The Daughter of an Empress

That a word of authority from the czarina had abolished the punishment

of death, did not stir them up from their dull, expectant silence; but

when a messenger from the empress came and announced that Elizabeth had

ordered a flask of brandy to be given to each one of the crowd assembled

below, that they might drink her health, then came life and movement

to these stupid masses, then their dull faces were distorted into a

friendly grin, then they screamed and howled with a brutish ecstasy, and

they all rushed to the opened door to avail themselves of the promised

benevolence of the empress and receive the divine liquor!

For the great, the abolition of capital punishment--for the people, a

flask of brandy--these were the first rays that announced the appearance

of the newly-rising sun Elizabeth in the horizon of her realm!

No,--Elizabeth did yet more!--in this hour she remembered with a

grateful heart the faithful friends who had assisted her to the throne;

to reward these was her next and most sacred duty!

A nod from her called to her presence the thirty grenadiers of the

Preobrajensky regiment whom Grunstein had won over, and the empress with

a gracious smile gave them her hand to kiss.

Then, rising from her throne, and glancing at the assembled magnates and

princes, she said, in a clear and flattering tone: "It is service that

ennobles, it is fidelity that lends fame and splendor. And service and

fidelity have you rendered and shown to me, my faithful grenadiers! I

will reward you as you deserve. From this hour you are free; nay, more,

you are magnates of my realm; you belong, with the best of right, to

their circle, for, in virtue of my imperial power, I raise you to

the nobility by creating you barons, all of you, my thirty faithful

grenadiers, and you, Grunstein, the leader of this faithful band!

Receive them into your ranks, my counts and barons, they are worthy of

you!"

Hesitating, not daring to mingle with those proud magnates, stood the

new barons; but the princes and counts advanced to them with open

arms, with exclamations of tenderness and assurances of friendship. The

empress had spoken, the slaves must obey; and these princes and counts,

these generals and field-marshals, who yesterday would hardly have

thrown away a contemptuous glance upon these grenadiers, now called

them friends and brothers, and were most happy to admit them into their

circle.

Elizabeth gave a satisfied glance at these hearty greetings: she found

it infinitely sweet and agreeable to make so many men happy in so easy a

manner, and with pleasure she recollected that she had yet to reward her

coachman who had guided her sledge in the great and decisive hour.

She ordered him to be called. A considerable time elapsed, and all were

looking expectantly toward the door, which finally opened, and, led by

four lackeys, the coachman stumbled into the hall. They had had some

trouble in finding him, until at length he was discovered among the

people in the court-yard, enjoying the brandy distributed by order of

the empress. From this crowd they had withdrawn him in spite of his

resistance, in order to bring him to his sovereign.