The Vintage: A Romance of the Greek War of Independence by E. F. Benson
CHAPTER IX
PRIVATE NICHOLAS VIDALIS
Before September was a week old the Mainat corps, with Petrobey andthe prince, were back at Tripoli. The course events had taken atMonemvasia had inclined the latter again to the side of the primates,for he interpreted the attitude and action of the army with regard tothe capitulation of the place as an insult levelled at him. Germanoswas not long in perceiving this; but being acute enough to see that theprince's authority was just now naught but a paper sceptre, he reasonedthat his friendship was equally valueless, unless he could manage torescue for him a few rags of the authority of which he had, by his ownfolly, denuded himself. In any case the support of the primates was aprop to the prince, and as the power of the primates varied in inverseratio to that of the military commanders, Germanos set to work againto discredit them with the troops. There it was that the strength ofthe revolution was beginning to lie--not in the prince, who could notcommand others, nor in the senate, which was unable to command itself,but in the people and the soldiers, who now for more than four monthshad waited for the fall of the city, still obedient to many utterlyincompetent captains, and still steadfast in their watchings on thehills. And Germanos's subtle brain, spinning threads out of itself likea spider, was busy to catch the army, while in the end the army, likesome great blundering bee, burst unheeding through his palace of silk,and left him angrily hungry and in ruins.
The tales of slander went on, and another captain was detected in hisinfamous traffic with the besieged. It was certain also that provisionswere being sold to the men within the walls, for one night a Turk wascaptured outside, and to save his life, confessed that the besiegedwere supplied at starvation rates with bread and fresh meat. Upon thissecond detection Petrobey gave notice that if another case occurredthe offender would be shot, and the night sentries were doubled. Butwhether the treason was more wide-spread than they feared and thesentries were bribed, or whether the traitors were cunning enough toelude them, never came to light; but more evidence was found thatthe traffic still went on, and one day, at a meeting of the senate,Germanos rose and denounced the whole body of officers.
"The siege still drags on," he said, "and where are the preparationsto bring it to a conclusion? In the name of patriotism, I ask, Where?To whose advantage is it that all these men are kept here from theirhomes and their work, when the grapes are already growing ripe for thegathering, and there is none to gather them, but only the birds? Is itthe men who prefer to stop here in these kennels, roasted under themid-day sun, and doing tedious hours of drill? Is it to the advantageof the primates that we remain here, while our churches stand emptyand the tithes are remitted? Is it the most noble Prince Demetrius whodetains the army on this inhospitable mountain? The reason is not farto seek. Who was it who was found trafficking with Abdul Achmet forthe safety of the Turk and his harem, if not one of these captains?Who was it but another of his class who, last week only, was detectedin the same treasonable business? Who is it now who is selling, asyou all very well know, provisions to the besieged at rates which makea man soon rich? To whose advantage is it that we linger here, whilewithin the town the Turk lives at ease and knows no lack, being sureno attack will be made, and only waiting till these infamous men aresatisfied? The siege of Tripoli is this called? There has never beenany such thing. This is the market-place of Tripoli--a busy, profitablemarket; and the men who bring their country produce for sale are noneother than the captains of the army. In particular, there is one amongthem who might have brought the siege to an end six weeks before, hadhe wished. While the most noble prince--whose eyes I feel it my duty toopen on this point--was, and is, with us, the captains have the excusethat his authority is over them, that without his consent they cando nothing. Very sedulous, no doubt, are their efforts to obtain hisconsent. Yet there is a speciousness about such an excuse, and we willleave it. But during the whole month of August Prince Demetrius was notwith us, and Nicholas Vidalis was supreme here. I ask him, therefore,before you all, why, if he is an honest man, he did not attempt to takethe town?"
