The Daltons Volume II Part 48

"It will soon be time to drop the curtain on this act of the drama, Morlache; enough has been done to show the world the dangerous doctrines of these fanatics. They who cry 'No property in France,' shout 'No King in Germany,' 'No Pope in Rome.' The peaceful or well-ordered must be taught to see in us their safeguard against these men. They must learn to think the Church the sanctuary it was of old. From all these convulsions which shatter empires, we are the refuge!"

"But you yourself gave the first impulse to this very movement, Abbe?"

"And wisely and well we did it! Should we have stood pa.s.sive to watch the gradual growth of that cursed spirit they miscall independent judgment,--that rankest heresy that ever corrupted the human heart?

Should we have waited till Protestantism with its Bible had sowed the seeds of that right of judgment which they proclaim is inherent in all men? Would it have been safe policy to admit of discussing what was obligatory to obey, and look on while this enlightenment--as they blasphemously term it--was arraigning the dogma of the Church as unblus.h.i.+ngly as they questioned the decree of a minister?"

"I perceive," said the Jew, laughing, "You great politicians are not above taking a lesson from the 'Bourse,' and know the trick of puffing up a bad scheme to a high premium, prepared to sell out the day before 'the fall.'"

"We had higher and n.o.bler views," said D'Esmonde, proudly. "The men who will not come to the altars of the Church must be taught her doctrines before the portals. Our task is to proclaim Rome----eternal Rome--to Europe!"

"Up to this your success has not been signal," said Morlache, with a sneer. "This victory at Goito has given fresh vigor to the Republicans.

The Austrians once driven beyond the Alps, Monarchy wilt be short-lived in Italy."

"And who says that they will be so driven? Who ever dreams of such a result, save some wild fanatic of Genoa, or some half-informed minister at London? The King of Naples only waits for the excuse of a Calabrian disturbance to recall his contingent. The Pope has already issued an order to Durando not to pa.s.s the Po. The Piedmontese themselves are on the verge of an irreparable quarrel,--the men of Savoy and the north for Monarchy; the Genoese, wild with their own ancient ideas of a Ligurian Republic. Is it the Lombards, think you, will conquer Lombardy? or do you fancy that Florence and Pisa are the nurseries of heroes? No, Morlache, the game of revolt is played out in Italy; the last trump is Goito."

"But if, flushed with conquest, the Piedmontese press on to greater successes?"

"They cannot,--they would not, even if they could," broke in D'Esmonde.

"Is it the Republicans will shed their blood to conquer a kingdom of Upper Italy for Carlo Alberto? Is it the interest of Rome or Naples to see such a power in the Peninsula? Will the troops of the Monarchy, on the other hand, fight for a cause that is to obliterate the throne? No; believe me, their mutual grudges have been well weighed and estimated.

We never dared this bold policy without seeing clearly that their interests could never be reconciled.--I think I hear the sound of oars; yes, he must be coming at last!" D'Esmonde opened the window as he spoke, and looked out upon the river, which, reflecting along the sides the gorgeous pageantry of the illumination, was dark as ink in the middle of the stream. "Not a word of this, Morlache, when he joins us,"

added D'Esmonde.

"_He_ is not in your confidence, then?" asked the other.

"_He?_ Of course he is not! If for no weightier reasons than that he is English and a Protestant,--two things which, however weak they may prove either in patriotism or religion, never fail in their hatred of the Church and her cause. Like one of the Condottieri of old, he has joined the quarrel because hard knocks are usually a.s.sociated with booty.

Whenever he finds that he has no stake on the table, he 'll throw down his cards."

"And the other,--the Russian?"

"He is more difficult to understand; but I hope to know him yet Hush, the boat is close in; be cautious!" And, so saying, he filled his gla.s.s, and reseated himself in all the seeming ease of careless dalliance. In a few minutes after, the prow of a light skiff touched the terrace, and a man stepped out and knocked at the shutter.

"Welcome at last," said D'Esmonde, shaking hands with him. "We had almost despaired of seeing you to-night you appear to have been favored with a long audience!"

