[Eine grosse Dame.] A Great Lady. A novel [Translated] By Mrs M. B. Harrison

Chapter I

In a spacious cornerroom, on the second story of the Z — chen Palace, in Warsaw, at; the beginning of the Carnival of 1863, sat three young women around a table, zealously sewing by the light of a hanging lamp, the rays of which descended upon the workers and the rich fabrics in their skilful hands. Upon the old-fashioned inlaid-floor linen cloths were spread, and over them flowed wide ripples of satin, velvet and lace, in heterogeneous variegation. A large dark stove of Dutch tiles spread a comfortable warmth through the apartment, which, for the rest, was scantily furnished, and had but little comfort to boast of. It was obviously a servant's room ; the dark red curtains before the deep window recesses showed distinct traces of long use ; the table above-mentioned, some straw chairs, a plain chest of drawers, with a Russian holy image above it, such as the nuns in the cloisters offer for a few kopecks, and a large basket i with billets of wood, represented the entire furniture — to which the old embossed and gilded leather hangings on the walls, though stained in many places with spots of damp and grease, offered a striking eontrast.

From the street resounded the noise of the passing vehicles which were hurrying to the theatre close by ; and the bustle of the High Street rose muffled to the windows, which now and again were illumined by the yellow-red glare of a watchfire which merrily crackled in the courtyard of the palace. ' Hurry up, Saschinka,' said the eldest of the three girls, in an extraordinarily foreign accent, to a young Russian who was zealously occupied in covering buttons with mauve satin ; ' in two hours everything must be ready; at nine o'clock precisely the gracious countess is going to try on the dress and domino.' ' Yes, yes, Mademoiselle Juliette,' replied the little blonde abigail, with ready willingness, and her pretty fingers flew still more nimbly than before ; then suc ceeded a space of noiseless silence, scarcely broken bv the rustle of the silken fabrics and drawing through of the thread.

Mademoiselle Juliette, the head hudy's-maid of the Countess P , was a Parisian, tall, elegant, some what thin, with a rather interesting face, and clever but cold eyes. She clothed herself always with the most delicate care ; in all Warsaw was no one better dressed than she, except perhaps her mistress, the young and beautiful Countess P , who had taken her clever hands and her genius into her service. Saschinka, the young Russian, was a blooming, rosy quondam serf from the estates of the Count P , with long blonde plaits and dark blue eyes. In her scanty black dress and snowy-white bib-apron she looked like a pretty nun who was there by mistake. The third person in the room, now busily employed in tacking a wide lace border to the domino, was a young lady from German Poland, by name Wilhelmina — or Mincia, as she was known in the house — who had the superintendence of the countess's linen.

She might be about twenty-one or two years old, and was tall and stately. She had regular and pen sive features, and was generally very silent and reserved. She gave out that she was a descendant of an old noble family, which had been brought to beggary through the Poles, and lost no opportunity of expressing her hatred for every member of that nation. ' Just listen ! what can be the matter again there below V suddenly said Mademoiselle Juliette, letting her work fall on her lap, and looking towards the window. ' Who knows ? we live in unquiet times !' answered Mincia, without looking up or paying any further attention to the noise and tramping of horses' feet. ' A lie Heiligen ! that is true ; we live in bad times,' echoed Saschinka, looking upwards to the stucco of the ceiling, with an expression of anxiety and fear, as if she sought protection from above. ' How can one be thinking of masquerades and balls !

In the morning, murder and homicide ; in the evening, the theatre and dancing !' 'Hush — sh, petite, you might be overheard,' ad- 1—2 monished Mademoiselle Juliette, holding up her finger. What good would it do if all the world moaned, and clothed itself in sackcloth and ashes in advance of Ash-Wednesday? — it would alter nothing — cesPolonais sont comme les betes fe'roces !' These last words she spoke low, more as if to herself than the others Immediately after she rose and walked to the window, for the noise below rose to intensity ; the linen superintendent also stood up and looked out of the other window ; then Saschinka joined her, so that all three of them left their work in the lurch for a moment, in order to see what was taking place outside. Beneath, in the vast court, which an iron railing divided from the street, burned a large fire, which lighted up the wide space, in conjunction with two pitchpots beside the entrance gates, with its flickering ruddy glare.

