Page:The Czar, A Tale of the Time of the First Napleon.djvu/245

Rh Czar says about that? He speaks without anger or bitterness of your Emperor."

"Call him not mine," Henri interrupted, with a flush on his pale cheek. "Mine he never was. I am a Royalist."

"Well, then, of Napoleon. 'What a brilliant career,' said the Czar, 'that man might have run! He could have given peace to Europe—he could have done it; and he has not. Now the charm is broken.'"

"At least you Russians cannot regret that," said Henri with enthusiasm; "for the olive crown of the peace-maker which Napoleon has put aside awaits the brow of Alexander."

"So said the friend to whom the Czar was speaking. 'If only peace is made,' was his answer, 'what does it matter by whom, whether by him, or by me, or by another?' It is a good time to think of peace," Ivan added. "To-morrow will be Christmas day, when peace and good-will upon earth were sung by the angels."

"To-morrow?" repeated Henri. "Am I dreaming? Surely I remember noticing that one of the first blessed, restful days I spent here was Christmas day."

"You forget," said Ivan with a smile, "that we Russians are behind the Western world by twelve days. Our Christmas is your feast of the Epiphany. After divine service to-morrow, the Czar begins his journey, and we follow."

"You do not accompany him?"

"No; he travels with far greater speed than we could do. For guards he never cares anything."

"Strange," said Henri "strange; and how perilous! Think of the country, overrun by war, swarming with stragglers from the army, with desperate characters of every kind!"

"He has no fears," returned Ivan; "nor we for him. Even our white-haired general, with all the caution of his seventy years, answered to some one who spoke as you do, 'Who could