Princess Zara

by Ross Beeckman

  CHAPTER III

  TWO SHALL BE BORN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD APART

  We need recite but one other interview which Princess Zara undertookthat day. Several follow upon it, and there were many such during herstay of more than a week in New York City.

  Many came, were received and went away again; and the princess herselfwas frequently abroad in the streets, or at places of amusement, or wasentertained by those who worship at the shrine of nobility.

  But there was one who called upon her the evening of the day ofSaberevski's interview, to which it is necessary that we should refer.He came at ten o'clock, and was expected, for he was conducted to herpresence immediately and was received without question, although itwould have been immediately plain to an observer that these two hadnever met before.

  The things which they discussed were largely technical, and had to dowith the conduct and activities of various nihilistic agents who werescattered about over the world, outside of Russia. He was a man whosename does not appear again in this story and which therefore need notbe mentioned now, but he was nevertheless one well known at the courtsof Europe, and on the streets of New York and Washington.

  At the end of their discussion and interchange of confidences, when herose to leave her and she gave him her hand, he said, recurring to thesubject of their conversation:

  "Princess, if we had others like you, as sincere in their efforts forthe betterment of our people, nihilism would soon become the dominantfactor of Russian politics, and official oppression would cease toexist. If we had others like you, as good and as beautiful as you are,the czar would abdicate, or would consent to give us a parliament. Asit is, the struggle has only just begun, and I greatly fear thatneither I nor you, young though you are, will live to see its end."

  "Thank you," she said. "I understand thoroughly what you mean. It istrue that I am heart and soul in this movement. It is equally true thatI am prepared to devote my fortune and my life to an attainment of theends we seek."

  "Are you an extremist?" he asked her. "We have not touched upon thatpart of the subject as yet, princess."

  She hesitated.

  "If you mean by that expression, do I seek the life of Alexander? Icould answer you in the affirmative without hesitation; but I wouldhave to confess that my desire for vengeance upon him is more of apersonal quality, than of a political character. I am mindful of thefact that we cannot destroy a tree by lopping off one of its branches,and whenever a czar is dead, another lives to take his place and topermit the injustices practiced in his name, to continue. He is likethe hydra-headed monster of childhood's tales, and another head growsas fast as one may be cut off."

  "You are a beautiful woman, princess, and with that aid alone youshould accomplish much."

  "Yes," she admitted, as calmly as if he had referred to a ring she woreon her hand; "but I find that to be the most unpleasant character of myemployment. To use such beauty as I have, and such attractions as Ipossess, for the winning of men to our cause, whether they be officialsor nobles, is hateful to me; and yet I do not hesitate."

  "It is not a difficult task for men to join the nihilists because oflove for you; I could, myself, almost forsake it, did you ask such asacrifice."

  "Shame on you!" she stormed at him, snatching away her hand and dartingout of his reach. "Shame on you for that! Those were treacherous words,and I expected them least of all, from you. You make me ashamed;ashamed for you, and for the cause I uphold. Are all men so weak, andso easily led? Does the mere beauty of a woman make cowards of themall? Could a pair of flashing eyes, or the touch of soft hands, changethe destinies of an empire?"

  "They have done so more than once, princess."

  "You make me hate myself--and you."

  "I am afraid that you took me too literally," he said, with perfectcomposure, for although he knew that he had angered her, she was yet sobeautiful in her impetuous resentment of his words that he was lost inadmiration. Indeed he had uttered no more than the truth when he toldher that he might even forsake the cause if such a woman as Zara couldhave been his reward; and he knew by long years of experience, that heuttered the sentiments of nine men out of ten who might fall under herinfluence.

  "My mission is accomplished here," she told him, "and already mypassage is engaged for the return voyage. I leave New York at once andI shall probably never return to it. What you have told me of themeasures taken in our behalf, has encouraged me greatly; and yetbecause of one thing you have said, I dread the return to St.Petersburg."

  "What was that, princess?"

  "I must correct myself. You intimated it; you did not say it."

  "What was it?"

  "You suggested, in one statement you made, that you had reason to fearthat the spy-system as arrayed against us at home, might be augmentedby the addition of skilled operators and experts from this country. Ihad thought that we nihilists had a monopoly of that sort ofemployment, and that the czar and his nobles could claim only theloyalty of their own spies. But your suggestion fills me with doubt anddread. If Alexander were to introduce imported spies among ourpeople----"

  He interrupted the princess by laughing heartily.

  "Again you took me too literally," he asserted. "Here and there, theremay be one who will seek Russia and the czar for such employment, butit will be for the emolument it will bring, and cannot be induced bypatriotic sentiment. We would have little cause to dread such people,since we would not be long in identifying them, and ultimately Ibelieve they would assist, rather than retard our efforts."

  "Perhaps so."

  "There can be no doubt of your own loyalty to our cause, princess?"

  "Certainly not."

  "Are the others like you? Pardon me, there can be no others like youfor there could never be another so beautiful and fascinating as youare. But are there others of your acquaintance high in position, whoare working for the cause as diligently as you are?"

  "They are many. Their name is legion."

  They parted then. He to go about his several duties among thenihilistic sympathizers who could not return to Russia withoutincluding Siberia in their itinerary, and she to stride across the roomand stand for a long time facing herself in the mirror, studying thefeatures of her own beautiful face in an effort to detect there thefascinating qualities before which all men with whom she came incontact seemed so ready to succumb.

  But her eyes were cold and hard as she regarded her own reflection inthe glass. There was a fire in their depths which could have attractedno man, and which would have repelled all alike, for it was threateningand sombre.

  Zara de Echeveria almost hated herself at that moment. Hated the beautywhich gave her such power, and which exerted the magic that made slavesof men.

  The hour came when she entered a carriage again to be driven to thesteamship wharf; when she stood upon the deck near the rail, and gazed,as she honestly believed, over the house tops of a city she would neversee again.

  Fate, however, had builded differently for her, although she did notguess it; and she was going now to meet it as fast as the throbbingengines of the mechanical monster could bear her forward.

  When the great bulk of the vessel swung into the current of the Northriver, and she turned her eyes once more toward the wharf it had left,a waving hand attracted her attention, and she recognized the tall formof Alexis Saberevski as he bade her adieu. Beside him on the pier wasanother figure, as tall and as straight as Saberevski's, and she sawthem turn away together and walk up the pier until they were lost inthe crowd.

  She did not know, then, that the other tall figure of a man was the oneinto whose arms she was fleeing, even though she left him there,unknown, upon that North river wharf, while she sailed away to theother side of the world.

  And he could foresee as little.

  But such is Fate.