The Circassian Chief Part 25

Before the attendants had cleared away the tables, the aged Prince arose, and filling his cup with mead, drank to the health of all present in turns.

"By what name shall I address my young stranger guest?" he asked, turning to Ivan. "Though he speaks with the tongue of our people, and his eagle glance, and lofty stature, betoken him to be a n.o.ble, yet know I not his name. Say, under what appellation shall he dwell in the memory of Mahmood Indar?"

"n.o.ble Prince," replied Ivan, rising from his seat, "you speak truly, though I am, I trust, of the pure race of the Atteghei. Name have I none. I love not the one I have borne for many years, therefore, I give it not, and the n.o.ble name I long to bear, I give not, until I have done some deeds, to shew myself worthy of the race from which I deem myself sprung; that my kindred should not say, when I claim their love, that I am no true scion of their stock. This I have sworn by the bright heaven above us. My n.o.ble friend, the Hadji Guz Beg, has offered to shew the way among the ranks of our foes, and I have sworn to follow him, even to the cannon's mouth."

All applauded this speech, the Hadji springing forward to embrace him.

"I see, my second son, that you will prove a true Circa.s.sian," he cried, "and by the blessing of Allah, by to-morrow's dawn, we will proceed in search of our foes: to-night, we will rest under the roof of our n.o.ble host."

"Happy am I to receive so gallant a warrior as you have proved yourself, oh! Hadji; and honoured am I in such guests as you and your friends,"

answered the Prince.

The repast being concluded, the party strolled out among rich and fertile meadows, sloping from the house down to a pure and gla.s.sy rivulet. An orchard of various fruit trees surrounded the dwelling, while, before it, grew some magnificent chestnut trees, under whose grateful shade the old n.o.ble loved to sit, surrounded by his youthful descendants, enjoying their gambols on the gra.s.s.

In the neighbourhood of the house were the farm yards and granaries, stored with all kinds of corn, the produce of the surrounding highly-cultivated fields. On the mountain's brow grazed his numerous flocks, and in the rich meadows below his herds of fat cattle.

Our hero had parted from his companions, when the page sought his side; and as Ivan's eye fell on the boy, he exclaimed--

"Conrin, do you find yourself sad and solitary among so many strange people?"

"Ah, no!" answered the page, "I cannot be sad or solitary when in your presence."

"Do you then come to congratulate me on having, at length, arrived in the land of my hopes?" asked Ivan.

"Yes, Sir, yes; whatever gives you pleasure makes my heart beat with joy; and may your utmost hopes be now fulfilled!"

"Thanks, page; but still my heart is full of fears. I know not, nor dare I ask, if yet my father lives. Why do you sigh, boy? Does the name of father cause you thus to sigh?"

"Alas, Sir, I never knew one: the name sounds like mockery on my ear.

The kind and n.o.ble friend, whom I thought my father, I found was not so; and yet I feared to ask who was."

"'Tis strange," said Ivan. "And your mother, boy?"

"Alas, Sir!" said the page, "the kind and gentle care of her, who was my mother, I never knew."

The boy's eyes filled with tears.

"I would I had not asked you, boy, about your parents, to make you weep thus: but dry your tears; I will supply the place of both your parents, as much as in my power lies; and you shall share my fortunes, which, I trust, will lead to happiness."

In a moment the boy's eyes brightened, as he gazed up into Ivan's face, with an inquiring and searching glance, yet radiating with smiles of joy.

"'Tis that alone I ask to do," he replied. "To follow your fortunes through good or evil, in happiness or misery. Still speak to me in words like those you just now uttered, and they will repay me all the hardships I may endure."

"I could not speak harsh words to one so unprotected as you are. Now tell me, what think you of my countrymen? Are they like the wild barbarians the Russians would have taught the world to think them? But, thank heaven! they yet may learn how true courage can oppose its arms to tyranny, though backed by hosts of slaves."

"I did not think to find them as they are," replied the boy; "more courteous far, and hospitable, than the people of the land whence we came. True valour sits in the eye, even of the lowest of the mult.i.tude."

"You praise them well, good page, but justly," replied Ivan. "But see, the party move towards the house. We must go in. Keep by my side, as you see the pages of the n.o.bles do."

Volume 2, Chapter VI.

As the sun of the first day, which Ivan had pa.s.sed in his native land, sunk down beneath the waters of the ocean, shining bright and blue between an opening in the hills, the guests re-a.s.sembled in the hospitable mansion of the Prince Mahmood, where another repast was served, much in the style of the former; and as the party were seated at it, a new comer entered the guest-house. He was dressed in the high fur cap of Armenia, with a long-flowing, dark robe, bound by a belt round his waist, at which he carried an ink-horn, pen, and book.

A slave followed him, staggering under the weight of large packages, which he had unloaded from two horses at the door.

He took his seat respectfully, at some distance from the chiefs, and humbly ate the viands which the Prince ordered to be placed before him.

"Whence come you?" demanded the host of the stranger, who seemed to be a pedlar or travelling merchant. "What goods do you bring for sale?

Allah knows we have little need of any, except powder and lead in these times."

