"Indeed," remarked General Voranzoff, "Wassili Fedor is a man of worth and courage. His influence over his companions has always been very great.""How long has he been at Irkutsk?" asked the Duke.
"For two years."
"And his conduct?"
"His conduct," answered the head of police, "is that of a man obedient to the special laws which govern him.""General," said the Grand Duke, "General, be good enough to present him to me immediately."The orders of the Grand Duke were obeyed, and before half an hour had passed, Fedor was introduced into his presence.
He was a man over forty, tall, of a stern and sad countenance.
One felt that his whole life was summed up in a single word--strife--he had striven and suffered. His features bore a marked resemblance to those of his daughter, Nadia Fedor.
This Tartar invasion had severely wounded him in his tenderest affections, and ruined the hope of the father, exiled eight thousand versts from his native town. A letter had apprised him of the death of his wife, and at the same time of the departure of his daughter, who had obtained from the government an authorization to join him at Irkutsk. Nadia must have left Riga on the 10th of July. The invasion had begun on the 15th of July; if at that time Nadia had passed the frontier, what could have become of her in the midst of the invaders?
The anxiety of the unhappy father may be supposed when, from that time, he had no further news of his daughter.
Wassili Fedor entered the presence of the Grand Duke, bowed, and waited to be questioned.
"Wassili Fedor," said the Grand Duke, "your companions in exile have asked to be allowed to form a select corps.
They are not ignorant that in this corps they must make up their minds to be killed to the last man?""They are not ignorant of it," replied Fedor.
"They wish to have you for their captain.""I, your Highness?"
"Do you consent to be placed at their head?""Yes, if it is for the good of Russia."
"Captain Fedor," said the Grand Duke, "you are no longer an exile.""Thanks, your Highness, but can I command those who are so still?""They are so no longer!" The brother of the Czar had granted a pardon to all Fedor's companions in exile, now his companions in arms!
Wassili Fedor wrung, with emotion, the hand which the Grand Duke held out to him, and retired.
The latter, turned to his officers, "The Czar will not refuse to ratify that pardon," said he, smiling; "we need heroes to defend the capital of Siberia, and I have just made some."This pardon, so generously accorded to the exiles of Irkutsk, was indeed an act of real justice and sound policy.
It was now night. Through the windows of the palace burned the fires of the Tartar camp, flickering beyond the Angara. Down the river drifted numerous blocks of ice, some of which stuck on the piles of the old bridges; others were swept along by the current with great rapidity. It was evident, as the merchant had observed, that it would be very difficult for the Angara to freeze all over.
The defenders of Irkutsk had not to dread being attacked on that side.
Ten o'clock had just struck. The Grand Duke was about to dismiss his officers and retire to his apartments, when a tumult was heard outside the palace.
Almost immediately the door was thrown open, an aide-de-camp appeared, and advanced rapidly towards the Grand Duke.
"Your Highness," said he, "a courier from the Czar!"