Several times during this speech an angry murmur went up from themilitary section of the senate, but Nicholas more than once rose tohis feet and quieted them with an uplifted hand. He himself listenedattentively with a smile on his face, and when Germanos alluded tohis honesty he laughed aloud. For ever since Mitsos had told him thestory of his own part in the war, unsuspected by all, and only divulgedwhen necessity drove--of his silent, boyish heroism, his uncalculatingelimination of self--Nicholas had been privy to a secret shame at hisown deeds, or rather his own words. To withstand the primates in sofar as they injured the cause was well; but was it seemly to brawl,to throw ineffectual words about, to waste, as he called it, "goodanger on an unprofitable thing"? What fruit had his angry gibes andsneers borne? Were the primates wagging their unamiable tongues lesszealously? Were they not even speaking bitter truth when they saidthat nefarious traffic was going on between the captains of the armyand the besieged? If the evil was to be checked, it must be checkedanother way, and not by sprinkling the scandal-mongers with insults.For a long time he had contemplated taking a certain step, and now thatopportunity offered itself so fitly he took it with as light a heart asthat which a tired man bears homeward. At the same time the openness ofthe accusation prompted an equal openness. Germanos should be answeredonce for all with his own frankness, and then for the highest trumpcard to take the honor-laden trick.
So Nicholas, still smiling courteously, asked permission from theprince, and in dead silence made his reply, speaking very quietly.
"We have open dealings at length from the archbishop," he said, "andthough I have dealt very openly with him from the first, yet neverbefore has he favored me thus. He has told us that no preparationsare being made for bringing the siege to a conclusion. That, with thepermission of all present, I declare to be a deliberate lie. Ah, Imust ask you to sit down," he said to Germanos, as the latter roseangrily to his feet. "You have had a fair hearing, and I claim andshall receive the same. A lie," he continued, "because I can tellhim it is untrue; a deliberate lie, because there is no need for meto tell him. He was here throughout the month of August--a month towhich he again alluded later--and he knows that during that month Iwas a tired and busy man, for I was drilling successive companies ofmen all day, and if he knew anything of military matters he would bewell aware that it was my pleasure to see them improve considerably,so that now the greater part of them are efficient soldiers. He hastold us that it is not to the advantage of the soldiers to remain here,and that was in a sense true, though not wholly; for if it is to theadvantage of these men that Greece becomes a free country--and it istheir duty to help in securing its freedom--it is to their advantagethat they remain here, for here they can acquire that knowledge whichwill enable them to fight successfully. He went on to tell us that itwas not to the advantage of the primates to remain here. Then why, inthe name of God, do they do so? for it is not to the advantage of thesoldiers that they cause divisions and dissensions among us. Let themgo home and gather in the tithes their hearts desire. No one, not evenI, will try to stop them. Yet they do not go, and we must suppose it isfor some one's advantage that they stop. Can it be that some of themhave an idea of getting possession of even a considerable part of thebooty we shall take? Can it be that one of them--yes, no other thanthe archbishop--came here in the name of his Master and asked certainmen--no other than Petrobey and myself--for half the spoils which wouldbe taken, giving half to the national treasury, and to the men--thesoldiers who had fought and bled for it--the rest? Those spoils were tobe devoted to the glory of God, and who but His priests, the primatesand bishops, were to be trustees? And on that chance of getting, nothalf the spoils, but still enough to make it worth while to wait, weshall find the reason of their stopping here."
Nicholas looked across at Germanos, who sat white and shaking withanger, and for a moment his passion flamed up.
"Sit there and hate me!" he cried, "for that will not harm me!
Germanos suddenly started up.
"It is an infamous slander!" he exclaimed; but Petrobey, without movingfrom his seat, turned to the prince, speaking loud enough to be heardby all.
"What my cousin has said is perfectly true," he remarked. "I waspresent myself."
"Please to sit down, archbishop," said the prince. "Nicholas Vidalis isspeaking to us."
"This man has told us," continued Nicholas, "that an infamous trafficis going on between the Turks and the captains of this army. We allknow, unhappily, that there is some truth in that. Two months ago, whenthis assertion was as yet false, he was saying the same thing, andhe and others busied themselves in spreading reports that it was so.Was that the part of an honorable man--to spread those infamous liesabout us, to slander and defame us to our troops? Is not the motive asclear as the noonday? By sowing discord and dissension and mistrust inour ranks he hoped to see his grand scheme realized, to have the armyflocking to him, pouring in gold and treasure for the glory of Godinto the hands of his trustees. No great success has attended theseefforts, and when Prince Demetrius left the camp I do not know thatthe primates found themselves very popular men. Finally, an attack hasbeen made on me personally. You have been told that at any time duringthe month of August I might have stormed the town if I had wished.That is a black falsehood, though perhaps not deliberate, since thearchbishop knows nothing of military affairs. For, in the first place,my hands were full--it was necessary to bring a mere disorderly rabbleto military efficiency, and that, to the best of my power, I did; and,in the second place, though I was in command of these troops, I hadagreed with my superior in command not to make any attempt while thearmy was weakened by the withdrawal of the Mainat division, who were atMonemvasia. I appeal to him to know whether this is or is not true."
