CHAPTER XXIX. CHERNIGOFF'S FRIEND.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 381, 29 June 1889, Page 4

CHAPTER XXIX. CHERNIGOFF'S FRIEND.

Fob a few moments it looked as if there would be trouble, but Wat was anxious to avoid that, and said, in a conciliatory manner : ' Why need we quarrel ? You have me here in your power, and do as I will, I cannot get the better of you.' ' Why do you set yourself against our wishes ?' ' Listen. I have^to-day risked my life, as you can guess, to save this lady from being knouted by the Russian government.' A murmur of rage ran over the assemblage. ' And to save her from any further harm I am ready to lay down my life now.' • The lady is in no danger here,' said the former spokesman. ' I am not so sure of that.' ' What do you mean 1 We are not assassins, as you ought to know.' • Aa a body I do know it, but as individuals I am not so sure. 5 ' Explain yourself. ' • Had it not been for prominent members of your society, this innocent woman had never bad any occasion to fear anybody.' You are making strange accusations.' ' If you will take me and this lady to a place where we can speak to your council, I will not only accuse but I will go far to prove.' ' Let them go together,' said one. , ' Examine them separately,' said another. • You see,' said Wat, turning sternly upon the last speaker, there are those among you who would emulate the ways of the government you condemn, and deny us simple justice.'. The man .shrank back, and there was no more opposition to Wat's request for a joint hearing. Clinging, to his arm and looking fearfully around, as if, she felt instinctively that she was in the midst of hidden foes, Vera followed Wat into the room to which he was led by the council. , > The moment he was there, he said, quickly and energetically : , • Will one of you go a&once,and see if the man- who t made such an effort to have us separated ia not going, away? I s6spect him for, a traitor. Therecan be no harm in doing as lask.' „, , , . Without a word one of them hastened ] out and was gone several minutes. ' n N,othing was said while he^was gonej and when became back all eyes were turned on, ihim. , , ! (! -•::■• "-*:■*',' ' The man was. going away. , ,He has been , detained.' , ,- -•; , t ; The membei's of the .council exchanged glances, and then the leader asked : it ' Will you be good enough to tell us r now j the . meanings ojE your, charges. against our society/. , ,>, , jt \ > s " ,* (S • fjLet me'tell you my.>sfcory r first.' / „' > , , , ; f Gppn.'t^w ». , < i," ' S|' ( , . k ..„* '-l,am an American detective.' , ! I , ', An American detective !'-, ' „ 5 ; , f I was sent here "to, clear ,the young 1 Ivan Horvyi,tz,of the charge' of ,, being a'mur.^

'By whom ?' , f , \ ,' , ! father: I'reabhed'herein 1 time } to jeo' him liberated; J and t6 a see this y^oung' ady', whom hV lores',* sent to prison in his stead,' N '» " *'/r /'Vv ! * That much isa well-known 1 story; ' 3 * Yes, but the rest; is not. She' was 1 * sent bo prison oh th e* charge of '' being not only a murderer, but a nihilist as well.' ' The government sees' a nihilist in every baby.' l ' ' ' ' 'Yesr; but the charge, if nobmade, was at least concocted by a rriember of your society.' ' His name ?', 'Her name was Sofia, Countess Almazoff.' ' Are you sure V ' Positive.' ' ' ' But ib does notfollow,' said the member who had been the first to object to Vera accompanying Wat, ' that she thereby did any wrong to tne society.' ' Have a care, my friend,' answered Wat, slowly, ' that you do not say too hiuch in favour of the countess.' ' Have you a care,' /retorted the man, • that you do not say anything that you cannot make good.' * The countess camethisday to St. Petersburg to denounce the Count Chernigoff as a nihilist.' ' Your proof. ' * The presence of the countess here, without .the knowledge of her colleague, Chernigoff, and the fact that for her pay she was given an order by the Czar to have this lady knouted at once, though he had already granted 1 her five days' respite.' ' You merely assert.' ' Hold, brother,' said one of the other members. 