"Yes, confound it!" cried the other, who, throwing off his travelling-cloak, showed the figure of Lord Norwood. "We were kept dangling in an antechamber for nigh an hour. Midchekoff's fault, for he would not give his name, nor say anything more than that we were two officers with secret despatches from the camp. The people in waiting appeared to think the claim a poor one, and came and went, and looked at us, splashed and dirty as we were; but not, even out of curiosity, did one ask us what tidings we brought. We might have stayed till now, I believe, if I had not taken the resolution to follow an old priest--a bishop, I fancy--who seemed to have the _entree_ everywhere; and pus.h.i.+ng vigorously after him, I pa.s.sed through half a dozen ill-lighted rooms, and at last entered a small drawing-room, where the great man was seated at piquet with old Ca.s.sandroni, the minister. I must say that, considering the unauthorized style of my approach, nothing could be more well-bred and urbane than his reception of me. I was blundering out some kind of apology for my appearance, when he pointed to a chair, and begged me to be seated. Then, recognizing Midchekoff, who had just come in, he held out his hand to him. I gave him the despatches, which he pushed across the table to Ca.s.sandroni, as if it were more _his_ 'affair;' and then turning to Midchekoff, conversed with him for some time in a low voice. As it would not have been etiquette to observe him too closely, I kept my eyes on the minister; and, faith, I must say that he could scarcely have looked more blank and out of sorts had the news reported a defeat. I suppose these fellows have a kind of official reserve which represses every show of feeling; but I own that he folded up the paper with a degree of composure that quite piqued me.

"'Well, Ca.s.sandroni,' said his master, 'what's your news?'

"'Very good news, sir,' said the other, calmly. 'His Majesty has obtained a signal victory near Goito against a considerable force of the Imperial army, under the command of Radetzky. The action was long and fiercely contested; but a successful advance of artillery to the side of a river, and a most intrepid series of cavalry charges turned the flank of the enemy, and gained the day. The results do not, however, appear equal to the moral effect upon the army, for there were few prisoners, and no guns taken.'

"'That may perhaps be explained,' said I, interrupting; 'for when the Austrians commenced their movement in retreat--' Just as I got thus far, I stopped; for I found that the distinguished personage I was addressing had once more turned to Midchekoff, and was in deep conversation with him, totally regardless of me and my explanation.

"'You have been wounded, my Lord?' said he, after a moment.

"'A mere scratch, sir,--a poke of a lance,' said I, smarting under the cool indifference of his manner.

"'I hope you 're not too much fatigued to stop to supper,' said he; but I arose at the instant, and pleading the excuse of exhaustion and want of rest, begged to be permitted to retire; and here I am, not having tasted anything since I left Padua, and not in the very blandest of tempers, either, at the graciousness of my reception. As for Midchekoff, he kept his seat as coolly as if he meant to pa.s.s his life there. I hesitated for a second or two, expecting that he would join me; but not a bit of it He smiled his little quiet smile, as much as to say, 'Good-night,' and so I left him."

"He is probably detained to give some particulars of the engagement,"

said D'Esmonde.

"How can he?--he was never in it; he was writing letters all day at headquarters, and never came up till seven in the evening, when he rode down with a smart groom after him, and gave the Duke of Savoy a sandwich out of a silver case. That will be the only memorable fact he can retail of the day's fortune."

"The cause looks well, however," said D'Esmonde, endeavoring to divert his thoughts into a more agreeable direction.

"Tell me what is the cause, and I will answer you," said Norwood, sternly. "So far as _I_ see, we are dividing the spoils before we have hunted down the game."

"You surely have no doubt of the result, my Lord?" replied the other, eagerly. "The Austrians must relinquish Italy."

"Then who is to take it,--that's the question? Is Lorn-bardy to become Piedmont, or a Red Republic? or are your brethren of the slouched hat to step in and portion out the land into snug nurseries for Franciscans and Ursulines? Egad, I 'd as soon give it up to old Morlache yonder, and make it a New Jerusalem to educate a young race of moneylenders and usurers!"

