"It is a lie!"
It was the prince who spoke; but before I could reply to the
accusation, the czar waved his hand and commanded silence.
"Was it the princess who informed you that Durnief was a nihilist?" he
asked calmly, the smile returning to his face.
"No," I replied, understanding the motive behind the question. For I
could read the czar like a book, and I already knew much concerning the
villainy of Durnief; "but it was he who informed your majesty that SHE
was one."
"By heaven, Derrington, you know too much! I begin to think that the
days of your usefulness are past, in St. Petersburg. There seems to be
no limit to the authority you assume, and now you have begun to dictate
to me. I will not have it. I command that you tell me why you thought
it necessary to take the princess from her own house to-night."
I knew that the crucial moment had come. I knew that if I weakened now,
I was lost. The only possible escape for me, was to see the czar alone,
and that I determined to do. The manner of the prince, upon my arrival
at the palace, his conduct in the cabinet, the greeting accorded to me
by the czar and his bearing towards me since then, led me to a shrewd
guess which I determined to hazard. I decided to play my last card by
making one bold statement.
"Your majesty," I said, deliberately, "has never until now, had less
than perfect confidence in me. The prince, being jealous, and too
impatient to await an explanation at my hands, has prevailed upon you
to order me under arrest, for a time, in order that I may not return to
his house where I have left the princess. If I do not mistake, he now
has such an order, signed by you in person, in one of his pockets.
Permit me to inform your majesty, and him, that there is another reason
why he procured that order; he has guessed that my men, at this moment,
have instructions to place him under arrest. He only sought to
anticipate me, that is all. Order Prince Michael to his apartments, and
direct him to remain in them, your majesty; for unless I am free to act
as I see fit, this night, I would not give that"--and I snapped my
fingers--"for the life of a single member of the royal family."
Then I folded my arms, and waited.