CHAPTER XXXV.
FROM CHAOS TO ARCADIE.
During the three months of incessant strife and carnage which delugedthe plains and valleys of Europe with blood after the fall of Berlin,the Terrorists took no part whatever in the war. At long intervals anair-ship was seen from the earth flying at full speed through theupper regions of the atmosphere, now over Europe, now over America,and now over Australia or the Cape of Good Hope; but if they held anycommunication with the earth they did so secretly, and only paid thebriefest of visits, the objects of which could only be guessed at.
When one was sighted the fact was mentioned in the newspapers, andvague speculations were indulged in; but there was soon little roomleft for these in the public attention, especially in Britain, for asthe news of disaster after disaster came pouring in, and the hosts ofthe League drew nearer and nearer to the western shores of Europe,all eyes were turned more and more anxiously across "the silverstreak" which now alone separated the peaceful hills and valleys ofEngland and Scotland from the destroying war-storm which had soswiftly desolated the fields of Europe, and all hearts were heavywith apprehension of coming sorrows.
The rapidity of their movements had naturally led to the suppositionthat several of the air-ships had taken the air for some unknownpurpose, but in reality there were only two of them afloat duringnearly the whole of the three mouths.
Of these, one was the _Orion_, on board of which Tremayne wasvisiting the various centres of the Brotherhood throughout theEnglish-speaking world, making everything ready for the carrying outat the proper time of the great project to which he had devotedhimself since the memorable night at Alanmere, when he had seen thevision of the world's Armageddon. The other was under the command ofMichael Roburoff, who was busy in America and Canada perfecting thepreparations for checkmating the designs of the American Ring, whichwere described in a former chapter.
The remainder of the members of the Inner Circle and those of theOuter Circle, living in Aeria, were quietly pursuing the mostpeaceful avocations, building houses and water-mills, clearing fieldsand laying out gardens, fishing in the lake and streams, and huntingin the forests as though they had never heard of the horrors of war,and had no part or share in the Titanic strife whose final issue theywould soon have to go forth and decide.
One of the hardest workers in the colony was the Admiral of theaerial fleet. Morning after morning he shut himself up in hislaboratory for three or four hours experimenting with explosives ofvarious kinds, and especially on a new form of fire-shell which hehad invented, and which he was now busy perfecting in preparation forthe next, and, as he hoped, final conflict that he would have to wagewith the forces of despotism and barbarism.
The afternoons he spent supervising the erection of the mills, andthe construction of new machinery, and in exploring the mountainsides in search of mineral wealth, of which he was delighted to findabundant promise that was afterwards realised beyond hisexpectations.
On these exploring expeditions he was frequently accompanied byNatasha and Radna and her husband. Sometimes Arnold would be enticedaway from his chemicals, and his designs on the lives of his enemies,and after breakfasting soon after sunrise would go off for a longday's ramble to some unknown part of their wonderful domain, inwhich, like children in a fairyland, they were always discoveringsome new wonders and beauties. And, indeed, no children could havebeen happier or freer from care than they were during this delightfulinterval in the tragedy in which they were so soon to play suchconspicuous parts. The two wedded lovers, with the dark past put farbehind them for ever, found perfect happiness in each other'ssociety, and so left, it is almost needless to add, Arnold andNatasha pretty much to their own devices. Indeed, Natasha had morethan once declared that she would have to get the Princess to jointhe party, as Radna had proved herself a hopeless failure as achaperone.
Every one in the valley by this time looked upon Arnold and Natashaas lovers, though their rank in the Brotherhood was so high that noone ventured to speak of them as betrothed save by implication. HowNatas regarded them was known only to himself. He, of course, sawtheir intimacy, and since he said nothing he doubtless looked upon itwith approval; but whether he regarded it as an intimacy of friendsor of lovers, remained a mystery even to Natasha herself, for henever by any chance made an allusion to it.
As for Arnold, he had scrupulously observed the compact tacitly madebetween them on the first and only occasion that he had ever spokenwords of love to her. They were the best of friends, the closestcompanions, and their intercourse with each other was absolutelyfrank and unrestrained, just as it would have been between two closefriends of the same sex; but they understood each other perfectly,and by no word or deed did either cross the line that dividesfriendship from love.
She trusted him absolutely in all things, and he took this trust as asacred pledge between them that until his part of their compact hadbeen performed, love was a forbidden subject, not even to beapproached.
So perfectly did Natasha play her part that though he spent hours andhours alone with her on their exploring expeditions, and in rowingand sailing on the lake, and though he spent many another hour insolitude, weighing her every word and action, he was utterly unableto truthfully congratulate himself on having made the slightestprogress towards gaining that love without which, even if he held herto the compact in the day of victory, victory itself would be robbedof its crowning glory and dearest prize.
