The Daughter of an Empress

The princess now approached her cousin, the Regent Anna, who came from

the adjoining room to meet and welcome her, and for one short moment the

courtiers forgot her smiles and her inoffensiveness. All eyes were

with the most intense anxiety directed toward those two women; all

conversation, jesting, and laughing were at once suspended. There was

a deep pause, all breathing was smothered, all feared that the

loud beating of their hearts might betray them and cause them to be

suspected.

The two princesses now approached each other--Princess Elizabeth would

have bent a knee to the regent--Anna, with charming kindness, raising

and kissing her, tenderly reproached her for coming so late.

"I feared coming too early," said Elizabeth, pressing the regent's hand

to her lips, "for I doubted whether my fair cousin would find time to

bestow a friendly word upon her poor relation, Princess Elizabeth!"

"How could Elizabeth fear that, when she knows I love her like a

sister?" tenderly asked the regent, and, taking the arm of the princess,

she made with her a round through the rooms.

Now again came life and movement in this lately so silent and anxiously

expectant assemblage; they now knew how they were to deport themselves:

Princess Elizabeth was in the good graces of the regent, and therefore

they could receive her polite greetings with the most reverential

thankfulness; they could approach her and admire her beauty without

incurring suspicion. The stereotyped smile had reappeared upon all

faces, cheerful and lively conversation was again resumed, and wherever

the two arm-in-arm wandering princesses appeared, they were greeted with

endless shouts of ecstasy.

As we have said, it was a gay and very splendid festival. Only

occasionally did something like a dark shadow pass through the rooms;

only here and there did the chattering guests forget their wonted

smiles; only occasionally did the mask of cheerfulness fall from many

a face, discovering serious, anxious features, and suspicious, lurking

glances. Every one felt that a catastrophe was impending, but, as no one

could know its result in advance, all wished to keep as clear of it as

possible, and seem perfectly unconscious and unaffected by these things.

As they could not foresee which party would triumph, they found it

advisable to join neither while awaiting coming events, after which they

would hail as lords and masters those who might succeed in attaining to

power.

For the present, Anna Leopoldowna was the ruler, and, as they were

her subjects, they must in humble submission pay homage to her; but

Elizabeth might become empress, and therefore they must likewise pay

homage to her, with a prudent avoidance of the too much, which might

cause them to be suspected in case the regent should still continue in

power.

These were the dangerous rocks between which this proud and elegant

assemblage had to find their winding way, and they did it with smiles

and outward ease, with open admiration of both princesses, before whom

they bowed to the ground with slavish submission.