Chapter XVI.

Return to England. The remainder of the journey was completed without any further adventure, and they at last found themselves out of the Russian dominions, when they were met by the uncle of the princess, who, as a Pole, was not sorry that his niece had escaped from being wedded to a Russian. He warmly greeted O'Donahue, as his connection, and immediately exerted all the interest which he had at the court to pacify the emperor. When the affair first became known, which it soon did, by the princess not returning to court, his Majesty was anything but pleased at being outwitted; but the persuasions of the empress, the pleading of the English ambassador, who exerted himself strenuously for O'Donahue, with the efforts made in other quarters, and more than all, the letter of O'Donahue, proving that the emperor had given his consent (unwittingly, it is true), coupled with his wish to enter into his service, at last produced the desired effect, and after two months a notice of their pardon and permission to return was at last despatched by the empress. O'Donahue considered that it was best to take immediate advantage of this turn in his favour, and retrace his way to the capital. McShane, who had been quite long enough in the situation of a domestic, now announced his intention to return home; and O'Donahue, aware that he was separating him from his wife, did not, of course, throw any obstacle in the way of his departure. Our little hero, who has lately become such a cipher in our narrative, was now the subject of consideration. O'Donahue wished him to remain with him, but McShane opposed it.

"I tell you, O'Donahue, that it's no kindness to keep him here; the boy is too good to be a page at a lady's shoestring, or even a servant to so great a man as you are yourself now: besides, how will he like being buried here in a foreign country, and never go back to old England?"

"But what will he do better in England, McShane?"

"Depend upon it, major," said the princess, for she was now aware of McShane's rank, "I will treat him like a son."

"Still he will be a servant, my lady, and that's not the position —although, begging your pardon, an emperor might be proud to be your servant; yet that's not the position for little Joey."

"Prove that you will do better for him, McShane, and he is yours: but without you do, I am too partial to him to like to part with him. His conduct on the journey—"

"Yes, exactly, his conduct on the journey, when the wolves would have shared us out between them, is one great reason for my objection. He is too good for a menial, and that's the fact. You ask me what I intend to do with him; it is not so easy to answer that question, because you see, my lady, there's a certain Mrs. McShane in the way, who must be consulted; but I think that when I tell her, what I consider to be as near the truth as most things which are said in this world, that if it had not been for the courage and activity of little Joey, a certain Major McShane would have been by this time eaten and digested by a pack of wolves, why, I then think, as Mrs. McShane and I have no child, nor prospect of any, as I know of, that she may be well inclined to come into my way of thinking, and of adopting him as her own son; but, of course, this cannot be said without my consulting with Mrs. McShane, seeing as how the money is her own, and she has a right to do as she pleases with it."

"That, indeed, alters the case," replied O'Donahue, "and I must not stand in the way of the boy's interest; still I should like to do something for him."

"You have done something for him, O'Donahue; you have prevented his starving; and if he has been of any use to you, it is but your reward —so you and he are quits. Well, then, it is agreed that I take him with me?"

"Yes," replied O'Donahue. "I cannot refuse my consent after what you have said."

Two days after this conversation the parties separated: O'Donahue, with his wife, accompanied by Dimitri, set off on their return to St. Petersburg; while McShane, who had provided himself with a proper passport, got into the diligence, accompanied by little Joey, on his way back to England.