To a weaker man it would have been an impossible situation, thisconstant and familiar companionship with a girl whose wonderfulbeauty dazzled his eyes and fired his blood as he looked upon it, andwhose winning charm of manner and grace of speech and action seemedto glorify her beauty until she seemed a being almost beyond thereach of merely human love--rather one of those daughters of men whomthe sons of God looked upon in the early days of the world, and foundso fair that they forsook heaven itself to woo them.
Trained and disciplined as he had been in the sternest of allschools, and strengthened as he was by the knowledge of the compactthat existed between them, there were moments when his self-controlwas very sorely tried, moments when her hand would be clasped in his,or rested on his shoulder as he helped her across a stream or downsome steep hillside, or when in the midst of some animated discussionshe would stop short and face him, and suddenly confound his logicwith a flash from her eyes and a smile on her lips that literallyforced him to put forth a muscular effort to prevent himself fromcatching her in his arms and risking everything for just one kiss,one taste of the forbidden fruit within his reach, and yet partedfrom him by a sea of blood and flame that still lay between the worldand that empire of peace which he had promised to win for her sweetsake.
Once, and once only, she had tried him almost too far. They had beendiscussing the possibility of ruling the world without the ultimateappeal to force, when the nations, weary at length of war, shouldhave consented to disarm, and she, carried away by her own eloquentpleading for the ultimate triumph of peace and goodwill on earth, hadlaid her hand upon his arm, and was looking up at him with her lovelyface aglow with the sweetest expression even he had ever seen uponit.
Their eyes met, and there was a sudden silence between them. Theeloquent words died upon her lips, and a deep flush rose to hercheeks and then faded instantly away, leaving her pale and with alook almost of terror in her eyes. He took a quick step backwards,and, turning away as though he feared to look any longer upon herbeauty, said in a low tone that trembled with the strength of hisrepressed passion--
"Natasha, for God's sake remember that I am only made of flesh andblood!"
In a moment she was by his side again, this time with her eyesdowncast and her proud little head bent as though in acknowledgmentof his reproof. Then she looked up again, and held out her hand andsaid--
"Forgive me; I have done wrong! Let us be friends again!"
There was a gentle emphasis on the word "friends" that wasirresistible. He took her hand in silence, and after a pressure thatwas
almost imperceptibly returned, let it go again, and they walkedon together; but there was very little more said between them thatevening.
This had happened one afternoon towards the middle of September, andtwo days later their delightful companionship came suddenly to anend, and the bond that existed between them was severed in a momentwithout warning, as a nerve thrilling with pleasure might be cut byan unexpected blow with a knife.
On the 16th of September the _Orion_ returned from Australia. Shetouched the earth shortly after mid-day, and before sunset the_Azrael_, the vessel in which Michael Roburoff had gone to America,also returned, but without her commander. Her lieutenant, however,brought a despatch from him, which he delivered at once to Natas,who, immediately on reading it, sent for Tremayne.
It evidently contained matters of great importance, for they remainedalone together discussing it for over an hour. At the end of thattime Tremayne left the Master's house and went to look for Arnold. Hefound him just helping Natasha out of a skiff at a littlelanding-stage that had been built out into the lake for boatingpurposes. As soon as greetings had been exchanged, he said--
"Natasha, I have just left your father. He asked me, if I saw you, totell you that he wishes to speak to you at once."
"Certainly," said Natasha. "I hope you have not brought bad news homefrom your travels. You are looking very serious about something," andwithout waiting for an answer, she was gone to obey her father'ssummons. As soon as she was out of earshot Tremayne put his armthrough Arnold's, and, drawing him away towards a secluded portion ofthe shore of the lake, said--
"Arnold, old man, I have some very serious news for you. You mustprepare yourself for the severest strain that, I believe, could beput on your loyalty and your honour."
"What is it? For Heaven's sake don't tell me that it has to do withNatasha!" exclaimed Arnold, stopping short and facing round, white tothe lips with the sudden fear that possessed him. "You know"--
"Yes, I know everything," replied Tremayne, speaking almost as gentlyas a woman would have done, "and I am sorry to say that it has to dowith her. I know what your hopes have been with regard to her, and noman on earth could have wished to see those hopes fulfilled moreearnestly than I have done, but"--
"What do you mean, Tremayne? Speak out, and let me know the worst. Ifyou tell me that I am to give her up, I tell you that I am"--
"'That I am an English gentleman, and that I will break my heartrather than my oath'--that is what you will tell me when I tell youthat you must not only give up your hopes of winning Natasha, butthat it is the Master's orders that you shall have the _Ithuriel_ready to sail at midnight to take her to America to Michael Roburoff,who has written to Natas to ask her for his wife."
