Part 69 (2/2)

”No, no--not the story twice told; he could not do that!”

Then, with an unusual firmness and decision, she led her daughter to the easy-chair, and made her sit down.

”Natalie,” she said, in earnest and grave tones, without any excitement whatever, ”you have told me your father was very much against you marrying Mr. Brand.”

There was no answer. The girl sitting there could only think of that terrible thing facing her in the immediate future.

”Natalie,” said her mother, firmly, ”I wish you to listen. You said your father was opposed to your marriage--that he would not hear of it; and you remember telling me how Mr. Brand had refused to hand over his property to the Society; and you talked of going to America if Mr. Brand were sent? Natalie, this is your father's doing!”

She looked up quickly, not understanding. The elder woman flushed slightly, but continued in clear and even tones.

”Perhaps I am wrong, Natalushka; perhaps I should not teach you to suspect your father. But that is how I see it--this is what I believe--that Mr. Brand, if what you say is true, is to be sacrificed, not in the interests of the Society, but because your father is determined to get him out of the way.”

”Oh, mother, it is impossible! How could any one be so cruel?”

”It would be strange if the story were to be twice told,” the mother said, absently. Then she took a stool beside her daughter, and sat down beside her, and took one of her hands in both hers. It was a reversal of their ordinary position.

”Listen, Natalie; I am going to tell you a story,” she said, with a curious resignation and sadness in her voice. ”I had thought it might be unnecessary to tell it to you; when Mr. Brand spoke of it, I said no.

But you will judge for yourself, and it will distract your mind for a little. You must think of a young girl something like yourself, Natalushka; not so handsome as you are, but a little pretty, and with many friends. Oh yes, many friends, for at that time the family were in very brilliant society and had large estates: alas! the estates were soon all lost in politics, and all that remained to the family was their name and some tales of what they had done. Well, this young lady, among all her friends, had one or two sweethearts, as was natural--for there were a great coming and going then, before the troubles broke out, and many visitors at the house--only every one thought she ought to marry her cousin Konrad, for they had been brought up together, and this cousin Konrad was a good-looking young man, and amiable, and her parents would have approved. Are you sure you are listening to my story, Natalushka?”

”Oh yes, mother,” she said, in a low voice; ”I think I understand.”

”Well,” continued the mother, with rather a sad smile, ”you know a girl does not always choose the one whom her friends choose for her. Among the two or three sweethearts--that is, those who wished to be sweethearts, do you understand, Natalushka?--there was one who was more audacious, perhaps, more persistent than the others; and then he was a man of great ambition, and of strong political views; and the young lady I was telling you about, Natalushka, had been brought up to the political atmosphere, and had opinions also. She believed this man was capable of doing great things; and her friends not objecting, she, after a few years of waiting, owing to the troubles of political matters, married him.”

She was silent for a moment or two.

”Yes, they were married,” she continued, with a sigh, ”and for a time every thing was happy, though the political affairs were so untoward, and cost much suffering and danger. The young wife only admired her husband's determined will, his audacity, his ambition after leaders.h.i.+p and power. But in the midst of all this, as time went on, he began to grow jealous of the cousin Konrad; and Konrad, though he was a light-hearted young fellow, and meaning no harm whatever, resented being forbidden to see his cousin. He refused to cease visiting the house, though the young wife begged him to do so. He was very proud and self-willed, you must know, Natalushka. Well, the husband did not say much, but he was morose, and once or twice he said to his wife, 'It is not your fault that your cousin is impertinent; but let him take care.'

Then one day an old friend of his wife's father came to her, and said, 'Do you know what has happened? You are not likely to see your cousin Konrad again. The Russian General ----, whom we bribed with twenty-four thousand rubles to give us ten pa.s.sports for crossing the frontier, now refuses to give them, and Konrad has been sent to kill him, as a warning to the others; he will be taken, and hanged.' I forgot to tell you, Natalushka, that the girl I am speaking of was in all the secrets of the a.s.sociation which had been started. You are more fortunate; you know nothing.”

The interest of the listener had now been thoroughly aroused. She had turned toward her mother, and had put her remaining hand over hers.

”Well, this friend hinted something more; he hinted that it was the husband of this young wife who had sent Konrad on this mission, and that the means employed had not been quite fair.”

”Mother, what do you mean?” Natalie said, breathlessly.

”I am telling you a story that really happened, Natalushka,” said the mother, calmly, and with the same pathetic touch in her voice. ”Then the young wife, without consideration--so anxious was she to save the life of her cousin--went straight to the highest authorities of the a.s.sociation, and appealed to them. The influence of her family aided her. She was listened to; there was an examination; what the friend had hinted was found to be true; the commission was annulled; Konrad was given his liberty!”

”Yes, yes!” said Natalie, eagerly.

”But listen, Natalushka; I said I would tell you the whole story; it has been kept from you for many a year. When it was found that the husband had made use of the machinery of the a.s.sociation for his own ends--which, it appears, was a great crime in their eyes--he was degraded, and forbidden all hope of joining the Council, the ruling body. He was in a terrible rage, for he was mad with ambition. He drove the wife from his house--rather, he left the house himself--and he took away with him their only child, a little girl scarcely two years old; and he threatened the mother with the most terrible penalties if ever again she should speak to her own child! Natalushka, do you understand me? Do you wonder that my face is worn with grief? For sixteen years that mother, who loved her daughter better than anything in the world, was not permitted to speak to her, could only regard her from a distance, and not tell her how she loved her.”

The girl uttered a cry of compa.s.sion, and wound her arms round her mother's neck.

”Oh, the cruelty of it!--the cruelty of it, mother! But why did you not come to me? Do you think I would not have left everything to go with you--you, alone and suffering?”

For a time the mother could not answer, so deep were her sobs.

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