The glow of the flames illumined the lean coupled together grey mares of the Turkish guard, standing along the wall with their high saddle-trappings and long pendant muskets : with turbans on their heads, and wrapped up in their sheep-skins, the sons of the Caucasus lay, or sat with their legs doubled under, upon straw and rugs around the fire. Some slept, some were eating and drinking, but the greater number stared into the flames, smoking in a half state between sleeping and waking. Before the entrance gate was drawn up the state carriage of the general, which was to conduct him to the opera; a picket Cossack, with his long lance on his arm, waited behind on horseback, ready to accompany the equipage, if the general did not e*xpressly forbid this escort. All these things, to the three girls, were perfectly customary phenomena : a strong watch lay below there day and night, since the insurrection fermented; the general's carriage likewise waited often for hours in the yard, but what especially drew the eyes of the abigails, and the crowd which stared through the railing, from the street, was a small peasant vehicle which, laden with prisoners, and accompanied by a picket of hussar guards ccmmanded by an officer, was drawn up side ways in the court.

The bringing in of this prisoner cortege, the pressing of the crowd, threats, curses, words of command, and the trample of so many horses ■ — all this together made such a noise that the whole house seemed to be on its legs, for at every window dark shadows showed themselves, looking down into the yard. ' Those must be people of consequence lying there in the wagon, else they would have been taken immediately to the citadel, instead of here to the palace,' said Mademoiselle Juliette, stariDg down with her black eyes. ' Mein Gott ! so much fuss about a few Polish Jews, said Mincia, shrugging her shoulders, and turning to leave the window. ' Those are no Jews, mademoiselle ; they are Catholic clergy, if my eyes clo not deceive me. There, look at the round hats and the smooth-shaven faces,' replied Saschinka ; ' what could they have done, poor men ? — they are bound with ropes !' ' Plotted, probably,' said the German Pole coldly, turning again to the window ; then she laid both hands edgeways against her temples, and out of this im promptu frame gazed down upon the little vehicle.

If any one beside her had been able to look at her face, they would have noticed how firmly her little teeth were pressed together, how her eyes glowed darkly, while her bosom heaved passionately, and tears glittered on her eye-lashes. 'There come Baron Mengden and Principe Mussa down the stairs— it must be a capture of great import ance that they have made,' said Juliette animatedly ; ' do you see, both have gone to the wagon and are speaking with the poor devils.' ' Who is this Baron Mengden, mademoiselle ?' in quired Mincia; T hear his name mentioned for the first time.' ' Don't you know that ? Since yesterday he is the general's assistant aide-de-camp, in place of Apraxin, who returned to St. Petersburg last week — a handsome man, is he not, mademoiselle ? Just look how paltry the little yellow principe appears beside him !' ' Quite a handsome man, as far as I am able to discern,' answered Mincia, in her usual cold manner.

There below lay, in the meantime, upon a heap of straw in the small peasant wagon, two clergymen and a Polish noble. The deep mud on the wheels, and the wan, pain-drawn faces, proved that they had had a miserable journey. While the escort of hussars stood beside their horses, trying to warm themselves by stamping and throwing their arms to and fro, the bound men were conversing with each other softly in the Polish language. At this moment the aide-de-camp of the general, a stately young man in red hussar uniform, and the Principe Mussa, Colonel of the Turkish Body-Guards, stepped up to the wagon, followed by a man in dark fur with a military collar. This was the auditor, who put some short questions to the prisoners, and then, after turning to the two officers and exchanging a few words with them, the hussars again threw themselves into their saddles, the vehicle began to move slowly away, and drove off with its convoy to the citadel.

