“I beg your Majesty’s pardon,” I said calmly, “but it is impossible for me to give you the priest’s name.”
“Impossible!” he thundered, staring at me like an infuriated lion; “you forget that I am the Czar of Russia.”
I made a profound obeisance. “I do not forget it even for a moment, your Majesty,” I replied gravely, “neither can I forget my honor;” and I folded my arms upon my breast and gave him look for look.
“And you dream of defeating my purpose by withholding the man’s name?” he exclaimed with passion.
“Nay, sire,” I returned quietly, “I do not measure my strength with yours, but I will not violate my honor or my word.”
“And yet,” he said fiercely, “you stood by and saw Najine Zotof marry against her uncle’s wishes and without my consent, with no apparent violence to your feelings.” His tone was full of contempt.
“Your Majesty,” I replied quietly, “I judged that you understood mademoiselle’s sentiments after her open declaration for M. de Lambert, and that in giving her his liberty you intended also to give her happiness, since that seems to me the most royal prerogative of kings. To be empowered by the King of kings to give joy to His creatures appears, to my poor mind, the one supreme gift of His anointed. Here were two young people who loved each other, and your Majesty’s benevolence liberated him; it was the completion of your Majesty’s generosity to unite them. I must crave pardon if I have fallen into any error.”
The czar had listened with unusual patience, and was looking at me with keenly observant eyes when I finished speaking.
“You are eloquent, M. l’Ambassadeur,” he said deliberately, “but you see only one side of the question. You forget altogether the feelings of Zotof and his wife, their aims and ambitions for their niece. Najine is a wayward girl, and should have been compelled to obey her natural guardians. It is in my mind to demand that the king my brother return her to me as a rebel against my authority.”
There was nothing for me to say, so that I remained silent and observed him closely, seeing that his mood was changing and that he was swayed by deep emotion. After a moment’s pause he turned upon me abruptly, his eyes flashing.