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The Daughter of an Empress

Page 21

"Take her back into the palace!" said Mannstein, hastening past.

But the soldier, only anxious to rid himself of an encumbrance, threw

the now insensible duchess into the snow, and hurried away.

In this situation she was found by a captain of the guard, who lifted

her up and conveyed her into the palace to give her over to the care of

her women, that she might be restored to consciousness and dressed. But

she no longer had either women or servants! Her reign is over; they have

all fled in terror, as from the house of death, that they may not be

involved in the disaster of those whose good fortunes they have shared.

The slaves had all decamped in search of new masters, and the regent's

palace, so often humbly and reverently sought, is now avoided as a

pest-house.

With trembling hands the duchess enveloped herself in her clothes, and

then followed her husband into the winter palace.

And while all this was taking place the court and nation yet trembled at

the names of these two persons who had just been so deeply humbled. The

Princess Anna Leopoldowna, accompanied by the shouting soldiery, made a

triumphant progress through the streets of the city, stopping at all the

caserns to receive the oaths and homage of the regiments.

This palace-revolution was consummated without the shedding of

blood, and the awaking people of St. Petersburg found themselves with

astonishment under a new regency and new masters!

But a population of slaves venture no opposition. Whoever may have the

power to declare and maintain himself their ruler, he is their master,

and the slavish horde bow humbly before him.

As, hardly four weeks previously, the great magnates of the realm

had hurried to the Duke of Courland to pay their homage and prostrate

themselves in the dust before him, so did they now hasten to the palace

of the new regent, humbly to pay their court to her. The same lips that

even yesterday swore eternal fidelity to the Regent Biron, and sounded

his praise to the skies, now condemned him, and as loudly commended

their august new mistress, Anna Leopoldowna! The same knees which had

yesterday bent to Biron, now bent before Anna; and, with tears of joy,

men now again sank into the arms of each other, loudly congratulating

their noble Russia upon which the sun of happiness had now risen, given

her Anna Leopoldowna as regent!

And while all was jubilation in the palace of the new regent, that of

the great man of yesterday stood silent and deserted--no one dared to

raise a voice in his favor! Those who yesterday revelled at his table

and sang his praises were to-day his bitterest enemies, cursing him the

louder the more they had lauded him yesterday.

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