"I wish we had even as much security for our loans," said Morlache, smiling.

"I hear of nothing but money,----great loans here, immense sums raised there," cried Norwood; "and yet what becomes of it? The army certainly has seen none of it. Large arrears of pay are due; and as for us who serve on the staff, we are actually supporting the very force we command."

"We are told that large sums have found their way into Austria in shape of secret service," said D'Esmonde, "and with good result too."

"The very worst of bad policy," broke in Norwood. "Pay your friends and thrash your enemies. Deserters are bad allies at the best, but are utterly worthless if they must be paid for desertion. Let them go over like those Hungarian fellows,--a whole regiment at a time, and bring both courage and discipline to our ranks! but your rabble of student sympathizers are good for nothing."

"Success has not made you sanguine, my Lord," said Morlache, smiling.

"I have little to be sanguine about," replied he, roughly. "They have not spoiled me with good fortune; and even on this very mission that I have come now, you 'll see it is that Russian fellow will receive all the reward; and if there be a decoration conferred, it is he, not I, will obtain it."

"And do you care for such baubles, my Lord?" asked D'Esmonde, in affected surprise.

"We soldiers like these vanities as women do a new shawl, or your priests admire a smart new vestment, in which I have seen a fellow strut as proudly as any c.o.xcomb in the ballet when he had completed his pirouette. As for myself," continued he, proudly, "I hold these stars and crosses cheaply enough. I 'd mortgage my 'San Giuseppe' to-morrow if Morlache would give me twenty Naps, on it."

"The day of richer rewards is not distant, my Lord," said D'Esmonde.

"Lombardy will be our own ere the autumn closes, and then--and then--"

"And then we 'll cut each other's throats for the booty, you were going to say," burst in Norwood; "but I 'm not one of those who think so, Abbe. My notion is that Austria is making a waiting race, and quietly leaving dissension to do amongst _us_ what the snow did for the French at Moscow."

D'Esmonde's cheek grew pale at this shrewd surmise; but he quickly said, ----

"You mistake them, my Lord. The interests at stake are too heavy for such a critical policy; Austria dare not risk so hazardous a game."

"The wiseheads are beginning to suspect as much," said Norwood; "and certainly amongst the prisoners we have taken there is not a trait of despondency nor even a doubt as to the result of the campaign. The invariable reply to every question is, the Kaiser will have his own again,--ay, and this even from the Hungarians. We captured a young fellow on the afternoon of Goito, who had escaped from prison, and actually broke his arrest to take his share in the battle. He was in what Austrians call Stockhaus arrest, and under sentence either of death or imprisonment for life, for treason. Well, he got out somehow, and followed his regiment on foot till such time as one of his comrades was knocked over; then he mounted, and I promise you he knew his work in the saddle. Twice he charged a half-battery of twelves, and sabred our gunners where they stood; and when at last we pushed the Austrian column across the bridge, instead of retreating, as he might, he trusted to saving himself by the river. It was then his horse was shot under him, as he descended the bank, and over they both rolled into the stream. I a.s.sure you it was no easy matter to capture him even then, and we took him under a shower of b.a.l.l.s from his comrades, that showed how little his life was deemed, in comparison with the opportunity of damaging us.

When he was brought in, he was a pitiable object; his forehead was laid open from a sabre cut, his collar-bone and left arm broken by the fall, and a gunshot wound in the thigh, which the surgeon affirmed had every appearance of being received early in the action. He would n't tell us his name, or anything about his friends, for he wished to have written to them; the only words he ever uttered were a faint attempt at 'Hurrah for the Emperor!'"

"And this a Hungarian?" said D'Esmonde, in surprise.

"He might have been a Pole, or a Wallach, for anything I know; but he was a hussar, and as gallant a fellow as ever I saw."

"What was the uniform, my Lord?" asked the Abbe.

"Light blue, with a green chako,--they call them the regiment of Prince Paul of Wurtemberg."

"Tell me his probable age, my Lord; and something of his appearance generally," said D'Esmonde, with increasing earnestness.