"It is true," said Petrobey.
"As to my having profited by these delays," continued Nicholas, "youhave only my word against the word of another; but if the archbishophas any evidence to bring on that point, I should be glad to hear it. Iwait for his reply."
There was a dead silence. Germanos sat voiceless, with his eyes on thefloor.
"If he is thinking over the evidence in his mind," said Nicholas,"fitting it together as a witness and an accuser should, let him sayso, and I will wait."
Still there was silence, and Germanos, still proud and full of hate,sat there without speech.
"So it is even as I told you," said Nicholas; "and these are maliciousand lying words he has spoken against me. I am a man easily provoked,and, to my shame I speak it, one to whom forgiveness is a hard matter;but that, or so I think it, is a thing for which I ask pardon, not ofman, but of God. Here, in this assembly, I have been accused of theblackest offences; but the accusation was blacker still, for it was thefruit of malice and falsehood. This is no matter for words of regretfrom one or of pardon from the other, for there is in my heart nopardon, and in his, I am very sure, no regret. Yet can I rid myselfof the need of either? My heart is sick of intrigue and dissension,accusation and slander answering accusation, and I will have no more ofthem. As I stand in the presence of God I have only one thought, andthat is the freedom of my country, and I do not serve it by spendingmy time throwing words at men whose salt I would not eat. It is not sovery long since another said his voice would be heard no more here, yetsince then it has not been silent. To-day those words are mine; but,before I go, one word. For the love of God, if any who sit here suspectme of treachery, treason, or any of those things of which I have beenaccused, as he hopes to be forgiven at the last day, let him stand outand say so."
Once again there was a dead silence, and Nicholas's face brightened,for the silence was sweet to him.
"So be it," he said, at length. "I go hence untouched by slander."
Then unbuckling his sword, he laid it on the table in front of theprince.
"My seat in the senate, sir, I resign," he said; "my commission as anofficer I resign also. By birth I am a Mainat, and with your highness'spermission I wish to be enrolled among the private soldiers of thecorps."
Then turning to Petrobey:
"Old friend," he said, "once more we are together in the clan."
And with a step as light as a boy's, and a heart springing upward likea lark, rid at last of the burden of personal ambition, he left theroom and went straight to where the corps were quartered.
"UNBUCKLING HIS SWORD, HE LAID IT ON THE TABLE"]
Nicholas found Mitsos and Yanni sitting on the wall of the camp nearthe Mainat quarters, lecturing a small audience on the use and abuseof fire-ships, for another attempt had been made on a vessel of thecruising Turkish squadron, with the result of first half-roasting itsnavigator and then completely drowning him; but the men seeing anofficer approach got up and saluted.
Nicholas, still with a singing heart, told them to be seated, and,lighting a pipe, drew in the smoke in long, contented breaths.
"This is the first tobacco I have enjoyed since we came here," he said,"for tobacco is tasted by the heart. Never again, lads, need you jumpup when I come, for I am no longer an officer, but just a private likeyourselves."
Mitsos stared aghast.
"Uncle Nicholas, what do you mean?" he gasped, wrinkling his eyebrows."Is this Germanos's doing?"
"Not so, little Mitsos, for neither Germanos nor another could dothat, but only myself. I have resigned my place in the senate, I haveresigned my commission, and all that is left of me is plain Nicholas;but a man as happy as a king, instead of a bundle of malice and a bagof bad words which squirted out like new must. Eh, but I am happy, andit is God's own morning."
And he puffed out a great cloud of smoke and laughed out a greatmouthful of laughter.
"But what has happened?" cried Mitsos, still feeling that the world wasupsidedown.
"This has happened, little one," said Nicholas; "that a foul-temperedman has made up his mind to be foul tempered no more, and as the thingwas an impossibility when he had to sit cocked up on a chair oppositethe proud primates, why he has been sensible enough to refuse to sitthere any longer. And as he was tired of tripping up on his fine tinsword, he has given it back to the fine tin prince. And may that mannever do anything which he regrets less. Ah! here come my superiorofficers. There will be talking to do, but little of it will I lay mytongue to."
