Chapter XXVII: At Midnight

A candelabrum set before the altar in the chapel of Count Talvi’s house cast a soft light upon the face of the old priest and upon the little group around him. Huge and unwieldy, like some broken pillar, was the figure of Bonzo back in the shadows. But the Man of Iron thought and planned no longer. The difficult mission which had carried him to England was accomplished. For the rest he cared nought. Kronstadt had lost a good soldier, but her secrets were safe. The clever little woman, who knelt before the altar with the light of love awakened in her eyes, would betray the citadel no more. Everything else was indifferent to the servant of the Gate. Love was the recreation of children. He had never loved.

Near to the Man of Iron sat old Tolma. There was upon his face a look of sly triumph and of elation. He had crossed swords with Bonzo of Kronstadt and had defeated him. The pretty English girl would bring sunshine into his house in Paris. Paul should become a son to him in deed and act. This strange marriage, at night in a house of Western London, appealed to an insatiable appetite for romance. He recalled the faces of all the women to whom he would willingly have given himself under similar circumstances. What a roll-call it was! The subjects of his amours would have numbered a battalion.

The remaining witness to this strangest of strange marriages was the master of the house. Count Talvi showed how much his old friend’s happiness meant to him. He came often to Paul’s side; he whispered words of congratulation to him. Hither and thither he moved with silent step, now to help the priest, now to give orders to the lackeys. He was a servant of Russia still, but this was his holiday.

The priest raised his hands to bless those whom God had joined together in the holy mystery of marriage. For one long moment Paul held his wife’s burning face close to his. Then all rose and passed to the great dining-room below.

Here lights from many electric lamps shone down upon Talvi’s guests. Lackeys were busy at the tables laid for supper. It was the moment for congratulations.

“You forgive me?” cried old Bonzo, holding out both his hands to the trembling girl. “You forgive an old soldier for making you a Russian?”

Marian turned laughing eyes to his.

“I don’t know what I am or where I am,” she said bewilderedly; “I cannot believe that any of you are real.”

Bonzo laughed his great laugh, which filled the house with a tumultuous sound.

“Fichtre!” he roared. “I--Bonzo--I am not real! Oh, c’est bien drôle! Will you not kiss me, my child, and see if I am real?”

Tolma, waddling laboriously, put his arms round the girl’s neck and kissed her on both cheeks.

“You must eat and drink, little girl,” he said; “you must remember that you are the daughter of Tolma. It is ten o’clock, and the train is at midnight.”

“The train?” she asked wonderingly.

“Yes, the train to your Devonshire. It is there you will go until the house in Paris is prepared for you.”

“To little Dick,” she said, and the words were his reward.

* * * *

The mail rushed on towards the West. By sleeping villages, through silent towns, above dark swirling rivers, away to the gardens of England it carried the man and the woman who had suffered. But the day of suffering was forgotten already.

In the corner of their carriage Paul held Marian in his strong arms. A rug was wrapped about them. The wan light of the feeble lamp fell dimly upon their happy faces.

“It is good to rest,” she said, as his arm closed about her and she laid her pretty head upon his shoulder.

“The rest shall be for ever,” he answered.

THE END

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

This book was also published as _A woman of Kronstadt_.

The D. Appleton and Co. edition (New York, 1899) was consulted for many of the changes listed below.

Minor spelling inconsistencies (e.g. frock-coat/frock coat, warships/war-ships, etc.) have been preserved.

Alterations to the text:

Punctuation fixes: some quotation mark pairings, and assorted missing periods, commas, and semicolons.

[Chapter II]

“the Prince jests with us and we shall _anwer_ him” to _answer_.

[Chapter XVI]

“And she must not deny him that _pportunity_” to _opportunity_.

[End of text]