Immediately after the general appeared on the perron, entered his carriage and rumbled away, with his Cossack attached, to the theatre, while Baron Mengden and the principe re-entered the palace. In the courtyard a comparative quiet succeeded. Only the Turkish picket were there now, camped noiselessly around the fire ; sometimes one of the horses snorted, sometimes the flames crackled when the wind raked them, otherwise all was still; the crowd, too, had left the windows — the night was bitterly cold. The tln*ee girls sat down again to their work, Mincia silent and gloomy, the two others softly con versing. Thus an hour passed away. The domino was ready, and h ung over a chair-back ; it was of black satin, with black velvet bows, glittering with jet and over flowing with lace; the lilac dress was approaching quickly towards completion.

The door opened and a stout jolly-looking woman, with broad face, little stumpy turned-up nose, and small good-natured eyes, pushed herself into the room. ' Alle Heiligen, girls, what industry!' she cried, waddling up to the table ; ' almost everything ready, and how beautiful ! How they will set batuschka* * ' Little mother,' pet name for the house-mistress. off! My darling— blood of my soul !— how you will shine, like a princess as you are !' She touched the stuff carefully with her fat hands, she bent over it critically, stepping first on one side, then the other, nodding her head complacently, and began anew to praise the work and industry of the girls. ' Oh, you are a real enchantress, Juliette ! You can do ever}*thing/ she continued, ' but this time j*ou have surpassed yourself.' ' The gracious countess,' replied mademoiselle, fawn ingly, ' will enchant the whole world to-morrow, as usual, will she not, Annuschka ?' ' Yes, that she will !

But, mein Gott ! Sascha Pawlowna, child, how you are looking ! Your cheeks are glowing like fire ; you have overworked yourself. Only wait now, my pet, you shall get your tea imme diately ; you must be hungry, you girls — I'm going — going !' with which Annuschka waddled out of the door again. The dress also was ready; Mademoiselle Juliette took it upon her arm with the domino, and went down to the countess, in order to try it on. Then came the tea, with preserves and cold meat ; the table was laid and the evening meal quickly despatched. ' Is there anything more for me to do V inquired Mincia, yawning. ' I am tired, and would like to go to rest.' ' No, my little soul, go to bed,' said Annuschka, good-naturedly, and Mincia went; Saschiuka also followed soon after. Annuschka remained alone with Mademoiselle Juliette.

A.nnuschka was the nurse of the young, twenty year-old Countess P , wife of the general, who was army-commandant in Warsaw. She was the principal person in the palace, with whom every one tried to keep on the best possible footing, for she had great influence over the young countess. She shared this a little with Mademoiselle Juliette, who, through her cleverness and handiness, had made herself indispens able to her mistress in toilet matters, so that the latter overlooked the fact that the elegant abigail passed for tbe mistress of her fifty-six-year-old husband. These two persons knew and respected their mutual influence, with that instinctive tact and pliancy which women endowed with mother-wit frequently know how to use in a dependent position. The maid was working still at a dark silk dress, yet no longer for the countess, but for herself; the nurse wrote down in a small book the daily disbursements, and attended now and then to the fire.

Outside ten struck from the town clock-towers ; the streets were deserted and empty, for from nine o'clock no person was allowed to go out without a lantern, else they were seized by the patrol and dragged off to the guard-house. ' Ten o'clock — what should you say douschka, my darling, to a little heart strengthener ? — the water boils.' The nurse rose, and looked over at the French woman sharply with her little light eyes. The latter agreed by a nod, and the nurse went out. Mademoiselle Juliette looked after her dreamily, evidently occupied with her own thoughts. Suddenly she laid down her work on the table, and walked quickly to the window : the general with his escort had just driven into the courtyard, the guard presented arms, the door was thrown open, the carriage stopped, and Count P descended from the carriage, assisted by his first aide-de-camp. ' God be praised !' murmured Mademoiselle Juliette, ' that the day has passed without an accident — I had such a weight on my heart.