Arnold heard him out in dazed, stupefied silence. It seemed toomonstrous, too horrible, to be true. The sudden blow had stunned him.He tried to speak, but the words would not come. Tremayne, stillstanding with his arm through his, felt his whole body trembling, asthough stricken with some sudden palsy. He led him on again, sayingin a sterner tone than before--
"Come, come! Play the man, and remember that the work nearest to yourhand is war, and not love. Remember the tremendous issues that aregathering to their fulfilment, and the part that you have to play inworking them out. This is not a question of the happiness or thehopes of one man or woman, but of millions, of the whole human race.You, and you alone, hold in your hands the power to make the defeatof the League certain."
"And I will use it, have no fear of that!" replied Arnold, stoppingagain and passing his hand over his eyes like a man waking from anevil dream. "What I have sworn to do I will do; I am not going backfrom my oath. I will obey to the end, for she will do the same, andwhat would she think of me if I failed! Leave me alone for a bit now,old man. I must fight this thing out with myself, but the _Ithuriel_shall be ready to start at twelve."
Tremayne saw that he was himself again, and that it was better thathe should do as he said; so with a word of farewell he turned awayand left him alone with his thoughts. Half-way back to the settlementhe met Natasha coming down towards the lake. She was deadly pale, butshe walked with a firm step, and carried her head as proudly erect asever. As they met she stopped him and said--
"Where is he?"
Tremayne's first thought was to try and persuade her to go back andleave Arnold to himself, but a look at Natasha's white set face andburning eyes warned him that she was not in a mood to take advice,and so he told her, and without another word she went on swiftly downthe path that led to the lake.
The brief twilight of the tropics had passed before he reached agrove of palms on the western shore of the lake, towards which he hadbent his steps when he left Tremayne. He walked with loose, aimlessstrides, now quickly and now slowly, and now stopping to watch thebrightening moon shining upon the water.
He caught himself thinking what a lovely night it would be to takeNatasha for a row, and then his mind sprang back with a jerk to theremembrance of the horrible journey that he was to begin atmidnight--to take Natasha to another man, and leave her with him ashis wife.
No, it could not be true. It was impossible that he should havefought and triumphed as he had done, and all for this. To give up theone woman he had ever loved in all his life, the woman he hadsnatched from slavery and degradation when not another man on earthcould have done it.
What had this Roburoff done that she should be given to him for themere asking? Why had he not come in person like a man to woo and winher if he could, and then he would have stood aside and bowed to herchoice. But this curt order to take her away to him as though shewere some piece of merchandise--no, if such things were possible,better that he had never--
"Richard!"
He felt a light touch on his arm, and turned round sharply. Natashawas standing beside him. He had been so engrossed by his darkthoughts that he had not heard her light step on the soft sward, andnow he seemed to see her white face and great shining eyes looking upat him in the moonlight as though there was some mist floatingbetween him and her. Suddenly the mist seemed to vanish. He saw tearsunder the long dark lashes, and the sweet red lips parted in a faintsmile.
Lose her he might to-morrow, but for this one moment she was his andno other man's, let those who would say nay. That instant she wasclasped helpless and unresisting in his arms, and her lips weregiving his back kiss for kiss. Wreck and chaos might come now for allhe cared. She loved him, and had given herself to him, if only forthat one moonlit hour.
After that he could plunge into the battle again, and slay and sparenot--yes, and he would slay without mercy. He would hurl hislightnings from the skies, and where they struck there should bedeath. If not love and life, then hate and death--it was not hischoice. Let those who had chosen see to that; but for the presentlove and life were his, why should he not live? Then the mad, sweetdelirium passed, and saner thoughts came. He released her suddenly,almost brusquely, and said with a harsh ring in his voice--
"Why did you come? Have you forgotten what so nearly happened the daybefore yesterday?"
"No, I have not forgotten it. I have remembered it, and that is why Icame to tell you--what you know now."
Her face was rosy enough now, and she looked him straight in the eyesas she spoke, proud to confess the mastery that he had won.
"Now listen," she went on, speaking in a low, quick, passionate tone."The will of the Master must be done. There is no appeal from that,either for you or me. He can dispose of me as he chooses, and I shallobey, as I warned you I should when you first told me that you wouldwin me if you could.
"Well, you have won me, so far as I can be won. I love you, and Ihave come to tell you so before the shadow falls between us. And Ihave come to tell you that what you have won shall belong to no oneelse. I will obey my father to the letter, but the spirit is myaffair. Now kiss me again, dear, and say good-bye. We have had ourglimpse of heaven, and this is not the only life."
For one more brief moment she surrendered herself to him again. Theirlip
s met and parted, and in an instant she had slipped out of hisarms and was gone, leaving him dazed with her beauty and herwinsomeness.
The Angel of the Revolution: A Tale of the Coming Terror Page 36