"I come from the City of the Sultan," replied the Armenian, "from the rich Stamboul; and I bring jewels and silks for your lovely wives and daughters, and gemmed daggers and swords for you, n.o.ble chiefs. But I am a man of peace, and thought not of the powder and lead."

"You will find but a bad market for such wares here," answered the Prince; "but in my house you are welcome. What news bring you from Stamboul? Do you hear what measures the great Padishah is taking in our cause? Or, forgetting the children of his holy creed, does he tamely submit to the audacious tyranny of the proud Moscov?"

"Alas! my father," replied the merchant, "though all men desire to aid your cause, and many would eagerly hasten to your a.s.sistance, yet the power of Russia is great, and no movement can be made without coming to the ears of her minister in the capital of the Sultan, where a whole host of spies are ever on the watch to carry information to him. The Sultan--may Allah prosper him!--would of his own free will do much for you; but where is now his power, since the standard of the Osmanlis has sunk before the eagles of the Moscov? Alas! fallen is the greatness of the Turks, my father. Their old allies, the Inglis, have forsaken them, and joined the armies of their foes. What help have you, but to yield to the mighty power opposed to you?"

"What help have we!" vehemently exclaimed the Hadji. "You are a man of peace, and the guest of our host, or you should eat those words of dirt you speak. What help! We have the help of Allah in our rightful cause, and our own good swords to defend our homes; and with the will of heaven, we will show those cursed Urus that we know how to use our arms.

Let them venture from their strongholds, and we will teach them a lesson they will not easily forget. Go to their camps, merchant. Tell them to come on; we fear them not. But, man, you speak false. Bosh! it is nonsense. I, too, have come from Stamboul; and the Inglis are again the friends of the Sultan; and I know well they would aid our cause if the Urus did not cram their ears with lies. There are many n.o.ble spirits among them, ready to fly to our a.s.sistance. Go to, man, you speak of things long pa.s.sed. You know not what you say."

The Armenian pedlar looked confused for a moment, but his a.s.surance soon returned.

"If the n.o.ble Hadji has just arrived from Stamboul, I have no more to say. I have journeyed far by land since I left that city, so he, perchance, brings fresher news than I do."

"The Hadji is right," said the Prince. "For I too know that the Inglis are our friends, and if they would but send us powder and lead, we would be grateful, and be their friends for ever."

"The Inglis, say you, Prince?" answered the Armenian; "you are deceived in the Inglis. They are a nation of merchants like me, and aid not a cause where they cannot make gain; some few are gallant warriors, and would shed their blood perhaps in your cause; but of what a.s.sistance would a few more swords be among a nation of warriors? No, Prince, I say, expect no help from them. Seek not to war against so powerful a nation as the Moscovite. I say not, be friends, but it is madness contending with them."

"Mashallah!" exclaimed the Hadji, furiously regarding the stranger, "I warned you, trader, not to speak of peace with our foes, and you have again done so. Beware how you utter those words again. The Inglis are a brave nation, and I know that they are good warriors, for I have met many of them; and all who come to this country shall be welcome. But what want we more than our own arms to defend our own mountains? Speak not again of peace. Bosh! such words I spit upon;--they are vile."

"I see, n.o.ble Hadji, your slave is wrong," cringingly returned the pedlar. "I thought of some other Franks; mine too is not a nation of warriors like your's, to hold out so long against an invader, and to endure, for so many years, all the miseries of war. I spoke but my own feelings, therefore let not your anger be kindled against a poor merchant, who would do nothing to offend you."

The Hadji's anger was as quickly appeased as it was easily excited, and he regarded the Armenian more with feelings of the deepest contempt than with any hostile thoughts. The pedlar himself appeared to have discovered that the most discreet conduct he could follow, was to keep silence among the present company.

Appealing to the Prince, he craved leave to exhibit his goods to the ladies of the family.

"I have but little to give for aught you may possess, merchant; yet as the women love to look on fine silks and jewels, you may send in your packages to the anderoon, and see if they will select any. Go now, it is late, they will soon retire to rest."

As the Armenian left the apartment, the Hadji glanced at him with a look of disgust. "For what should that slave talk to us of treating with the Urus?" he cried; "one might think from his words that he was a friend of theirs; but he is a craven-hearted slave, and not worth further thought."

The princ.i.p.al part of the company now adjourned to the verandah in front of the house, where they pa.s.sed an hour in smoking the much prized tchibouks.

Before they retired to rest, the pedlar returned, having disposed of some of his silks to the ladies of the family.

"Your slave," he said, humbly addressing the Hadji, "hears that you and some other n.o.ble chiefs are travelling towards the north to-morrow, and it would be a high honour as well as a great kindness, if you would allow him to accompany you."

"Do you fear, merchant, that your friends the Moscov would ease you of your goods, if you happen to go near their forts?" The pedlar started.

"But what care I? you may go with us if your pack horses can keep pace with our steeds; but remember that we delay not for a few bales of silk."

"Thanks, n.o.ble chiefs," replied the pedlar, bowing before them; "much shall I prize your protection. But do not say that the Russians are my friends; I know them not, I hate them, I detest them, I spit upon them."