“Not so, mademoiselle,” Apraxin replied, mocking her. “I helped him into the hands of the czar’s officers; that is all.”
“You mock me,” she said bitterly; “he would not follow you.”
Apraxin laughed again; he was enjoying his triumph to the full.
“Nay,” he replied gayly, “he did not follow me, fair damsel, but I sent a lad to him with a message telling him that he must come to the refectory of the Miracle Monastery for certain tidings on which depended your safety. There I led the imperial officers, for the captain of the watch had told me that his instructions were to take M. de Lambert, if he came within the Kremlin, and to imprison him to await his Majesty’s pleasure; so what more had I to do? It was easy; and monsieur, like the fool he is, fell into the snare.”
“You are a traitor!” mademoiselle cried passionately, “and deserve a traitor’s recompense.”
It was the signal. M. Apraxin’s back was toward me, and he was practically alone with Najine, for both her woman and his attendant had withdrawn to quite a distance. I walked out and laid a heavy hand upon his shoulder, while with the other I drew the pistol from his belt. Taken unawares, he started back and tried to throw me off, but in a moment the Swede had him upon the other side, and we disarmed him. Pierrot ran after his man; but the fellow, a miserable caitiff, had taken flight at the first alarm, and showed so clean a pair of heels that Pierrot was forced to give up the chase and returned very short of breath, for he was no longer young or fleet of foot. After the first violent struggle Apraxin yielded with sullen acquiescence, and walked between us down the lane. The scuffle had been brief and almost noiseless, so that no one saw us as we left the spot. Mademoiselle and her woman stood aside for us to pass, intending to follow with my two equerries. Our prisoner cast a glance of hatred at her as he walked past.
“Traitress!” he cried between his teeth, “this is your revenge!”
Poor Najine! her cheek flushed scarlet, for she despised her task.
CHAPTER XXII.
AN INTERVAL OF SUSPENSE.
As soon as Apraxin was secured, I went to the palace of Mentchikof, knowing that I had no time to lose; my captive’s attendant would bear the tidings of his seizure to his uncle, and there would be some decisive action at once, on one side or the other. The czar’s feeling toward Apraxin might tie Zotof’s hands for the moment, but it was probable that the servant had recognized mademoiselle and would report her presence to her uncle. I reached Mentchikof’s house at an hour when he was not receiving visitors, but after a little parley with the porter, was admitted and only waited a few minutes in the ante-room before being summoned to the favorite’s presence. He had just risen, and he received me in his own apartment, which was as luxurious as the bed-chamber of an emperor. He had heard enough of my conversation with the czar on the previous evening to be aware of my troubles, and was therefore prepared to listen to my complaint. I told him briefly of the course of events and of the successful capture of Apraxin. I was tolerably frank with him, knowing that I needed both his good-will and his assistance, for he was the only one on whom I could rely for any material aid. I concealed only the presence of Najine, for I was anxious to leave her out of the affair and, if possible, to hide the fact that she was at my lodgings. Mentchikof listened to me with keen attention, and I saw, at once, that he was striving to see some way out of the labyrinth. Mademoiselle’s headstrong conduct and her open aversion to the czar’s suit were both points in our favor, for Peter was one to resent keenly the ridicule that they naturally threw upon his course.