After half-an-hour spent in introductions and receiving compliments, a Chamberlain rapped three times with his staff on the parquet floor and the Empress led the way into an adjoining room where a wedding-breakfast had been prepared. She took her seat a little apart at the top of the table and the bridal pair were conducted to its bottom, so they were not embarrassed by having to make further conversation with her. At two o'clock she rose, and as she passed out she paused to say to Natalia:
"Remain with your friends as long as you wish, child. Since your husband desires a reformed ceremony, you can hardly consider yourself fully married as yet, and your departure for your honeymoon must be postponed until to-morrow. For to-night you had best-occupy your old chamber. The breath of St. Nicholas be upon you."
When the Empress, her immediate entourage, and such court officials as had duties to perform, had left the room, the remainder of the company resumed their seats; fresh dishes were brought to the table and the wedding feast continued.
Between toasts and friendly badinage Roger sought to grasp the full implications of his position. For no particular reason Georgina's vision of their future came into his mind. On the last day of March she had seen a wedding-ring for one of them, but could not determine which. Well, there it was, shining on Natalia Andreovna's finger. He was married now, and his wife was very far from being the woman of his heart's desire. He did not see what he could have done to avoid going through the ceremony but on one thing he was determined; he was not going to allow himself to be packed ofE to Siberia without a struggle.
At half-past three they left the table; but only to return to the reception-room, where the company could move about with greater freedom while the footmen offered them more drinks and silver salvers loaded with a cold collation. By mid-day the news of the wedding had spread all over St. Petersburg and scores of people were driving out to Peterhof to pay their respects to the newly-married couple; so that, instead of there being any signs of the party breaking up, the big room was becoming ever more crowded.
It was close on five when Roger caught sight of the Reverend Mr. Tooke threading his way through the crowd. Greeting the clergyman eagerly, he presented him to Natalia, secured him a glass of wine, and as soon as he decently could, led him away into a corner.
"Tell me, I beg," said Roger, almost breathlessly. "Is a ceremony of marriage gone through in the Greek Church binding upon an English Protestant?"
"Why, yes; indeed it is, young Sir," replied Mr. Tooke, with a smile. "I am happy to relieve your anxieties on that score. But I received a message from Her Majesty that you had expressed a wish to have the benefit of the Protestant rites, and if you still desire it, I will willingly perform them for you."
"I thank you. I—er—shall be greatly your debtor, Sir," Roger muttered awkwardly. Then, after a quick look round, he added: "The truth, is, this marriage was none of my seeking, and I am in grave trouble. Not only has the Empress decreed this union for me but she has ordered my wife and I to take up our residence in Siberia. That is not generally known, and the company here believe that after you have performed your kind offices for us to-morrow we shall be setting out on our honeymoon. I used my religious scruples to delay our departure and as an excuse to get a word with you. I beg you, Sir, to devise some means of helping me to escape."
Mr. Tooke's studious face had become very grave. "As to your marriage, there is nought to be done on that score; and whether I bless your union or not, you are already tied. In the other matter you have my profound sympathy; but, you will remember, when you first called upon me, I warned you that I could give you no assistance which might contravene the duty that I owe Her Majesty."
"Please!" Roger pleaded. "Even if you cannot square it with your conscience to give me your active help, I implore you, Sir, advise me as to if there are any steps which I can take that might lead to my evading this sentence of banishment."
"If Her Majesty has not set a period upon your exile it may not prove of long duration. Her clemency in such matters is well-known.
Even in the case of Elizaveta Romanovna Vorontzoff, who endeavoured to have her repudiated and imprisoned, so as to take her place as the wife of Peter the third, the Empress showed extraordinary leniency. No great time after the Czar's death she allowed her rival to return to court and marry Admiral Paliansky. So 'tis unlikely that your enforced absence will last more than a year or two."
"A year or two." groaned Roger, who saw the one chance upon which he had been able to buoy up his hopes during the past few hours slipping away. "In my situation that is near as bad as a lifetime."
"You will not think so when you reach my age," the clergyman endeavoured to console him.
Roger knew that once he reached Siberia he would find few people who could even speak any language that he understood, and that the difficulties of making his way to a frontier without being stopped and sent back would be immense. He was convinced that his only hope of getting out of Russia with any speed lay in the next night and day, while he was still in the vicinity of the Gulf of Finland; and that Mr. Tooke, with his great knowledge of the country, must be able to suggest some means of escape if only he could be persuaded to do so.
Making a great effort to control his agitation, he said gravely: "I do not ask this for myself, Sir, but in the name of those I represent. I have news of great import which I must convey to certain people as a matter of the utmost urgency. I propose to use the excuse of going through a Protestant ceremony to wait upon you with my wife, at your church, at eleven o'clock to-morrow morning. You will then have an opportunity of passing a message to me. I beg you to reconsider the matter, and aid me if you can."
Without waiting for an answer he turned away to talk to some other guests. He felt very badly about having forced the friendly clergyman to choose between two loyalties, and he could be by no means certain that the choice would prove to his advantage; but he considered that his knowledge of the Danish plan of campaign justified his action.
By this time Roger was heartily sick of making smiling small talk to people, the great majority of whom he had never seen before and had not the slightest wish ever to see again; but, as the hero of the hour, he was the cynosure of all eyes and had to pretend that this was the happiest day of his life. Concealing his gloomy thoughts as best he could, he prayed for his ordeal to end, although he knew that it might continue for hours yet, as on their country estates the Russians often kept wedding festivities up for a week.
His forebodings that he would not escape being lionised until he could get to bed were made a certainty when, a little before six, an orchestra appeared and began to tune up. Evidently the Empress meant there to be no hint that the marriage had been anything but of her own contriving, and had sent the band to ensure that there should be no flagging of the entertainment owing to the delayed departure of the newly-wed couple. With jaws that ached from smiling, Roger duly opened the ball by leading Natalia Andreovna out for the first minuet and their gracefulness in the dance was much applauded.
Dancing continued till half-past ten, then Natalia's bridesmaids formed a bevy round her and prepared to escort her to her chamber. Among the guests there was much disappointment that the bride and bridegroom were not to be put to bed in public, as was the custom, and that they were thus deprived of the opportunity of making the bawdy jokes usual on such occasions; but the Empress's dictum, that Natalia must not consider herself fully a wife until after the Protestant ceremony which her husband had requested, was now known to all, so they could do no more than commiserate with her.