'It i#, at least, well known that the countess was seen driving at hot speed toward the fortress this afternoon. And she certainly was supposed to be in Paris.' At this moment Wat found himself near to the one who had shown so much enmity, and a sudden scheme flashed into his mind. < 'Help me,' he whispered, 'or I will denounce the treachery ,of Chernigoff.' Wat had reasoned that if the man were an accomplice of Chernigoff he could be frightened, while if he were not one he could only demand an explanation, in which case i he would draw out the accusation Wat had all along intended to make. The man started as if he had been stung, and drew hastily away. • Still,' said one of the other men in a judicial sort of way, * I don't see how the presence of the countess here, or even her unfair persecution of this lady, can be constructed into treason to our society.' 'No,' said the man to whom Wat had whispered, ' and yet this man's position isa natural one.' « How so ?' k In some way he has learned that she was a member of our society, he has learned that she has been instrumental in having this lady accused of nihilism, and she has furthermore pursued her in a most malignant manner, as her carrying of the order to have her knouted is proof.' i ' Moreover,' interposed Wat, seeing what a good effect his new advocate had made, ' I accuse her of denouncing Chernigoff to the Czar.' ' You accuse, but can you adduce any proof ?' ' No, but I can tell you enough to make the charge seem reasonable.' •Do so.' ' Understand first, that my only object in all this is to get this lady safely away from this wretched country.' • It is understood.' ' As I have already told you, I am a detective, employed in the interest of Ivan Horwitz.' 'Yes.' 1 His interests and this lady's are identical. Therefore to aid her is a part of my duty.' ' Granted.' ' I find her a victim of Count Almazoff 's hate. Igo to the chief of police and tell him what I know about the matter. He says, as you have, that mere accusation is not proof. 5 ' Precisely.' ' Nevertheless he cannot avoid seeing that my story is a logical one, and he in consequence believes it. ' { Ah !' • Yes, he believes it, but he says I must find something tangible before he can give me any real help.' ' And did you do it ?' ' You shall judge. I followed Sofia Almazoff to Paris, where she had gone with Chernigoff as secret agents of the government, and there I shadowed them both so well that I gained admission to a meeting of nihilists and overheard the details of the plot to kill the Czar. I telegraphed the word at once to Grosser and the three men were captured.' ' You are a bold man to come here and tell us this.' ' "Remember, I -have been working solely in the interests of my client.' ' But if your story is true you have put back our noble cause an indefinite period. 5 ' Wot so ; for if you had been successful, not you, but another sefr of plotters, who are working in your very midst, would have turned the disaster to their own benefit.' • You have intimated as much before. What do you mean ?' Wat looked at the man he had threatened, and the latter, by an almost imperceptible motion, signed to him not to betray his knowledge. Wat answered by a sign as delicate, and answered : ' Of what use is it for me to go on telling you all these things unless you give me some promise that you will in return do something to aid me to get out of the country.' The man, who was so evidently Chernigoff's friend, spoke up quickly : 'If you will give us some information that will really be of use to us, we will help you to escape if you on your side will swear never to reveal what you have learned from the nihilists.' • Does he speak for all of you ' Yes, and what we agree to the whole body .will ratify.' • Tell me, . first, ,do you believe that' I have,, told you the truth as to my connection, with the discovery of the recent plot against the Czar ?' , , ' I do, for one.' said ChernigofPs friend. ' And I, ' ' And I, ! said the others. c Well, then, listen., ( After I had sent much valuable information to Gresser I was^sure I had earned the safety of this lady. r Would not you have thought so, too ?' ' Undoubtedly.' ' Well, I received word from Grosser 1 thab he would be unable- to save her in face of the influence of the Countess Almazoff.' 