And he sprang up and saluted Petrobey.
Petrobey came up, quickly followed by two or three of the otherofficers, among whom was the prince, smiling at Nicholas through hisannoyance, as the man stood at attention comely and erect.
"Drop that nonsense, dear cousin," he said, "and come to my tent for atalk. Look, we have all come to fetch you."
Nicholas looked at him radiantly.
"I have had a set of good minutes since I left you," he said. "Say yoursay, cousin, but little talking will I do."
The prince came forward with a fine, courteous air.
"We have come," he said, "to beg you to reconsider this step. I fancyyou will find no more insults awaiting you in the senate."
"Your highness," he said, "I can look back on my life and say I havedone one wise thing in it, and that this morning. And if, as you say,there are no insults awaiting me in the senate, that confirms my beliefin its wisdom."
"But this is absurd, Nicholas," remonstrated Petrobey, "and all theprimates, even Germanos himself, regret what you have done."
Nicholas laughed.
"That is a sweet word to me," he said, "and you know it. But I am nochild to be coaxed with sugar."
"But think of us--we want your help. You have more weight with the menthan any of us!"
"I shall not fail you," said Nicholas, "and if I do my duty in theranks as well as I hope, I think I shall be more useful there thananywhere else."
"But your career, now on the point of being crowned," said Petrobey,eagerly. "The prince has promised--"
But Nicholas waved his hand
"I have just got rid of my career," he said, "and I feel like a tiredhorse when a stout rider dismounts and loosens the girth. Do notattempt to saddle me again. Ah, dear cousin," he went on, suddenlywith affection and more gravity, "even you know me not at all if youspeak like that. Believe me, I care only for one thing in this world,and that is the object for which we have labored together so long.That cause I serve best here, and for these months I have been puffingmyself up to think that fine, angry words were of no avail. But I willtry them no longer; I am sick of anger, and my belly moves, whether Iwill or not, when I sit there and have to listen--you know to what.Leave me in peace. It is better so."
He glanced across at Mitsos a moment, who was standing by.
"I wish to speak to you alone, cousin," he said to Petrobey, "but thatwill wait. Meantime, I thank you for all your friendliness to me, and Idecline entirely to listen to you. The thing is finished."
Petrobey saw that, for the present at least, it was no manner ofuse trying to persuade him, and left him for a time; and Nicholas,remarking that it was time for rations, and that these officers werehorribly unpunctual, took Mitsos by the arm and led him off to thecanteen, telling him on the way what had happened.
Mitsos was furiously indignant with Germanos, and vowed that the campshould ring with the hissing of his name, but Nicholas stopped him.
"I neither forgive nor forget," he said, "but it is mere waste of timeand temper to curse. The harm is done, leave the vermin alone; oh,they have bitten me sorely, I don't deny that, but if we are goingscavenging, as I pray God we may, let us begin in our own house. Thereare purging and washing to be done among the men, I fear, littleMitsos. And from this day, if there is any traffic or dishonorablebarter among the corps of the clan, have me out and shoot me, for Imake it my business that there shall be none. Now we will go and getour rations. I ordered supplies of fresh beef for the men yesterday;that was a good act to finish up with, and see already I reap thefruits of it."
Nicholas remained perfectly firm, and Petrobey eventually desistedfrom his attempt to persuade him to take up his commission again, forhe might as well have tried to lever the sun out of its orbit. Buthe still continued to ask Nicholas's advice about the affairs of thearmy, which the latter could not very well withhold. Among the men,and especially among the Mainats, he underwent a sort of upsidedownapotheosis. Germanos had made villanous accusations; here was a fineanswer. As for that proud man himself, he found his position was nolonger tenable. So far from being able to profit by Nicholas's action,he discovered, though too late, that he had overreached himself inmaking so preposterous a statement about his enemy, and the armybuzzed away through his fine woven web, leaving it dangling in thewind. He saw that his chance of power was over, and, accepting theinevitable, took his departure for Kalavryta, where he hoped hisauthority remained intact. But, alas! for the triumphal reception bythe united army--alas! too, for his chance of the Patriarchate. Hisname, which he had prospectively throned in the hearts of myriads,was flotsam on the tide of their righteous anger against him, thrownup on the beach, tossed to and fro once or twice, and then left. Hisfollowers, the primates and bishops, less wise than he, still stayedon, hoping against hope that the popular favor would set their way. Butthe evil he and his had done lived after them; nothing now could undothe distrust and suspicion they had caused, for their first malignantslander had found fulfilment, and the army distrusted its officers,while the officers were not certain of their men. Nicholas had clearedhimself, leaping with a shout of triumph free from the web spun roundhim; others had not the manliness to do the same, to challenge theevidence, for they knew there was evidence.
