Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 1.djvu/246

 204; ORIGIN OF THE WAR OF 1S53 Lard Clarendon and Baron Brunnow, our Foreign Secretary, they say, spoke a plain, firm sentence-, disclosing the dangers which the occupation: of the Principalities would bring upon the relations between Russia and England. The wholesome words were flying to St Petersburg. They would have destroyed the Czar's illusion, and they there- fore bade fair to preserve the peace of Europe ; but when Lord Aberdeen came to know what had been uttered, he insisted, they say, and insisted' with effect, that Baron Brunnow should be re- quested to consider Lord Clarendon's words as unspoken. Of course, after a fatal revocation like this, it would be hard indeed to convince the Czar that his encroachment was provoking the grave resistance of England. The Emperor Nicholas was alone, in his accus- tomed writing-room in the Palace, of Czarskoe Selo, when he came to the resolve which followed upon the discomfiture of Prince Mentschikoff. He took no counsel. He rang a bell. Presently an officer of his Staff stood before him. To him he gave* his orders for the occupation of the Princi- palities. Afterwards he told Count Orloff what he had done. Count Orloff became grave, and said, 'This is war.' The Czar was surprised to hear that the Count took so gloomy a view. He was sure that no country would stir against him without the concurrence of England, and he was certain that, because of her Peace Party, her trad- ers, and her Prime Minister, it was impossible for England to move.