The count is hated because he is strict and energetic. I know that a mass of cruelties are laid to his account, but quite wrongfully — he is severe, but just. Bah ! as far as these beasts of Poles are concerned, these assassins, there is but one course left for the canaille. I would like to bring them to reason, if I were a man.' Her eyes gleamed during this monologue, and her brows were contracted into a dark frown. 'There again yesterday poor Mursin was stabbed in the back in the open street, the cowardly scoundrels ! — pauvre garcon, I got so many nice gold pieces from him. Yesterday well, and to-day cold and stiff' ' What are you talking about there, my little heart V inquired the nurse, who, with a great bowl full of punch and two glasses, had just re-entered, and caught the last words of this soliloqu}*.

T was just thinking of poor Mursin, Annuschka, who was struck down yesterday by the Hotel de V Europe — you were acquainted with him too.' ' Yes, nasty times — heavy times, poor Mursin ! The Holy Host stand by us, and nry patron-saint, the blessed Cyprianus. Ah ! what a number of threatening letters have come into the house again to-day. The porter told me this afternoon. Placards are posted once more at all the corners. Well, they were immediately torn down again. Yes, how uneasy our side must be day and night.' ' We live here literally on a volcano — every day it may break out,' answered the abigail, stirring the sugar in her glass ; ' who can know how long God may still grant one life ? Only think, Annuschka, if any thing should happen to our count, which God forbid ! I tremble at the idea !

Our poor lady !' Quick as thought, at these words, the nurse gave a penetrating look at Mademoiselle Juliette with her sharp little eyes. 'May heaven prevent anything so frightful!' she then said, rather composedly, taking a sip at her glass. ' Well, if it came to the worst, Katherina Alexandrowna, my dove, gets her twelve thousand roubles pension — she told me so herself. On that we can both live. We would take the baroness mother and withdraw to St. Petersburg, and go travelling, or marry again as soon as the year of mourning was up. God knows what comes — one must prepare one's self.' With that she folded her fat hands in resignation over her apron.

Both stared before them for awhile, occupied with their own thoughts. 'Lay your work aside, little heart, or you will spoil your fine eyes,' broke out the nurse again, good naturedly ; ' better drink another little drop and smoke a papyrus — it's real Turkish tobacco — good Gilbecki, belonged to Prince Apraxin — take it.' The abigail drank a gulp and lighted the cigarette; the nurse sat opposite, with her hands comfortably crossed over her apron, and blew thick clouds of smoke before her. 'Tell me, nurse,' began the Frenchwoman, after a while, ' now that we are talking so confidentially to gether to-day, I have been already over two years with the countess — she was then just eighteen years old, and was on her honeymoon journey — how was it, really, that so young and beautiful a lady as she came to marry a man of fifty-six, who, according to the common run of opinion, would be called ugly rather than good-looking !' ' Yes, how it came !' rejoined the nurse, drinking her glass empty, and again looking piercingly in the abigail's face. ' See — really I ought not to talk about it — I am no chatterbox, but I don't mind telling you.

The baroness-mother, you must know, had once a fine widow's dowry from her blessed man, the father of Katherina Alexandrowna. We lived then in Mittau, and later in Moscow. The baroness, you see, was a very handsome woman, and, on that account the house was always full of officers and cavaliers. It was believed that she would marry again, but she could never rightly make up her mind to decide ; the unrestricted life — you understand me — pleased her better. Yes, whoever may blame her for it, with us it went cheerily, amidst feasting, dancing, and skirmish ing ! Gott ! those were merry times ! But, you see, mademoiselle, the money did not hold out — we had debts, and we were dunned on eveiy side. The baroness withdrew at last to Riga, only to get rid of the unceasing worry ; there we got acquainted with the general.

First he courted the mother, and it was reported she would not say " No." Just think, then, of our fright when he one day formally proposed, not for the baroness, but the child. We were all three thunderstruck. To cut the matter short, the general was rich and liberal ; twelve thousand roubles widow's dowry he settled at once on the child, if she consented, besides the rest. Neither weeping nor struggling availed aught ; on the third day she said " Yes," and in six weeks the marriage followed. Between ourselves, Katherina Alexandrowna has never repented to this day that she became his wife. Our graf is very nice — you ought to know that.' 'Yery gentil, that he is!' rejoined the abigail assentingly. ' There is no gallanter cavalier than he ; he allows batuschka freedom enough, and rarely torments her with jealousy.