Nicholas found opportunity to tell Petrobey about Mitsos' love affairs,but a few days afterwards news came to the camp that a landing ofthe Turks from their western squadron was expected on the Gulf ofCorinth, near Vostitza, and the prince, with some acuteness, found inthis rumor sufficient reason to make his presence there desirable.Petrobey, wishing to have a speedy and reliable messenger who couldcommunicate with the camp in the event taking place, sent Mitsosoff with him, and before the end of the third week in September theprince took his departure in some haste, hoping to regain in freshfields the loss of prestige he had suffered here and at Monemvasia.The news, if confirmed, was serious, for it meant that the Turkishsquadron had evaded the Greek fleet and threatened the Morea from thenorth, while, if once a landing was effected, the Turks would, withoutdoubt, march straight to the relief of Tripoli just when its need wassorest. The prince left the camp with much state and dignity, butwith nothing else, and Mitsos, to whom he had given a place on hisstaff as aide-de-camp extraordinary to the Viceroy of Greece, withthe rank of lieutenant in the Hellenic army, pranced gayly along ona fine-stepping horse, and for the first time fully sympathized withNicholas's resignation. They travelled by short marches, "like women,"as Mitsos described it afterwards, and one night the aide-de-campextraordinary, having occasion to bring a message to his master, wokehim out of his sleep, and saw the commander-in-chief in a night-cap,which left a deep, bilious impression on his barbarian mind wholly outof proportion to so innocuous a discovery.
For a time, at least, in Tripoli there was no more intriguing betweenthe besiegers and the besieged, for Petrobey redoubled his vigilance,and every night sent down a corps of trustworthy men to lie in waitround the town. Meantime he knew a strong band of cavalry and a largeforce of Albanian mercenaries were within the town, and in the citadelwas enough artillery to be formidable; so that while there was a chanceof capitulation, provided the rumor of the expected landing of troopson the Gulf of Corinth continued unconfirmed, he was unwilling tomake an assault on the town. But it began to be known that the fallof Tripoli was inevitable, and from all over the country the peasantsflocked together on the hills waiting for the end and a share in thebooty. It was in vain that Petrobey tried to drive them back; as soonas he had cleared one range of hills they swarmed upon another likesparrows in the vines, springing as it seemed from the ground, or asvultures grow in the air before a battle. Some came armed with guns,requesting to be enrolled in the various corps; others with sickles orreaping-hooks, or just with a knife or a stick. Every evening on thehills round shone out the fires of this unorganized rabble, gatheringthicker and thicker as the days went on.
Then, on the 24th of September, a refugee from the town was capturedand brought to the camp, and being promised his life if he gaveintelligence of what was going on inside, told them that famine hadbegun; that many of the horses of the cavalry corps had been killed formeat, and that unless help came the end was but a matter of hours. Onceagain Petrobey consulted Nicholas, who advised an assault at once; butthe other argued that as long as no news came of the reinforcementsfrom the north the case of the town was hopeless, and as it was for theGreeks to demand terms, they might as well wait for a proposal to come.Nicholas disagreed; there had been treachery before in the camp; theremight be treachery now. Let them, at any rate, minimize the disgrace tothe nation. Petrobey in part yielded, and consented to do as Nicholasadvised if no proposals were made in three days. In the mean time,since there was no longer any fear of the cavalry, they would move downcloser onto the plain and directly below the walls. Then, if fire wasopened on them from the citadel, they would storm it out of hand; butif not--and he had suspected for a long time that the guns were not allserviceable--they would wait for three days, unless Mitsos came backsaying that reinforcements were on the way from the north.