‘I see that I have surprised you,’ he said. ‘I have thought very deeply upon this matter, and I have persuaded myself that from the Tsar’s point of view I may indeed become a useful instrument for his ends. Kings are not guided by philanthropy in their imperial schemes, but by expediency. In me Alexis sees an agent suited, as he thinks, for his purposes; therefore he will employ me. I take no credit, excepting that I have discerned as quickly as he has discerned that there is a kernel to the Cossack nut, and that it may be cracked by teeth that seem weak.’
‘I wager,’ said I, ‘that in this matter the Tsar did not mention my name, though you mention it!’
‘Well, he did not,’ said Mazeppa. ‘He cannot deal in such matters with more than one. He would scarcely say, “One of you two, whichever prove the worthier, shall serve me in this matter and be rewarded in such and such a manner.” The Tsar speaks by hints, mentioning no names. I think I do not lack in friendliness towards you, my friend, in confiding all this to you. You shall go with me to Samoilovitch, and under him we shall rise side by side; which shall rise the higher in the end matters little so long as the two highest places are ours!’
In short, Mazeppa easily talked me over to his views, rousing my ambition and quieting my compunctions in the matter of the transfer of allegiance from Pole to Russian.
And I was duly presented to the Tsar, who spoke kindly and regarded me with interest, as though Mazeppa had said good words for me, which, as a matter of fact, Mazeppa declared that he had done.
And at the Court of Alexis Romanof we lived for a month, learning many things concerning Russian life and customs, and here I soon perceived that Mazeppa’s ambitions did not end where his first homily had ended.
There was a young princess, by name Sophia, whose heart seemed of the softest. This was the daughter of the Tsar, young and moderately fair—so it was said, though I did not see her at this time, for she lived in great seclusion, as became, according to the traditions of the Russian Court, the daughters of the House-Royal. But Mazeppa—to my amazement—informed me that he had seen her, not once, but many times.
‘In the name of Heaven, how and why and when were you so favoured?’ asked I.
‘As to how, first, then,’ Mazeppa laughed. ‘The god of love has fought for me; one of the maidens of the Court is very friendly with me. I have walked many times in the garden at Preobrajensky with her, and there the Princess sometimes takes the air. As to when, I may say that I have been honoured with sight of her Highness six times, and have spoken with her four times. As to why—must I tell thee, Chelminsky?’
‘As you will,’ I laughed. ‘Tell me if it pleases you, that the Tsar will beg of his new Hetman the favour of becoming his son-in-law, and——’