Gott ! such a young little bird likes to try its wings ! But there's eleven o'clock striking ; well, good-night, I must go down and put her to bed. The saints send you pleasant dreams !' ' Good-night, nurse !'

Chapter II

Exactly as the town-clocks were striking ten, a man with a lantern passed before the Z — chen Palace, remained for a second stationary at about the middle of the railing, and let his eyes, from beneath his otter cap, travel scrutinisingly over the wide fagade of the building ; then he raised the lantern once as high as his head and went his way. About a hundred steps behind the palace a patrol called out a commanding 'Hoy!' The man in fur stepped up to the under officer in command and gave the pass-word, ' Cyrill,' whereupon the latter muttered, 'Paschol,' and rode on. The man with the lantern now walked quickly along the dark side-walk, keeping as closely as possible to the houses ; now and then he stopped, and, with a dexterity which showed long practice, pasted grey printed proclamations on the buildings; then he slipped into a side-street, looked round for a moment to see that he was not followed, and disappeared in an alley.

He softly knocked twice in a peculiar manner on a window-shutter low to the ground, upon which some one immediately opened the door and gave him admittance. In the confined, overheated room, the mysterious person set his lantern on the floor, and relieving him self of his cap and a false beard, inquired of the old man who had opened the door : ' Nothing new, Jan V ' Here is a letter, Pan Winiewski, and Constantine Balewski is in the back room with a gentleman who speaks French ; they have been waiting for you an hour already,' replied the old man, with a servility that denoted the servant. Pan Winiewski, a short, square-built man of about thirty, with curly hair, energetic head, and piercing, grey eagle-eyes, broke open the envelope, placed the lantern beside him on the table, and began to read.

His bold, sharply-cut profile was thrown out in strong relief against the light. When he had finished, he tore up the writing and threw it into the stove, watching the flames till they had flared up for a moment and reduced it to ashes. Then he left the room, proceeded through a narrow passage, opened a closet which contained all sorts of kitchen utensils, and pressed a hidden spring. The wooden rack, with its whole contents, turned noise lessly on a hinge, revealing a door in the wall. This Winiewski pushed open, and stood immediately in the presence of two men, who, in a small but tolerably well-furnished room, were sitting on the sofa smoking, and drinking Hungarian wine. Both rose with alacrity, advanced to meet him, and shook his hands heartily. ' Good evening, Constantine ; good evening, dearest friend.

God be praised that you are here again, safe and sound, Michael Buzlawski !' The latter words were addressed to a man of tall and elegant figure, with dark, closely-cut hair, and thick beard and moustachios, whose dress bore obvious traces of having just come off a journey. In fact, Michael Buzlawski had come direct from Paris by the railway with a false passport as a wine merchant, being a messenger of the secret revolu tionary committee there. He brought money and im portant despatches. The men's first greeting was extremely cordial, then they all seated themselves round the small table and touched glasses.* ' Once more, Michael, God be praised that you are here sound in body and mind! I have had many a sleepless night on your account,' said Stanislaus Wi- * A Continental custom in drinking health. niewski, holding out his hand warmly again to the returned traveller. ' What news do you bring us ?' ' According to human foresight everything is going on most favourably,' replied the latter, returning the. hand-pressure. ' I bring money, and there is actual prospect of a powerful intervention on the side of the party favourable to our cause in Paris and London ; the Government, too, will be properly worked, and the press is doing its part.

