when I fly the palace for an hour's -relaxation, they meet me at the very door." - -Savrola smiled. It was impossible to resist her charm. The admiration -he had always felt for her beauty and her wit asserted itself in spite -of the watchful and determined state of mind into which he had thrown -himself as a preparation for his interview with the President. He was -a young man, and Jupiter was not the only planet he admired. "Your -Excellency," he said, "must acquit me of all intention." - -"I do," she answered laughing, "and release you from all further -punishment." - -She signed to the coachman and bowing, drove off. - -He entered the palace and was ushered by a footman resplendent in the -blue and buff liveries of the Republic, into an ante-room. A young -officer of the Guard, the Lieutenant who had commanded the escort on -the previous day, received him. The President would be disengaged in a -few minutes. The other members of the deputation had not yet arrived; -in the meantime would he take a chair? The Lieutenant regarded him -dubiously, as one might view some strange animal, harmless enough to -look at, but about whose strength, when roused, there were -extraordinary stories. He had been brought up in the most correct -regimental ideas: the people (by which he meant the mob) were "swine"; -their leaders were the same, with an adjective prefixed; democratic -institutions, Parliament, and such like, were all "rot." It therefore -appeared that he and Savrola would find few topics in common. But -besides his good looks and good manners, the young soldier had other -attainments; his men knew him as "all right" and "all there," while the -Lancers of the Guard polo team regarded him as a most promising player. - -Savrola, whose business it was to know everything, inquired respecting -the project lately mooted by the Lauranian Cavalry of sending a polo -team to England to compete in the great annual tournament at -Hurlingham. Lieutenant Tiro (for that was his name) addressed himself -to the subject with delight. They disputed as to who should be taken -as "back." The discussion was only interrupted by the entrance of the -Mayor and Renos, and the Subaltern went off to inform the President -that the deputation waited. - -"I will see them at once," said Molara; "show them up here." - -The deputation were accordingly conducted up the stairs to the -President's private room. He rose and received them with courtesy. -Godoy stated the grievances of the citizens. He recalled the protests -they had made against the unconstitutional government of the last five -years, and their delight at the President's promise to call the Estates -together. He described their bitter disappointment at the restriction -of the franchise, and their keen desire that it should be fully -restored. He dilated on their indignation at the cruelty with which -the soldiers had shot down unarmed men, and finally declared that, as -Mayor, he could not vouch for their continued loyalty to the President -or their respect for his person. Renos spoke in the same strain, -dwelling particularly on the legal aspect of the President's late -action, and on the gravity of its effects as a precedent to posterity. - -Molara replied at some length. He pointed out the disturbed state of -the country, and particularly of the capital; he alluded to the -disorders of the late war and the sufferings it had caused to the mass -of the people. What the State wanted was strong stable government. As -things became more settled the franchise should be extended until it -would ultimately be completely restored. In the meanwhile, what was -there to complain about? Law and order were maintained; the public -service was well administered; the people enjoyed peace and security. -More than that, a vigorous foreign policy held the honour of the -country high. They should have an instance. - -He turned and requested Miguel to read the reply to the English note on -the African Dispute. The Secretary stood up and read the paper in -question, his soft, purring voice, proving well suited to emphasising -the insults it contained. - -"And that, Gentlemen," said the President, when it was finished, "is -addressed to one of the greatest military and naval powers in the -world." - -Godoy and Renos were silent. Their patriotism was roused; their pride -was gratified; but Savrola smiled provokingly. "It will take more than -despatches," he said, "to keep the English out of the African sphere, -or to reconcile the people of Laurania to your rule." - -"And if stronger measures should be necessary," said the President, -"rest assured they will be taken." - -"After the events of yesterday we need no such assurance." - -The President ignored the taunt. "I know the English Government," he -continued; "they will not appeal to arms." - -"And I," said Savrola, "know the Lauranian people. I am not so -confident." - -There was a long pause. Both men faced each other, and their eyes met. -It was the look of two swordsmen who engage, and it was the look of two -bitter enemies; they appeared to measure distances and calculate -chances. Then Savrola turned away, the ghost of a smile still -lingering on his lips; but he had read the President's heart and he -felt as if he had looked into hell. - -"It is a matter of opinion, Sir," said Molara at last. - -"It will soon be a matter of history." - -"Other tales will have to be told before," said the President, and then -with great formality, "I am obliged to you, Mr. Mayor and Gentlemen, -for representing the dangerous elements of disorder which exist among -certain classes of the people. You may rely on every precaution being -taken to prevent an outbreak. I beg you will keep me further informed. -Good morning." - -The only course open appeared to be the door, and the deputation -withdrew, after Savrola had thanked the President for his audience and -had assured him that he would lose no opportunity of bringing home to -him the hostile attitude of the citizens. On the way down-stairs they -were met by Lucile, who had returned unexpectedly early from her drive. -She saw by the expression of their faces that a heated discussion had -taken place. Godoy and Renos she passed unnoticed, but she smiled -merrily at Savrola, as if to convey to him that she was uninterested by -politics and could not understand how people ever managed to get -excited about them. The smile did not deceive him; he knew too much of -her tastes and talents, but he admired her all the more for her acting. - -He walked home. The interview had not been altogether unsatisfactory. -He had never hoped to convince the President; that indeed was hardly -likely; but they had expressed the views of the people, and Godoy and -Renos had already sent copies of their remarks to the newspapers, so -that the party could not complain of their leaders' inaction at such a -crisis. He thought he had frightened Molara, if indeed it were -possible to frighten such a man; at any rate he had made him angry. -When he thought of this he was glad. Why? He had always hitherto -repressed such unphilosophic and futile emotions so far as possible, -but somehow to-day he felt his dislike of the President was invested -with a darker tinge. And then his mind reverted to Lucile. What a -beautiful woman she was! How full of that instinctive knowledge of -human feelings which is the source of all true wit! Molara was a lucky -man to have such a wife. Decidedly he hated him personally, but that, -of course, was on account of his unconstitutional conduct. - -When he reached his rooms, Moret was awaiting him, much excited and -evidently angry. He had written several long letters to his leader, -acquainting him with his unalterable decision to sever all connection -with him and his party; but he had torn them all up, and was now -resolved to tell him in plain words. - -Savrola saw his look. "Ah, Louis," he cried, "I am glad you are here. -How good of you to come! I have just left the President; he is -recalcitrant; he will not budge an inch. I need your advice. What -course shall we adopt?" - -"What has happened?" asked the young man, sulkily but curiously. - -Savrola related the interview with graphic terseness. Moret listened -attentively and then said, still with great ill humour, "Physical force -is the only argument he understands. I am for raising the people." - -"Perhaps you are right," said Savrola reflectively, "I am half inclined -to agree with you." - -Moret argued his proposition with vigour and earnestness, and never had -his leader seemed so agreeable to the violent measures he proposed. -For half an hour they discussed the point. Savrola still appeared -unconvinced; he looked at his watch. "It is past two o'clock," he -said. "Let us lunch here and thrash the matter out." - -They did so. The luncheon was excellent, and the host's arguments -became more and more convincing. At last, with the coffee, Moret -admitted that perhaps it was better to wait, and they parted with great -cordiality. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -A PRIVATE CONVERSATION. - -"That," said the President to his confidential secretary, so soon as -the door had closed on the retiring deputation, "is over, but we shall -have plenty more in the future. Savrola will most certainly be elected -for the Central Division, and we shall then have the pleasure of -listening to him in the Senate." - -"Unless," added Miguel, "anything should happen." - -The President, who knew his man well, understood the implication. "No, -it is no good; we cannot do that. Fifty years ago it might have been -possible. People won't stand that sort of thing now-a-days; even the -army might have scruples. So long as he keeps within the law, I don't -see how we can touch him constitutionally." - -"He is a great force, a great force; sometimes, I think, the greatest -in Laurania. Every day he grows stronger. Presently the end will -come," said the Secretary slowly and thoughtfully, who, as the partner -of Molara's dangers, no less than of his actions, had a claim to be -heard. "I think the end is coming," he continued; "perhaps quite -soon--unless----?" he paused. - -"I tell you it can't be done. Any accident that happened would be -attributed to me. It would mean a revolution here, and close every -asylum abroad." - -"There are other ways besides force, physical force." - -"None that I can see, and he is a strong man." - -"So was Samson, nevertheless the Philistines spoiled him." - -"Through a woman. I don't believe he has ever been in love." - -"That is no reason against the future." - -"Wanted a Delilah," said the President dryly. "Perhaps you will find -one for him." - -The Secretary's eyes wandered round the room artlessly, and paused for -a moment on a photograph of Lucile. - -"How dare you, Sir! You are a scoundrel! You have not an ounce of -virtue in you!" - -"We have been associated for some time, General." He always called him -_General_ on these occasions, it reminded the President of various -little incidents which had taken place when they had worked together -during the war. "Perhaps that is the cause." - -"You are impertinent." - -"My interests are concerned. I too have enemies. You know very well -how much my life would be worth without the protection of the Secret -Police. I only remember with whom and for whom these things were done." - -"Perhaps I am hasty, Miguel, but there is a limit, even between----" -He was going to say _friends_ but Miguel interposed _accomplices_. -"Well," said Molara, "I do not care what you call it. What is your -proposition?" - -"The Philistines," replied Miguel, "spoiled Samson, but Delilah had to -cut his hair first." - -"Do you mean that she should implore him to hold his hand?" - -"No, I think that would be useless, but if he were compromised----" - -"But she, she would not consent. It would involve her." - -"She need not necessarily know. Another object for making his -acquaintance might be suggested. It would come as a surprise to her." - -"You are a scoundrel--an infernal scoundrel," said the President -quietly. - -Miguel smiled, as one who receives a compliment. "The matter," he -said, "is too serious for the ordinary rules of decency and honour. -Special cases demand special remedies." - -"She would never forgive me." - -"The forgiveness would rest with you. Your charity would enable you to -pardon an uncommitted crime. You have only to play the jealous husband -and own your mistake later on." - -"And he?" - -"Fancy the great popular leader. Patriot, Democrat, what not, -discovered fawning to the tyrant's wife! Why, the impropriety alone -would disgust many. And more than that,--observe him begging for -mercy, grovelling at the President's feet,--a pretty picture! It would -ruin him; ridicule alone would kill him." - -"It might," said Molara. The picture pleased him. - -"It must. It is the only chance that I can see, and it need cost you -nothing. Every woman is secretly flattered by the jealousy of the man -she loves, even if he be her husband." - -"How do you know these things?" asked Molara, looking at the ugly -pinched figure and glistening hair of his companion. - -"_I_ know," said Miguel with a grin of odious pride. The suggestion of -his appetites was repulsive. The President was conscious of disgust. -"Mr. Secretary Miguel," he said with the air of one who has made up his -mind, "I must request you not to speak to me of this matter again. I -consider it shows less to the advantage of your heart than of your -head." - -"I see by Your Excellency's manner that further allusion is -unnecessary." - -"Have you the report of the Agricultural Committee for last year? -Good,--please have a _précis_ made of it; I want some facts. The -country may be kept, even if we lose the capital; that means a good -part of the army." - -Thus the subject dropped. Each understood the other, and behind lay -the spur of danger. - -After the President had finished the morning's business, he rose to -leave the room, but before he did so he turned to Miguel and said -abruptly: "It would be a great convenience for us to know what course -the Opposition intends to pursue on the opening of the Senate, would it -not?" - -"Assuredly." - -"How can we induce Savrola to speak? He is incorruptible." - -"There is another method." - -"I tell you physical force is not to be thought of." - -"There is another method." - -"And that," said the President, "I directed you not to speak of again." - -"Precisely," said the Secretary, and resumed his writing. - -The garden into which Molara walked was one of the most beautiful and -famous in a country where all vegetation attained luxuriant forms. The -soil was fertile, the sun hot, and the rains plentiful. It displayed -an attractive disorder. The Lauranians were no admirers of that -peculiar taste which finds beauty in the exact arrangement of an equal -number of small trees of symmetrical shape in mathematical designs, or -in the creation of geometrical figures by means of narrow paths with -box-hedges. They were an unenlightened people, and their gardens -displayed a singular contempt for geometry and precision. Great blazes -of colour arranged in pleasing contrasts were the lights, and cool -green arbours the shades of their rural pictures. Their ideal of -gardening was to make every plant grow as freely as if directed by -nature, and to as high perfection as if cultivated by art. If the -result was not artistic, it was at least beautiful. - -The President, however, cared very little for flowers or their -arrangement; he was, he said, too busy a man to have anything to do -with the beauties of colour, harmony, or line. Neither the tints of -the rose nor the smell of the jasmine awakened in him more than the -rudimentary physical pleasures which are natural and involuntary. He -liked to have a good flower garden, because it was the right thing to -have, because it enabled him to take people there and talk to them -personally on political matters, and because it was convenient for -afternoon receptions. But he himself took no interest in it. The -kitchen garden appealed to him more; his practical soul rejoiced more -in an onion than an orchid. - -He was full of thought after his conversation with Miguel, and turned -down the shady path which led to the fountains with long, hasty -strides. Things were looking desperate. It was, as Miguel had said, a -question of time, unless,--unless Savrola were removed or discredited. -He refrained from precisely formulating the idea that had taken -possession of his mind. He had done many things in the rough days of -the war when he was a struggling man, the memory of which was not -pleasant. He remembered a brother officer, a rising man, the colonel -of a regiment, who had been a formidable rival; at a critical moment he -had withheld the supports, and left it to the enemy to remove one -obstacle from his path. Then another tale came into his mind which -also was not a pretty one, a tale of a destroyed treaty, and a broken -truce; of men, who had surrendered to terms, shot against the wall of -the fort they had held so long. He also recalled with annoyance the -methods he had adopted to extract information from the captured spy; -five years of busy life, of success and fortune, had not obscured the -memory of the man's face as it writhed in suffering. But this new idea -seemed the most odious of all. He was unscrupulous, but like many men -in history or modern life, he had tried to put away a discreditable -past. Henceforth, he had said when he obtained power, he would abandon -such methods: they would no longer be necessary; and yet, here was the -need already. Besides, Lucile was so beautiful; he loved her in his -hard way for that alone; and she was such a consort, so tactful, so -brilliant, that he admired and valued her from a purely official -standpoint. If she ever knew, she would never forgive him. She never -should know, but still he hated the idea. - -But what other course remained? He thought of the faces of the crowd -the day before; of Savrola; of the stories which reached him from the -army; of other tales of a darker and more mysterious kind,--tales of -strange federations and secret societies, which suggested murder, as -well as revolution. The tide was rising; it was dangerous to tarry. - -And then the alternative presented itself; flight, abdication, a -squalid existence in some foreign country, despised, insulted, -suspected; and exiles always lived to a great age he had heard. He -would not think of it; he would die first; nothing but death should -drag him from the palace, and he would fight to the last. His mind -returned to the starting point of his reflections. Here was a chance, -the one solution which seemed possible; it was not an agreeable one, -but it was that or none. He had reached the end of the path and -turning the corner saw Lucile seated by the fountain. It was a -beautiful picture. - -She saw his preoccupied look and rose to meet him. "What is the -matter, Antonio? You look worried." - -"Things are going wrong with us, my dear. Savrola, the deputation, the -newspapers, and, above all, the reports I receive of the people, are -ominous and alarming." - -"I noticed black looks this morning when I drove. Do you think there -is danger?" - -"I do," he answered in his precise official manner, "grave danger." - -"I wish I could help you," she said, "but I am only a woman. What can -I do?" He did not answer and she continued: "Señor Savrola is a kind -man. I used to know him quite well before the war." - -"He will ruin us." - -"Surely not." - -"We shall have to fly the country, if indeed they allow us to do that." - -She turned paler. "But I know what men look like; there is a sympathy -between us; he is no fanatic." - -"There are powers behind and beneath him of which he knows little, -which he cannot control, but which he has invoked." - -"Can you do nothing?" - -"I cannot arrest him; he is too popular, and besides he has broken no -law. He will go on. In a fortnight are the elections; he will be -returned in spite of my precautions; then the trouble will begin." He -paused, and then speaking as if to himself continued: "If we could -learn what he means to do, perhaps we might defeat it." - -"Can I not help you?" she asked quickly. "I know him; I think he likes -me. He might whisper to me what he would not tell to others." She -thought of many victories in the past. - -"My darling," said Molara, "why should you spoil your life by mixing in -the darker side of politics? I would not ask you." - -"But I want to. I will try if it would help you." - -"It might do much more." - -"Very well, I will find out for you; in a fortnight you shall know. He -must come to the State Ball; I will meet him there." - -"I am loth to let you talk to such a man, but I know your wit, and the -need is great. But will he come?" - -"I will write him a note with the invitation," she said, "laugh at -politics and advise him to keep his private life at least free from -them. I think he will come; if not, I will find some other way of -seeing him." - -Molara looked at her with admiration. At no time did he love her more -than when he realised of what use she was to him. "I leave it to you, -then. I fear you will fail, but if you can do it, you may have saved -the State. If not, no harm will have been done." - -"I shall succeed," she answered confidently, and rising from her seat -began to walk towards the house. She saw from her husband's manner -that he would like to be alone. - -He remained seated there for a long time, staring into the water in -which the fat, lazy, gold fish swam placidly. His face wore the -expression of one who has swallowed some nasty thing. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -ON CONSTITUTIONAL GROUNDS. - -The sagacious founders of the Lauranian Republic had recognised the -importance of preserving and promoting the practice of social -civilities between the public men of the State, irrespective of party. -It had therefore long been the custom for the President to give several -official entertainments during the autumn season, to which all the -distinguished characters of either side were invited, and which it was -considered _etiquette_ to attend. This year feeling ran so high and -relations were so strained that Savrola had decided not to accept, and -had already formally declined the invitation; he was therefore not a -little surprised when he received a second card, and still more when he -read Lucile's note which accompanied it. - -He saw she had exposed herself to a rebuff with her eyes open, and -wondered why she had done so. Of course she counted on her charms. It -is hard, if not impossible, to snub a beautiful woman; they remain -beautiful and the rebuke recoils. He might indeed have made political -capital out of so pressing an invitation sent at such a critical time; -but he felt she had judged him well, and knew she was safe at least -from that. This pleased him. He was sorry he could not go; but he had -made up his mind, and sat down to write and decline. Half way through -the letter, he paused; the thought occurred to him, that perhaps she -might stand in need of his help. He read the letter again and fancied, -though the words did not warrant it, that he detected a note of appeal. -And then he began to look for reasons for changing his mind: the old -established custom; the necessity of showing his followers that for the -present he was in favour of constitutional agitation only; the -opportunity of displaying his confidence in the success of his plans; -in fact, every argument, but the true one, was arrayed against his -determination. - -Yes, he would go: the party might object, but he did not care; it was -none of their business, and he was strong enough to face their -displeasure. These reflections were interrupted by the entrance of -Moret, his face glowing with enthusiasm. - -"The Central Division Committee have nominated you unanimously as their -candidate at the elections. The Dictator's puppet, Tranta, was howled -down. I have arranged for a public meeting on Thursday night for you -to address. We are on the crest of the wave!" - -"Capital!" said Savrola. "I had expected to be nominated; our -influence in the capital is supreme. I am glad of an opportunity of -speaking; I have not had a meeting for some time, and there is a good -deal to talk about just now. What day did you say you had arranged it -for?" - -"Thursday in the City-Hall at eight in the evening," said Moret, who, -though sanguine, was not unbusiness-like. - -"Thursday?" - -"Yes, you are not engaged anywhere." - -"Well," said Savrola speaking slowly and appearing to weigh his words, -"Thursday is the night of the State Ball." - -"I know," said Moret, "that was why I arranged it so. They will feel -they are dancing on a volcano; only a mile from the palace will be the -people, massed, agreed, determined. Molara will not enjoy his evening; -Louvet will not go; Sorrento will be making arrangements to massacre, -if necessary. It will spoil the festivities; they will all see the -writing on the wall." - -"Thursday will not do, Moret." - -"Not do! Why not?" - -"Because I am going to the ball that night," said Savrola deliberately. - -Moret gasped. "What," he cried, "you!" - -"Most certainly I shall go. The ancient customs of the State cannot be -set aside like this. It is my duty to go; we are fighting for the -Constitution, and we are bound to show our respect for its principles." - -"You will accept Molara's hospitality,--enter his house,--eat his food?" - -"No," said Savrola; "I shall eat the food provided by the State. As -you well know, the expenses of these official functions are chargeable -to the public." - -"You will talk to him?" - -"Certainly, but he will not enjoy it." - -"You will insult him, then?" - -"My dear Moret, what should make you think that? I shall be very -civil. That will frighten him most of all; he will not know what is -impending." - -"You cannot go," said Moret decidedly. - -"Indeed I am going." - -"Think what the Trade-Unions will say." - -"I have thought about all these things and have made up my mind," said -Savrola. "They may say what they like. It will show them that I do -not intend to discard Constitutional methods for a long time yet. -These people want their enthusiasm cooling from time to time; they take -life too seriously." - -"They will accuse you of betraying the cause." - -"I have no doubt stupid people will make characteristic remarks, but I -trust none of my friends will bore me by repeating them to me." - -"What will Strelitz say? It will very likely make him cross the -frontier with his followers. He thinks we are lukewarm, and has been -growing more impatient every week." - -"If he comes before we are ready to help, the troops will make short -work of him and his rabble. But he has definite orders from me and -will, I hope, obey them." - -"You are doing wrong, and you know it," said Moret harshly and -savagely; "to say nothing of the contemptible humiliation of cringing -to your enemy." - -Savrola smiled at his follower's anger. "Oh," he said, "I shall not -cringe. Come, you have not yet seen me do that," and he put his hand -on his companion's arm. "It is strange, Louis," he continued, "that we -differ in so many things, and yet, if I were in difficulty and doubt, -there is no one to whom I would go sooner than to you. We squabble -about trifles, but if it were a great matter, your judgment should rule -me, and you know it well." - -Moret yielded. He always yielded to Savrola when he talked like that. -"Well," he said, "when will you speak?" - -"Whenever you like." - -"Friday, then, the sooner the better." - -"Very well; do you make the arrangements; I will find something to say." - -"I wish you were not going," said Moret, reverting to his former -objection; "nothing on earth would induce me to go." - -"Moret," said Savrola with strange earnestness, "we have settled that; -there are other things to talk about. I am troubled in my mind. There -is an undercurrent of agitation, the force of which I cannot gauge. I -am the acknowledged leader of the party, but sometimes I realise that -there are agencies at work, which I do not control. That secret -society they call the League is an unknown factor. I hate that fellow, -that German fellow, Kreutze, Number One as he styles himself. He is -the source of all the opposition I encounter in the party itself; the -Labour Delegates all seem to be under his influence. Indeed there are -moments when I think that you and I and Godoy and all who are striving -for the old Constitution, are but the political waves of a social tide -that is flowing we know not whither. Perhaps I am wrong, but I keep my -eyes open and their evidence makes me thoughtful. The future is -inscrutable but appalling; you must stand by me. When I can no longer -restrain and control, I will no longer lead." - -"The League is nothing," said Moret, "but a small anarchist group, who -have thrown in their lot, for the present, with us. You are the -indispensable leader of the party; you have created the agitation, and -it is in your hands to stimulate or allay it. There are no unknown -forces; you are the motive power." - -Savrola walked to the window. "Look out over the city," he said. "It -is a great mass of buildings; three hundred thousand people live there. -Consider its size; think of the latent potentialities it contains, and -then look at this small room. Do you think I am what I am, because I -have changed all those minds, or because I best express their views? -Am I their master or their slave? Believe me, I have no illusions, nor -need you." - -His manner impressed his follower. It almost seemed to him, as he -watched the city and listened to Savrola's earnest words, that he heard -the roar of a multitude, distant, subdued, but intense as the thunder -of the surf upon a rocky coast when the wind is off the sea. He did -not reply. His highly wrought temperament exaggerated every mood and -passion; he always lived in the superlative. He had no counterpoise of -healthy cynicism. Now he was very solemn, and bidding Savrola -good-morning, walked slowly down the stairs, swayed by the vibrations -of a powerful imagination which had been stimulated to an extreme. - -Savrola lay back in his chair. His first inclination was to laugh, but -he realised that his mirth would not be entirely at Moret's expense. -He had tried to trick himself as well, but the parts of that subtle -brain were too intimately connected to have secrets from one another. -Still he would not allow them to formulate the true reason of his -change of mind. It was not so, he said to himself several times, and -even if it were it was of no importance and signified nothing. He took -a cigarette from his case, and lighting it, watched the coiling rings -of smoke. - -How much of what he had said had he believed? He thought of Moret's -serious face; that was not entirely produced by his influence. The -young revolutionist had noticed something too, but had feared, or -failed, to reduce his impressions to words. There was an undercurrent -then; there were many dangers ahead. Well, he did not care; he was -confident in his own powers. As the difficulties arose, he would meet -them; when dangers threatened he would overcome them. Horse, foot, and -artillery, he was a man, a complete entity. Under any circumstances, -in any situation he knew himself a factor to be reckoned with; whatever -the game, he would play it to his amusement, if not to his advantage. - -The smoke of his cigarette curled round his head. Life,--how unreal, -how barren, and yet, how fascinating! Fools, calling themselves -philosophers, had tried to bring home the bitter fact to men. His -philosophy lent itself to a pious fraud--taught him to minimise the -importance of his pains, and to magnify that of his pleasures; made -life delightful and death incidental. Zeno had shown him how to face -adversity, and Epicurus how to enjoy pleasure. He basked in the smiles -of fortune, and shrugged his shoulders at the frowns of fate. His -existence, or series of existences, had been agreeable. All that he -remembered had been worth living. If there was a future state, if the -game was to begin again elsewhere, he would take a hand. He hoped for -immortality, but he contemplated annihilation with composure. -Meanwhile the business of living was an interesting problem. His -speech,--he had made many and knew that nothing good can be obtained -without effort. These impromptu feats of oratory existed only in the -minds of the listeners; the flowers of rhetoric were hothouse plants. - -What was there to say? Successive cigarettes had been mechanically -consumed. Amid the smoke he saw a peroration, which would cut deep -into the hearts of a crowd; a high thought, a fine simile, expressed in -that correct diction which is comprehensible even to the most -illiterate, and appeals to the most simple; something to lift their -minds from the material cares of life and to awake sentiment. His -ideas began to take the form of words, to group themselves into -sentences; he murmured to himself; the rhythm of his own language -swayed him; instinctively he alliterated. Ideas succeeded one another, -as a stream flows swiftly by and the light changes on its waters. He -seized a piece of paper and began hurriedly to pencil notes. That was -a point; could not tautology accentuate it? He scribbled down a rough -sentence, scratched it out, polished it, and wrote it in again. The -sound would please their ears, the sense improve and stimulate their -minds. What a game it was! His brain contained the cards he had to -play, the world the stakes he played for. - -As he worked, the hours passed away. The housekeeper entering with his -luncheon found him silent and busy; she had seen him thus before and -did not venture to interrupt him. The untasted food grew cold upon the -table, as the hands of the clock moved slowly round marking the -measured tread of time. Presently he rose, and, completely under the -influence of his own thoughts and language, began to pace the room with -short rapid strides, speaking to himself in a low voice and with great -emphasis. Suddenly he stopped, and with a strange violence his hand -descended on the table. It was the end of the speech. - -The noise recalled him to the commonplaces of life. He was hungry and -tired, and with a laugh at his own enthusiasm sat down at the table and -began his neglected luncheon. - -A dozen sheets of note paper, covered with phrases, facts, and figures, -were the result of the morning's work. They lay pinned together on the -table, harmless insignificant pieces of paper; and yet Antonio Molara, -President of the Republic of Laurania, would have feared a bombshell -less. Nor would he have been either a fool or a coward. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -THE STATE BALL. - -The palace of Laurania was admirably suited to the discharge of the -social ceremonies of the State. The lavish expenditure on public -entertainments, which the constitutional practice encouraged, allowed -the hospitalities of the Republic to be extended upon the most -magnificent scale. The opening State Ball of the season was in many -ways the most important of these affairs. It was at this function that -the great men of both parties met, for the first time after the summer -heats, before the autumn session, and the brilliant society of the -capital reunited after their absence in their country and mountain -villas. Taste, elegance, and magnificence were equally displayed. The -finest music, the best champagne, the most diverse, yet select, company -were among the attractions of the evening. The spacious courtyard of -the palace was completely covered by a gigantic awning. Rows of the -Infantry of the Guard lined the approaches, and with their bright steel -bayonets increased the splendour and the security of the occasion. The -well-lit streets were crowded with the curious populace. The great -hall of the palace, at all times imposing and magnificent, displayed a -greater pomp when filled with a gaily dressed company. - -At the head of the stairs stood the President and his wife, he -resplendent in his orders and medals, she in her matchless beauty. As -the guests ascended, an aide-de-camp, a gorgeous thing in crimson and -gold, inquired their names and styles and announced them. Many and -various was the company; every capital in Europe, every country in the -world, was represented. - -The guest of the evening was the King of Ethiopia, a mass of silk and -jewels framing a black but vivacious face. He came early,--unwisely -as, had he come later, there would have been a better audience to watch -his arrival; however, to his untutored mind perhaps this was a matter -of little importance. - -The Diplomatic Corps followed in a long succession. Coach after coach -drew up at the entrance and discharged its burden of polite astuteness, -clothed in every conceivable combination of gold and colour. Arrived -at the top of the stairs, the Russian Ambassador, grey but gallant, -paused and, bowing with a stately courtesy, kissed the hand Lucile -extended. - -"The scene is an appropriate setting to a peerless diamond," he -murmured. - -"Would it sparkle as brightly in the Winter Palace?" inquired Lucile -lightly. - -"Assuredly the frosty nights of Russia would intensify its brilliancy." - -"Among so many others it would be lost." - -"Among all others it would be unrivalled and alone." - -"Ah," she said, "I hate publicity, and as for solitude, frosty -solitude, the thought of it alone makes me shiver." - -She laughed. The diplomatist threw her a look of admiration, and -stepping into the crowd, that already blocked the head of the stairs, -received and returned the congratulations of his numerous friends. - -"Madame Tranta," said the aide-de-camp. - -"I am so glad to see you," said Lucile. "What a pity your daughter -could not come; it has been a great disappointment to many." - -The ugly old woman thus addressed beamed with delight, and moving up -the stairs pushed her way to the marble balustrade of the balcony. She -watched the later arrivals, and commented freely to her acquaintance on -their dresses and deportments; she also gave a little information about -each one, which would have been ill-natured even had it not been -untrue; but though she told her friends many things, she did not -mention that she had had to make Tranta write and threaten to desert -the President's party unless she was asked to the ball, and that even -this had failed to procure an invitation for her daughter, an -unfortunate girl who added a bad complexion to the family features. - -Louvet came next, looking anxiously at the crowd of faces which gazed -from the landing, and imagining bombs and daggers at every step. He -regarded Lucile with apprehension, but her smile seemed to give him -courage and he mingled with the throng. - -Then Sir Richard Shalgrove, the British Ambassador, whose genial and -cheery face displayed an innocence which contrasted with his -reputation, advanced to make his bow. The strained relations between -Laurania and Great Britain seemed to disappear in that comprehensive -salutation. Lucile engaged him for a moment in conversation; she -pretended to know little or nothing. "And when," she asked merrily, -"do we declare war?" - -"Not until after I have had the pleasure of the third waltz, I hope," -said the Ambassador. - -"How annoying! I wanted so much to dance it with you." - -"And you will not?" he asked in great concern. - -"Dare I plunge two nations into war for the sake of a waltz?" - -"Had you my inducement you would not hesitate," he replied gallantly. - -"What, to precipitate hostilities! What have we done? What is your -great inducement to fight?" - -"Not to fight,--to dance," said Sir Richard with a little less than his -usual assurance. - -"For a diplomatist you are indeed explicit. While you are in so good a -mood, tell me what has happened; is there danger?" - -"Danger? No--how could there be?" He selected a formula: "Between -traditionally friendly powers arbitration settles all disputes." - -"You realise," she said earnestly and with an entire change of manner, -"that we have to consider the political situation here? A strong -despatch improves the position of the Government." - -"I have felt all through," said the Ambassador uncompromisingly, "that -there was no danger." He did not however mention that H.M. battleship -_Aggressor_ (12,000 tons displacement and 14,000 horse power, armed -with four 11-inch guns) was steaming eighteen knots an hour towards the -African port of the Lauranian Republic, or that he himself had been -busy all the afternoon with cipher telegrams relating to ships, stores, -and military movements. He thought that would be only boring her with -purely technical details. - -While this conversation had been taking place, the stream of people had -passed continuously up the stairs, and the throng on the wide balcony -that ran round the entire hall had become dense. The wonderful band -was almost drowned by the hum of conversation; the perfect floor of the -ball-room was only occupied by a few young couples whose own affairs -absorbed their minds and excluded all other interests. A feeling of -expectancy pervaded the hall; the rumour that Savrola would come had -spread far and wide throughout Laurania. - -Suddenly everyone became hushed, and above the strains of the band the -distant sound of shouting was heard. Louder and louder it swelled, -swiftly approaching until it was at the very gate; then it died away, -and there was a silence through the hall filled only by the music. Had -he been hooted or cheered? The sound had seemed strangely ambiguous; -men were prepared to wager about it; his face would tell them the -answer. - -The swing-doors opened and Savrola entered. All eyes were turned on -him, but his face showed them nothing, and the bets remained undecided. -As he leisurely ascended the stairs, his eye travelled with interest -round the crowded galleries and the brilliant throng who lined them. -No decorations, no orders, no star relieved the plain evening dress he -wore. Amid that blaze of colour, that multitude of gorgeous uniforms, -he appeared a sombre figure; but, like the Iron Duke in Paris, he -looked the leader of them all, calm, confident, and composed. - -The President walked down a few steps to meet his distinguished guest. -Both bowed with grave dignity. - -"I am glad you have come, Sir," said Molara; "it is in harmony with the -traditions of the State." - -"Duty and inclination combined to point the way," answered Savrola with -a smile marked by a suggestion of irony. - -"You had no difficulty with the crowd?" suggested the President acidly. - -"Oh, no difficulty, but they take politics a little seriously; they -disapproved of my coming to your palace." - -"You are right to come," said Molara. "Now we who are engaged in -matters of State know what these things are worth; men of the world do -not get excited over public affairs, nor do gentlemen fight with -bludgeons." - -"I prefer swords," said Savrola reflectively. He had reached the head -of the stairs and Lucile stood before him. What a queen she looked, -how peerless and incomparable among all women! The fine tiara she wore -suggested sovereignty, and democrat as he was, he bowed to that alone. -She held out her hand; he took it with reverence and courtesy, but the -contact thrilled him. - -The President selected a fat but famous woman from the aristocracy of -Laurania, and led the way into the ball-room. Savrola did not dance; -there were some amusements which his philosophy taught him to despise. -Lucile was captured by the Russian Ambassador, and he remained a -spectator. - -Lieutenant Tiro saw him thus alone and approached him, wishing to -finish their discussion about the "back" of the polo team, which had -been interrupted the week before. Savrola received him with a smile; -he liked the young soldier, as indeed did everyone. Tiro was full of -arguments; he was in favour of a strong heavy player who should lie -back in the game and take no chances. Savrola, having remarked on the -importance of the Lauranian Army being properly represented in an -international contest, favoured a light weight, playing right up to his -forwards and ready to take the ball on himself at any moment. It was -an animated discussion. - -"Where have you played?" asked the Subaltern, surprised at his -knowledge. - -"I have never played the game," answered Savrola; "but I have always -thought it a good training for military officers." - -The subject was changed. - -"Explain to me," said the great Democrat, "what all these different -orders are. What is that blue one that Sir Richard, the British -Ambassador, is wearing?" - -"That is the Garter," replied the Subaltern; "the most honourable order -in England." - -"Really, and what is this that you are wearing?" - -"I! Oh, that's the African medal. I was out there in '86 and '87, you -know." As Savrola had anticipated, he was intensely pleased at being -asked. - -"It must have been a strange experience for you, who are so young." - -"It was damned good fun," said the Subaltern with decision. "I was at -Langi Tal. My squadron had a five-mile pursuit. The lance is a -beautiful weapon. The English in India have a sport called -pig-sticking; I have never tried it, but I know a better." - -"Well, you may have another chance soon. We seem to be getting into -difficulties with the British Government." - -"Do you think there is any chance of war?" asked the boy eagerly. - -"Well, of course," said Savrola, "a war would distract the attention of -the people from internal agitation and the Reform movement. The -President is a clever man. There might be war. I should not care to -prophesy; but do you wish for it?" - -"Certainly I do; it is my profession. I am sick of being a lap-dog in -this palace; I long for the camp and the saddle again. Besides, these -English will be worth fighting; they will give us a gallop all right. -There was one of their officers with me at Langi Tal, a subaltern; he -came as a spectator searching for adventure." - -"What happened to him?" - -"Well, you know, we pursued the enemy all the way to the hills and -played the devil with them. As we were galloping along, he saw a lot -making off towards a wood, and wanted to cut them off. I said there -wasn't time; he laid me six to four there was, so I sent a troop,--I -was in command of the squadron that day--you know. He went with them -and showed them the way straight enough,--but I bore you?" - -"On the contrary, I am greatly interested; what then?" - -"He was wrong; the enemy got to the wood first and picked him off in -the open. Our fellows brought him back, shot through the big artery of -the leg; that doesn't take long, you know. All he said was: 'Well, -you've won, but how the deuce you'll get paid, I can't think. Ask my -brother,--Royal Lancers.'" - -"And then?" asked Savrola. - -"Well, I couldn't find the artery to compress it, and none of the -doctors were about. He died,--a gallant fellow!" - -The Subaltern paused, rather ashamed at having talked so much about his -military adventures. Savrola felt as if he had looked into a new -world, a world of ardent, reckless, warlike youth. He was himself -young enough to feel a certain jealousy. This boy had seen what he had -not; he possessed an experience which taught him lessons Savrola had -never learned. Their lives had been different; but one day perhaps he -would open this strange book of war, and by the vivid light of personal -danger read the lessons it contained. - -Meanwhile the dances had succeeded each other and the night was -passing. The King of Ethiopia, horrified at the low dresses of the -unveiled women and dreading the prospect of eating with odious white -people, had taken his departure. The President, approaching Savrola, -invited him to take his wife down to supper; a procession was formed; -he offered Lucile his arm and they descended the stairs. The supper -was excellent: the champagne was dry and the quails fat. A profusion -of rare and beautiful orchids covered the table; Savrola's surroundings -were agreeable, and he sat next the most beautiful woman in Laurania, -who, though he did not know it, was exerting herself to captivate him. -At first they talked amusing frivolities. The President, whose manners -were refined, showed himself a pleasant companion and an accomplished -talker. Savrola, who delighted in sparkling conversation, found it -difficult to keep to the part of a purely official visitor which he had -determined to observe. The influence of wit, wine, and beauty were -combined to break his reserve; before he knew it, he had joined in a -discussion, one of those half cynical, half serious discussions which -are characteristic of an age which inquires because it doubts, and -doubts the more because it has inquired. - -The Russian Ambassador had said that he worshipped beauty, and had told -his partner, the youthful Countess of Ferrol, that he regarded taking -her into dinner as a religious observance. - -"I suppose that means you are bored," she replied. - -"By no means; in my religion the ceremonies are never dull; that is one -of the principal advantages I claim for it." - -"There are few others," said Molara; "you devote yourself to an idol of -your own creation. If you worship beauty, your goddess stands on no -surer pedestal than human caprice. Is it not so, Princess?" - -The Princess of Tarentum, who was on the President's right, replied -that even that foundation was more secure than that on which many -beliefs repose. - -"You mean that in your own case human caprice has been sufficiently -constant? I can well believe it." - -"No," she said; "I only mean that the love of beauty is common to all -human beings." - -"To all living things," corrected Savrola. "It is the love of the -plant that produces the flower." - -"Ah," said the President, "but, though the love of beauty may be -constant, beauty itself may change. Look how everything changes: the -beauty of one age is not the beauty of the next; what is admired in -Africa is hideous in Europe. It is all a matter of opinion, local -opinion. Your goddess, Monsieur, has as many shapes as Proteus." - -"I like change," said the Ambassador. "I regard variability of form as -a decided advantage in a goddess. I do not care how many shapes I look -at, so long as all are beautiful." - -"But," interposed Lucile, "you make no distinction between what is -beautiful and what we think is beautiful." - -"There is none," said the President. - -"In Her Excellency's case there would be none," interposed the -Ambassador politely. - -"What is beauty," said Molara, "but what we choose to admire?" - -"Do we choose? Have we the power?" asked Savrola. - -"Certainly," answered the President; "and every year we alter our -decisions; every year the fashion changes. Ask the ladies. Look at -the fashions of thirty years ago; they were thought becoming then. -Observe the different styles of painting that have succeeded each -other, or of poetry, or of music. Besides, Monsieur de Stranoff's -goddess, though beautiful to him, might not be so to another." - -"I regard that also as a real advantage; you make me more enamoured -with my religion each moment. I do not worship my ideals for the -_reclamé_," said the Ambassador with a smile. - -"You look at the question from a material point of view." - -"Material rather than moral," said Lady Ferrol. - -"But in the spirit-worship of my goddess the immorality is immaterial. -Besides, if you say that our tastes are always changing, it seems to me -that constancy is the essence of my religion." - -"That is a paradox which we shall make you explain," said Molara. - -"Well, you say I change each day, and my goddess changes too. To-day I -admire one standard of beauty, to-morrow another, but when to-morrow -comes I am no longer the same person. The molecular structure of my -brain is altered; my ideas have changed; my old self has perished, -loving its own ideal; the renovated _ego_ starts life with a new one. -It is all a case of wedded till death." - -"You are not going to declare that constancy is a series of changes? -You may as well assert that motion is a succession of halts." - -"I am true to the fancy of the hour." - -"You express my views in other words. Beauty depends on human caprice, -and changes with the times." - -"Look at that statue," said Savrola suddenly, indicating a magnificent -marble figure of Diana which stood in the middle of the room surrounded -by ferns. "More than two thousand years have passed since men called -that beautiful. Do we deny it now?" There was no answer and he -continued: "That is true beauty of line and form, which is eternal. -The other things you have mentioned, fashions, styles, fancies, are but -the unsuccessful efforts we make to attain to it. Men call such -efforts art. Art is to beauty what honour is to honesty, an unnatural -allotropic form. Art and honour belong to gentlemen; beauty and -honesty are good enough for men." - -There was a pause. It was impossible to mistake the democratic tone; -his earnestness impressed them. Molara looked uneasy. The Ambassador -came to the rescue. - -"Well, I shall continue to worship the goddess of beauty, whether she -be constant or variable"--he looked at the Countess; "and to show my -devotion I shall offer up a waltz in that sacred fane, the ball-room." - -He pushed his chair back, and, stooping, picked up his partner's glove, -which had fallen to the floor. Everyone rose, and the party separated. -As Savrola walked back to the hall with Lucile, they passed an open -doorway leading to the garden. A multitude of fairy lights marked out -the flower-beds or hung in festoons from the trees. The paths were -carpeted with red cloth; a cool breeze fanned their faces. Lucile -paused. - -"It is a lovely night." - -The invitation was plain. She had wanted to speak to him, then, after -all. How right he was to come,--on constitutional grounds. - -"Shall we go out?" he said. - -She consented, and they stepped on to the terrace. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -"IN THE STARLIGHT." - -The night was very still. The soft breeze was not strong enough to -stir even the slender palms which rose on all sides, and whose -outlines, above the surrounding foliage, framed the starlit sky. The -palace stood on high ground, and the garden sloped on the western side -towards the sea. At the end of the terrace was a stone seat. - -"Let us sit here," said Lucile. - -They sat down. The dreamy music of a waltz floated down as a distant -accompaniment to their thoughts. The windows of the palace blazed with -light and suggested glitter, glare, and heat; in the garden all was -quiet and cool. - -"Why do you sneer at honour?" asked Lucile, thinking of the interrupted -conversation. - -"Because it has no true foundation, no ultra-human sanction. Its codes -are constantly changing with times and places. At one time it is -thought more honourable to kill the man you have wronged than to make -amends; at another it is more important to pay a bookmaker than a -butcher. Like art it changes with human caprice, and like art it comes -from opulence and luxury." - -"But why do you claim a higher origin for beauty and honesty?" - -"Because, wherever I have looked, I see that all things are perpetually -referred to an eternal standard of fitness, and that right triumphs -over wrong, truth over falsehood, beauty over ugliness. _Fitness_ is -the general expression! Judged by this standard art and honour have -little value." - -"But are these things so?" she asked wonderingly. "Surely there are -many exceptions?" - -"Nature never considers the individual; she only looks at the average -fitness of the species. Consider the statistics of mortality. How -exact they are: they give to a month the expectation of life to men; -and yet they tell a man nothing. We cannot say that a good man will -always overcome a knave; but the evolutionist will not hesitate to -affirm that the nation with the highest ideals would succeed." - -"Unless," said Lucile, "some other nation with lower ideals, but -stronger arms, intervenes." - -"Well, even then might is a form of fitness; I think a low form, but -still physical force contains the elements of human progress. This is -only the instance; we must enlarge our view. Nature does not consider -the individual species. All we will now assert is that organisms -imbued with moral fitness would ultimately rise above those whose -virtue is physical. How many times has civilisation, by which I mean a -state of society where moral force begins to escape from the tyranny of -physical forces, climbed the ladder of Progress and been dragged down? -Perhaps many hundred times in this world alone. But the motive power, -the upward tendency, was constant. Evolution does not say 'always,' -but 'ultimately.' Well, ultimately civilisation has climbed up beyond -the reach of barbarism. The higher ideals have reached the surface by -superior buoyancy." - -"Why do you assume that this triumph is permanent? How do you know -that it will not be reversed, as all others have been?" - -"Because we have got might on our side, as well as moral ascendancy." - -"Perhaps the Romans in the summit of their power thought that too?" - -"Very likely, but without reason. They had only their swords to fall -back upon as an ultimate appeal; and when they became effete they could -no longer wield them." - -"And modern civilisation?" - -"Ah, we have other weapons. When we have degenerated, as we must -eventually degenerate, when we have lost our intrinsic superiority, and -other races, according to the natural law, advance to take our place, -we shall fall back upon these weapons. Our morals will be gone, but -our Maxims will remain. The effete and trembling European will sweep -from the earth by scientific machinery the valiant savages who assail -him." - -"Is that the triumph of moral superiority?" - -"At first it would be, for the virtues of civilisation are of a higher -type than those of barbarism. Kindness is better than courage, and -charity more than strength. But ultimately the dominant race will -degenerate, and as there will be none to take its place, the -degeneration must continue. It is the old struggle between vitality -and decay, between energy and indolence; a struggle that always ends in -silence. After all, we could not expect human developement to be -constant. It is only a question of time before the planet becomes -unfitted to support life on its surface." - -"But you said that fitness must ultimately triumph." - -"Over relative unfitness, yes. But decay will involve all, victors and -vanquished. The fire of life will die out, the spirit of vitality -become extinct." - -"In this world perhaps." - -"In every world. All the universe is cooling--dying, that is,--and as -it cools, life for a spell becomes possible on the surface of its -spheres, and plays strange antics. And then the end comes; the -universe dies and is sepulchred in the cold darkness of ultimate -negation." - -"To what purpose then are all our efforts?" - -"God knows," said Savrola cynically; "but I can imagine that the drama -would not be an uninteresting one to watch." - -"And yet you believe in an ultra-human foundation, an eternal ideal for -such things as beauty and virtue." - -"I believe that the superiority of fitness over relative unfitness is -one of the great laws of matter. I include all kinds of -fitness,--moral, physical, mathematical." - -"Mathematical!" - -"Certainly; words only exist by conforming to correct mathematical -principles. That is one of the great proofs we have that mathematics -have been discovered, not invented. The planets observe a regular -progression in their distances from the sun. Evolution suggests that -those that did not observe such principles were destroyed by collisions -and amalgamated with others. It is a universal survival of the -fittest." She was silent. He continued: "Now let us say that in the -beginning there existed two factors, matter animated by the will to -live, and the eternal ideal; the great author and the great critic. It -is to the interplay and counter-action of these two that all -developement, that all forms of life are due. The more the expression -of the will to live approximates to the eternal standard of fitness, -the better it succeeds." - -"I would add a third," she said; "a great Being to instil into all -forms of life the desire to attain to the ideal; to teach them in what -ways they may succeed." - -"It is pleasant," he replied, "to think that such a Being exists to -approve our victories, to cheer our struggles, and to light our way; -but it is not scientifically or logically necessary to assume one after -the two factors I have spoken of are once at work." - -"Surely the knowledge that such an ultra-human ideal existed must have -been given from without." - -"No; that instinct which we call conscience was derived as all other -knowledge from experience." - -"How could it be?" - -"I think of it in this way. When the human race was emerging from the -darkness of its origin and half animal, half human creatures trod the -earth, there was no idea of justice, honesty, or virtue, only the -motive power which we may call the 'will to live.' Then perhaps it was -a minor peculiarity of some of these early ancestors of man to combine -in twos and threes for their mutual protection. The first alliance was -made; the combinations prospered where the isolated individuals failed. -The faculty of combination appeared to be an element of fitness. By -natural selection only the combinations survived. Thus man became a -social animal. Gradually the little societies became larger ones. -From families to tribes, and from tribes to nations the species -advanced, always finding that the better they combined, the better they -succeeded. Now on what did this system of alliance depend? It -depended on the members keeping faith with each other, on the practice -of honesty, justice, and the rest of the virtues. Only those beings in -whom such faculties were present were able to combine, and thus only -the relatively honest men were preserved. The process repeated itself -countless times during untold ages. At every step the race advanced, -and at every step the realisation of the cause increased. Honesty and -justice are bound up in our compositions and form an inseparable part -of our natures. It is only with difficulty that we repress such -awkward inclinations." - -"You do not then believe in God?" - -"I never said that," said Savrola. "I am only discussing the question -of our existence from one standpoint, that of reason. There are many -who think that reason and faith, science and religion, must be -everlastingly separated, and that if one be admitted the other must be -denied. Perhaps it is because we see so short a span, that we think -that their lines are parallel and never touch each other. I always -cherish the hope that somewhere in the perspective of the future there -may be a vanishing point where all lines of human aspiration will -ultimately meet." - -"And you believe all this that you have said?" - -"No," he answered, "there is no faith in disbelief, whatever the poets -have said. Before we can solve the problems of existence we must -establish the fact that we exist at all. It is a strange riddle, is it -not?" - -"We shall learn the answer when we die." - -"If I thought that," said Savrola, "I should kill myself to-night out -of irresistible curiosity." - -He paused, and looked up at the stars, which shone so brightly -overhead. She followed his gaze. "You like the stars?" she asked. - -"I love them," he replied; "they are very beautiful." - -"Perhaps your fate is written there." - -"I have always admired the audacity of man in thinking that a Supreme -Power should placard the skies with the details of his squalid future, -and that his marriage, his misfortunes, and his crimes should be -written in letters of suns on the background of limitless space. We -are consequential atoms." - -"You think we are of no importance?" - -"Life is very cheap. Nature has no exaggerated idea of its value. I -realise my own insignificance, but I am a philosophic microbe, and it -rather adds to my amusement than otherwise. Insignificant or not, I -like living, it is good to think of the future." - -"Ah," said Lucile impetuously, "whither are you hurrying us in the -future,--to revolution?" - -"Perhaps," said Savrola calmly. - -"You are prepared to plunge the country in a civil war?" - -"Well, I hope it will not come to that extreme. Probably there will be -some street-fighting and some people will be killed, but----" - -"But why should you drive them like this?" - -"I discharge a duty to the human species in breaking down a military -despotism. I do not like to see a Government supported only by -bayonets; it is an anachronism." - -"The Government is just and firm; it maintains law and order. Why -should you assail it merely because it does not harmonise with your -theories?" - -"My theories!" said Savrola. "Is that the name you give to the lines -of soldiers with loaded rifles that guard this palace, or to the -Lancers I saw spearing the people in the square a week ago?" - -His voice had grown strangely vehement and his manner thrilled her. -"You will ruin us," she said weakly. - -"No," he replied with his grand air, "you can never be ruined. Your -brilliancy and beauty will always make you the luckiest of women, and -your husband the luckiest of men." - -His great soul was above the suspicion of presumption. She looked up -at him, smiled quickly, and impulsively held out her hand. "We are on -opposite sides, but we will fight under the rules of war. I hope we -shall remain friends even though----" - -"We are officially enemies," said Savrola, completing the sentence, and -taking her hand in his he bowed and kissed it. After that they were -both very silent, and walking along the terrace re-entered the palace. -Most of the guests had already gone, and Savrola did not ascend the -stairs, but passing through the swing-doors took his departure. Lucile -walked up to the ball-room in which a few youthful and indefatigable -couples were still circling. Molara met her. "My dear," he said, -"where have you been all this time?" - -"In the garden," she replied. - -"With Savrola?" - -"Yes." - -The President repressed a feeling of satisfaction. "Did he tell you -anything?" he asked. - -"Nothing," she answered, remembering for the first time the object with -which she had sought the interview; "I must see him again." - -"You will continue to try and find out his political intentions?" -inquired Molara anxiously. - -"I shall see him again," she replied. - -"I trust to your wit," said the President; "you can do it, if anyone -can, my dearest." - -The last dance came to an end and the last guest departed. Very weary -and thoughtful Lucile retired to her room. Her conversation with -Savrola filled her mind; his earnestness, his enthusiasm, his hopes, -his beliefs, or, rather, his disbeliefs, all passed again in review -before her. What a great man he was! Was it wonderful the people -followed him? She would like to hear him speak to-morrow. - -Her maid came in to assist her to undress. She had looked from an -upper balcony and had seen Savrola. "Was that," she asked her mistress -curiously, "the great Agitator?" Her brother was going to hear him -make his speech to-morrow. - -"Is he going to make a speech to-morrow?" asked Lucile. - -"So my brother says," said the maid; "he says that he is going to give -them such a dressing down they will never forget it." The maid paid -great attention to her brother's words. There was much sympathy -between them; in fact she only called him her brother because it -sounded better. - -Lucile took up the evening paper which lay on the bed. There on the -first page was the announcement, the great meeting would take place at -the City-Hall at eight the next evening. She dismissed the maid and -walked to the window. The silent city lay before her; to-morrow the -man she had talked with would convulse that city with excitement. She -would go and hear him; women went to these meetings; why should she not -go, closely veiled? After all it would enable her to learn something -of his character and she could thus better assist her husband. With -this reflection, which was extremely comforting, she went to bed. - -The President was going up-stairs, when Miguel met him. "More -business?" he asked wearily. - -"No," said the Secretary; "things are going on very well." - -Molara looked at him with quick annoyance; but Miguel's face remained -impassive, so he simply replied, "I am glad of that," and passed on. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE ADMIRAL. - -The disapproval which Moret had expressed at Savrola's determination to -go to the State Ball was amply justified by the result. Every paper, -except those actually controlled by the party organisation, commented -severely or contemptuously on his action. THE HOUR alluded to the -groans with which the crowd had received him, as marking the decline of -his influence with the masses and the break-up of the Revolutionary -party. It also reminded its readers that social distinction was always -the highest ambition of the Demagogue, and declared that, by accepting -the President's invitation, Savrola had revealed "his sordid personal -aims." The other Government organs expressed a similar opinion in an -even more offensive manner. "These agitators," said THE COURTIER, -"have at all times in the history of the world hankered after titles -and honours, and the prospect of mixing with persons of rank and -fashion has once again proved irresistible to an austere and unbending -son of the people." This superior vulgarity, though more unpleasant, -was less dangerous than the grave and serious warnings and protests -which the Democratic journals contained. THE RISING TIDE said plainly -that, if this sort of thing continued, the Popular party would have to -find another leader, "One who did not cringe to power nor seek to -ingratiate himself with fashion." - -Savrola read these criticisms with disdain. He had recognised the fact -that such things would be said, and had deliberately exposed himself to -them. He knew he had been unwise to go: he had known that from the -first; and yet somehow he did not regret his mistake. After all, why -should his party dictate to him how he should rule his private life? -He would never resign his right to go where he pleased. In this case -he had followed his own inclination, and the odium which had been cast -upon him was the price he was prepared to pay. When he thought of his -conversation in the garden, he did not feel that he had made a bad -bargain. The damage however must be repaired. He looked over the -notes of his speech again, polished his sentences, considered his -points, collected his arguments, and made some additions which he -thought appropriate to the altered state of public feeling. - -In this occupation the morning passed. Moret came in to luncheon. He -refrained from actually saying "I told you so," but his looks showed -that he felt his judgment was for the future established on unshakable -foundations. His was a character easily elated or depressed. Now he -was gloomy and despondent, regarding the cause as already lost. Only a -forlorn hope remained; Savrola might express his regret at the meeting, -and appeal to the people to remember his former services. He suggested -this to his leader, who laughed merrily at the idea. "My dear Louis," -he said, "I shall do nothing of the sort. I will never resign my own -independence; I shall always go where I like and do what I like, and if -they are not pleased, they can find someone else to discharge their -public business." Moret shuddered. Savrola continued: "I shall not -actually tell them so, but my manner will show them that I fear their -reproaches as little as Molara's enmity." - -"Perhaps they will not listen; I hear reports that there will be some -hostility." - -"Oh, I shall make them listen. There may be some howling at first, but -they will change their note before I have gone very far." - -His confidence was contagious. Moret's spirits revived under its -influence and that of a bottle of excellent claret. Like Napoleon the -Third, he felt that all might yet be regained. - -Meanwhile the President was extremely well satisfied with the first -result of his schemes. He had not foreseen that Savrola's acceptance -of the invitation to the ball would involve him in so much -unpopularity, and, although it was a poor compliment to himself, it was -an unexpected advantage. Besides, as Miguel had remarked, everything -was going on very well in other directions. He had hardened his heart -and dismissed his scruples; stern, bitter necessity had thrust him on -an unpleasant course, but now that he had started he was determined to -go on. In the meantime affairs pressed on all sides. The British -Government were displaying an attitude of resolution on the African -Question. His violent despatch had not settled the matter, as he had -hoped and even anticipated; it had become necessary to supplement his -words by actions. The African port must not be left undefended; the -fleet must go there at once. It was not a moment when he could well -afford to be without the five ships of war whose presence in the -harbour overawed many of the discontented; but he felt that a vigorous -foreign policy would be popular, or at least sufficiently interesting -to keep the public mind from domestic agitation. He also knew that a -disaster abroad would precipitate a revolution at home. It was -necessary to be very careful. He recognised the power and resources of -Great Britain; he had no illusions on the subject of the comparative -weakness of Laurania. In that indeed lay their only strength. The -British Government would do all in their power to avoid fighting -(bullying, polite Europe would call it) so small a State. It was a -game of bluff; the further he could go, the better for the situation at -home, but one step too far meant ruin. It was a delicate game to play, -and it taxed to the utmost the energies and talents of a strong, able -man. - -"The Admiral is here, Your Excellency," said Miguel entering the room, -followed immediately by a short, red-faced man in naval uniform. - -"Good-morning, my dear de Mello," cried the President, rising and -shaking the newcomer's hand with great cordiality. "I have got some -sailing-orders for you at last." - -"Well," said de Mello bluntly, "I am sick of lying up waiting for your -agitators to rise." - -"There is work of a difficult and exciting nature before you. Where's -that translation of the cipher telegram, Miguel? Ah, thank you,--look -here, Admiral." - -The sailor read the paper, and whistled significantly. "It may go -further than you wish, Molara, this time," he said unceremoniously. - -"I shall place the matter in your hands; you will be able to save this -situation, as you have saved so many others." - -"Where did this come from?" asked de Mello. - -"From French sources." - -"She is a powerful ship, the _Aggressor_,--latest design, newest guns, -in fact all the modern improvements; I have nothing that she could not -sink in ten minutes; besides, there are some gunboats there as well." - -"I know the situation is difficult," said the President; "that is why I -am entrusting it to you! Now listen; whatever happens I don't want -fighting; that would only end in disaster; and you know what disaster -would mean here. You must argue and parley and protest on every point, -and cause as much delay as possible. Consult me by telegraph on every -occasion, and try to make friends with the English admiral; that is -half the battle. If it ever comes to a question of bombardment, we -shall give in and protest again. I will have your instructions -forwarded to you in writing this evening. You had better steam -to-night. You understand the game?" - -"Yes," said de Mello, "I have played it before." He shook hands and -walked to the door. - -The President accompanied him. "It is possible," he said earnestly, -"that I shall want you back here before you have gone very far; there -are many signs of trouble in the city, and after all Strelitz is still -on the frontier waiting for a chance. If I send for you, you will -come?" There was almost an appealing note in his tone. - -"Come?" said the Admiral. "Of course I will come,--full steam ahead. -I have had my big gun trained on the Parliament House for the last -month, and I mean to let it off one day. Oh, you can trust the fleet." - -"Thank God I never doubted that," said the President with some emotion, -and shaking de Mello's hand warmly, he returned to his writing-table. -He felt that the Admiral was thoroughly loyal to the Government. - -These men who live their lives in great machines, become involved in -the mechanism themselves. De Mello had lived on warships all his days, -and neither knew nor cared for anything else. Landsmen and civilians -he despised with a supreme professional contempt. Such parts of the -world as bordered on the sea, he regarded as possible targets of -different types; for the rest he cared nothing. With equal interest he -would burst his shells on patriots struggling to be free or foreign -enemies, on a hostile fort or on his native town. As long as the -authority to fire reached him through the proper channel, he was -content; after that he regarded the question from a purely technical -standpoint. - -The afternoon was far advanced before the President finished the varied -labours of his office. "There is a great meeting to-night, is there -not?" he asked Miguel. - -"Yes," said the Secretary, "in the City-Hall; Savrola is going to -speak." - -"Have you arranged about an opposition?" - -"Some of the secret police are going to make a little, I believe; -Colonel Sorrento has arranged that. But I fancy Señor Savrola's party -are rather displeased with him, as it is." - -"Ah," said Molara, "I know his powers; he will tear their very hearts -out with his words. He is a terrible force; we must take every -precaution. I suppose the troops have been ordered to be under arms? -There is nothing he cannot do with a crowd,--curse him!" - -"The Colonel was here this morning; he told me he was making -arrangements." - -"It is good," said the President; "he knows his own safety is involved. -Where do I dine to-night?" - -"With Señor Louvet, at the Home Office, an official dinner." - -"How detestable! Still he has a plain cook and he will be worth -watching to-night. He gets in such a state of terror when Savrola -holds forth that he is ridiculous. I hate cowards, but they make the -world the merrier." - -He bade the Secretary good-night and left the room. Outside he met -Lucile. "Dearest," he said, "I am dining out to-night, an official -dinner at Louvet's. It is a nuisance, but I must go. Perhaps I shall -not be back till late. I am sorry to leave you like this, but in these -busy days I can hardly call my soul my own." - -"Never mind, Antonio," she replied; "I know how you are pressed with -work. What has happened about the English affair?" - -"I don't like the situation at all," said Molara. "They have a Jingo -Government in power and have sent ships as an answer to our note. It -is most unfortunate. Now I have to send the fleet away,--at such a -moment." He groaned moodily. - -"I told Sir Richard that we had to think of the situation here, and -that the despatch was meant for domestic purposes," said Lucile. - -"I think," said the President, "that the English Government also have -to keep the electorate amused. It is a Conservative ministry; they -must keep things going abroad to divert the public mind from advanced -legislation. What, more still, Miguel?" - -"Yes, Sir; this bag has just arrived, with several important despatches -which require your immediate attention." - -The President looked for a moment as if he would like to tell Miguel to -take himself and his despatches to the infernal regions; but he -repressed the inclination. "Good, I will come. I shall see you at -breakfast to-morrow, my dear, till then, farewell," and giving her a -weary smile he walked off. - -Thus it is that great men enjoy the power they risk their lives to gain -and often meet their deaths to hold. - -Lucile was left alone, not for the first time when she had wanted -companionship and sympathy. She was conscious of an unsatisfactory -sensation with regard to existence generally. It was one of those -moments when the prizes and penalties of life seem equally stale and -futile. She sought refuge in excitement. The project she had -conceived the night before began to take actual shape in her mind; yes, -she would hear him speak. Going to her room she rang the bell. The -maid came quickly. "What time is the meeting to-night?" - -"At eight, Your Excellency," said the girl. - -"You have a ticket for it?" - -"Yes, my brother----" - -"Well, give it to me; I want to hear this man speak. He will attack -the Government; I must be there to report to the President." - -The maid looked astonished, but gave up the ticket meekly. For six -years she had been Lucile's maid, and was devoted to her young and -beautiful mistress. "What will Your Excellency wear?" was her only -remark. - -"Something dark, with a thick veil," said Lucile. "Don't speak of this -to anyone." - -"Oh no, Your Ex----" - -"Not even to your brother." - -"Oh, no, Your Excellency." - -"Say I have a headache and have gone to bed. You must go to your room -yourself." - -The maid hurried off to get the dress and bonnet. Lucile felt full of -the nervous excitement her resolve had raised. It was an adventure, it -would be an experience, more than that, she would see him. The -crowd,--when she thought of them she felt a little frightened, but then -she remembered that women frequently went to these demonstrations, and -there would be plenty of police to keep order. She dressed herself -hastily in the clothes that the maid brought, and descending the -stairs, entered the garden. It was already dusk, but Lucile had no -difficulty in finding her way to a small private gate in the wall, -which her key unlocked. - -She stepped into the street. All was very quiet. The gas lamps flared -in a long double row till they almost met in the distant perspective. -A few people were hurrying in the direction of the City-Hall. She -followed them. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -THE WAND OF THE MAGICIAN. - -The City-Hall was a gigantic meeting-house in which for many years all -the public discussions of the Lauranian people had taken place. Its -stone façade was showy and pretentious, but the building itself -consisted merely of the great hall and of a few smaller rooms and -offices. The hall was capable of holding nearly seven thousand people; -with its white-washed roof sustained by iron girders, and well lit with -gas, it served its purpose well without any affectation of display. - -Lucile was caught in the stream of those who were entering and carried -inside. She had expected to find a seat, but, in view of a great -crowd, all the chairs had been removed from the body of the hall, and -only standing room remained. In this solid mass of humanity she found -herself an atom. To move was difficult; to go back almost impossible. - -It was a striking scene. The hall, which was hung with flags, was -crowded to overflowing; a long gallery, which ran round three sides, -was densely packed to the very ceiling; the flaring gas-jets threw -their yellow light on thousands of faces. The large majority of the -audience were men, but Lucile noticed with relief that there were -several women present. A platform at the far end of the hall displayed -the customary table and the inevitable glass of water. In front of the -platform were two long rows of reporters, getting their pads and -pencils ready,--a kind of orchestra. Behind and above were again rows -and rows of chairs filled by the numerous delegates, officials, and -secretaries of the various political clubs and organisations, each -distinguished by the badge and sash of his society. Moret had exerted -himself to whip up the utmost power of the Party, and had certainly -succeeded in organising the greatest demonstration Laurania had ever -seen. All the political forces arrayed against the Government were -represented. - -There was a loud hum of conversation, broken at intervals by cheers and -the choruses of patriotic songs. Suddenly the clock in the tower of -the building chimed the hour. At the same instant, from a doorway on -the right of the platform, Savrola entered, followed by Godoy, Moret, -Renos, and several other prominent leaders of the movement. He made -his way along the row of chairs, until he reached that on the right of -the table, sat down and looked quietly about him. There was a storm of -discordant shouting, no two men seeming to hold the same opinion. At -one moment it sounded as if all were cheering; at another hoots and -groans obtained the supremacy. The meeting in fact was about equally -divided. The extreme sections of the Reform' Party, regarding -Savrola's attendance at the ball as an action of the grossest -treachery, howled with fury at him; the more moderate cheered him as -the safest man to cling to in times of civil disturbance. The -delegates and regular officials, who occupied the chairs on the -platform, were silent and sullen, like men who await an explanation -without belief in its sufficiency. - -At length the shouting ceased. Godoy, who was in the chair, rose and -made a short speech, in which he studiously avoided any contentious -allusion to Savrola, confining himself only to the progress of the -movement. He spoke well and clearly, but nobody wanted to hear him, -and all were relieved when he concluded by calling upon "our leader," -Savrola, to address the meeting. Savrola, who had been talking -unconcernedly with one of the delegates on his right, turned round -quickly towards the audience, and rose. As he did so, a man in a blue -suit, one of a little group similarly clad, shouted out, "Traitor and -toady!" Hundreds of voices took up the cry; there was an outburst of -hooting and groaning; others cheered half-heartedly. It was an -unpromising reception. Moret looked around him in blank despair. - -In spite of the heat and the pressure, Lucile could not take her eyes -off Savrola. She could see that he was quivering with suppressed -excitement. His composure had merely been assumed; crowds stirred his -blood, and when he rose he could wear his mask no longer. He looked -almost terrible, as he waited there, facing the outburst with defiance -written in every line of his pale, earnest face and resolute figure. -Then he began to speak, but his words could not at first be -distinguished through the persistent shouts of the man in blue and his -friends. At length, after five minutes of intense disorder, the -curiosity of the audience triumphed over all other emotions, and they -generally sank into silence, to hear what their leader had to say. - -Again Savrola began. Though he spoke very quietly and slowly, his -words reached the furthest ends of the hall. He showed, or perhaps he -feigned, some nervousness at first, and here and there in his sentences -he paused as if searching for a word. He was surprised, he said, at -his reception. He had not expected, now when the final result was so -nearly attained, that the people of Laurania would change their minds. -The man in blue began to howl his odious cry. There was another -outbreak of hooting; but the majority of the audience were now anxious -to listen, and silence was soon restored. Savrola continued. He -briefly reviewed the events of the last year: the struggle they had had -to form a party at all; the fierce opposition they had encountered and -sustained; the success that had attended their threat of taking arms; -the President's promise of a free Parliament; the trick that had been -played on them; the firing of the soldiery on the crowd. His earnest, -thoughtful words evoked a hum of approval. These were events in which -the audience had participated, and they liked having them recalled to -their memories. - -Then he went on to speak of the Deputation and of the contempt with -which the President had thought fit to treat the accredited -representatives of the citizens. "Traitor and toady!" shouted the man -in blue loudly; but there was no response. "And," said Savrola, "I -will invite your attention to this further matter. It has not been -sufficient to strangle the Press, to shoot down the people, and to -subvert the Constitution, but even when we are assembled here in -accordance with our unquestioned right to discuss matters of State and -decide upon our public policies, our deliberations are to be -interrupted by the paid agents of the Government,"--he looked towards -the man in blue, and there was an angry hum--"who insult by their -abusive cries not only myself, a free Lauranian, but you also, the -assembled citizens who have invited me to place my views before you." -Here the audience broke out into indignant applause and agreement; -cries of "Shame!" were heard, and fierce looks turned in the direction -of the interrupters, who had, however, dispersed themselves -unobtrusively among the crowd. "In spite of such tactics," Savrola -continued, "and in the face of all opposition, whether by bribes or -bullets, whether by hired bravos or a merciless and mercenary soldiery, -the great cause we are here to support has gone on, is going on, and is -going to go on, until at length our ancient liberties are regained, and -those who have robbed us of them punished." Loud cheers rose from all -parts of the hall. His voice was even and not loud, but his words -conveyed an impression of dauntless resolution. - -And then, having got his audience in hand, he turned his powers of -ridicule upon the President and his colleagues. Every point he made -was received with cheers and laughter. He spoke of Louvet, of his -courage, and of his trust in the people. Perhaps, he said, it was not -inappropriate that the Ministry of the Interior should be filled by "a -glutton," the Home Office by a "stay-at-home" who was afraid to go out -among his countrymen at night. Louvet was indeed a good object for -abuse; he was hated by the people, who despised his cowardice and had -always jeered at him. Savrola continued. He described the President -as clinging to office at whatever cost to himself or others. In order -to draw the attention of the people from his tyrannical actions and -despotic government at home, he had tried to involve them in -complications abroad, and he had succeeded, more completely than he had -bargained for. They were embroiled now in a dispute with a great -Power, a dispute from which they had nothing to gain and everything to -lose. Their fleets and armies must be despatched, to the cost of the -State; their possessions were endangered; perhaps the lives of their -soldiers and sailors would be sacrificed. And all for what? In order -that Antonio Molara might do as he had declared he would, and die at -the head of the State. It was a bad joke. But he should be warned; -many a true word was spoken in jest. Again there was a fierce hum. - -Lucile listened spell-bound. When he had risen, amid the groans and -hisses of that great crowd, she had sympathised with him, had feared -even for his life, had wondered at the strange courage which made him -attempt the seemingly impossible task of convincing such an audience. -As he had progressed and had begun to gain power and approval, she had -rejoiced; every cheer had given her pleasure. She had silently joined -in the indignation which the crowd had expressed against Sorrento's -police-agents. Now he was attacking her husband; and yet she hardly -seemed to feel an emotion of antagonism. - -He left the subject of the Ministers with contemptuous scorn, amid the -earnest assent of the audience and on the full tide of public opinion. -They must now, he said, treat of higher matters. He invited them to -consider the ideals at which they aimed. Having roused their tempers, -he withheld from them the outburst of fury and enthusiasm they desired. -As he spoke of the hopes of happiness to which even the most miserable -of human beings had a right, silence reigned throughout the hall, -broken only by that grave melodious voice which appealed to everyone. -For more than three quarters of an hour he discussed social and -financial reforms. Sound practical common sense was expressed with -many a happy instance, many a witty analogy, many a lofty and luminous -thought. - -"When I look at this beautiful country that is ours and was our fathers -before us, at its blue seas and snow-capped mountains, at its -comfortable hamlets and wealthy cities, at its silver streams and -golden corn-fields, I marvel at the irony of fate which has struck -across so fair a prospect the dark shadow of a military despotism." - -The sound of momentous resolution rose again from the crowded hall. He -had held their enthusiasm back for an hour by the clock. The steam had -been rising all this time. All were searching in their minds for -something to relieve their feelings, to give expression to the -individual determination each man had made. There was only one mind -throughout the hall. His passions, his emotions, his very soul -appeared to be communicated to the seven thousand people who heard his -words; and they mutually inspired each other. - -Then at last he let them go. For the first time he raised his voice, -and in a resonant, powerful, penetrating tone which thrilled the -listeners, began the peroration of his speech. The effect of his -change of manner was electrical. Each short sentence was followed by -wild cheering. The excitement of the audience became indescribable. -Everyone was carried away by it. Lucile was borne along, unresisting, -by that strong torrent of enthusiasm; her interests, her objects, her -ambitions, her husband, all were forgotten. His sentences grew longer, -more rolling and sonorous. At length he reached the last of those -cumulative periods which pile argument on argument as Pelion on Ossa. -All pointed to an inevitable conclusion. The people saw it coming and -when the last words fell, they were greeted with thunders of assent. - -Then he sat down, drank some water, and pressed his hands to his head. -The strain had been terrific. He was convulsed by his own emotions; -every pulse in his body was throbbing, every nerve quivering; he -streamed with perspiration and almost gasped for breath. For five -minutes everyone shouted wildly; the delegates on the platform mounted -their chairs and waved their arms. At his suggestion the great crowd -would have sallied into the streets and marched on the palace; and it -would have taken many bullets from the soldiers that Sorrento had so -carefully posted to bring them back to the realisation of the squalid -materialities of life. - -The resolutions which Moret and Godoy proposed were carried by -acclamation. Savrola turned to the former. "Well, Louis, I was right. -How did it sound? I liked the last words. It is the best speech I -have ever made." - -Moret looked at him as at a god. "Splendid!" he said. "You have saved -everything." - -And now the meeting began to break up. Savrola walked to a side-door, -and in a small waiting-room received the congratulations of all his -principal supporters and friends. Lucile was hurried along in the -press. Presently there was a block. Two men, of foreign aspect, stood -in front of her, speaking in low tones. - -"Brave words, Karl," said one. - -"Ah," said the other, "we must have deeds. He is a good tool to work -with at present; the time will come when we shall need something -sharper." - -"He has great power." - -"Yes, but he is not of us. He has no sympathy with the cause. What -does he care about a community of goods?" - -"For my part," said the first man with an ugly laugh, "I have always -been more attracted by the idea of a community of wives." - -"Well, that too is part of the great scheme of society." - -"When you deal them out, Karl, put me down as part proprietor of the -President's." - -He chuckled coarsely. Lucile shuddered. Here were the influences -behind and beneath the great Democrat of which her husband had spoken. - -The human stream began to flow on again. Lucile was carried by a -current down a side street which led to the doorway by which Savrola -would leave the hall. A bright gas-lamp made everything plainly -visible. At length he appeared at the top of the steps, at the foot of -which his carriage had already drawn up to receive him. The narrow -street was filled with the crowd; the pressure was severe. - -"Louis, come with me," said Savrola to Moret; "you can drop me and take -the carriage on." Like many highly-wrought minds he yearned for -sympathy and praise at such a moment; and he knew he would get them -from Moret. - -The throng, on seeing him, surged forward. Lucile, carried off her -feet, was pushed into a dark burly man in front of her. Chivalrous -gallantry is not among the peculiar characteristics of excited -democracy. Without looking round the man jobbed backwards with his -elbow and struck her in the breast. The pain was intense; -involuntarily she screamed. - -"Gentlemen," cried Savrola, "a woman has been hurt; I heard her voice. -Give room there!" He ran down the steps. The crowd opened out. A -dozen eager and officious hands were extended to assist Lucile, who was -paralysed with terror. She would be recognised; the consequences were -too awful to be thought of. - -"Bring her in here," said Savrola. "Moret, help me." He half carried, -half supported her up the steps into the small waiting-room. Godoy, -Renos, and half a dozen of the Democratic leaders, who had been -discussing the speech, grouped themselves around her curiously. He -placed her in a chair. "A glass of water," he said quickly. Somebody -handed him one, and he turned to offer it to her. Lucile, incapable of -speech or motion, saw no way of escape. He must recognise her. The -ridicule, the taunts, the danger, all were plain to her. As she made a -feeble effort with her hand to decline the water, Savrola looked hard -at her through her thick veil. Suddenly he started, spilling the water -he was holding out to her. He knew her then! Now it would come--a -terrible exposure! - -"Why, Mirette," he cried, "my little niece! How could you come alone -to such a crowded place at night? To hear my speech? Godoy, Renos, -this is indeed a tribute! This means more to me than all the cheers of -the people. Here is my sister's daughter who has risked the crowd to -come and hear me speak. But your mother," he turned to Lucile, "should -never have allowed you; this is no place for a girl alone. I must take -you home. You are not hurt? If you had asked me, I could have ensured -a seat for you out of the crowd. Is my carriage there? Good, we had -better get home at once; your mother will be very anxious. Good-night, -gentlemen. Come, my dear." He offered her his arm and led her down -the steps. The people who filled the street, their upturned faces pale -in the gas-light, cheered wildly. He put her into his carriage. -"Drive on, coachman," he said, getting in himself. - -"Where to, Sir?" asked the man. - -Moret advanced to the carriage. "I will go on the box," he said. "I -can take the carriage on after dropping you," and before Savrola could -say a word he had climbed on to the seat beside the driver. - -"Where to, Sir?" repeated the coachman. - -"Home," said Savrola desperately. - -The carriage started, passed through the cheering crowds, and out into -the less frequented parts of the city. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -IN THE WATCHES OF THE NIGHT. - -Lucile lay back in the cushions of the brougham with a feeling of -intense relief. He had saved her. An emotion of gratitude filled her -mind, and on the impulse of the moment she took his hand and pressed -it. It was the third time in their renewed acquaintance that their -hands had met, and each time the significance had been different. - -Savrola smiled. "It was most imprudent of your Excellency to venture -into a crowd like that. Luckily I thought of an expedient in time. I -trust you were not hurt in the throng?" - -"No," said Lucile; "a man struck me with his elbow and I screamed. I -should never have come." - -"It was dangerous." - -"I wanted to----" She paused. - -"To hear me speak," he added, finishing her sentence for her. - -"Yes; to see you use your power." - -"I am flattered by the interest you take in me." - -"Oh, it was on purely political grounds." - -There was the suspicion of a smile on her face. He looked at her -quickly. What did she mean? Why should it be necessary to say so? -Her mind had contemplated another reason, then. - -"I hope you were not bored," he said. - -"It is terrible to have power like that," she replied earnestly; and -then after a pause, "Where are we going to?" - -"I would have driven you to the palace," said Savrola, "but our -ingenuous young friend on the box has made it necessary that we should -keep up this farce for a little longer. It will be necessary to get -rid of him. For the present you had best remain my niece." - -She looked up at him with an amused smile, and then said seriously: "It -was brilliant of you to have thought of it, and noble of you to have -carried it out. I shall never forget it; you have done me a great -service." - -"Here we are," said Savrola at length, as the brougham drew up at the -entrance of his house. He opened the carriage-door; Moret jumped off -the box and rang the bell. After a pause the old housekeeper opened -the door. Savrola called to her. "Ah, Bettine, I am glad you are up. -Here is my niece, who has been to the meeting to hear me speak and has -been jostled by the crowd. I shall not let her go home alone to-night. -Have you a bedroom ready?" - -"There is the spare room on the first floor," answered the old woman; -"but I fear that would never do." - -"Why not?" asked Savrola quickly. - -"Because the sheets for the big bed are not aired, and since the -chimney was swept there has been no fire there." - -"Oh, well, you must try and do what you can. Good-night, Moret. Will -you send the carriage back as soon as you have done with it? I have -some notes to send to THE RISING TIDE office about the articles for -to-morrow morning. Don't forget,--as quickly as you can, for I am -tired out." - -"Good-night," said Moret. "You have made the finest speech of your -life. Nothing can stop us while we have you to lead the way." - -He got into the carriage and drove off. Savrola and Lucile ascended -the stairs to the sitting-room, while the housekeeper bustled off to -make preparations for the airing of sheets and pillow-cases. Lucile -looked round the room with interest and curiosity. "I am in the heart -of the enemy's camp now," she said. - -"You will be in many hearts during your life," said Savrola, "whether -you remain a queen or not." - -"You are still determined to drive us out?" - -"You heard what I said to-night." - -"I ought to hate you," said Lucile; "and yet I don't feel that we are -enemies." - -"We are on opposite sides," he replied. - -"Only politics come between us." - -"Politics and persons," he added significantly, using a hackneyed -phrase. - -She looked at him with a startled glance. What did he mean? Had he -read deeper into her heart than she herself had dared to look? "Where -does that door lead to?" she asked irrelevantly. - -"That? It leads to the roof,--to my observatory." - -"Oh show it me," she cried. "Is it there you watch the stars?" - -"I often look at them. I love them; they are full of suggestions and -ideas." - -He unlocked the door and led the way up the narrow winding stairs on to -the platform. It was, as is usual in Laurania, a delicious night. -Lucile walked to the parapet and looked over; all the lamps of the town -twinkled beneath, and above were the stars. - -Suddenly, far out in the harbour, a broad white beam of light shot out; -it was the search-light of a warship. For a moment it swept along the -military mole and rested on the battery at the mouth of the channel. -The fleet was leaving the port, and picking its way through the -difficult passage. - -Savrola had been informed of the approaching departure of the admiral, -and realised at once the meaning of what he saw. "That," he said, "may -precipitate matters." - -"You mean that when the ships are gone you will no longer fear to rise?" - -"I do not fear; but it is better to await a good moment." - -"And that moment?" - -"Is perhaps imminent. I should like you to leave the capital. It will -be no place for women in a few days. Your husband knows it; why has he -not sent you away to the country?" - -"Because," she replied, "we shall suppress this revolt, and punish -those who have caused it." - -"Have no illusions," said Savrola. "I do not miscalculate. The army -cannot be trusted; the fleet is gone; the people are determined. It -will not be safe for you to stay here." - -"I will not be driven out," she answered with energy; "nothing shall -make me fly. I will perish with my husband." - -"Oh, we shall try to be much more prosaic than that," he said. "We -shall offer a very handsome pension to the President, and he will -retire with his beautiful wife to some gay and peaceful city, where he -can enjoy life without depriving others of liberty." - -"You think you can do all this?" she cried. "Your power can rouse the -multitude; but can you restrain them?" And she told him of the words -she had heard in the crowd that night. "Are you not playing with -mighty forces?" - -"Yes, I am," he said; "and that is why I have asked you to go away to -the country for a few days, until things become settled one way or the -other. It is possible that either I or your husband will go down. I -shall of course try to save him, if we are successful; but, as you say, -there are other forces which may be beyond control; and if he gets the -upper hand----" - -"Well?" - -"I suppose I should be shot." - -"Fearful!" she said. "Why will you persist?" - -"Oh, it is only now, when the play is growing high, that I begin to -appreciate the game. Besides, death is not very terrible." - -"Afterwards may be." - -"I do not think so. Life, to continue, must show a balance of -happiness. Of one thing I feel sure; we may say of a future -state,--'If any, then better.'" - -"You apply your knowledge of this world to all others." - -"Why not?" he said. "Why should not the same laws hold good all over -the universe, and, if possible, beyond it? Other suns show by their -spectra that they contain the same elements as ours." - -"You put your faith in the stars," she said doubtingly, "and think, -though you will not admit it, they can tell you everything." - -"I never accused them of being interested in our concerns; but if they -were, they might tell strange tales. Supposing they could read our -hearts for instance?" - -She glanced up and met his eye. They looked at each other hard. She -gasped; whatever the stars might know, they had read each other's -secret. - -There was a noise of someone running up-stairs. It was the housekeeper. - -"The carriage has returned," said Savrola in a quiet voice. "It can -now take you back to the palace." - -The old woman stepped out on to the roof, breathing hard from her -climb. "I have aired the sheets," she said with exultation in her -voice, "and the fire is burning brightly. There is some soup ready for -the young lady, if she will come and take it, before it gets cold." - -The interruption was so commonplace that both Lucile and Savrola -laughed. It was a happy escape from an awkward moment. "You always -manage, Bettine," he said, "to make everyone comfortable; but after all -the bedroom will not be needed. My niece is afraid lest her mother be -alarmed at her absence, and I am going to send her back in the carriage -so soon as it returns." - -The poor old soul looked terribly disappointed; the warm sheets, the -cosy fire, the hot soup were comforts she loved to prepare for others, -enjoying them, as it were, by proxy. She turned away and descended the -narrow staircase mournfully, leaving them again alone. - -So they sat and talked, not as before, but with full knowledge of their -sympathy, while the moon climbed higher in the sky and the soft breezes -stirred the foliage of the palm-trees in the garden below. Neither -thought much of the future, nor did they blame the coachman's delay. - -At length the silence of the night, and the train of their conversation -were broken by the noise of wheels on the stony street. - -"At last," said Savrola without enthusiasm. Lucile rose and looked -over the parapet. A carriage approached almost at a gallop. It -stopped suddenly at the door, and a man jumped out in a hurry. The -door-bell rang loudly. - -Savrola took both her hands. "We must part," he said; "when shall we -meet again,--Lucile?" - -She made no answer, nor did the moonlight betray the expression of her -features. Savrola led the way down the stairs. As he entered the -sitting-room, the further door was opened hastily by a man who, seeing -Savrola, stopped short, and respectfully took off his hat. It was -Moret's servant. - -With considerable presence of mind Savrola shut the door behind him, -leaving Lucile in the darkness of the staircase. She waited in -astonishment; the door was thin. "My master, Sir," said a stranger's -voice, "bade me bring you this with all speed and give it direct into -your hand." There followed the tearing of paper, a pause, an -exclamation, and then Savrola, in a voice steady with the steadiness -which betrays intense emotion under control, replied: "Thank you very -much; say I shall await them here. Don't take the carriage; go on -foot,--stay, I will let you out myself." - -She heard the other door open and the sound of their footsteps going -down-stairs; then she turned the handle and entered. Something had -happened, something sudden, unexpected, momentous. His voice,--strange -how well she was beginning to know it!--had told her that. An envelope -lay on the floor; on the table,--the table where the cigarette-box and -the revolver lay side by side,--was a paper, half curled up as if -anxious to preserve its secret. - -Subtle, various, and complex are the springs of human action. She felt -the paper touched her nearly; she knew it concerned him. Their -interests were antagonistic; yet she did not know whether it was for -his sake or her own that she was impelled to indulge a wild curiosity. -She smoothed the paper out. It was brief and in a hurried hand, but to -the point: _Code wire just received says, Strelitz crossed frontier -this morning with two thousand men and is marching hither via Turga and -Lorenzo. The hour has come. I have sent to Godoy and Renos and will -bring them round at once. Yours through hell_, MORET. - -Lucile felt the blood run to her heart; already she imagined the sound -of musketry. It was true the hour had come. The fatal paper -fascinated her; she could not take her eyes from it. Suddenly the door -opened and Savrola came in. The noise, her agitation, and above all -the sense of detection wrung from her a low, short, startled scream. -He grasped the situation immediately. "Bluebeard," he said ironically. - -"Treason," she retorted taking refuge in furious anger. "So you will -rise and murder us in the night,--conspirator!" - -Savrola smiled suavely; his composure was again perfect. "I have sent -the messenger away on foot, and the carriage is at your disposal. We -have talked long; it is now three o'clock; your Excellency should not -further delay your return to the palace. It would be most imprudent; -besides, as you will realise, I expect visitors." - -His calmness maddened her. "Yes," she retorted; "the President will -send you some,--police." - -"He will not know about the invasion yet." - -"I shall tell him," she replied. - -Savrola laughed softly. "Oh no," he said, "that would not be fair." - -"All's fair in love and war." - -"And this----?" - -"Is both," she said, and then burst into tears. - -After that they went down-stairs. Savrola helped her into the -carriage. "Good-night," he said, though it was already morning, "and -good-bye." - -But Lucile, not knowing what to say or think or do, continued to cry -inconsolably and the carriage drove away. Savrola closed the door and -returned to his room. He did not feel his secret was in any danger. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -A COUNCIL OF WAR. - -Savrola had scarcely time to smoke a cigarette before the Revolutionary -leaders began to arrive. Moret was the first; he rang the bell -violently, stamping about on the doorstep till it was answered, ran -upstairs three steps at a time, and burst impetuously into the room, -aquiver with excitement. "Ah," he cried, "the hour has come,--not -words but deeds now! We draw the sword in a good cause; for my part I -shall fling away the scabbard; Fortune is on our side." - -"Yes," said Savrola; "have some whisky and soda-water,--on the -sideboard there. It is a good drink to draw the sword on,--the best in -fact." - -Moret somewhat abashed turned and walking to the table began opening a -soda-water bottle. As he poured out the spirit the clinking of glass -and bottle betrayed his agitation. Savrola laughed softly. Turning -swiftly, his impetuous follower sought to hide his agitation by a fresh -outburst. "I have told you throughout," he said, holding his glass on -high, "that force was the only solution. It has come, as I predicted. -I drink to it,--war, civil war, battle, murder, and sudden death,--by -these means liberty will be regained!" - -"Wonderful soothing effect these cigarettes have. There's no opium in -them either,--soft, fresh Egyptians. I get them every week from Cairo. -A little, old man I met there three years ago makes them,--Abdullah -Rachouan." - -He held out the box. Moret took one; the business of lighting it -steadied him; he sat down and began to smoke furiously. Savrola -watched him in dreamy calmness, looking often at the smoke-wreathes -that rose about him. Presently he spoke. "So you are glad there is to -be war and that people are to be killed?" - -"I am glad that this tyranny is to be ended." - -"Remember that we pay for every pleasure and every triumph we have in -this world." - -"I will take my chance." - -"I trust, I would be glad if I could say with conviction, I pray, that -the lot may not fall on you. But it is true nevertheless that we must -pay, and for all the good things in life men pay in advance. The -principles of sound finance apply." - -"How do you mean?" asked Moret. - -"Would you rise in the world? You must work while others amuse -themselves. Are you desirous of a reputation for courage? You must -risk your life. Would you be strong morally or physically? You must -resist temptations. All this is paying in advance; that is prospective -finance. Observe the other side of the picture; the bad things are -paid for afterwards." - -"Not always." - -"Yes, as surely as the headache of Sunday morning follows the debauch -of Saturday night, as an idle youth is requited by a barren age, as a -gluttonous appetite promotes an ungainly paunch." - -"And you think I shall have to pay for this excitement and enthusiasm? -You think I have paid nothing so far?" - -"You will have to take risks, that is paying. Fate will often throw -double or quits. But on these hazards men should not embark with -levity; the gentleman will always think of settling-day." - -Moret was silent. Brave and impetuous as he was, the conversation -chilled him. His was not the courage of the Stoic; he had not schooled -himself to contemplate the shock of dissolution. He fixed his thoughts -on the struggles and hopes of the world, as one might look at the -flowers and grasses that were growing on the edge of a precipice -towards which he was being impelled. - -They remained for a few moments without speaking, till Godoy and Renos -entered, having arrived simultaneously. - -Each man of the four had taken the news, which meant so much to them, -according to their natures. Savrola had put on the armour of his -philosophy, and gazed on the world as from a distance. Moret had been -convulsed with excitement. The other two, neither composed nor elated -by the proximity and the approach of danger, showed that they were not -the men for stirring times. - -Savrola greeted them amiably, and all sat down. Renos was crushed. -The heavy hammer of action had fallen on the delicate structures of -precedent and technicality in which he had always trusted, and smashed -them flat. Now that the crisis had arrived, the law, his shield and -buckler, was first of all to be thrown away. "Why has he done this?" -he asked. "What right had he to come without authorisation? He has -committed us all. What can we do?" - -Godoy too was shocked and frightened. He was one of those men who fear -danger, who shrink from it, but yet embark deliberately on courses -which they know must lead to it. He had long foreseen the moment of -revolt, but had persisted in going on. Now it was upon him, and he -trembled; still, his dignity strengthened him. - -"What is to be done, Savrola?" he asked, turning instinctively to the -greater soul and stronger mind. - -"Well," said the leader, "they had no business to come without my -orders; they have, as Renos has observed, committed us, while our plans -are in some respects incomplete. Strelitz has disobeyed me flatly; I -will settle with him later. For the present, recriminations are -futile; we have to deal with the situation. The President will know of -the invasion in the morning; some of the troops here will, I take it, -be ordered to strengthen the Government forces in the field. Perhaps -the Guard will be sent. I think the others would refuse to march; they -are thoroughly in sympathy with the Cause. If so we must strike, much -as we have arranged. You, Moret, will call the people to arms. The -Proclamation must be printed, the rifles served out, the Revolution -proclaimed. All the Delegates must be notified. If the soldiers -fraternise, all will be well; if not, you will have to fight--I don't -think there will be much opposition--storm the palace and make Molara -prisoner." - -"It shall be done," said Moret. - -"Meanwhile," continued Savrola, "we will proclaim the Provisional -Government at the Mayoralty. Thence I shall send you orders; thither -you must send me reports. All this will happen the day after -to-morrow." - -Godoy shivered, but assented. "Yes," he said; "it is the only course, -except flight and ruin." - -"Very well; now we will go into details. First of all, the -Proclamation. I will write that to-night. Moret, you must get it -printed; you shall have it at six o'clock to-morrow morning. Then -prepare the arrangements we had devised for assembling and arming the -people; wait till you get a written order from me to put them into -action. You, Renos, must see the members of the Provisional -Government. Have the constitution of the Council of Public Safety -printed, and be ready to circulate it to-morrow night; yet again, wait -till I give the word. Much depends on the attitude of the troops; but -everything is really ready. I do not think we need fear the result." - -The intricate details of the plot, for plot it was, were well known to -the leaders of the revolt. For several months they had looked to force -as the only means of ending the government they detested. Savrola was -not the man to commit himself to such an enterprise without taking -every precaution. Nothing had been forgotten; the machinery of -revolution only needed setting in motion. Yet in spite of the -elaborate nature of the conspiracy and its great scale, the President -and his police had been able to learn nothing definite. They feared -that a rising was imminent; they had realised the danger for some -months; but it was impossible to know where the political agitation -ended, and the open sedition began. The great social position and -almost European reputation of the principal leaders had rendered their -arrest without certain proof a matter of extreme difficulty. The -President, believing that the people would not rise unless spurred -thereto by some act of power on the part of the Executive, feared to -rouse them. But for this Savrola, Moret, and the others would have -already filled cells in the State Prison; indeed, they would have had -much to be thankful for had their lives been spared. - -But Savrola understood his position, and had played his game with -consummate tact and skill. The great parade he made of the political -agitation had prevented the President from observing the conspiracy to -deliberate violence which lay beneath. At length the preparations were -approaching completion. It had become only a matter of days; -Strelitz's impetuous act had but precipitated the course of events. -One corner of the great firework had caught light too soon; it was -necessary to fire the rest lest the effect should be spoiled. - -He continued to go over the details of the scheme for nearly an hour, -to make sure that there should be no mistakes. At last all was -finished, and the members of the embryo Council of Public Safety took -their departure. Savrola let them out himself, not wishing to wake the -old nurse. Poor soul, why should she feel the force of the struggles -of ambitious men? - -Moret went off full of enthusiasm; the others were gloomy and -preoccupied. Their great leader shut the door, and once more that -night climbed the stairs to his chamber. - -As he reached it, the first streaks of morning came in through the -parted curtains of the windows. The room, in the grey light with its -half-empty glasses and full ashtrays, looked like a woman, no longer -young, surprised by an unsympathetic dawn in the meretricious paints -and pomps of the previous night. It was too late to go to bed; yet he -was tired, weary with that dry kind of fatigue which a man feels when -all desire of sleep has passed away. He experienced a sensation of -annoyance and depression. Life seemed unsatisfactory; something was -lacking. When all deductions had been made on the scores of ambition, -duty, excitement, or fame, there remained an unabsorbed residuum of -pure emptiness. What was the good of it all? He thought of the silent -streets; in a few hours they would echo with the crackle of musketry. -Poor broken creatures would be carried bleeding to the houses, whose -doors terrified women would close in the uncharitable haste of fear. -Others, flicked out of human ken from solid concrete earth to unknown, -unformulated abstractions, would lie limp and reproachful on the -paving-stones. And for what? He could not find an answer to the -question. The apology for his own actions was merged in the much -greater apology nature would have to make for the existence of the -human species. Well, he might be killed himself; and as the thought -occurred to him he looked forward with a strange curiosity to that -sudden change, with perhaps its great revelation. The reflection made -him less dissatisfied with the shallow ends of human ambition. When -the notes of life ring false, men should correct them by referring to -the tuning-fork of death. It is when that clear menacing tone is heard -that the love of life grows keenest in the human heart. - -All men, from such moods and reflections, are recalled to earth by hard -matters of fact. He remembered the proclamation he had to write, and -rising plunged into the numerous details of the business of living, and -thus forgot the barrenness of life. So he sat and wrote, while the -pale glimmer of the dawn glowed into the clear light of sunrise and the -warm tints of broad day. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -THE ACTION OF THE EXECUTIVE. - -The private breakfast-room of the Presidential palace was a small but -lofty apartment. The walls were hung with tapestries; over the doors -weapons of ancient type and history were arranged in elaborate -patterns. The great French windows were deeply set in the wall, and -the bright light of the morning was softened by heavy crimson curtains. -Like the rest of the house it wore an official aspect. The windows -opened on to the stone terrace, and those who passed through them -experienced a feeling of relief in exchanging the severe splendours of -the palace for the beautiful confusion of the garden, where between the -spreading trees and slender palms the sparkling waters of the harbour -were displayed. - -The table, which was set for two, was comfortably small and well -arranged. The generous revenue which it had long been the principle of -the Lauranian Republic to bestow on her First Magistrate enabled the -President to live in a style of elegance and luxury, and to enjoy the -attractions of good silver, fresh-cut flowers, and an excellent cook. -But it was with a clouded brow that Molara met his wife at breakfast on -the morning after the events which have just been chronicled. - -"Bad news,--tiresome news again, dear," he said as, sitting down and -depositing a handful of papers on the table, he signed to the servants -to leave the room. - -Lucile experienced a feeling of intense relief. After all she would -not have to tell him the secret she had learned. "Has he started?" she -asked incautiously. - -"Yes, last night; but he will be stopped." - -"Thank heaven for that!" - -Molara looked at her in amazement. - -"What do you mean? Why are you glad that the Admiral and the fleet are -prevented from carrying out my orders?" - -"The fleet!" - -"Good gracious! What did you think I meant?" he asked impatiently. - -A loophole of escape presented itself. She ignored his question. "I -am glad the fleet is stopped because I think they will be wanted here, -now that the city is so unsettled." - -"Oh," said the President shortly,--suspiciously, she thought. To cover -her retreat she asked a question. "Why are they stopped?" - -Molara pulled out a Press telegram slip from among his papers. - -"_Port Said, September 9th, 6.0 a.m._," he said, reading; "_British -steam-collier Maude, 1,400 tons, grounded this morning in canal, which -is in consequence blocked for traffic. Every effort is being made to -clear the fairway. Accident is believed to be due to the silting up of -channel caused by extreme draught of H.B.M.S. Aggressor which passed -through last night._" He added: "They know their business, these -English pigs." - -"You think they have done it on purpose?" - -"Of course." - -"But the fleet is not there yet." - -"It will be there to-morrow night." - -"But why should they block the channel now,--why not wait?" - -"Characteristic dislike of _coups de théâtre_, I suppose. Now the -French would have waited till we were at the entrance of the channel, -and then shut the door in our faces neatly. But British Diplomacy does -not aim at effects; besides, this looks more natural." - -"How abominable!" - -"And listen to this," said the President, as giving way to keen -irritation he snatched another paper from his bundle and began to read. -"From the Ambassador," he said: "_Her Majesty's Government have -instructed the officers commanding the various British coaling-stations -south of the Red Sea, to render every assistance to the Lauranian fleet -and to supply them with coal at the local market-rate_." - -"It is an insult," she said. - -"It is a cat playing with a mouse," he rejoined bitterly. - -"What will you do?" - -"Do? Sulk, protest,--but give in. What else can we do? Their ships -are on the spot; ours are cut off." - -There was a pause. Molara read his papers and continued his breakfast. -Lucile came back to her resolution. She would tell him; but she would -make terms. Savrola must be protected at all costs. "Antonio," she -said nervously. - -The President, who was in a thoroughly bad temper, went on reading for -a moment and then looked up abruptly. "Yes?" - -"I must tell you something." - -"Well, what is it?" - -"A great danger is threatening us." - -"I know that," he said shortly. - -"Savrola----" She paused uncertain and undecided. - -"What of him?" said Molara, suddenly becoming interested. - -"If you were to find him guilty of conspiracy, of plotting revolution, -what would you do?" - -"I should shoot him with the greatest pleasure in the world." - -"What, without a trial?" - -"Oh no! He should have a trial under martial law and welcome. What of -him?" - -It was a bad moment. She looked round for another loophole. - -"He--he made a speech last night," she said. - -"He did," said the President impatiently. - -"Well, I think it must have been very inflammatory, because I heard the -crowds cheering in the streets all night." - -Molara looked at her in deep disgust. "My dear, how silly you are this -morning," he said and returned to his paper. - -The long silence that followed was broken by the hurried entrance of -Miguel with an opened telegram. He walked straight up to the President -and handed it to him without speaking; but Lucile could see that he was -trembling with haste, excitement, or terror. - -Molara opened the folded paper leisurely, smoothed it on the table and -then jumped out of his chair as he read it. "Good God! when did this -come?" - -"This moment." - -"The fleet," he cried, "the fleet, Miguel,--not an instant must be -lost! Recall the Admiral! They must return at once. I will write the -telegram myself." Crumpling the message in his hand he hurried out of -the room, Miguel at his heels. At the door he found a waiting servant. -"Send for Colonel Sorrento,--to come here immediately. Go! be off! -Run!" he cried as the man departed with ceremonious slowness. - -Lucile heard them bustle down the corridor and the slam of a distant -door; then all was silent again. She knew what that telegram -contained. The tragedy had burst upon them all, that tragedy whose -climax must strike her so nearly; but she felt glad she had meant to -tell her husband,--and yet more glad that she had not told him. A -cynic might have observed that Savrola's confidence, in the safety of -his secret, was well founded. - -She returned to her sitting-room. The uncertainty of the immediate -future terrified her. If the revolt succeeded, she and her husband -would have to fly for their lives; if it were suppressed the -consequences seemed more appalling. One thing was clear: the President -would send her out of the capital at once to some place of safety. -Whither? Amid all these doubts and conflicting emotions one desire -predominated,--to see Savrola again, to bid him good-bye, to tell him -she had not betrayed him. It was impossible. A prey to many -apprehensions she walked aimlessly about the room, awaiting the -developements she feared. - -Meanwhile the President and his secretary had reached the private -office. Miguel shut the door. Both looked at each other. - -"It has come," said Molara with a long breath. - -"In an evil hour," replied the Secretary. - -"I shall win, Miguel. Trust to my star, my luck,--I will see this -thing through. We shall crush them; but much is to be done. Now write -this telegram to our agent at Port Said; send it in cipher and clear -the line: _Charter at once fast despatch-boat and go personally to meet -Admiral de Mello, who with fleet left Laurania midnight 8th instant for -Port Said. Stop. Order him in my name return here urgent. Stop. -Spare no expense_. Now send that off. With good luck the ships should -be here to-morrow night." - -Miguel sat down and began to put the message into code. The President -paced the room excitedly; then he rang the bell; a servant entered. - -"Has Colonel Sorrento come yet?" - -"No, Your Excellency." - -"Send and tell him to come at once." - -"He has been sent for, Your Excellency." - -"Send again." - -The man disappeared. - -Molara rang the bell once more. He met the servant in the doorway. - -"Is there a mounted orderly?" - -"Yes, Your Excellency." - -"Finished, Miguel?" - -"Here," said the Secretary, getting up and handing the message to the -startled attendant,--"at speed." - -"Go on," shouted the President, striking the table with his open hand, -and the man fled from the room. The sound of the galloping horse -somewhat allayed Molara's impatience. - -"He crossed the frontier last night at nine o'clock, Miguel; he should -have been at Turga at daybreak. We have a garrison there, a small one, -but enough to delay the advance. Why is there no news? This telegram -comes from Paris, from the Foreign Minister. We should have heard -from--who is it commands the post?" - -"I don't know, Your Excellency. The Colonel will be here directly; but -the silence is ugly." - -The President set his teeth. "I cannot trust the army; they are all -disaffected. It is a terrible game; but I shall win, I shall win!" He -repeated the sentence to himself several times with more energy than -conviction, as if to fortify his heart. - -The door opened. "Colonel Sorrento," announced the usher. - -"Look here, old man," said Molara familiarly,--he felt he wanted a -friend rather than a subordinate--"Strelitz has invaded us. He crossed -the frontier last night with two thousand men and several Maxim guns, -marching here by Turga and Lorenzo. We have no news from the -Commandant at Turga; who is he?" - -Sorrento was one of those soldiers, not an uncommon type, who fear -little but independent responsibility. He had served under the -President for many years in the field and in the Government. Had he -been alone when the news arrived, he would have been thunderstruck; now -that he had a leader he followed and obeyed with military precision. -Without any appearance of surprise he thought for a moment and then -replied: "Major de Roc. He has four companies,--a good officer,--you -can trust him, Sir." - -"But the troops?" - -"That's another matter altogether. The whole army, as I have several -times informed you, Sir, is disturbed. Only the Guard can be relied -on, and, of course, the officers." - -"Well, we shall see," said the President stoutly. "Miguel, get the -map. You know the country, Sorrento. Between Turga and Lorenzo, the -Black Gorge must be held. Here," he pointed on the map, which the -Secretary unrolled, "here they must be stopped or at any rate delayed, -till the fleet comes back. What is there at Lorenzo?" - -"A battalion and two machine-guns," replied the War-Minister. - -The President took a turn up and down the room. He was used to -deciding quickly. "A brigade would do it for certain," he said. He -took another turn. "Rail two battalions of the Guard at once to -Lorenzo." Sorrento, who had produced his note-book, began to write. -"Two field-batteries," said the President. "Which two are fit, -Colonel?" - -"The first and second will do," answered Sorrento. - -"And the Lancers of the Guard." - -"All?" - -"Yes, all, except details for orderly-work." - -"That leaves you only one trustworthy battalion." - -"I know," said the President. "It is a bold course, but the only one. -Now what about the Line regiments in the city? Which are the worst?" - -"The third, fifth, and eleventh have caused us most uneasiness." - -"Very well; we will get them out of the way. Let them march to-day -towards Lorenzo and halt anywhere ten miles out of the city as a -supporting brigade. Now, who is to command?" - -"Rollo is senior, Sir." - -"A fool, a fossil, and out of date," cried the President. - -"Stupid, but steady," said Sorrento. "You can rely upon his attempting -nothing brilliant; he will do what he is told, and nothing more." - -Molara reflected on this tremendous military virtue. "Very well; give -him the supporting brigade; they will have no fighting. But the other -business; that is different. Brienz should have it." - -"Why not Drogan?" suggested the War-Minister. - -"I can't stand his wife," said the President. - -"He is a good musician, Sir," interposed Miguel. - -"Guitar,--very melodious." He shook his head appreciatively. - -"And has a capital cook," added Sorrento. - -"No," said Molara; "this is a matter of life and death. I cannot -indulge my prejudices, nor yours; he is not a good man." - -"A good Staff would run him all right, Sir; he is very placid and -easily led. And he is a great friend of mine; many's the good -dinner----" - -"No, Colonel, it's no good; I cannot. Is it likely that when so much -is at stake, when my reputation, my chances in life, indeed life -itself, are on the hazard, that I or any one would give a great command -on such grounds? If claims were equally balanced, I would oblige you; -but Brienz is a better man and must have it. Besides," he added, "he -has not got a horrid wife." Sorrento looked terribly disappointed but -said no more. "Well, that is all settled. I leave all details to you. -The Staff, everything, you may appoint; but the troops must start by -noon. I will speak to them myself at the station." - -The War-Minister bowed and departed, solaced by the minor appointments -which the President had left to his decision. - -Molara looked at his secretary dubiously. "Is there anything else to -do? None of the revolutionaries in the city have moved, have they?" - -"They have given no sign, Sir; there is nothing to incriminate them." - -"It is possible this has surprised them; their plans are not ready. At -the first overt act of violence or sedition, I will arrest them. But I -must have proofs, not for my own satisfaction, but for the country." - -"This is a critical moment," said the Secretary. "If the leaders of -the sedition could be discredited, if they could be made to appear -ridiculous or insincere, it would have a great effect on public -opinion." - -"I had thought," replied Molara, "that we might hope to learn something -of their plans." - -"You have informed me that Her Excellency has consented to ask Señor -Savrola for information on this point?" - -"I dislike the idea of any intimacy between them; it might be -dangerous." - -"It might be made most dangerous for him." - -"In what way?" - -"In the way I have already indicated to you, General." - -"Do you mean in the way I forbade you to suggest, Sir?" - -"Certainly." - -"And this is the moment?" - -"Now or never." - -There was a silence, after which they resumed the morning's business. -For an hour and a half both worked busily. Then Molara spoke. "I hate -doing it; it's a dirty job." - -"What is necessary, is necessary," said the Secretary sententiously. -The President was about to make a reply when a clerk entered the room -with a deciphered telegram. Miguel took it from him, read it, and -passed it to his chief, saying grimly as he did so: "Perhaps this will -decide you." - -The President read the message, and as he read his face grew hard and -cruel. It was from the Police Commissary at Turga, brief but terrible; -the soldiers had deserted to the invaders, having first shot their -officers. - -"Very well," said Molara at last, "I shall require you to accompany me -to-night on a mission of importance. I will take an aide-de-camp as -well." - -"Yes," said the Secretary; "witnesses are necessary." - -"I shall be armed." - -"That is desirable, but only as a threat, only as a threat," said the -Secretary earnestly. "He is too strong for violence; the people would -be up in a moment." - -"I know that," curtly replied the President, and then with savage -bitterness he added: "but for that there would be no difficulty." - -"None whatever," said Miguel, and went on writing. - -Molara rose and went in search of Lucile, choking down the disgust and -repugnance he felt. He was determined now; it might just make the -difference to him in the struggle for power, and besides, it contained -the element of revenge. He would like to see the proud Savrola grovel -and beg for mercy at his feet. All mere politicians, he said to -himself, were physical cowards; the fear of death would paralyse his -rival. - -Lucile was still in her sitting-room when her husband entered. She met -him with an anxious look. "What has happened, Antonio?" - -"We have been invaded, dearest, by a large force of revolutionaries. -The garrison of Turga have deserted to the enemy, and killed their -officers. The end is now in sight." - -"It is terrible," she said. - -"Lucile," he said with unwonted tenderness, "one chance remains. If -you could find out what the leaders of the agitation in this city -intend to do, if you can get Savrola to show his hand, we might -maintain our position and overcome our enemies. Can you,--will you do -this?" - -Lucile's heart bounded. It was, as he said, a chance. She might -defeat the plot, and at the same time make terms for Savrola; she might -still rule in Laurania, and, though this thought she repressed, save -the man she loved. Her course was clear; to obtain the information and -sell it to her husband for Savrola's life and liberty. "I will try," -she said. - -"I knew you would not fail me, dearest," said Molara. "But the time is -short; go and see him to-night at his rooms. He will surely tell you. -You have power over men and will succeed." - -Lucile reflected. To herself she said, "I shall save the State and -serve my husband;" and herself rejoined, "You will see him again." -Then she spoke aloud. "I will go to-night." - -"My dear, I always trusted you," said the President; "I will never -forget your devotion." - -Then he hurried away, convulsed with remorse,--and shame. He had -indeed stooped to conquer. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -THE LOYALTY OF THE ARMY. - -The military force of the Lauranian Republic was proportioned to the -duties of protecting its territories from invasion and of maintaining -law and order within them, but was by the wisdom of former days -restricted to limits which did not encourage great schemes of foreign -conquest nor any aggressive meddling in the affairs of the neighbouring -principalities. Four regiments of cavalry, twenty battalions of foot, -and eight field-batteries comprised the Army of the Line. Besides -these there was the Republican Guard, which consisted of a regiment of -Lancers and three strong battalions of veteran infantry and supported -by their discipline the authority, and by their magnificence the -dignity, of the State. - -The great capital city, which exceeded in wealth, population, and -turbulence the aggregate of the provincial towns, had for its garrison -the Guard and half of the entire army. The remaining troops were -scattered in small country stations and on the frontiers. - -All the pains that the President had taken to maintain the good will of -the soldiery had proved vain. The revolutionary movement had grown -apace in the ranks of the army, till they were now thoroughly -disaffected, and the officers felt that their orders would be obeyed -only so far as they were agreeable. With the Guard it was different. -All, or nearly all, had borne their part in the late war and had -marched to victory under the generalship of the President. They -honoured and trusted their former commander, and were in turn honoured -and trusted by him; indeed the favour he had shewn them may have been -among the causes which had alienated the rest. - -It was the greater part of this Guard that Molara, in his heavy need, -was about to send against the invaders. He well knew the danger of -depriving himself of the only troops he could rely on, should the city -itself rise; but the advancing forces must be stopped at all hazards, -and the Guard alone were able and willing to do the work. He would be -left almost alone amid the populace who detested him, in the city he -had ruled so sternly, with mutinous soldiers as his only defenders. It -was not an inviting prospect, yet it presented some chances of success. -It displayed a confidence which, though assumed, might decide the -waverers and disgust his foes; and it dealt with the most pressing -emergency, which was after all the first duty of the Executive. He did -not doubt the ability of the troops he had despatched to disperse, if -not to destroy, the rabble that had crossed the frontier. That danger -at least was removed by his action. In two days the fleet would -return, and under its guns his Government might still continue, feared -and respected. The intervening period was the crisis, a crisis which -he hoped to pass safely through, partly by the force of his -personality, and partly by the ridicule and contempt in which he -intended to plunge his terrible rival. - -Punctually at eleven o'clock he left his private office to attire -himself in his full uniform as a general of the army, in order that at -the parade the troops might be reminded that he too was a soldier and -one who had seen much war. - -At the door Lieutenant Tiro presented himself, in a great state of -perturbation. "Sir," he said, "you will allow me to go with my -squadron to the front? There will be nothing for me to do here." - -"On the contrary," replied the President, "there will be a great deal -for you to do here. You must stay." - -Tiro turned pale. "I do beg you, Sir, to allow me to go," he said -earnestly. - -"Impossible,--I want you here." - -"But, Sir----" - -"Oh, I know," said Molara impatiently; "you want to get shot at. Stay -here, and I promise you shall hear bullets in plenty before you have -done." He turned away, but the look of bitter disappointment on the -young officer's face induced him to pause. "Besides," he added, -assuming that charm of manner of which few great men are destitute, "I -require you for a service of difficulty and extreme danger. You have -been specially selected." - -The Subaltern said no more, but he was only half consoled. He thought -ruefully of the green country, the glinting lances, the crack of the -rifles, and all the interest and joy of war. He would miss everything; -his friends would be there, but he would not share their perils. They -would talk of their adventures in after days and he would have no part -in their discussions; they would even laugh at him as a "tame cat" of -the palace, an aide-de-camp for ornamental purposes only. And as he -mourned, a distant trumpet-call stung him like the cut of a whip. It -was Boots and Saddles,--the Lancers of the Guard were turning out. The -President hurried off to array himself, and Tiro descended the stairs -to order the horses. - -Molara was soon ready, and joined his aide-de-camp on the steps of the -palace. Attended by a small escort they rode to the railway-station, -passing, on the way, through groups of sullen citizens who stared -insolently, and even spat on the ground in hatred and anger. - -The artillery had already been despatched, but the entraining of the -rest of the troops had not commenced when the President arrived, and -they were drawn up (the cavalry in mass, the infantry in line of -quarter-columns) in the open space in front of the terminus. Colonel -Brienz, who commanded the force, was mounted at their head. He -advanced and saluted; the band struck up the Republican Hymn, and the -infantry presented arms with a clash of precision. The President -acknowledged these compliments with punctilious care; and then, as the -rifles were shouldered, he rode towards the ranks. - -"You have a splendid force, Colonel Brienz," he said addressing the -Colonel, but speaking loud enough to be heard by the troops. "To your -skill and to their courage the Republic entrusts its safety, and -entrusts it with confidence." He then turned to the troops: "Soldiers, -some of you will remember the day I asked you to make a great effort -for your country and your honour; Sorato is the name that history has -given to the victory which was your answer to my appeal. Since then we -have rested in peace and security, protected by the laurels that have -crowned your bayonets. Now, as the years have passed, those trophies -are challenged, challenged by the rabble whose backs you have seen so -often. Take off the old laurels, soldiers of the Guard, and with the -bare steel win new ones. Once again I ask you to do great things, and -when I look along your ranks, I cannot doubt that you will do them. -Farewell, my heart goes with you; would to God I were your leader!" - -He shook hands with Brienz and with the senior officers amid loud -cheers from the troops, some of whom broke from the ranks to press -around him, while others raised their helmets on their bayonets in -warlike enthusiasm. But as the shouting ceased, a long, discordant -howl of derision, till then drowned by the noise, was heard from the -watching crowds,--a sinister comment! - -Meanwhile at the other end of the town the mobilisation of the Reserve -Brigade revealed the extreme contrast between the loyalty and -discipline of the Guard and the disaffection of the regiments of the -Line. - -An ominous silence reigned throughout the barracks. The soldiers -walked about moodily and sullenly, making little attempt to pack their -kits for the impending march. Some loitered in groups about the -parade-ground and under the colonnade which ran round their quarters; -others sat sulking on their cots. The habit of discipline is hard to -break, but here were men steeling themselves to break it. - -These signs did not pass unnoticed by the officers who awaited in -anxious suspense the hour of parade. - -"Don't push them," Sorrento had said to the colonels, "take them very -gently;" and the colonels had severally replied that they would answer -with their lives for the loyalty of their men. It was nevertheless -thought advisable to try the effect of the order upon a single -battalion, and the 11th Regiment was the first to receive the command -to turn out. - -The bugles blew briskly and cheerily, and the officers, hitching up -their swords and pulling on their gloves, hurried to their respective -companies. Would the men obey the summons? It was touch and go. -Anxiously they waited. Then by twos and threes the soldiers shuffled -out and began to form up in their ranks. At length the companies were -complete, sufficiently complete, that is to say, for there were many -absentees. The officers inspected their units. It was a dirty parade; -the accoutrements were uncleaned, the uniforms carelessly put on, and -the general appearance of the men was slovenly to a degree. But of -these things no notice was taken, and as they walked along the ranks -the subalterns found something to say in friendly chaff to many of -their soldiers. They were greeted however with a forbidding silence, a -silence not produced by discipline or by respect. Presently _Markers_ -sounded, the companies moved to the general parade-ground, and soon the -whole battalion was drawn up in the middle of the barrack-square. - -The Colonel was on his horse, faultlessly attired, and attended by his -Adjutant. He looked calmly at the solid ranks before him, and nothing -in his bearing revealed the terrible suspense which filled his mind and -gripped his nerve. The Adjutant cantered along the column collecting -the reports. "All present, Sir," said the company commanders, but -there were several whose voices quavered. Then he returned to the -Colonel, and fell into his place. The Colonel looked at his regiment, -and the regiment at their Colonel. - -"Battalion,--attention!" he cried, and the soldiers sprang up with a -clatter and a click. "Form,--fours." - -The word of command was loud and clear. About a dozen soldiers moved -at the call of instinct--moved a little--looked about them, and -shuffled back to their places again. The rest budged not an inch. A -long and horrid silence followed. The Colonel's face turned grey. - -"Soldiers," he said, "I have given you an order; remember the honour of -the regiment. Form,--fours." This time not a man moved. "As you -were," he shouted desperately, though it was an unnecessary command. -"The battalion will advance in quarter-column. Quick march!" - -The battalion remained motionless. - -"Captain Lecomte," said the Colonel, "what is the name of the -right-hand man of your company?" - -"Sergeant Balfe, Sir," replied the officer. - -"Sergeant Balfe, I order you to advance. Quick--march!" - -The sergeant quivered with excitement; but he held his ground. - -The Colonel opened his pouch and produced his revolver with much -deliberation. He looked carefully at it, as if to see that it was well -cleaned; then he raised the hammer and rode up close to the mutineer. -At ten yards he stopped and took aim. "Quick--march!" he said in a low -menacing voice. - -It was evident that a climax had been reached, but at this instant -Sorrento, who, concealed in the archway of the barrack-gate, had -watched the proceedings, rode into the square and trotted towards the -soldiers. The Colonel lowered his pistol. - -"Good-morning," said the War-Minister. - -The officer replaced his weapon and saluted. - -"Is the regiment ready to move off?" and then before a reply could be -given he added: "A very smart parade, but after all it will not be -necessary to march to-day. The President is anxious that the men -should have a good night's rest before starting, and," raising his -voice, "that they should drink a bumper to the Republic and confusion -to her enemies. You may dismiss them, Colonel." - -"Fall out," said the Colonel, not even caring to risk going through the -correct procedure for dismissing. - -The parade broke up. The ordered ranks dissolved in a crowd, and the -soldiers streamed off towards their barracks. The officers alone -remained. - -"I should have shot him, Sir, in another instant," said the Colonel. - -"No good," said Sorrento, "to shoot one man; it would only infuriate -them. I will have a couple of machine-guns down here to-morrow -morning, and we shall see then what will happen." - -He turned suddenly, interrupted by a storm of broken and confused -cheering. The soldiers had almost reached their barracks; one man was -raised on the shoulders of others, and surrounded by the rest of the -regiment, waving their helmets, brandishing their rifles, and cheering -wildly. - -"It is the sergeant," said the Colonel. - -"So I perceive," replied Sorrento bitterly. "A popular man, I suppose. -Have you many non-commissioned officers like that?" The Colonel made -no reply. "Gentlemen," said the War-Minister to the officers who -loitered on the square, "I would recommend you to go to your quarters. -You are rather tempting targets here, and I believe your regiment is a -particularly good shooting regiment. Is it not, Colonel?" - -With which taunt he turned and rode away, sick at heart with anger and -anxiety, while the officers of the 11th Regiment of Lauranian Infantry -retired to their quarters to hide their shame and face their danger. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -SURPRISES. - -It had been a busy and exciting day for Savrola. He had seen his -followers, had issued orders, restrained the impetuous, stimulated the -weak, encouraged the timid. All day long messages and reports had -reached him about the behaviour of the soldiers. The departure of the -Guard, and the refusal of the supporting brigade to march, were equally -pleasing events. The conspiracy had now been made known to so many -persons that he doubted the possibility of keeping it much longer -secret from the Government agents. From every consideration he felt -that the hour had come. The whole of the elaborate plan that he had -devised had been put into execution. The strain had been severe, but -at length all the preparations were completed, and the whole strength -of the Revolutionary party was concentrated for the final struggle. -Godoy, Renos, and the others were collected at the Mayoralty, whence at -dawn the Provisional Government was to be proclaimed. Moret, to whom -the actual duty of calling the people to arms had been assigned, -instructed his agents at his own house and made arrangements for the -posting of the proclamation. All was ready. The leader on whom -everything depended, whose brain had conceived, whose heart had -inspired, the great conspiracy, lay back in his chair. He needed and -desired a few moments' rest and quiet reflection to review his schemes, -to look for omissions, to brace his nerves. - -A small bright fire burned in the grate, and all around were the ashes -of burnt papers. For an hour he had been feeding the flames. One -phase of his life was over; there might be another, but it was well to -have done with this one first. Letters from friends, dead now or -alienated; letters of congratulation, of praise that had inspired his -younger ambitions; letters from brilliant men and some from beautiful -women,--all had met a common fate. Why should these records, be -preserved for the curious eye of unsympathetic posterity? If he -perished, the world might forget him, and welcome; if he lived, his -life would henceforth be within the province of the historian. A -single note, preserved from the general destruction, lay on the table -beside him. It was the one with which Lucile had accompanied her -invitation to the State Ball, the only one he had ever received from -her. - -As he balanced it in his fingers, his thoughts drifted away from the -busy hard realities of life to that kindred soul and lovely face. That -episode too was over. A barrier stood between them. Whatever the -result of the revolt, she was lost to him, unless--and that terrible -unless was pregnant with suggestions of such awful wickedness that his -mind recoiled from it as a man's hand starts from some filthy thing he -has by inadvertence touched. There were sins, sins against the -commonwealth of mankind, against the phenomenon of life itself, the -stigma of which would cling through death, and for which there was -pardon only in annihilation. Yet he hated Molara with a fierce hatred; -nor did he care to longer hide from himself the reason. And with the -recollection of the reason his mind reverted to a softer mood. Would -he ever see her again? Even the sound of her name pleased him; -"Lucile," he whispered sadly. - -There was a quick step outside; the door opened, and she stood before -him. He sprang up in mute astonishment. - -Lucile looked greatly embarrassed. Her mission was a delicate one. -Indeed she did not know her own mind, or did not care to know it. It -was for her husband's sake, she said to herself; but the words she -spoke belied her. "I have come to tell you that I did not betray your -secret." - -"I know,--I never feared," replied Savrola. - -"How do you know?" - -"I have not yet been arrested." - -"No, but he suspects." - -"Suspects what?" - -"That you are conspiring against the Republic." - -"Oh!" said Savrola, greatly relieved; "he has no proofs." - -"To-morrow he may have." - -"To-morrow will be too late." - -"Too late?" - -"Yes," said Savrola; "the game begins to-night." He took out his -watch; it was a quarter to eleven. - -"At twelve o'clock you will hear the alarm-bells. Sit down, and let us -talk." - -Lucile sat down mechanically. - -"You love me," he said in an even voice, looking at her -dispassionately, and as if the whole subject of their relations was but -a psychological problem, "and I love you." There was no answer; he -continued: "But we must part. In this world we are divided, nor do I -see how the barrier can be removed. All my life I shall think of you; -no other woman can ever fill the empty space. Ambitions I still have: -I always had them; but love I am not to know, or to know it only to my -vexation and despair. I will put it away from me, and henceforth my -affections will be as lifeless as those burnt papers. And you,--will -you forget? In the next few hours I may be killed; if so, do not allow -yourself to mourn. I do not care to be remembered for what I was. If -I have done anything that may make the world more happy, more cheerful, -more comfortable, let them recall the action. If I have spoken a -thought which, rising above the vicissitudes of our existence, may make -life brighter or death less gloomy, then let them say, 'He said this or -he did that.' Forget the man; remember, perhaps, his work. Remember -too that you have known a soul, somewhere amid the puzzles of the -universe, the complement of your own; and then forget. Summon your -religion to your aid; anticipate the moment of forgetting; live, and -leave the past alone. Can you do this?" - -"Never!" she answered passionately. "I will never forget you!" - -"We are but poor philosophers," he said. "Pain and love make sport of -us and all our theories. We cannot conquer ourselves or rise above our -state." - -"Why should we try?" she whispered, looking at him with wild eyes. - -He saw and trembled. Then, with the surge of impulse, he cried, "My -God, how I love you!" and before she could frame a resolution or even -choose her mind, they had kissed each other. - -The handle of the door turned quickly. Both started back. The door -swung open and the President appeared. He was in plain clothes, his -right hand concealed behind his back. Miguel followed from out of the -darkness of the passage. - -For a moment there was silence. Then Molara in a furious voice broke -out: "So, Sir, you attack me in this way also,--coward and scoundrel!" -He raised his hand and pointed the revolver it held full at his enemy. - -Lucile, feeling that the world had broken up, fell back against the -sofa, stunned with terror. Savrola rose and faced the President. Then -she saw what a brave man he was, for as he did so he contrived to stand -between the weapon and herself. "Put down your pistol," he said in a -firm voice; "and you shall have an explanation." - -"I will put it down," said Molara, "when I have killed you." - -Savrola measured the distance between them with his eye. Could he -spring in under the shot? Again he looked at the table where his own -revolver lay. He shielded her, and he decided to stand still. - -"Down on your knees and beg for mercy, you hound; down, or I will blow -your face in!" - -"I have always tried to despise death, and have always succeeded in -despising you. I shall bow to neither." - -"We shall see," said Molara, grinding his teeth. "I shall count -five,--one!" - -There was a pause. Savrola looked at the pistol barrel, a black spot -encircled by a ring of bright steel; all the rest of the picture was a -blank. - -"Two!" counted the President. - -So he was to die,--flash off this earth when that black spot burst into -flame. He anticipated the blow full in his face; and beyond he saw -nothing,--annihilation,--black, black night. - -"Three!" - -He could just see the rifling of the barrel; the lands showed faintly. -That was a wonderful invention--to make the bullet spin as it -travelled. He imagined it churning his brain with hideous energy. He -tried to think, to take one grip of his philosophy or faith before the -plunge; but his physical sensations were too violent. To the tips of -his fingers he tingled, as the blood surged through his veins; the -palms of his hands felt hot. - -"Four!" - -Lucile sprang up, and with a cry threw herself in front of the -President "Wait, wait!" she cried. "Have mercy!" - -Molara met her look, and in those eyes read more than terror. Then at -last he understood; he started as though he had caught hold of red-hot -iron. "My God! it's true!" he gasped. "Strumpet!" he cried, as he -pushed her from him, striking her with the back of his left hand in the -mouth. She shrank into the far corner of the room. He saw it all now. -Hoist with his own petard he had lost everything. Wild fury took hold -of him and shook him till his throat rattled and ached. She had -deserted him; power was slipping from his grasp; his rival, his enemy, -the man he hated with all his soul was everywhere triumphant. He had -walked into the trap only to steal the bait; but he should not escape. -There was a limit to prudence and to the love of life. His plans, his -hopes, the roar of an avenging crowd, all faded from his mind. Death -should wipe out the long score that stood between them, death which -settled all,--now on the instant. But he had been a soldier, and was -ever a practical man in the detail of life. He lowered the pistol and -deliberately cocked it; single action would make certainty more sure; -then he took good aim. - -Savrola, seeing that the moment was upon him, lowered his head and -sprang forward. - -The President fired. - -But Miguel's quick intelligence had appreciated the changed situation, -and he remembered that there were consequences. He saw that the trick -had become deadly earnest, and he did not forget the mob. He struck -the pistol up, and the bullet, by a very little, flew high. - -In the smoke and the flash Savrola closed with his adversary and bore -him to the ground. Molara fell underneath and with the concussion -dropped the revolver. The other seized it, wrenched himself clear, and -sprang back and away from the prostrate figure. For a moment he stood -there and watched, while the hungry lust of killing rose in his heart -and made his trigger-finger itch. Then very slowly the President rose. -The fall had dazed him; he leaned against the book-case and groaned. - -Below there was a beating at the front door. Molara turned towards -Lucile, who still cowered in the corner of the room, and began to -revile her. The common, ugly material of his character showed through -the veneer and polish that varied intercourse and the conduct of great -affairs had superimposed. His words were not fit to hear, nor worth -remembering; but they stung her to the quick and she rejoined -defiantly: "You knew I was here; you told me to come! You have laid a -trap; the fault is yours!" Molara replied by a filthy taunt. "I am -innocent," she cried; "though I love him, I am innocent! Why did you -tell me to come here?" - -Savrola began to perceive dimly. "I do not know," he said, "what -villainy you have contrived. I have wronged you too much to care to -have your blood on my head; but go, and go quickly; I will not endure -your foulness. Go!" - -The President was now recovering his calmness. "I should have shot you -myself," he said, "but I will have it done by a platoon of -soldiers,--five soldiers and a corporal." - -"The murder will be avenged in either case." - -"Why did you stop me, Miguel?" - -"It is as he says, Your Excellency," replied the Secretary. "It would -have been a tactical error." - -The official manner, the style of address, the man's composure, -restored the President to his senses. He walked towards the door and -stopping at the sideboard helped himself to a glass of brandy with -ostentation. "Confiscated," he said, and held it up to the light, "by -order of the Government." He swallowed it. "I will see you shot -to-morrow," he added, heedless that the other held the pistol. - -"I shall be at the Mayoralty," said Savrola; "you may come and fetch me -if you dare." - -"Revolt!" said the President. "Pooh! I will stamp it out, and you -too, before the sun has gone down." - -"Perhaps there may be another ending to the tale." - -"One or the other," said the President. "You have robbed me of my -honour; you are plotting to rob me of my power. There is not room for -both of us in the world. You may take your mistress with you to hell." - -There was a noise of hasty footsteps on the stairs; Lieutenant Tiro -flung open the door, but stopped abruptly in astonishment at the -occupants of the room. "I heard a shot," he said. - -"Yes," answered the President; "there has been an accident, but luckily -no harm was done. Will you please accompany me to the palace? Miguel, -come!" - -"You had better be quick, Sir," said the Subaltern. "There are many -strange folk about to-night, and they are building a barricade at the -end of the street." - -"Indeed?" said the President. "It is time we took steps to stop them. -Good-night, Sir," he added, turning to Savrola; "we shall meet -to-morrow and finish our discussion." - -But Savrola, revolver in hand, looked at him steadily and let him go in -silence, a silence that for a space Lucile's sobs alone disturbed. At -length, when the retreating footsteps had died away and the street door -had closed, she spoke. "I cannot stop here." - -"You cannot go back to the palace." - -"What am I to do, then?" - -Savrola reflected. "You had better stay here for the present. The -house is at your disposal, and you will be alone. I must go at once to -the Mayoralty; already I am late,--it is close on twelve,--the moment -approaches. Besides, Molara will send policemen, and I have duties to -discharge which I cannot avoid. To-night the streets are too -dangerous. Perhaps I shall return in the morning." - -The tragedy had stunned them both. A bitter remorse filled Savrola's -heart. Her life was ruined,--was he the cause? He could not say how -far he was guilty or innocent; but the sadness of it all was unaltered, -no matter who might be at fault. "Good-bye," he said rising. "I must -go, though I leave my heart behind. Much depends on me,--the lives of -friends, the liberties of a nation." - -And so he departed to play a great game in the face of all the world, -to struggle for those ambitions which form the greater part of man's -interest in life; while she, a woman, miserable and now alone, had no -resource but to wait. - -And then suddenly the bells began to ring all over the city with quick -impatient strokes. There was the sound of a far-off bugle-call and a -dull report,--the boom of an alarm-gun. The tumult grew; the roll of a -drum beating the _assembly_ was heard at the end of the street; -confused shoutings and cries rose from many quarters. At length one -sound was heard which put an end to all doubts,--_tap_, _tap_, _tap_, -like the subdued slamming of many wooden boxes--the noise of distant -musketry. - -The revolution had begun. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -THE PROGRESS OF THE REVOLT. - -Meanwhile the President and his two followers pursued their way through -the city. Many people were moving about the streets, and here and -there dark figures gathered in groups. The impression that great -events were impending grew; the very air was sultry and surcharged with -whisperings. The barricade, which was being built outside Savrola's -house, had convinced Molara that a rising was imminent; half a mile -from the palace the way was blocked by another. Three carts had been -stopped and drawn across the street, and about fifty men were working -silently to strengthen the obstruction: some pulled up the flat -paving-stones; others were carrying mattresses and boxes filled with -earth from the adjacent houses; but they paid little attention to the -President's party. He turned up his collar and pressing his felt hat -well down on his face clambered over the barrier,--the significance of -what he saw filling his mind; the Subaltern indeed in his undress -uniform drew some curious looks, but no attempt was made to stop his -progress. These men waited for the signal. - -All this time Molara said not a word. With the approach of danger he -made great efforts to regain his calmness, that he might have a clear -head to meet it; but for all his strength of will, his hatred of -Savrola filled his mind to the exclusion of everything else. As he -reached the palace the revolt broke out all over the city. Messenger -after messenger hurried up with evil news. Some of the regiments had -refused to fire on the people; others were fraternising with them; -everywhere barricades grew and the approaches to the palace were on all -sides being closed. The Revolutionary leaders had gathered at the -Mayoralty. The streets were placarded with the Proclamation of the -Provisional Government. Officers from various parts of the town -hastened to the palace; some were wounded, many agitated. Among them -was Sorrento, who brought the terrible news that an entire battery of -artillery had surrendered their guns to the rebels. By half-past three -it was evident, from the reports which were received by telegram and -messenger, that the greater part of the city had passed into the hands -of the Revolutionaries with very little actual fighting. - -The President bore all with a calmness which revealed the full strength -of his hard, stern character. He had, in truth, a terrible stimulant. -Beyond the barricades and the rebels who lined them was the Mayoralty -and Savrola. The face and figure of his enemy was before his eyes; -everything else seemed of little importance. Yet he found in the -blinding emergency an outlet for his fury, a counter-irritant for his -grief; to crush the revolt, but above all to kill Savrola, was his -heart's desire. - -"We must wait for daylight," he said. - -"And what then, Sir?" asked the War-Minister. - -"We will then proceed to the Mayoralty and arrest the leaders of this -disturbance." - -The rest of the night was spent in organising a force with which to -move at dawn. A few hundred faithful soldiers (men who had served with -Molara in the former war), seventy officers of the regular army, whose -loyalty was unquestionable, and the remaining battalion of the Guard -with a detachment of armed police, were alone available. This band of -devoted men, under fourteen hundred in number, collected in the open -space in front of the palace-gates, and guarded the approaches while -they waited for sunrise. - -They were not attacked. "Secure the city," had been Savrola's order, -and the rebels were busily at work on the barricades, which in a -regular system rose on all sides. Messages of varied import continued -to reach the President. Louvet, in a hurried note, expressed his -horror at the revolt, and explained how much he regretted being unable -to join the President at the palace. He had to leave the city in great -haste, he said; a relative was dangerously ill. He adjured Molara to -trust in Providence; for his part he was confident that the -Revolutionaries would be suppressed. - -The President in his room read this with a dry, hard laugh. He had -never put the slightest faith in Louvet's courage, having always -realised that in a crisis he would be useless and a coward. He did not -blame him; the man had his good points, and as a public official in the -Home-Office he was admirable; but war was not his province. - -He passed the letter to Miguel. The Secretary read it and reflected. -He also was no soldier. It was evident that the game was up, and there -was no need for him to throw his life away, merely out of sentiment as -he said to himself. He thought of the part he had played in the drama -of the night. That surely gave him some claims; it would be possible -at least to hedge. He took a fresh piece of paper and began to write. -Molara paced the room. "What are you writing?" he asked. - -"An order to the Commandant of the harbour-forts," replied Miguel -promptly, "to acquaint him with the situation and tell him to hold his -posts in your name at all hazards." - -"It is needless," said Molara; "either his men are traitors or they are -not." - -"I have told him," said Miguel quickly, "to make a demonstration -towards the palace at dawn, if he can trust his men. It will create a -diversion." - -"Very well," said Molara wearily; "but I doubt it ever reaching him, -and he has so few men that could be spared after the forts are held -adequately." - -An orderly entered with a telegram. The clerk at the office, a -loyalist, an unknown man of honour, had brought it himself, passing the -line of barricades with extraordinary good-fortune and courage. While -the President tore the envelope open, Miguel rose and left the room. -Outside in the brilliantly lighted passage he found a servant, -terrified but not incapable. He spoke to the man quickly and in a low -voice; _twenty pounds, the Mayoralty, at all costs_, were the -essentials of his instructions. Then he re-entered the office. - -"Look here," said Molara; "it is not all over yet." The telegram was -from Brienz, near Lorenzo: _Clear the line. Strelitz and force two -thousand rebels advanced on the Black Gorge this afternoon. I have -repulsed them with heavy loss. Strelitz is prisoner. Am pursuing -remainder. I await instructions at Turga_. "This must be published at -once," he said. "Get a thousand copies printed, and have them -circulated among the loyalists and as far as possible in the city." - -The news of the victory was received with cheers by the troops gathered -in the palace-square, and they waited with impatience for morning. At -length the light of day began to grow in the sky, and other lights, the -glow of distant conflagrations, paled. The President, followed by -Sorrento, a few officers of high rank, and his aide-de-camp Tiro, -descended the steps, traversed the courtyard and passing through the -great gates of the palace, entered the square where the last reserves -of his power were assembled. He walked about and shook hands right and -left with these faithful friends and supporters. Presently his eye -caught sight of the rebel proclamation which some daring hand had -placed on the wall under cover of the darkness. He walked up and read -it by the light of a lantern. Savrola's style was not easy to mistake. -The short crisp sentences of the appeal to the people to take up arms -rang like a trumpet-call. Across the placard a small red slip, such as -are used on theatrical advertisements to show the time of the -performance, had been posted at a later hour. It purported to be the -_facsimile_ of a telegram and ran thus: _Forced Black Gorge this -morning. Dictator's troops in full retreat. Am marching on Lorenzo. -Strelitz._ - -Molara quivered with fury. Savrola did not neglect details, and threw -few chances away. "Infamous liar!" was the President's comment; but he -realised the power of the man he sought to crush, and for a moment -despair welled in his heart and seemed to chill his veins. He shook -the sensation off with a great effort. - -The officers were already in possession of the details of the plan, -whose boldness was its main recommendation. The rebels had succeeded -in launching their enterprise; the Government would reply by a _coup -d'état_. In any case the stroke was aimed at the heart of the revolt, -and if it went home the results would be decisive. "The octopus of -Rebellion, Gentlemen," said the President to those around him, and -pointing to the Revolutionary proclamation, "has long arms. It will be -necessary to cut off his head." And though all felt the venture to be -desperate, they were brave men and knew their minds. - -The distance from the palace to the Mayoralty was nearly a mile and a -half along a broad but winding avenue; by this avenue, and by the -narrower streets on either side, the force advanced silently in three -divisions. The President marched on foot with the centre column; -Sorrento took command of the left, which was the threatened flank. -Slowly, and with frequent halts to keep up communication with each -other, the troops marched along the silent streets. Not a soul was to -be seen: all the shutters of the houses were closed, all the doors -fastened; and though the sky grew gradually brighter in the East, the -city was still plunged in gloom. The advanced files pressed forward up -the avenue, running from tree to tree, and pausing cautiously at each -to peer through the darkness. Suddenly as they rounded a bend, a shot -rang out in front. "Forward!" cried the President. The bugles sounded -the charge and the drums beat. In the dim light the outline of a -barricade was visible two hundred yards off, a dark obstruction across -the roadway. The soldiers shouted and broke into a run. The defenders -of the barricade, surprised, opened an ineffective fire and then, -seeing that the attack was in earnest and doubtful of its strength, -beat a retreat while time remained. The barricade was captured in a -moment, and the assailants pressed on elated by success. Behind the -barricade was a cross street, right and left. Firing broke out -everywhere, and the loud noise of the rifles echoed from the walls of -the houses. The flanking columns had been sharply checked at their -barricades, but the capture of the centre position turned both of -these, and their defenders, fearing to be cut off, fled in disorder. - -It was now daylight, and the scene in the streets was a strange one. -The skirmishers darted between the trees, and the little blue-white -puffs of smoke spotted the whole picture. The retiring rebels left -their wounded on the ground, and these the soldiers bayoneted savagely. -Shots were fired from the windows of the houses and from any shelter -that offered,--a lamp-post, a pillar-box, a wounded man, an overturned -cab. The rifle-fire was searching, and the streets were very bare. In -their desire to get cover, to get behind something, both sides broke -into the houses and dragged out chairs, tables, and piles of bedding; -and though these were but little protection from the bullets, men felt -less naked behind them. - -All this time the troops were steadily advancing, though suffering -continual loss; but gradually the fire of the rebels grew hotter. More -men were hurried to the scene each moment; the pressure on the flanks -became severe; the enveloping enemy pressed in down the side streets, -to hold which the scanty force at the President's disposal had to be -further weakened. At length the rebels ceased to retreat; they had -reached their guns, four of which were arranged in a row across the -avenue. - -The Mayoralty was now but a quarter of a mile away, and Molara called -on his soldiers for a supreme effort. A dashing attempt to carry the -guns with the bayonet was defeated with a loss of thirty killed and -wounded, and the Government troops took shelter in a side street at -right angles to the main avenue. This in turn was enfiladed by the -enemy, who swept round the columns and began to cut in on their line of -retreat. - -Firing was now general along a wide half-circle. In the hope of -driving the improvised artillery-men from their places, the troops -forced their way into the houses on either side of the avenue, and -climbing along the roofs began to fire down on their adversaries. But -the rebels, repeating the manoeuvre, met them and the attempt dwindled -into desperate but purposeless fighting among the chimney-pots and the -skylights. - -The President exposed himself manfully. Moving from one part of the -force to another, he animated his followers by his example. Tiro, who -kept close to him, had seen enough war to realise that the check was -fatal to their chances. Every moment was precious; time was slipping -away, and the little force was already almost completely encircled. He -had taken a rifle and was assisting to burst in the door of a house, -when to his astonishment he saw Miguel. The Secretary was armed. He -had hitherto remained carefully in the rear, and had avoided the danger -in the air by hiding behind the trees of the avenue; but now he -advanced boldly to the doorway and began to help in battering it down. -No sooner was this done than he darted in and ran up the stairs crying -out, "We are all soldiers to-day!" Several infantrymen followed him to -fire from the lowest windows, but Tiro could not leave the President; -he felt, however, surprised and pleased by Miguel's gallantry. - -It soon became evident to all that the attempt had failed. The numbers -against them were too great. A third of the force had been killed or -wounded, when the order to cut their way back to the palace was given. -On all sides the exulting enemy pressed fiercely. Isolated parties of -soldiers, cut off from the retiring column, defended themselves -desperately in the houses and on the roofs. They were nearly all -killed eventually, for everyone's blood was up, and it was a waste of -time to ask for quarter. Others set fire to the houses and tried to -escape under cover of the smoke; but very few succeeded. Others again, -and among them Miguel, lay hid in closets and cellars, from which they -emerged when men's tempers were again human and _surrender_ was not an -unknown word. The right column, which consisted of five companies of -the Guard battalion, were completely surrounded, and laid down their -arms on the promise of a rebel general that their lives should be -spared. The promise was kept, and it appeared that the superior -officers among the Revolutionists were making great efforts to restrain -the fury of their followers. - -The main body of the Government troops, massed in a single column, -struggled on towards the palace losing men at every step. But in spite -of their losses, they were dangerous people to stop. One party of -rebels, who intercepted their line of retreat, was swept away in a -savage charge, and some attempt was made to reform; but the rifle-fire -was pitiless and incessant, and eventually the retreat became a rout. -A bloody pursuit followed in which only some eighty men escaped capture -or death, and with the President and Sorrento regained the palace -alive. The great gates were closed, and the slender garrison prepared -to defend themselves to the last. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -THE DEFENCE OF THE PALACE. - -"That," said Lieutenant Tiro to a Captain of Artillery, as they got -inside the gate, "is about the best I've seen so far." - -"I thought it was a bad business all through," replied the other; "and -when they brought the guns up it was a certainty." - -"It wasn't the guns that did us," said the Lancer Subaltern, who had no -exaggerated idea of the value of artillery; "we wanted some cavalry." - -"We wanted more men," answered the Gunner, not anxious at that moment -to argue the relative values of the different arms. "These rear-guard -actions are the devil." - -"There was a damned sight more action than there was rear-guard about -that last bit," said Tiro. "Do you suppose they cut up the wounded?" - -"Every one of them, I should think; they were like wolves at the end." - -"What's going to happen now?" - -"They're going to come in here and finish us off." - -"We'll see about that," said Tiro. His cheery courage could stand a -prolonged test. "The fleet will be back soon; we shall hold this place -till then." - -The palace was indeed not unsuited to defence. It was solidly built of -stone. The windows were at some distance from the ground and the lower -strongly barred, except on the garden-side, where the terrace and its -steps gave access to the long French windows. But it was evident that -a few good rifles could forbid the bare and narrow approaches in that -quarter. Indeed it seemed as though the architect must have -contemplated the occasion that had now arrived, for he had almost built -a stronghold disguised as a palace. The side which faced the square -seemed to afford the best prospects to an assault; yet the great gate -was protected by two small towers containing guard-rooms, and the wall -of the courtyard was high and thick. As it seemed, however, that on -this front the enemy would be able to use their numbers to the greatest -effect, the majority of the little garrison were concentrated there. - -The rebels were wisely and cautiously led. They did not at once push -on to the attack of the palace; sure of their prey they could afford to -wait. Meanwhile the surviving adherents of the Government endeavoured -to make their last foothold secure. Rough-hewn cobblestones from the -pavements of the courtyard were prized up, and the windows were with -these converted into loopholes through which the garrison might fire -without much exposure. The gates were closed and barred, and -preparations made to strut them with baulks of timber. Ammunition was -distributed. The duty and responsibility of each section of the -defence was apportioned to the various officers. The defenders -recognised that they had entered on a quarrel which must be carried to -a definite conclusion. - -But Molara's mood had changed. The fury of the night had cooled into -the hard, savage courage of the morning. He had led the desperate -attempt to capture the Mayoralty, and had exposed himself freely and -even recklessly in the tumult of the fight that followed; but now that -he had come through unhurt, had regained the palace, and realised that -his last chance of killing Savrola had passed, death appeared very -ugly. All the excitement which had supported him had died away; he had -had enough. His mind searched for some way of escape, and searched -vainly. The torture of the moment was keen. A few hours might bring -help: the fleet would surely come; but it would be too late. The great -guns might take vengeance for his death; they could not save his life. -A feeling of vexation shook him, and behind it grew the realisation of -the approaching darkness. Terror began to touch his heart; his nerve -flickered; he had more to fear than the others. The hatred of the -multitude was centred in him; after all it was his blood they -wanted,--his above all others. It was a dreadful distinction. He -retired in deep despondency to his own room, and took no part in the -defence. - -At about eleven o'clock the sharpshooters of the enemy began to make -their way into the houses which surrounded the front of the palace. -Presently from an upper window a shot was fired; others followed, and -soon a regular fusilade began. The defenders, sheltered by their -walls, replied carefully. Lieutenant Tiro and a sergeant of the -Guards, an old war-time comrade of Molara's, were holding the window of -the guard-room on the left of the great gate. Both were good shots. -The Subaltern had filled his pockets with cartridges; the Sergeant -arranged his on the sill in neat little rows of five. From their -position they could shoot right down the street which led into the -square and towards the gate. Outside the guard-room a dozen officers -and men were still engaged in making the entrance more secure. They -tried to wedge a great plank between the ground and the second -cross-piece; should the rebels try to rush the gate-way, it would thus -be strong enough to resist them. - -The fire from the surrounding houses was annoying rather than -dangerous, but several bullets struck the stones of the improvised -loopholes. The garrison fired carefully and slowly, anxious not to -expend their ammunition, or to expose themselves without a result. -Suddenly, about three hundred yards away, a number of men turned into -the street which led to the gate, and began rapidly pushing and pulling -something forward. - -"Look out," cried Tiro to the working-party; "they're bringing up a -gun;" and taking good aim he fired at the approaching enemy. The -Sergeant, and all the other defenders of this side of the palace, fired -too with strange energy. The advancing crowd slackened speed. Among -them men began to drop. Several in front threw up their hands; others -began carrying these away. The attack dwindled. Then two or three men -ran back alone. At that all the rest turned tail and scurried for the -cover of the side street, leaving the gun (one of the captured -twelve-pounders) standing deserted in the middle of the roadway, with -about a dozen shapeless black objects lying round it. - -The garrison raised a cheer, which was answered from the surrounding -houses by an increase of musketry. - -A quarter of an hour passed and then the rebels debouched from the side -streets into the main approach and began pushing up four carts filled -with sacks of flour. Again the defenders fired rapidly. Their -bullets, striking the sacks, raised strange creamy white clouds; but -the assailants, sheltered by their movable cover, continued to advance -steadily. They reached the gun, and began emptying the carts by -pushing the sacks out from behind, until a regular breastwork was -formed, behind which they knelt down. Some began firing; others -devoted their efforts to discharging the gun, on which the aim of the -garrison was now directed. With a loss of two men they succeeded in -loading it and pointing it at the gate. A third man advanced to fix -the friction-tube by which it was fired. - -Tiro took steady aim and the distant figure collapsed to the shot. - -"Bull's eye," said the Sergeant appreciatively, and leaned forward to -fire at another, who had advanced with desperate bravery to discharge -the piece. He paused long on his aim, wishing to make certain; holding -his breath he began gently to squeeze the trigger, as the -musketry-books enjoin. Suddenly there was a very strange sound, half -thud, half smash. Tiro, shrinking swiftly to the left, just avoided -being splashed with blood and other physical details. The Sergeant had -been killed by a bullet which had come to meet him as he looked through -his loophole. The distant man had fixed his tube, and, catching up the -lanyard, stood back and aside to fire. - -"Stand from the gate," shouted Tiro to the working-party; "I can't hold -'em!" He raised his rifle and fired on the chance. At the same -instant a great cloud of smoke burst from the gun and another sprang up -at the palace gate. The woodwork was smashed to pieces and, with the -splinters of the shell, flew on, overtaking with death and wounds the -working-party as they scampered to cover. - -A long loud burst of cheering arose on all sides from the surrounding -houses and streets, and was taken up by the thousands who were waiting -behind and heard the explosion of the gun. At first the rebel fire -increased, but very soon a bugler began to sound perseveringly, and -after about twenty minutes the musketry ceased altogether. Then from -over the barricade a man with a white flag advanced, followed by two -others. The truce was acknowledged from the palace by the waving of a -handkerchief. The deputation walked straight up to the shattered -gateway, and their leader, stepping through, entered the courtyard. -Many of the defenders left their stations to look at him and hear what -terms were offered. It was Moret. - -"I call upon you all to surrender," he said. "Your lives will be -spared until you have been fairly tried." - -"Address yourself to me, Sir," said Sorrento stepping forward; "I am in -command here." - -"I call upon you all to surrender in the name of the Republic," -repeated Moret loudly. - -"I forbid you to address these soldiers," said Sorrento. "If you do so -again, your flag shall not protect you." - -Moret turned to him. "Resistance is useless," he said. "Why will you -cause further loss of life? Surrender, and your lives shall be safe." - -Sorrento reflected. Perhaps the rebels knew that the fleet was -approaching; otherwise, he thought they would not offer terms. It was -necessary to gain time. "We shall require two hours fro consider the -terms," he said. - -"No," answered Moret decidedly. "You must surrender at once, here and -now." - -"We shall do no such thing," replied the War-Minister. "The palace is -defensible. We shall hold it until the return of the fleet and of the -victorious field-army." - -"You refuse all terms?" - -"We refuse all you have offered." - -"Soldiers," said Moret turning again to the men, "I implore you not to -throw away your lives. I offer fair terms; do not reject them." - -"Young man," said Sorrento with rising anger, "I have a somewhat -lengthy score to settle with you already. You are a civilian and are -ignorant of the customs of war. It is my duty to warn you that, if you -continue to attempt to seduce the loyalty of the Government troops, I -shall fire at you." He drew his revolver. - -Moret should have heeded; but tactless, brave, and impulsive as he was, -he recked little. His warm heart generously hoped to save further loss -of life. Besides, he did not believe that Sorrento would shoot him in -cold blood; it would be too merciless. "I offer you all life," he -cried; "do not choose death." - -Sorrento raised his pistol and fired. Moret fell to the ground, and -his blood began to trickle over the white flag. For a moment he -twisted and quivered, and then lay still. There were horrified murmurs -from the bystanders, who had not expected to see the threat carried -out. But it is not well to count on the mercy of such men as this -War-Minister; they live their lives too much by rule and regulation. - -The two men outside the gate, hearing the shot, looked in, saw, and ran -swiftly back to their comrades, while the garrison, feeling that they -must now abandon all hope, returned to their posts slowly and sullenly. -The report of a truce had drawn the President from his room, with a -fresh prospect of life, and perhaps of vengeance, opening on his -imagination. As he came down the steps into the courtyard, the shot, -in such close proximity, startled him; when he saw the condition of the -bearer of terms, he staggered. "Good God!" he said to Sorrento, "what -have you done?" - -"I have shot a rebel, Sir," replied the War-Minister, his heart full of -misgivings, but trying to brazen it out, "for inciting the troops to -mutiny and desertion, after due warning that his flag would no longer -protect him." - -Molara quivered from head to foot; he felt the last retreat cut off. -"You have condemned us all to death," he said. Then he stooped and -drew a paper which protruded from the dead man's coat. It ran as -follows: _I authorise you to accept the surrender of Antonio Molara, -ex-President of the Republic, and of such officers, soldiers, and -adherents as may be holding the Presidential Palace. Their lives are -to be spared, and they shall be protected pending the decision of the -Government. For the Council of Public Safety_,--SAVROLA. And Sorrento -had killed him,--the only man who could save them from the fury of the -crowd. Too sick at heart to speak Molara turned away, and as he did so -the firing from the houses of the square recommenced with savage -vigour. The besiegers knew now how their messenger had fared. - -And all the while Moret lay very still out there in the courtyard. All -his ambitions, his enthusiasms, his hopes had come to a full stop; his -share in the world's affairs was over; he had sunk into the ocean of -the past, and left scarcely a bubble behind. In all the contriving of -the plot against the Lauranian Government Savrola's personality had -dwarfed his. Yet this was a man of heart and brain and nerve, one who -might have accomplished much; and he had a mother and two young sisters -who loved the soil he trod on, and thought him the finest fellow in the -world. - -Sorrento stood viewing his handiwork for a long time, with a growing -sense of dissatisfaction at his deed. His sour, hard nature was -incapable of genuine remorse, but he had known Molara for many years -and was shocked to see his pain, and annoyed to think that he was the -cause. He had not realised that the President wished to surrender; -otherwise, he said to himself, he might have been more lenient. Was -there no possible way of repairing the harm? The man who had -authorised Moret to accept their surrender had power with the crowd; he -would be at the Mayoralty,--he must be sent for,--but how? - -Lieutenant Tiro approached with a coat in his hands. Disgusted at his -superior's brutality, he was determined to express his feelings, -clearly if not verbally. He bent over the body and composed the limbs; -then he laid the coat over the white expressionless face, and rising -said insolently to the Colonel: "I wonder if they'll do that for you in -a couple of hours' time, Sir." - -Sorrento looked at him, and laughed harshly. "Pooh! What do I care? -When you have seen as much fighting as I have, you will not be so -squeamish." - -"I am not likely to see much more, now that you have killed the only -man who could accept our surrender." - -"There is another," said the War-Minister, "Savrola. If you want to -live, go and bring him to call off his hounds." - -Sorrento spoke bitterly, but his words set the Subaltern's mind -working. Savrola,--he knew him, liked him, and felt they had something -in common. Such a one would come if he were summoned; but to leave the -palace seemed impossible. Although the attacks of the rebels had been -directed against the side of the main entrance only, a close investment -and a dropping musketry were maintained throughout the complete circle. -To pass the line of besiegers by the roads was out of the question. -Tiro thought of the remaining alternatives: a tunnel, that did not -exist; a balloon, there was not one. Shaking his head at the hopeless -problem he gazed contemplatively into the clear air, thinking to -himself: "It would take a bird to do it." - -The palace was connected with the Senate-House and with the principal -Public Offices by telephone, and it happened that the main line of -wires from the eastern end of the great city passed across its roof. -Tiro, looking up, saw the slender threads overhead; there seemed to be -nearly twenty of them. The War-Minister followed his gaze. "Could you -get along the wires?" he asked eagerly. - -"I will try," answered the Subaltern, thrilled with the idea. - -Sorrento would have shaken his hand, but the boy stepped backward and -saluting turned away. He entered the palace, and ascended the stairs -which led to the flat roof. The attempt was daring and dangerous. -What if the rebels should see him in mid air? He had often shot with a -pea-rifle at rooks, black spots against the sky and among the branches. -The thought seemed strangely disagreeable; but he consoled himself with -the reflection that men who look through loopholes at the peril of -their lives have little leisure for aught but aiming, and rarely let -their eyes wander idly. He stepped out on to the roof and walked to -the telegraph-post. There was no doubt as to its strength; -nevertheless he paused, for the chances against him were great, and -death seemed near and terrible. His religion, like that of many -soldiers, was of little help; it was merely a jumble of formulas, -seldom repeated, hardly understood, never investigated, and a hopeful, -but unauthorised, belief that it would be well with him if he did his -duty like a gentleman. He had no philosophy; he felt only that he was -risking all that he had, and for what he was uncertain. Still, though -there were gaps in his reasoning, he thought it might be done and he -would have a dash for it. He said to himself, "It will score off those -swine," and with this inspiring reflection he dismissed his fears. - -He swarmed up the pole to the lowest wire; then he pulled himself -higher until he could get his foot on the insulators. The wires ran on -both sides of the pole in two sets. He stood on the two lowest, took -the top ones under his arms, and, reaching down over, caught one more -in each hand. Then he started, shuffling awkwardly along. The span -was about seventy yards. As he cleared the parapet he saw the street -beneath him,--very far beneath him, it seemed. Shots were continually -exchanged from the windows of the houses and the palace. Sixty feet -below a dead man lay staring up through the wires undazzled by the -bright sun. He had been _under_ fire before, but this was a novel -experience. As he approached the middle of the span the wires began to -swing, and he had to hold on tightly. At first the slope had been on -his side, but after the centre was passed it rose against him; his feet -slipped often backwards, and the wires commenced to cut into his -armpits. - -Two-thirds of the distance was safely accomplished, when the wires -under his left foot parted with a snap and dropped like a whip-lash -against the wall of the opposite house. His weight fell on his -shoulders; the pain was sharp; he twisted,--slipped,--clutched wildly, -and recovered himself by a tremendous effort. - -A man at a lower window pulled back the mattress behind which he was -firing and thrust his head and shoulders out. Tiro looked down and -their eyes met. The man shouted in mad excitement, and fired his rifle -point-blank at the Subaltern. The noise of the report prevented him -from knowing how near the bullet had passed; but he felt he was not -shot, and struggled on till he had passed the street. - -It was all up; yet to turn back was equally fatal. "I'll see it out," -he said to himself, and dropped from the wires on to the roof of the -house. The door from the leads was open. Running down the attic -stairs and emerging on the landing, he peered over the bannisters; no -one was to be seen. He descended the narrow staircase cautiously, -wondering where his enemy could be. Presently he was opposite the -front room on the second floor. Keeping close to the wall he peered -in. The room was half-darkened. The windows were blocked by boxes, -portmanteaus, mattresses, and pillow-cases filled with earth; broken -glass, mingled with bits of plaster from the walls, littered the floor. -By the light which filtered in through the chinks and loopholes, he saw -a strange scene. There were four men in the room; one on his back on -the ground, and the others bending over him. Their rifles were leaned -against the wall. They seemed to have eyes only for their comrade who -lay on the floor in an ever-widening pool of blood, gurgling, choking, -and apparently making tremendous efforts to speak. - -The Subaltern had seen enough. Opposite the front room was a doorway -covered by a curtain, behind which he glided. Nothing was to be seen, -but he listened intently. - -"Poor chap," said a voice, "he's got it real bad." - -"How did it happen?" asked another. - -"Oh, he leaned out of the window to have a shot,--bullet hit -him,--right through the lungs, I think,--fired in the air, and -shouted." Then in a lower but still audible tone he added, "Done for!" - -The wounded man began making extraordinary noises. - -"Su'thin' he wants to tell 'is pore wife before he goes," said one of -the Revolutionaries, who seemed by his speech a workman. "What is it, -mate?" - -"Give him a pencil and paper; he can't speak." - -Tiro's heart stood still, and his hand stole back for his revolver. - -For nearly a minute nothing audible happened; then there was a shout. - -"By God, we'll cop him!" said the workman, and all three of them -stamped past the curtained door and ran up-stairs. One man paused just -opposite; he was loading his rifle and the cartridge stuck; he banged -it on the ground, apparently with success, for the Subaltern heard the -bolt click, and the swift footsteps followed the others towards the -roof. - -Then he emerged from his hiding-place and stole downwards. But as he -passed the open room he could not resist looking in. The wounded man -saw him in an instant. He half raised himself from the ground and made -terrible efforts to shout; but no articulate sound came forth. Tiro -looked for a moment at this stranger whom chance had made his -implacable enemy, and then, at the prompting of that cruel devil that -lurks in the hearts of men and is awakened by bloodshed and danger, he -kissed his hand to him in savage, bitter mockery. The other sank -backwards in a paroxysm of pain and fury and lay gasping on the floor. -The Subaltern hurried away. Reaching the lowest storey he turned into -the kitchen, where the window was but six feet from the ground. -Vaulting on to the sill he dropped into the backyard, and then, with a -sudden feeling of wild panic, began to run at top speed,--the terror -that springs from returning hope hard on his track. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -FROM A WINDOW. - -While the swift succession of great events in the Lauranian capital had -occupied with immediate emergency the minds of the men, it had been -different with the women. Out in the streets there had been vivid -scenes, hot blood, and excitement. The dangers of war, and the -occasion of close and involved fighting, had given many opportunities -for acts of devotion and brutality. The brave man had displayed his -courage; the cruel had indulged his savagery; all the intermediate -types had been thrilled with the business of the moment, and there had -scarce been time for any but involuntary terror. Within the houses it -was different. - -Lucile started up at the first sound of firing. There was not much to -hear, a distant and confused popping with an occasional ragged crash; -but she knew what all this meant and shuddered. The street below -seemed from the noise to be full of people. She rose and going to the -window looked down. By the sickly, uncertain light of the gas-lamps -men were working busily at a barricade, which ran across the street -about twenty yards from the door and on the side towards the palace. -She watched the bustling figures with strange interest. They -distracted her thoughts and she felt that if she had nothing to look at -she would go mad with the dreadful suspense. Not a detail escaped her. - -How hard they worked! Men with crowbars and pickaxes were prizing up -the paving-stones; others carried them along, staggering under their -weight; others again piled them into a strong wall across the road. -There were two or three boys working away as hard as any of them. One -little fellow dropped the stone he was carrying on his foot, and -forthwith sat down to cry bitterly. His companion came up and kicked -him to stimulate his efforts, but he only cried the more. Presently a -water-cart arrived, and the thirsty builders went by threes and fours -to drink, dipping two tin mugs and a gallipot in the water. - -The people in the houses round were made to open their doors, and the -rebels unceremoniously dragged out all sorts of things to put on their -barricade. One party discovered several barrels which they appeared to -consider a valuable prize. Knocking in the end of one cask they began -filling it, spadeful by spadeful, with the earth which the removal of -the pavement had laid bare. It was a long business, but at last they -finished and tried to lift the barrel on to the wall; but it was too -heavy, and falling with a crash to the ground it broke all in pieces. -At this they were furious and disputed angrily, till an officer with a -red sash came up and silenced them. They did not attempt to fill the -other casks, but re-entering the house brought out a comfortable sofa -and sat down on it sullenly, lighting their pipes. One by one, -however, they got to work again, coming out of their sulky fit by -degrees, and careful of their dignity. And all this time the barricade -grew steadily. - -Lucile wondered why no one had entered Savrola's house. Presently she -perceived the reason; there was a picket of four men with rifles on the -doorstep. Nothing had been forgotten by that comprehensive mind. So -the hours passed. From time to time her thoughts reverted to the -tragedy which had swept upon her life, and she would sink back on to -the sofa in despair. Once, from sheer weariness, she dozed for an -hour. The distant firing had died away and, though single shots were -occasionally heard, the city was generally silent. Waking with a -strange feeling of uneasy trouble she ran again to the window. The -barricade was completed now, and the builders were lying down behind -it. Their weapons leaned against the wall on which two or three -watchers stood, looking constantly up the street. - -Presently there was a hammering at the street-door, which made her -heart beat with fear. She leaned cautiously out of the window. The -picket was still at its post, but another man had joined them. Finding -that he could not obtain an answer to his knocking, he stooped down, -pushed something under the door, and went his way. After a time she -summoned up courage to creep down, through the darkness of the -staircase, to see what this might be. By the light of a match she saw -that it was a note addressed simply _Lucile_ with the number of the -house and street,--for the streets were all numbered in Laurania as in -American cities. It was from Savrola, in pencil and to this effect: -_The city and forts have passed into our hands, but there will be -fighting at daylight. On no account leave the house or expose -yourself_. - -Fighting at daylight! She looked at the clock,--a quarter to five, and -already the sky was growing brighter; the time was at hand then! Fear, -grief, anxiety, and, not the least painful, resentment at her husband -conflicted in her mind. But the sleeping figures behind the barricade -seemed to be troubled by none of these feelings; they lay silent and -still, weary men who had no cares. But she knew it was coming, -something loud and terrible that would wake them with a start. She -felt as though she was watching a play at the theatre, the window -suggesting a box. She had turned from it for a moment, when suddenly a -rifle-shot rang out, apparently about three hundred yards down the -street towards the palace. Then there was a splutter of firing, a -bugle-call, and the sound of shouting. The defenders of the barricade -sprang up in mad haste and seized their weapons. There was more -firing, but still they did not reply, and she dared not put her head -out of the window to see what prevented them. They were all greatly -excited, holding their rifles over the barricade, and many talking in -quick short sentences. In a moment a crowd of men, nearly a hundred it -seemed, ran up to the wall and began scrambling over, helped by the -others. They were friends, then; it occurred to her that there must be -another barricade, and that the one under the window was in the second -line. This was actually the case, and the first had been captured. -All the time firing from the direction of the palace continued. - -As soon as the fugitives were all across the wall, the defenders of the -second line began to fire. The rifles close by sounded so much louder -than the others, and gave forth such bright flashes. But the light was -growing every minute, and soon she could see the darting puffs of -smoke. The rebels were armed with many kinds of firearms. Some, with -old, muzzle-loading muskets, had to stand up and descend from the -barricade to use their ramrods; others, armed with more modern weapons, -remained crouching behind their cover and fired continually. - -The scene, filled with little foreshortened figures, still suggested -the stage of a theatre viewed from the gallery. She did not as yet -feel frightened; no harm had been done, and no one seemed to be any the -worse. - -She had scarcely completed this thought when she noticed a figure being -lifted off the barricade to the ground. In the growing daylight the -pale face showed distinctly, and a deadly feeling of sickness came over -her in a moment; but she stood spell-bound by the sight. Four men went -off with the wounded one, carrying him by the shoulders and feet, so -that he drooped in the middle. When they had passed out of her view, -she looked back to the wall. There were five more men wounded; four -had to be carried, the other leaned on a comrade's arm. Two more -figures had also been pulled off the barricade, and laid carelessly on -the pavement out of the way. Nobody seemed to take any notice of -these, but just let them lie close to the area-railings. - -Then from the far end of the street came the sound of drums and the -shrill call of a bugle, repeated again and again. The rebels began to -shoot in mad excitement as fast as they could; several fell, and above -the noise of the firing rose a strange sound, a sort of hoarse, -screaming whoop, coming momentarily nearer. - -A man on the barricade jumped off and began to run down the street; -five, six others followed at once; then all the defenders but three -hurried away from that strange approaching cry. Several tried to drag -with them the wounded, of which there already were a few more; these -cried out in pain and begged to be left alone. One man, she saw, -dragging another by the ankle, bumping him along the rough roadway in -spite of his entreaties. The three men who had stayed fired -methodically from behind their breastwork. All this took several -seconds; and the menacing shout came nearer and louder all the time. - -Then in an instant a wave of men,--soldiers in blue uniforms faced with -buff--surged up to the barricade and over it. An officer, quite a boy, -in front of them all, jumped down the other side, shouting, "Make a -clear sweep of the cowardly devils,--come on!" - -The three steadfast men had disappeared as rocks beneath the incoming -tide. Crowds of soldiers climbed over the barricade; she could see -groups of them swarming round each of the wounded rebels, jobbing -downwards with their bayonets savagely. And then the spell broke, the -picture swam, and she rushed screaming from the window to plunge her -face among the sofa-cushions. - -The uproar was now terrific. The musketry-fire was loud and -continuous, especially from the direction of the main avenue which ran -parallel to the street in which Savrola lived, and the shouting and -trampling of men added to the din. Gradually the wave of fighting -rolled past the house and on towards the Mayoralty. As she realised -this, all her own troubles returned to her mind. The fight was going -against the rebels; she thought of Savrola. And then she -prayed,--prayed convulsively, sending her entreaties into space in the -hope that they would not fall on unheeding ears. She spoke no name; -but the gods, who are omniscient, may have guessed, with sardonic -smiles, that she prayed for the victory of the rebel she loved over her -husband, the President. - -Presently there was a tremendous noise from the direction of the -Mayoralty. "Cannons," she thought, but she dared not look out of the -window; the horrid sights had sickened curiosity itself. But she could -hear the fire coming nearer, coming back again; and at that she felt a -strange joy; something of the joy of success in war, amid all her -terrors. There was a noise of people streaming past the house; shots -were fired under the windows; then came a great hammering and battering -at the street-door. They were breaking into the house! She rushed to -the door of the room and locked it. Down-stairs there were several -shots, and the noise of splintering wood. The firing of the retreating -troops drifted back past the house and towards the palace; but she did -not heed it; another sound paralysed her attention, the sound of -approaching footsteps. Someone was coming up-stairs. She held her -breath. The handle turned, and then the unknown, finding the door -locked, kicked it savagely. Lucile screamed. - -The kicking ceased, and she heard the stranger give a dreadful groan. -"For the mercy of Heaven, let me in! I am wounded and have no arms." -He began to wail pitifully. - -Lucile listened. It seemed that there was but one, and if he were -wounded, he would not harm her. There was another groan outside. -Human sympathy rose in her heart; she unlocked the door and opened it -cautiously. - -A man walked quickly into the room: it was Miguel. "I beg Your -Excellency's pardon," he said suavely, with that composure which always -strengthened his mean soul; "I am in need of a hiding-place." - -"But your wound?" she said. - -"A _ruse-de-guerre_; I wanted you to let me in. Where can I hide? -They may be here soon." - -"There on the roof, or in the observatory," she said pointing to the -other door. - -"Do not tell them." - -"Why should I?" she replied. Calm though the man undoubtedly was, she -despised him; there was no dirt, she knew well, that he would not eat -if it suited his purpose to do so. - -He went up and concealed himself on the roof under the big telescope. -Meanwhile she waited. Emotions had succeeded each other so rapidly -that day in her heart that she felt incapable of further stress; a dull -feeling of pain remained, like the numbness and sense of injury after a -severe wound. The firing receded towards the palace, and presently all -was comparatively silent in the city again. - -At about nine o'clock the bell of the front-entrance rang; but she did -not dare to leave the room now that the door was broken down. Then -after a while came the sound of people coming up-stairs. - -"There is no lady here; the young lady went back the night before last -to her aunt's," said a voice. It was the old woman's; with a bound of -joy and a passionate craving for the sympathy of her own sex, Lucile -rushed to the door and opened it. Bettine was there, and with her an -officer of the rebel army, who handed a letter to her with these words: -"The President sends this to you, Madam." - -"The President!" - -"Of the Council of Public Safety." - -The note merely informed her that the Government troops had been -repulsed and ended with the words: _Only one result is now possible, -and that will be attained in a few hours_. - -The officer, saying that he would wait down-stairs in case she might -wish to send an answer, left the room. Lucile pulled the old nurse -inside the door and embraced her, weeping. Where had she been all that -terrible night? Bettine had been in the cellar. It seemed that -Savrola had thought of her as of everything; he had told her to take -her bed down there, and had even had the place carpeted and furnished -on the preceding afternoon. There she had remained as he had told her. -Her perfect trust in her idol had banished all fears on her own -account, but she had "fidgeted terribly" about him. He was all she had -in the world; others dissipate their affections on a husband, children, -brothers, and sisters; all the love of her kind old heart was centred -in the man she had fostered since he was a helpless baby. And he did -not forget. She displayed with pride a slip of paper, bearing the -words, _Safe and well_. - -There was now a subdued sound of firing, from the direction of the -palace, which continued throughout the morning; but Miguel, seeing that -the streets were again quiet, emerged from his concealment and -re-entered the room. "I want to see the President," he said. - -"My husband?" asked Lucile. - -"No, Your Excellency, Señor Savrola." Miguel was quick in adapting -himself to circumstances. - -Lucile thought of the officer; she mentioned him to Miguel. "He will -take you to the Mayoralty." - -The Secretary was delighted; he ran down-stairs and they saw him no -more. - -The old nurse, with a practical soul, busied herself about getting -breakfast. Lucile, to divert her thoughts, aided her, and soon--such -is our composition--found comfort in eggs and bacon. They were -relieved to find that a picket had again been posted at the -street-door. Bettine discovered this, for Lucile, her mood unchanged, -would not look into the street where she had seen such grim spectacles. -And she did right, for though the barricade was now deserted, nearly -twenty objects that had a few hours before been men, lay around or upon -it. But about eleven some labourers arrived with two scavengers' -carts; and soon only the bloodstains on the pavement showed that there -had been any destruction other than that of property. - -The morning wore slowly and anxiously away. The firing near the palace -was continual, but distant. Sometimes it swelled into a dull roar, at -others the individual shots sounded in a sort of quick rattle. At -last, at about half-past two, it stopped abruptly. Lucile trembled. -The quarrel had been decided, one way or the other. Her mind refused -to face all the possibilities. At times she clung in passionate fear -to the old nurse, who tried in vain to soothe her; at others she joined -her in the household tasks, or submitted to tasting the various meals -which the poor old soul prepared for her in the hopes of killing care -with comfort. - -The ominous silence that followed the cessation of the firing did not -last long. It was while Lucile was being coaxed by Bettine to eat some -custard-pudding that she had made on purpose for her, that the report -of the first great gun reached them. The tremendous explosion, though -a long way off, made the windows rattle. She shuddered. What was -this? She had hoped that all was over; but one explosion succeeded -another, until the thunder of a cannonade from the harbour almost -drowned their voices. It was a weary waiting for the two women. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -AN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE. - -Lieutenant Tiro reached the Mayoralty in safety, for though the streets -were full of excited people, they were peaceful citizens, and on his -proclaiming that he had been sent to see Savrola they allowed him to -pass. The Municipal building was a magnificent structure of white -stone, elaborately decorated with statuary and sculpture. In front of -it, surrounded by iron railings and accessible by three gateways, -stretched a wide courtyard, in which a great fountain, encircled by the -marble figures of departed civic magnates, played continually with -agreeable effect. The whole edifice was worthy of the riches and -splendour of the Lauranian capital. - -Two sentries of the rebel forces stood on guard with fixed bayonets at -the central gateway, and allowed none to enter without due authority. -Messengers were hurrying across the courtyard incessantly, and -orderlies coming or going at a gallop. Without the gates a large -crowd, for the most part quiet, though greatly agitated, filled the -broad thoroughfare. Wild rumours circulated at random in the mass and -the excitement was intense. The sound of distant firing was distinct -and continuous. - -Tiro made his way through the crowd without much difficulty, but found -his path blocked by the sentries at the gateway. They refused to allow -him to proceed, and for a moment he feared that he had run his risks in -vain. Luckily, however, he was recognised as Molara's aide-de-camp by -one of the Municipal attendants who were loitering in the courtyard. -He wrote his name on a piece of paper and requested the man to take it -to Savrola or, as he was now styled, the President of the Council of -Public Safety. The servant departed, and after ten minutes returned -with an officer, resplendent with the red sash of the Revolutionary -party, who bade the Subaltern follow him forthwith. - -The hall of the Mayoralty was full of excited and voluble patriots who -were eager to serve the cause of Liberty, if it could be done without -risking their lives. They all wore red sashes and talked loudly, -discussing the despatches from the fight which arrived by frequent -messengers and were posted on the walls. Tiro and his guide passed -through the hall and hurrying along a passage arrived at the entrance -of a small committee-room. Several ushers and messengers stood around -it; an officer was on duty outside. He opened the door and announced -the Subaltern. - -"Certainly," said a well-known voice, and Tiro entered. It was a -small, wainscotted apartment with two tall and deeply set glazed -windows shaded by heavy, faded curtains of reddish hue. Savrola was -writing at a table in the middle of the room; Godoy and Renos were -talking near one of the windows; another man, whom for the moment he -did not recognise, was busily scribbling in the corner. The great -Democrat looked up. - -"Good-morning, Tiro," he said cheerily, then, seeing the serious and -impatient look on the boy's face, he asked him what had happened. Tiro -told him quickly of the President's wish to surrender the palace. -"Well," said Savrola, "Moret is there, and he has full powers." - -"He is dead." - -"How?" asked Savrola, in a low pained voice. - -"Shot in the throat," replied the Subaltern laconically. - -Savrola had turned very white; he was fond of Moret and they had long -been friends. A feeling of disgust at the whole struggle came over -him; he repressed it; this was no time for regrets. "You mean that the -crowd will accept no surrender?" - -"I mean they have probably massacred them all by now." - -"What time was Moret killed?" - -"A quarter-past twelve." - -Savrola took up a paper that lay beside him on the table. "This was -sent off at half-past twelve." - -Tiro looked at it. It was signed _Moret_ and ran as follows: _Am -preparing for final assault. All well_. - -"It is a forgery," said the Subaltern simply. "I started myself before -the half-hour, and Señor Moret had been dead ten minutes then. -Somebody has assumed the command." - -"By Jove," said Savrola getting up from the table. "Kreutze!" He -caught up his hat and cane. "Come on; he will most certainly murder -Molara, and probably the others, if he is not stopped. I must go there -myself." - -"What?" said Renos. "Most irregular; your place is here." - -"Send an officer," suggested Godoy. - -"I have none to send of sufficient power with the people, unless you -will go yourself." - -"I! No, certainly not! I would not think of it," said Godoy quickly. -"It would be useless; I have no authority over the mob." - -"That is not quite the tone you have adopted all the morning," replied -Savrola quietly, "or at least since the Government attack was -repulsed." Then turning to Tiro, he said, "Let us start." - -They were leaving the room when the Subaltern saw that the man who had -been writing in the corner was looking at him. To his astonishment he -recognised Miguel. - -The Secretary bowed satirically. "Here we are again," he said; "you -were wise to follow." - -"You insult me," said Tiro with profound contempt. "Rats leave a -sinking ship." - -"The wiser they," rejoined the Secretary; "they could do no good by -staying. I have always heard that aides-de-camp are the first to leave -a fight." - -"You are a damned dirty dog," said the Subaltern falling back on a -rudimentary form of repartee with which he was more familiar. - -"I can wait no longer," said Savrola in a voice that was a plain -command. Tiro obeyed, and they left the room. - -Walking down the passage and through the hall, where Savrola was loudly -cheered, they reached the entrance, where a carriage was waiting. A -dozen mounted men, with red sashes and rifles, ranged themselves about -it as an escort. The crowd outside the gates, seeing the great leader -and hearing the applause within, raised a shout. Savrola turned to the -commander of the escort. "I need no guard," he said; "that is -necessary only for tyrants. I will go alone." The escort fell back. -The two men entered the carriage and, drawn by strong horses, passed -out into the streets. - -"You dislike Miguel?" asked Savrola after a while. - -"He is a traitor." - -"There are plenty about the city. Now I suppose you would call me a -traitor." - -"Ah! but you have always been one," replied Tiro bluntly. Savrola gave -a short laugh. "I mean," continued the other, "that you have always -been trying to upset things." - -"I have been loyal to my treachery," suggested Savrola. - -"Yes,--we have always been at war with you; but this viper----" - -"Well," said Savrola, "you must take men as you find them; few are -disinterested. The viper, as you call him, is a poor creature; but he -saved my life, and asked me to save his in return. What could I do? -Besides he is of use. He knows the exact state of the public finances -and is acquainted with the details of the foreign policy. What are we -stopping for?" - -Tiro looked out. The street was closed by a barricade which made it a -_cul-de-sac_. "Try the next turning," he said to the coachman; "go on -quickly." The noise of the firing could now be distinctly heard. "We -very nearly pulled it off this morning," said Tiro. - -"Yes," answered Savrola; "they told me the attack was repulsed with -difficulty." - -"Where were you?" asked the boy in great astonishment. - -"At the Mayoralty, asleep; I was very tired." - -Tiro was conscious of an irresistible feeling of disgust. So he was a -coward, this great man. He had always heard that politicians took care -of their skins, and sent others to fight their battles. Somehow he had -thought that Savrola was different: he knew such a lot about polo; but -he was the same as all the rest. - -Savrola, ever quick to notice, saw his look and again laughed dryly. -"You think I ought to have been in the streets? Believe me, I did more -good where I was. If you had seen the panic and terror at the -Mayoralty during the fighting, you would have recognised that there -were worse things to do than to go to sleep in confidence. Besides, -everything in human power had been done; and we had not miscalculated." - -Tiro remained unconvinced. His good opinion of Savrola was destroyed. -He had heard much of this man's political courage. The physical always -outweighed the moral in his mind. He felt reluctantly convinced that -he was a mere word-spinner, brave enough where speeches were concerned, -but careful when sterner work was to be done. - -The carriage stopped again. "All these streets are barricaded, Sir," -said the coach-man. - -Savrola looked out of the window. "We are close there, let us walk; it -is only half a mile across Constitution Square." He jumped out. The -barricade was deserted, as were the streets in this part of the town. -Most of the violent rebels were attacking the palace, and the peaceable -citizens were in their houses or outside the Mayoralty. - -They scrambled over the rough wail, which was made of paving-stones and -sacks of earth piled under and upon two waggons, and hurried down the -street beyond. It led to the great square of the city. At the further -end was the Parliament House, with the red flag of revolt flying from -its tower. An entrenchment had been dug in front of the entrance, and -the figures of some of the rebel soldiery were visible on it. - -They had gone about a quarter of the distance across the square, when -suddenly, from the entrenchment or barricade three hundred yards away, -there darted a puff of smoke; five or six more followed in quick -succession. Savrola paused, astonished, but the Subaltern understood -at once. "Run for it!" he cried. "The statue,--there is cover behind -it." - -Savrola began to run as fast as he could. The firing from the -barricade continued. He heard two sucking kisses in the air; something -struck the pavement in front of him so that the splinters flew, and -while he passed a grey smudge appeared; there was a loud _tang_ on the -area-railings beside him; the dust of the roadway sprang up in several -strange spurts. As he ran, the realisation of what these things meant -grew stronger; but the distance was short and he reached the statue -alive. Behind its massive pedestal there was ample shelter for both. - -"They fired at us." - -"They did," replied Tiro. "Damn them!" - -"But why?" - -"My uniform--devilry--running man--good fun, you know--for them." - -"We must go on," said Savrola. - -"We can't go on across the square." - -"Which way, then?" - -"We must work down the street away from them, keeping the statue -between us and their fire, and get up one of the streets to the left." - -A main street ran through the centre of the great square, and led out -of it at right angles to the direction in which they were proceeding. -It was possible to retire down this under cover of the statue, and to -take a parallel street further along. This would enable them to avoid -the fire from the entrenchment, or would at least reduce the dangerous -space to a few yards. Savrola looked in the direction Tiro indicated. -"Surely this is shorter," he said pointing across the square. - -"Much shorter," answered the Subaltern; "in about three seconds it will -take you to another world." - -Savrola rose. "Come on," he said; "I do not allow such considerations -to affect my judgment. The lives of men are at stake; the time is -short. Besides, this is an educational experience." - -The blood was in his cheeks and his eyes sparkled; all that was -reckless in him, all his love of excitement, stirred in his veins. -Tiro looked at him amazed. Brave as he was, he saw no pleasure in -rushing to his death at the heels of a mad politician; but he allowed -no man to show him the way. He said no more, but drew back to the far -end of the pedestal, so as to gain pace, and then bounded into the open -and ran as fast as he could run. - -How he got across he never knew. One bullet cut the peak of his cap, -another tore his trousers. He had seen many men killed in action, and -anticipated the fearful blow that would bring him down with a smash on -the pavement. Instinctively he raised his left arm as if to shield his -face. At length he reached safety, breathless and incredulous. Then -he looked back. Half way across was Savrola, walking steadily and -drawn up to his full height. Thirty yards away he stopped and, taking -off his felt hat, waved it in defiance at the distant barricade. Tiro -saw him start as he lifted his arm, and his hat fell to the ground. He -did not pick it up, and in a moment was beside him, his face pale, his -teeth set, every muscle rigid. "Now tell me," he said, "do you call -that a hot fire?" - -"You are mad," replied the Subaltern. - -"Why, may I ask?" - -"What is the use of throwing away your life, of waiting to taunt them?" - -"Ah," he answered, much excited, "I waved my hat in the face of Fate, -not at those wretched irresponsible animals. Now to the palace; -perhaps we are already too late." - -They hurried on through the deserted streets with the sound of musketry -growing ever louder, and mingling with it now the shouts and yells of a -crowd. As they approached the scene they passed through groups of -people, peaceful citizens for the most part, anxiously looking towards -the tumult. Several glanced fiercely at the soldier whose uniform made -him conspicuous; but many took off their hats to Savrola. A long -string of stretchers, each with a pale, shattered figure on it, passed -by, filing slowly away from the fight. The press became thicker, and -arms were now to be seen on all sides. Mutinous soldiers still in -their uniforms, workmen in blouses, others in the dress of the National -Militia, and all wearing the red sash of the revolt, filled the street. -But Savrola's name had spread before him and the crowd divided, with -cheers, to give him passage. - -Suddenly the firing in front ceased, and for a space there was silence, -followed by a ragged spluttering volley and a low roar from many -throats. - -"It's all over," said the Subaltern. - -"Faster!" cried Savrola. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -THE END OF THE QUARREL. - -About a quarter of an hour after Lieutenant Tiro had escaped along the -telegraph-wires, the attack on the palace was renewed with vigour. It -seemed, moreover, that the rebels had found a new leader, for they -displayed considerable combination in their tactics. The firing -increased on all sides. Then, under cover of their musketry, the enemy -debouched simultaneously from several streets, and, rushing down the -great avenue, delivered a general assault. The garrison fired steadily -and with effect, but there were not enough bullets to stop the -advancing crowds. Many fell, but the rest pressed on impetuously and -found shelter under the wall of the courtyard. The defenders, -realising they could no longer hold this outer line of defence, fell -back to the building itself, where they maintained themselves among the -great pillars of the entrance, and for some time held the enemy's fire -in check by shooting accurately at all those who put their heads over -the wall or exposed themselves. Gradually, however, the rebels, by -their great numbers, gained the supremacy in the fire-fight, and the -defenders in their turn found it dangerous to show themselves to shoot. - -The musketry of the attack grew heavier, while that of the defence -dwindled. The assailants now occupied the whole of the outer wall, and -at length completely silenced the fire of the surviving adherents of -the Government. Twenty rifles were discharged at any head that showed; -yet they showed a prudent respect for these determined men, and gave no -chances away. Under cover of their fire, and of the courtyard wall, -they brought up the field-gun with which the gate had been broken in, -and from a range of a hundred yards discharged it at the palace. The -shell smashed through the masonry, and burst in the great hall. -Another followed, passing almost completely through the building and -exploding in the breakfast-room on the further side. The curtains, -carpets, and chairs caught fire and began to burn briskly; it was -evident that the defence of the palace was drawing to a close. - -Sorrento, who had long schooled himself to look upon all events of war -from a purely professional standpoint, and who boasted that the -military operation he preferred above all others was the organising of -a rearguard from a defeated army, felt that nothing further could be -done. He approached the President. - -Molara stood in the great hall where he had lived and ruled for five -years with a bitter look of despair upon his face. The mosaic of the -pavement was ripped and scored by the iron splinters of the shells; -great fragments of the painted roof had fallen to the ground; the -crimson curtains were smouldering; the broken glass of the windows lay -on the floor, and heavy clouds of smoke were curling in from the -further side of the palace. The President's figure and expression -accorded well with the scene of ruin and destruction. - -Sorrento saluted with much ceremony. He had only his military code to -believe in, and he took firm hold of that. "Owing, Sir," he began -officially, "to the rebels having brought a gun into action at close -range, it is my duty to inform you that this place has now become -untenable. It will be necessary to capture the gun by a charge, and -expel the enemy from the courtyard." - -The President knew what he meant; they should rush out and die -fighting. The agony of the moment was intense; the actual dread of -death was increased by the sting of unsatisfied revenge; he groaned -aloud. - -Suddenly a loud shout arose from the crowd. They had seen the smoke of -the fire and knew that the end was at hand. "Molara, Molara, come out! -Dictator," they cried, "come out or burn!" - -It often happens that, when men are convinced that they have to die, a -desire to bear themselves well and to leave life's stage with dignity -conquers all other sensations. Molara remembered that, after all, he -had lived famous among men. He had been almost a king. All the eyes -of the world would be turned to the scene about to be enacted; distant -countries would know, distant ages would reflect. It was worth while -dying bravely, since die he must. - -He called his last defenders around him. There were but thirty left, -and of these some were wounded. "Gentlemen," he said, "you have been -faithful to the end; I will demand no more sacrifices of you. My death -may appease those wild beasts. I give you back your allegiance, and -authorise you to surrender." - -"Never!" said Sorrento. - -"It is a military order, Sir," answered the President, and walked -towards the door. He stepped through the shattered woodwork and out on -the broad flight of steps. The courtyard was filled with the crowd. -Molara advanced until he had descended half way; then he paused. "Here -I am," he said. The crowd stared. For a moment he stood there in the -bright sunlight. His dark blue uniform-coat, on which the star of -Laurania and many orders and decorations of foreign countries -glittered, was open, showing his white shirt beneath it. He was -bare-headed and drew himself up to his full height. For a while there -was silence. - -Then from all parts of the courtyard, from the wall that overlooked it -and even from the windows of the opposite houses, a ragged fusilade -broke out. The President's head jerked forward, his legs shot from -under him and he fell to the ground, quite limp. The body rolled down -two or three steps and lay twitching feebly. A man in a dark suit of -clothes, and who apparently exercised authority over the crowd, -advanced towards it. Presently there was a single shot. - -At the same moment Savrola and his companion, stepping through the -broken gateway, entered the courtyard. The mob gave passage readily, -but in a sullen and guilty silence. - -"Keep close to me," said Savrola to the Subaltern. He walked straight -towards the steps which were not as yet invaded by the rebel soldiery. -The officers among the pillars had, with the cessation of the firing, -begun to show themselves; someone waved a handkerchief. - -"Gentlemen," cried Savrola in a loud voice, "I call upon you to -surrender. Your lives shall be spared." - -Sorrento stepped forward. "By the orders of His Excellency I surrender -the palace and the Government troops who have defended it. I do so on -a promise that their lives shall be safe." - -"Certainly," said Savrola. "Where is the President?" Sorrento pointed -to the other side of the