1 That was after you had sent word of the plot?' • ' ' * Yes. ' Bub in the meantime Chernigofr had told the Countess Almazoff of the presence of a spy;at the meeting.' ' You were "discovered, then ?' 1 Yes, and had °a hard fight to get awayalive, as' you will learn if youwill communicate with Cherriigoffi ' - ' . ' ' Communication in' this accursed country is hot so easy I .' . !f ," '] \ . ,', '" < '_ ' '/No./ Well, the^countess," who cares only, for her revenge on t1 thia lady, and who, was perfec]tly r >. well "aware that all I wanted of ,'the ~ r t was t recognised by, "ChepigoffT^vastp lielp.Uus, lady^madeMip*

her mind to sacrifice everyfchiifg* to secure ;"*; "* 'herife^engV; ',",•/ ; > fKf^ If * l vs4v $4 VJ - - * do you know this!' 4'-A-"*&4 '- A -"*& K-V"-":.. * I heard*her talking-it over, with her con- , i.W '-.. , \No; bubl cannofc.jbelLyou^hqfch^con-' fidantf Hvas, for that- r ia my ''own' <secret.'j { However; I heard her say'^she would betray ' not' only all her own secrets, but all Chernigoff's as well.' - ', ,^» -„- „_, Here Wat looked hard atChernigbffs friend, as, if, to let him t know that,, part of that'speech' was intended for hi 3 especial ear. ' Then, if what you say is true, the countess is a traitor in spirit, at least.' ' Worse than that, I am afraid.' '« Why V »'.'■* ' Do 1 not tell you that she came at once ■ to this city and procured theorder for the immediate knouting of 'this lady;' •/ « > ' But how V -< - ' She left Paris in the same train that I did. At Berlin I made her miss her train. She must have chartered "a* train,- for 'she arrived hore not long after I did. I went at once to the palace with Gresser, intending to betray Ghernigoff, but before I could get an audience she came* out.from'the presence of the Czar", holding in her hand a paper which she > rattled in the face of Gresser, declaring that it was an order for her rival's knouting.' >' ' • ' You think -she has obtained^ it by betraying our society ?' ' 'By betraying Cbernigoff, at least.' : i Can you tell- us no more ?' ' ' No more.' Onernigoff's friend gave him another sign, and then said to his fellows : 'My friends, you know that I am not usually the first . to believe any story that is told.'' ' •* '" ' • You are usually too sceptical.' 1 But I must say I am impressed by what , this man says. He certainly shows intimate knowledge of our "affairs, and of the affairs of the Countess Almazoff.' " 'That is true.' ' I happen to know that what he has said of the enmity of the Countess towards Vera Radolinski is true.' 'Ah!' ' ' She was once the betrothed of Ivan Horwitz, and was cast off by him' for this lady.' , ;'' ' Oh, sir, you are mistaken !' exclaimed Vera, who up to this moment had kept silent. 'He did not leave her for me. He discovered that she was not a good,, 'true woman, and it was not until he had broken with her that he and I became intimate friends.' > s 'Whatever the cause, I' know that she hates you with a violence I neverhave'seen paralleled. And I believe,' my friends, that she would be capable of the Very acts this man accuses her of.' ' 'I cannot help coinciding with' you views,' said one of the members. ' Nor I,' * Nor I,' added the others. ' 'But if l^is be so,' said one of them, thoughtfully) ' then the man whom we have detained at the wish of this gentleman may be a recreaut'brother.' ' Not so,' said ChernigofPs friend. 'Not any more than I am. For the only ground of suspicion this man had was that our brother wished to separate these two. And I was so minded, too.' ' That is true,' said Wat. ' Let us" examine him, nevertheless.' They all started toward the door, Chernigoffs friend lagging behind, and whispering : 'Do not betray Chernigoff, and I give my word that you and the countess shall be helped out of , the country.' ' You may depend on me as long as you do not play me any trick.' * You may trust me,' He went out after the others, and Wat and Vera were left alone.