However, I cannot relate all that to 3*ou in a few words, my dear Stanislaus, and I am too tired from the journey. Let me revel for a moment in the delight of being in the dear Fatherland once more, in the company of old friends. How sweet it is to stand again on the ground which gave us life ! the cradle of our infancy, and the playground of our childish j*ears ! Semper Polonia !' he cried, in a raised but unsteady voice. His chest heaved, and his handsome dark eyes lightened with a brilliancy which was almost too damp for masculine orbs. ' Semper Polonia !' The glasses clinked, and were emptied to the last drop. ' And how did you fare on the journey ? Did vou get through without a struggle V O o oo ' Oh, that was really a laughable coined}'- ; forgive me, Constantine, if I relate my adventures for the second time.

I procured myself a passport as wine merchant Dufour, of Paris, and started by the express train on Saturday for Berlin. There at the hotel I met Brodowski, who gave me instructions, and in formed me at the same time that the servant of one of the foreign officers staying in Warsaw carried de patches almost every week between here and Berlin dressed as a harmless bourgeois. He was to leave at eleven o'clock on Monday evening. I resolved to wayhry him on the road, and if possible, obtain his despatches, in case he really had any. The deed fol lowed the thought. At Kreuz I placed myself beside him in the carriage and cultivated his acquaintance. When we reached Bromberg, we were already the best of friends. He related to me in good faith that he was travelling under a false passport, for the railway was frequently searched through and made unsafe by the koschineurs, who had even occasionally torn up the rails, etc, otherwise the Poles were not so bad as they were represented in Warsaw, and if I liked, he would help me through in case anything happened to us. ' At eight o'clock in the morning we arrived at Alexandrowna.

The whole railway station was sur rounded by the Russian military. My heart bled to see the grey cloaks and stupid faces of the Muscovites here at the gates of Poland ! We were very thoroughly searched, and I had great trouble to smuggle through my little revolver and a dagger. My travelling com panion appeared here at least to be very well known, everywhere he had friendly words to exchange and a few dirty hands to press, and, to his honour, I must testify that he favoured me with his full protection, as he promised, and regaled me besideswith all the reports which were circulating through the waiting-rooms and bureaux. It was said that a detachment of kossyniers had destroyed the railway at Bloklaweck. In consequence of this report, telegrams were passing con tinually backwards and forwards, and instead of starting at nine o'clock, it was eleven when we got off.

Half a company of infantry escorted the train, and an under-officer and two men with loaded muskets sat on the engine. Arrived at Bloklaweck we had again a long delay, and found the station full of soldiers once more. ' Looking out of the window, I perceived a con ductor who wore the confederation sign. I addressed him. Though rather mistrustful at first, he soon recognised whom he had before him, and promised me to make it his care that I should remain alone in the coupe with my officer's-servant. At four o'clock we left Kutno, and when we arrived at Scierniewice it was night. We were obliged, as before, to wait a longtime — it was reported a division of two hundred and fifty men under Demko was close by. At last we started again. Now it was high time to carry out my sudden attack. Softly I took my revolver between my knees, drew my dagger, and, after I had asked pardon beforehand of my good and unsuspecting travelling comrade for my impolite request, I demanded his des patches sans fagon. ' You should have seen his crestfallen face and the reproaches he made me when he was able to regain his speech !

I can't help laughing heartily still when I think of it. ' Under other circumstances the honest true-hearted language of the fellow would have softened iny heart, and I actually lowered myself to beg his pardon anew for my evil deed— in short, by fair means or foul, he at last gave up his papers, then leant back silently in his corner, and was so angry that lie would not speak another word to me — I had wronged him too much. ' Arrived at Warsaw, I took his word of honour not to follow me, and went on to the suburb of Praga in order to destroy all trace ; I got out there with my nerves on the strain, and came here by circuitous ways — et a present me voilu. 'Unfortunately those papers contain, with the ex ception of a letter in cypher, only private letters of no consequence ; but there remains this secret writing to be unravelled and reward the trouble.' Across the earnest face of Winiewski flitted the shadow of a smile, then he looked at his watch, rose quickly, and said, holding out his hand to Buzlawski : ' I shall see you to-morrow, Michael — be here at nine o'clock ; now important business calls me.