The Daughter of an Empress

A loud viva followed this speech of Anna Leopoldowna, who tenderly

embraced the enraptured officers, commanding them to follow her.

Accompanied by Marshal Munnich and eighty soldiers, Anna then went out

into the streets. In silence they advanced to within a hundred steps

of Biron's palace. Here, making a halt, Mannstein alone approached

the palace to command the officers of the guard in the name of the new

regent, Anna Leopoldowna, to submit and pay homage to her. No opposition

was made; accustomed always to obey, they had not the courage to dispute

the commands of the new ruler, and declared themselves ready to assist

her in the arrest of the regent.

Mannstein returned to Anna and Munnich with this joyful intelligence,

and received orders to penetrate into the palace with twenty men, to

capture the duke, and even kill him if he made resistance.

Without opposition Mannstein again returned to the palace with his small

band, carefully avoiding making the least noise in his approach. All the

soldiers in the palace knew him; and as the watch below had permitted

him to pass, they supposed he must have an important message for the

duke, and no one stopped him.

He had already wandered through several rooms, when an unforeseen

difficulty presented itself. Where is the sleeping-room of the duke?

Which way must he turn, in order to find him? He stood there undecided,

not daring to ask any of the attendants in the anterooms, lest perhaps

they might suspect him and awaken the duke! He finally resolved to go

forward and trust to accident. He passed two or three chambers--all were

empty, all was still!

Now he stands before a closed door! What if that should prove the

chamber of the duke? He thinks he hears a breathing.

He cautiously tries the door. Slightly closed, it yields to his

pressure, and he enters. There stands a huge bed with hanging curtains,

which are boldly drawn aside by Mannstein.

Before him lies the regent, Duke Biron of Courland, with his wife by his

side.

"Duke Biron, awake!" called Mannstein, with a loud voice. The ducal pair

started up from their slumber with a shriek of terror.

Biron leaps from the bed, but Mannstein overpowers him and holds him

fast until his soldiers come. The duke defends himself with his hands,

but is beaten down with musket-stocks. They bind his hands with an

officer's scarf, they wrap him in a soldier's mantle, and so convey him

down to Field-Marshal Munnich's carriage which is waiting, below, to

transport him to the winter palace.

While Mannstein and the soldiers were occupied with the duke, his

duchess had found an opportunity to make her escape. With only her light

night-dress, shrieking and lamenting, she had rushed into the street.

She was seized by a soldier, who, conducting her to Mannstein, asked

what he should do with her.