steps. Savrola turned and walked towards the -spot. - -Antonio Molara, sometime President of the Republic of Laurania, lay on -the three lowest steps of the entrance of his palace, head downwards; a -few yards away in a ring stood the people he had ruled. A man in a -black suit was reloading his revolver; it was Karl Kreutze, the Number -One of the Secret Society. The President had bled profusely from -several bullet-wounds in the body, but it was evident that the _coup de -grâce_ had been administered by a shot in the head. The back and left -side of the skull behind the ear was blown away, and the force of the -explosion, probably at close quarters, had cracked all the bones of the -face so that as the skin was whole, it looked like broken china in a -sponge bag. - -Savrola stopped aghast. He looked at the crowd, and they shrank from -his eye; gradually they shuffled back, leaving the sombre-clad man -alone face to face with the great Democrat. A profound hush overspread -the whole mass of men. "Who has committed this murder?" he asked in -low hoarse tones, fixing his glance on the head of the Secret Society. - -"It is not a murder," replied the man doggedly; "it is an execution." - -"By whose authority?" - -"In the name of the Society." - -When Savrola had seen the body of his enemy, he was stricken with -horror, but at the same time a dreadful joy convulsed his heart; the -barrier was now removed. He struggled to repress the feeling, and of -the struggle anger was born. Kreutze's words infuriated him. A sense -of maddening irritation shook his whole system. All this must fall on -his name; what would Europe think, what would the world say? Remorse, -shame, pity, and the wicked joy he tried to crush, all fused into -reckless ungovernable passion. "Vile scum!" he cried, and stepping -down he slashed the other across the face with his cane. - -The man sprang at his throat on the sudden impulse of intense pain. -But Lieutenant Tiro had drawn his sword; with a strong arm and a hearty -good will he met him with all the sweep of a downward cut, and rolled -him on the ground. - -The spring was released, and the fury of the populace broke out. A -loud shout arose. Great as was Savrola's reputation among the -Revolutionaries, these men had known other and inferior leaders more -intimately. Karl Kreutze was a man of the people. His socialistic -writings had been widely read; as the head of the Secret Society he had -certain assured influences to support him, and he had conducted the -latter part of the attack on the palace. Now he had been destroyed -before their eyes by one of the hated officers. The crowd surged -forward shouting in savage anger. - -Savrola sprang backwards up the steps. "Citizens, listen to me!" he -cried. "You have won a victory; do not disgrace it. Your valour and -patriotism have triumphed; do not forget that it is for our ancient -Constitution that you have fought." He was interrupted by shouts and -jeers. - -"What have I done?" he rejoined. "As much as any here. I too have -risked my life in the great cause. Is there a man here that has a -wound? Let him stand forth, for we are comrades." And for the first -time, with a proud gesture, he lifted his left arm. Tiro perceived the -reason of the start he had given when running the gauntlet in -Constitution Square. The sleeve of his coat was torn and soaked with -blood; the linen of his shirt protruded crimson; his fingers were stiff -and smeared all over. - -The impression produced was tremendous. The mob, to whom the dramatic -always appeals with peculiar force, were also swayed by that sympathy -which all men feel for those injured in a common danger. A revulsion -took place. A cheer, faint, at first, but growing louder, rose; others -outside the courtyard, ignorant of the reason, took it up. Savrola -continued. - -"Our State, freed from tyranny, must start fair and unsullied. Those -who have usurped undue authority, not derived from the people, shall be -punished, whether they be presidents or citizens. These military -officers must come before the judges of the Republic and answer for -their actions. A free trial is the right of all Lauranians. Comrades, -much has been done, but we have not finished yet. We have exalted -Liberty; it remains to preserve her. These officers shall be lodged in -prison; for you there is other work. The ships are coming back; it is -not yet time to put away the rifles. Who is there will see the matter -through,--to the end?" - -A man, with a bloodstained bandage round his head, stepped forward. -"We are comrades," he cried; "shake hands." - -Savrola gripped him. He was one of the subordinate officers in the -rebel army, a simple honest man whom Savrola had known slightly for -several months. "I entrust a high duty to you. Conduct these officers -and soldiers to the State Prison; I will send full instructions by a -mounted messenger. Where can you find an escort?" There was no lack -of volunteers. "To the Prison then, and remember that the faith of the -Republic depends on their safety. Forward, Gentlemen," he added, -turning to the surviving defenders of the palace; "your lives are safe, -upon my honour." - -"The honour of a conspirator," sneered Sorrento. - -"As you like, Sir, but obey." - -The party, Tiro alone remaining with Savrola, moved off, surrounded and -followed by many of the crowd. While they did so a dull heavy boom -came up from the sea-front; another and another followed in quick -succession. The fleet had returned at last. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -THE RETURN OF THE FLEET. - -Admiral de Mello had been true to his word, and had obeyed the order -which had reached him through the proper channel. He was within a -hundred miles of Port Said when the despatch-boat, with the Agent of -the Republic, had been met. He at once changed his course, and steamed -towards the city he had so lately left. His fleet consisted of two -battleships, which, though slow and out of date, were yet formidable -machines, two cruisers, and a gunboat. The inopportune bursting of a -steam-pipe on board the flagship, the _Fortuna_, caused a delay of -several hours, and it was not till two o'clock in the afternoon of the -second day that he rounded the point and saw the harbour and city of -Laurania rise fair and white on the starboard bow. His officers -scanned the capital, which was their home and of whose glories they -were proud, with anxious eyes; nor were their fears unfounded. The -smoke of half a dozen conflagrations rose from among the streets and -gardens; the foreign shipping had moved out of the basin and lay off in -the roads, for the most part under steam; a strange red flag flew from -the fort at the end of the mole. - -The Admiral, signalling for half-speed, picked his way towards the -mouth of the channel cautiously. It was so contrived that a vessel in -passing must be exposed to a cross-fire from the heavy guns in the -batteries. The actual passage was nearly a mile wide, but the -navigable channel itself was dangerously narrow and extremely -difficult. De Mello, who knew every foot of it, led the way in the -_Fortuna_; the two cruisers, _Sorato_ and _Petrarch_, followed; the -gunboat _Rienzi_ was next, and the other battleship, _Saldanho_, -brought up the rear. The signal was made to clear for action; the men -were beat to quarters; the officers went to their posts, and the fleet, -assisted by a favourable tide, steamed slowly towards the entrance. - -The rebel gunners wasted no time in formalities. As the _Fortuna_ came -into the line of fire, two great bulges of smoke sprang from the -embrasures; the nine-inch guns of the seaward battery were discharged. -Both shells flew high and roared through the masts of the warship, who -increased her speed to seven knots and stood on her course followed by -her consorts. As each gun of the forts came to bear, it was fired, but -the aim was bad, and the projectiles ricochetted merrily over the -water, raising great fountains of spray, and it was not until the -leading ship had arrived at the entrance of the channel, that she was -struck. - -A heavy shell, charged with a high explosive, crashed into the -port-battery of the _Fortuna_, killing and wounding nearly sixty men, -as well as dismounting two out of the four guns. This roused the huge -machine; the forward turret revolved and, turning swiftly towards the -fort, brought its great twin guns to bear. Their discharge was almost -simultaneous, and the whole ship staggered with the violence of the -recoil. Both shells struck the fort and exploded on impact, smashing -the masonry to splinters and throwing heaps of earth into the air; but -the harm done was slight. Safe in their bomb-proofs, the rebel gunners -were exposed only to the danger of missiles entering the embrasures; -while such guns as fired from _barbette_ mountings were visible only at -the moment of discharge. - -Nevertheless the great ship began literally to spout flame in all -directions, and her numerous quick-firing guns searched for the -embrasures, sprinkling their small shells with prodigal rapidity. -Several of these penetrated, and the rebels began to lose men. As the -ships advanced, the cross-fire grew hotter, and each in succession -replied furiously. The cannonade became tremendous, the loud -explosions of the heavy guns being almost drowned by the incessant -rattle of the quick firers; the waters of the harbour were spotted all -over with great spouts of foam, while the clear air showed the white -smoke-puffs of the bursting shells. The main battery of the _Fortuna_ -was completely silenced. A second shell had exploded with a horrid -slaughter, and the surviving sailors had fled from the scene to the -armoured parts of the vessel; nor could their officers induce them to -return to that fearful shambles, where the fragments of their comrades -lay crushed between masses of senseless iron. The sides of the ships -were scored and torn all over, and the copious streams of water from -the scuppers attested the energy of the pumps. The funnel of the -_Fortuna_ had been shot off almost level with the deck, and the clouds -of black smoke floating across her quarters drove the gunners from the -stern-turret and from the after-guns. Broken, dismantled, crowded with -dead and dying, her vitals were still uninjured, and her captain, in -the conning tower, feeling that she still answered the helm, rejoiced -in his good fortune and held on his course. - -The cruiser _Petrarch_ had her steam steering-gear twisted and jammed -by a shell, and becoming unmanageable grounded on a sand-bank. The -forts, redoubling their fire, began to smash her to pieces. She -displayed a white flag and stopped firing: but of this no notice was -taken, and as the other ships dared not risk going ashore in helping -her, she became a wreck and blew up at three o'clock with a prodigious -report. - -The _Saldanho_, who suffered least and was very heavily armoured, -contrived to shelter the gunboat a good deal, and the whole fleet -passed the batteries after forty minutes' fighting and with a loss of -two hundred and twenty men killed and wounded, exclusive of the entire -crew of the _Petrarch_, who were all destroyed. The rebel loss was -about seventy, and the damage done to the forts was slight. But it was -now the turn of the sailors. The city of Laurania was at their mercy. - -The Admiral brought his ships to anchor five hundred yards from the -shore. He hoisted a flag of truce, and as all his boats had been -smashed in running the gauntlet, he signalled to the Custom-House that -he was anxious for a parley, and desired that an officer should be sent. - -After about an hour's delay, a launch put out from the jetty and ran -alongside the _Fortuna_. Two rebel officers in the uniform of the -Republican Militia, and with red sashes round their waists, came on -board. De Mello received them on his battered quarter-deck, with -extreme politeness. Rough sailor as he was, he had mixed with men of -many lands, and his manners were invariably improved by the proximity -of danger or the consciousness of power. "May I ask," he said, "to -what we are indebted for this welcome to our native city?" - -The senior of the two officers replied that the forts had not fired -till they were fired upon. The Admiral did not argue the point, but -asked what had happened in the city. On hearing of the Revolution and -of the death of the President, he was deeply moved. Like Sorrento, he -had known Molara for many years, and he was an honest, open-hearted -man. The officers continued that the Provisional Government would -accept his surrender and that of his ships, and would admit him and his -officers to honourable terms as prisoners of war. He produced the -authorisation of the Committee of Public Safety, signed by Savrola. - -De Mello somewhat scornfully requested him to be serious. - -The officer pointed out that the fleet in its battered condition could -not again run the gauntlet of the batteries and would be starved out. - -To this De Mello replied that the forts at the head of the harbour were -in like condition, as his guns now commanded both the approaches by the -military mole and the promontory. He also stated that he had six -weeks' provisions on board and added that he thought he had sufficient -ammunition. - -His advantage was not denied. "Undoubtedly, Sir," said the officer, -"it is in your power to render great services to the Provisional -Government and to the cause of Liberty and Justice." - -"At present," replied the Admiral dryly, "it is the cause of Justice -that appears to need my support." - -To that the officers could find no more to say than that they had -fought for a free Parliament and meant to have their way. - -The Admiral took a turn or two before replying. "My terms are these," -he said at last. "The leader of the conspiracy--this man, -Savrola--must be surrendered at once and stand his trial for murder and -rebellion. Until this has been done, I will not treat. Unless this is -done by six o'clock to-morrow morning, I shall bombard the town and -shall continue to do so until my terms are complied with." - -Both officers protested that this would be a barbarity, and hinted that -he would be made to answer for his shells. The Admiral declined to -discuss the matter or to consider other terms. As it was impossible to -move him, the officers returned to the shore in their launch. It was -now four o'clock. - -As soon as this _ultimatum_ was reported to the Committee of Public -Safety at the Mayoralty, something very like consternation ensued. The -idea of a bombardment was repugnant to the fat burgesses who had joined -the party of revolt so soon as it had become obvious that it was the -winning side. It was also distasteful to the Socialists who, however -much they might approve of the application of dynamite to others, did -not themselves relish the idea of a personal acquaintance with high -explosives. - -The officers related their interview and the Admiral's demands. - -"And if we refuse to comply?" inquired Savrola. - -"Then he will open fire at six o'clock to-morrow morning." - -"Well, Gentlemen, we shall have to grin and bear it. They will not -dare to shoot away all their ammunition, and so soon as they see that -we are determined, they will give in. Women and children will be safe -in the cellars, and it may be possible to bring some of the guns of the -forts to bear on the harbour." There was no enthusiasm. "It will be -an expensive game of bluff," he added. - -"There is a cheaper way," said a Socialist delegate from the end of the -table, significantly. - -"What do you propose?" asked Savrola looking hard at him; the man had -been a close ally of Kreutze. - -"I say that it would be cheaper if the leader of the revolt were to -sacrifice himself for the sake of Society." - -"That is your opinion; I will take the sense of the Committee on it." -There were cries of "No! No!" and "Shame!" from many present. Some -were silent; but it was evident that Savrola had the majority. "Very -well," he said acidly; "the Committee of Public Safety do not propose -to adopt the honourable member's suggestion. He is overruled,"--here -he looked hard at the man, who blenched,--"as he will frequently be -among people of civilised habits." - -Another man got up from the end of the long table. "Look here," he -said roughly; "if our city is at their mercy, we have hostages. We -have thirty of these popinjays who fought us this morning; let us send -and tell the Admiral that we shall shoot one for every shell he fires." - -There was a murmur of assent. Many approved of the proposal, because -they thought that it need never be carried into execution, and all -wanted to prevent the shells. Savrola's plan, however wise, was -painful. It was evident that the new suggestion was a popular one. - -"It is out of the question," said Savrola. - -"Why?" asked several voices. - -"Because, Sirs, these officers surrendered to terms, and because the -Republic does not butcher innocent men." - -"Let us divide upon it," said the man. - -"I protest against a division. This is not a matter of debate or of -opinion; it is a matter of right and wrong." - -"Nevertheless I am for voting." - -"And I," "And I," "And I," shouted many voices. - -The voting went forward. Renos supported Savrola on legal grounds; the -case of the officers was now _sub judice_, so he said. Godoy -abstained. The majority in favour of the proposal was twenty-one to -seventeen. - -The count of hands was received with cheering. Savrola shrugged his -shoulders. "It is impossible that this can go on. Are we become -barbarians in a morning?" - -"There is an alternative," said Kreutze's friend. - -"There is, Sir; an alternative that I should gladly embrace before this -new plan was carried out. But," in a low menacing tone, "the people -will be invited to pronounce an opinion first, and I may have an -opportunity of showing them their real enemies and mine." - -The man made no reply to the obvious threat; like all the others he -stood in considerable awe of Savrola's power with the mob and of his -strong dominating character. The silence was broken by Godoy, who said -that the matter had been settled by the Committee. A note was -therefore drafted and despatched to the Admiral, informing him that the -military prisoners would be shot should he bombard the city. After -further discussion the Committee broke up. - -Savrola remained behind, watching the members move slowly away talking -as they went. Then he rose and entered the small room he had used as -his office. His spirits were low. Slight as it was, his wound hurt -him; but worse than that, he was conscious that there were hostile -influences at work; he was losing his hold over the Party. While -victory was still in the balance he had been indispensable; now they -were prepared to go on alone. He thought of all he had gone through -that day; the terrible scene of the night, the excitement and anxiety -while the fighting was going on, the strange experience in the square, -and, last of all, this grave matter. His mind, however, was made up. -He knew enough of De Mello to guess what his answer would be. "They -are soldiers," he would say; "they must give their lives if necessary. -No prisoner should allow his friends to be compromised on his account. -They should not have surrendered." When the bombardment began he could -imagine fear turning to cruelty, and the crowd carrying out the threat -that their leaders had made. Whatever happened, the affair could not -be allowed to continue. - -He rang the bell. "Ask the Secretary to come here," he said to the -attendant. The man departed, and in a few moments returned with -Miguel. "What officer has charge of the prison?" - -"I don't think the officials have been altered; they have taken no part -in the Revolution." - -"Well, write an order to the Governor to send the prisoners of war, the -military officers taken this afternoon, in closed carriages to the -railway station. They must be there at ten o'clock to-night." - -"Are you going to release them?" asked Miguel opening his eyes. - -"I am going to send them to a place of security," answered Savrola -ambiguously. - -Miguel began to write the order without further comment. Savrola took -the telephone off the table and rang up the railway-station. "Tell the -traffic-manager to come and speak to me. Are you there?--The President -of the Executive Committee of the Council of Public Safety--do you -hear? Have a special train,--accommodation for thirty--ready to start -at ten p.m. Clear the line to the frontier,--yes,--right to the -frontier." - -Miguel looked up from his writing quickly, but said nothing. Although -he had deserted the President when he saw that he was ruined and his -cause lost, he hated Savrola with a genuine hatred. An idea came into -his head. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -LIFE'S COMPENSATIONS. - -Much had happened, though but a few hours had passed since Savrola left -his house to hurry to the Mayoralty. The deep and intricate -conspiracy, which had been growing silently and in secret for so many -months, had burst on the world's stage and electrified the nations. -All Europe had learned with amazement of the sudden and terrible -convulsion that in a few hours had overthrown the Government which had -existed for five years in Laurania. In the fighting that had raged -throughout the ninth of September upwards of fourteen hundred persons -had been killed and wounded. The damage done to property had been -enormous. The Senate-House was in flames; the palace had been -destroyed; both, together with many shops and private houses, had been -looted by the mob and the mutineers. Fires were still smouldering in -several parts of the city; in many homes there were empty places and -weeping women; in the streets the ambulances and municipal carts were -collecting the corpses. It had been a momentous day in the annals of -the State. - -And all through the terrible hours Lucile had waited, listening to the -sound of the musketry, which, sometimes distant and fitful, sometimes -near and sustained, suggested the voice of a wrathful giant, now sunk -in sulky grumblings, now raised in loud invective. She had listened in -sorrow and suspense, till it was lost in the appalling din of the -cannonade. At intervals, between the bathos of the material -consolations of the old nurse,--soup, custards, and the like--she had -prayed. Until four o'clock, when she had received a message from -Savrola acquainting her with the tragedy at the palace, she had not -dared to add a name to her appeals; but thenceforward she implored a -merciful Providence to save the life of the man she loved. Molara she -did not mourn: terrible and cruel as was his death, she could not feel -she had suffered loss; but the idea that he had been killed on her -account filled her heart with a dreadful fear of guilt. If that were -so, she said to herself, one barrier was removed only to be replaced by -another. But the psychologist might cynically aver that force and -death were the only obstacles that would restrain her affection for -Savrola, for above all she prayed for his return, that she might not be -left alone in the world. - -Her love seemed all that was left to her now, but with it life was more -real and strongly coloured than in the cold days at the palace amid -splendour, power, and admiration. She had found what she had lacked, -and so had he. With her it was as if the rising sunbeam had struck the -rainbow from the crystal prism, or flushed the snow peak with rose, -orange, and violet. With Savrola, in the fierce glow of love the -steady blue-white fires of ambition had become invisible. The human -soul is subjected to many refining agents in the world's crucible. He -was sensible of a change of mood and thought; no longer would he wave -his hat at Fate; to his courage he had now added caution. From the -moment when he had seen that poor, hideous figure lying on the steps of -the palace, he had felt the influence of other forces in his life. -Other interests, other hopes, other aspirations had entered his mind. -He searched for different ideals and a new standard of happiness. - -Very worn and very weary he made his way to his rooms. The strain of -the preceding twenty-four hours had been tremendous, and the anxieties -which he felt for the future were keen. The step he had taken in -overruling the Council and sending the prisoners into foreign territory -was one the results of which he could not quite estimate. It was, he -was convinced, the only course; and for the consequences he did not -greatly care, so far as he himself was concerned. He thought of -Moret,--poor, brave, impetuous Moret, who would have set the world -right in a day. The loss of such a friend had been a severe one to -him, privately and politically. Death had removed the only -disinterested man, the only one on whom he could lean in the hour of -need. A sense of weariness, of disgust with struggling, of desire for -peace filled his soul. The object for which he had toiled so long was -now nearly attained and it seemed of little worth, of little -comparative worth, that is to say, beside Lucile. - -As a Revolutionist he had long made such arrangements with his property -as to make sure of a competence in another land, if he had to fly -Laurania; and a strong wish to leave that scene of strife and carnage -and to live with the beautiful woman who loved him took possession of -his mind. It was, however, his first duty to establish a government in -the place of that he had overthrown. Yet when he reflected on the -cross-grained delegates, the mean pandering crowd of office-seekers, -the weak, distrustful, timid colleagues, he hardly felt that he cared -to try; so great was the change that a few hours had worked in this -determined and aspiring man. - -Lucile rose to meet him as he entered. Fate had indeed driven them -together, for she had no other hope in life, nor was there anyone to -whom she could turn for help. Yet she looked at him with terror. - -His quick mind guessed her doubt. "I tried to save him," he said; "but -I was too late, though I was wounded in taking a short cut there." - -She saw his bandaged arm, and looked at him with love. "Do you despise -me very much?" she asked. - -"No," he replied; "I would not marry a goddess." - -"Nor I," she said, "a philosopher." - -Then they kissed each other, and thenceforward their relationship was -simple. - -But in spite of the labours of the day Savrola had no time for rest. -There was much to do, and, like all men who have to work at a terrible -pressure for a short period, he fell back on the resources of medicine. -He went to a little cabinet in the corner of the room and poured -himself out a potent drug, something that would dispense with sleep and -give him fresh energy and endurance. Then he sat down and began to -write orders and instructions and to sign the pile of papers he had -brought with him from the Mayoralty. Lucile, seeing him thus employed, -betook herself to her room. - -It was about one o'clock in the morning when there came a ringing at -the bell. Savrola, mindful of the old nurse, ran down and opened the -door himself. Tiro, in plain clothes, entered. "I have come to warn -you," he said. - -"Of what?" - -"Someone has informed the Council that you have released the prisoners. -They have summoned an urgency meeting. Do you think you can hold them?" - -"The devil!" said Savrola pensively. Then after a pause he added, "I -will go and join them." - -"There are stages laid by road to the frontier," said the Subaltern. -"The President made me arrange them in case he should wish to send Her -Excellency away. If you decide to give up the game you can escape by -these; they will hold them to my warrant." - -"No," said Savrola. "It is good of you to think of it; but I have -saved this people from tyranny and must now try to save them from -themselves." - -"You have saved the lives of my brother-officers," said the boy; "you -can count on me." - -Savrola looked at him and an idea struck him. "These relays were -ordered to convey Her Excellency to neutral territory; they had better -be so used. Will you conduct her?" - -"Is she in this house?" inquired the Subaltern. - -"Yes," said Savrola bluntly. - -Tiro laughed; he was not in the least scandalised. "I am beginning to -learn more politics every day," he said. - -"You wrong me," said Savrola; "but will you do as I ask?" - -"Certainly, when shall I start?" - -"When can you?" - -"I will bring the travelling-coach round in half-an-hour." - -"Do," said Savrola. "I am grateful to you. We have been through -several experiences together." - -They shook hands warmly, and the Subaltern departed to get the carriage. - -Savrola went up-stairs and, knocking at Lucile's door, informed her of -the plan. She implored him to come with her. - -"Indeed I wish I could," he said; "I am sick of this; but I owe it to -them to see it out. Power has little more attraction for me. I will -come as soon as things are settled, and we can then be married and live -happily ever afterwards." - -But neither his cynical chaff nor arguments prevailed. She threw her -arms round his neck and begged him not to desert her. It was a sore -trial. At last with an aching heart he tore himself away, put on his -hat and coat, and started for the Mayoralty. - -The distance was about three quarters of a mile. He had accomplished -about half of this when he met a patrol of the rebel forces under an -officer. They called on him to halt. He pulled his hat down over his -eyes, not wishing for the moment to be recognised. The officer stepped -forward. It was the wounded man to whom Savrola had entrusted the -escorting of the prisoners after the surrender of the palace. - -"How far are we away from the Plaza San Marco?" he asked in a loud -voice. - -"It is there," said Savrola pointing. "Twenty-third Street is the -number." - -The rebel knew him at once. "March on," he said to his men, and the -patrol moved off. "Sir," he added to Savrola, in the low, quick voice -of a man in moments of resolve, "I have a warrant from the Council for -your arrest. They will deliver you to the Admiral. Fly, while there -is time. I will take my men by a roundabout way, which will give you -twenty minutes. Fly; it may cost me dear, but we are comrades; you -said so." He touched Savrola's wounded arm. Then louder to the -patrol: "Turn down that street to the right: we had better get out of -the main thoroughfare; he may sneak off by some lane or other." Then -again to Savrola: "There are others coming, do not delay;" and with -that he hurried after his men. Savrola paused for a moment. To go on -was imprisonment, perhaps death; to return, meant safety and Lucile. -Had it been the preceding day, he would have seen the matter out; but -his nerves had been strained for many hours,--and nothing stood between -them now. He turned and hurried back to his house. - -The travelling-coach stood at the door. The Subaltern had helped -Lucile, weeping, into it. Savrola called to him. "I have decided to -go," he said. - -"Capital!" replied Tiro. "Leave these pigs to cut each other's -throats; they will come to their senses presently." - -So they started, and as they toiled up the long ascent of the hills -behind the city, it became daylight. - -"Miguel denounced you," said the Subaltern; "I heard it at the -Mayoralty. I told you he would let you in. You must try and get quits -with him some day." - -"I never waste revenge on such creatures," replied Savrola; "they are -their own damnation." - -At the top of the hill the carriage stopped, to let the panting horses -get their wind. Savrola opened the door and stepped out. Four miles -off, and it seemed far below him, lay the city he had left. Great -columns of smoke rose from the conflagrations and hung, a huge black -cloud in the still clear air of the dawn. Beneath the long rows of -white houses could be seen the ruins of the Senate, the gardens, and -the waters of the harbour. The warships lay in the basin, their guns -trained upon the town. The picture was a terrible one; to this pass -had the once beautiful city been reduced. - -A puff of white smoke sprang from a distant ironclad, and after a while -the dull boom of a heavy gun was heard. Savrola took out his watch; it -was six o'clock; the Admiral had kept his appointment with scrupulous -punctuality. The forts, many of whose guns had been moved during the -night to the landward side, began to reply to the fire of the ships, -and the cannonade became general. The smoke of other burning houses -rose slowly to join the black, overhanging cloud against which the -bursting shells showed white with yellow flashes. - -"And that," said Savrola after prolonged contemplation, "is my life's -work." - -A gentle hand touched his arm. He turned and saw Lucile standing by -him. He looked at her in all her beauty, and felt that after all he -had not lived in vain. - - -Those who care to further follow the annals of the Republic of Laurania -may read how, after the tumults had subsided, the hearts of the people -turned again to the illustrious exile who had won them freedom, and -whom they had deserted in the hour of victory. They may, scoffing at -the fickleness of men, read of the return of Savrola and his beautiful -consort, to the ancient city he had loved so well. They may learn how -Lieutenant Tiro was decorated for his valour in the war with the little -bronze Lauranian Cross which is respected all over the world; of how he -led the Lancers' polo team to England according to his desire, and -defeated the Amalgamated Millionaires in the final match for the Open -Cup; of how he served the Republic faithfully with honour and success -and rose at last to the command of the army. Of the old nurse, indeed, -they will read no more, for history does not concern itself with such. -But they may observe that Godoy and Renos both filled offices in the -State suited to their talents, and that Savrola bore no malice to -Miguel, who continued to enjoy good-fortune as a compensation for his -mean and odious character. - -But the chronicler, finding few great events, other than the opening of -colleges, railways, and canals, to recount, will remember the splendid -sentence of Gibbon, that history is "little more than the register of -the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind"; and he will rejoice -that, after many troubles, peace and prosperity came back to the -Republic of Laurania. - - - - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Savrola, by Winston Spencer Churchill - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SAVROLA *** - -***** This file should be named 50906-8.txt or 50906-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/9/0/50906/ - -Produced by Al Haines -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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