The Daughter of an Empress

The new empress, Elizabeth, had rewarded and punished, and with that

thought she had finished her imperial labors and forever dismissed all

her difficulties.

"I have shaken off my imperial burdens," said she to her friends;

"let us now begin to enjoy the imperial pleasures. Ah! we shall lead

a pleasant life in this splendid palace. My first law is this: No one

shall speak to me of government business or state affairs. I will have

nothing to do with such things, do you hear! For what purpose do I have

my ministers and my council? Go you with such wearisome questions to my

grand chancellor, Tscherkaskoy, and my minister, Bestuscheff; they shall

govern for me. I can demand that of them, as I pay them for it. If you

seek an office, if you have invented any thing for promoting the welfare

of the country, if you have found any official abuse, or discovered

any conspiracy, then go to Bestuscheff or to Woronzow, or also to

Lestocq--spare me! But when you have a grace to demand, when you need

money, when you desire a title or orders, then come to me, and I will

satisfy your wishes. We have much money, many ribbons for orders, and

as for titles, they are the cheapest and most convenient of all, as they

cost absolutely nothing. Ah, a jest just now occurs to me. We will

amuse ourselves a little to-day. We will have a title-auction. Call our

courtiers, attendants, and servants. We shall have a gay time of it! We

will have a game at dice. Bring the dice! I will at each throw announce

the prize, and the dice shall then decide who is the winner!"

They all gathered around her; the noble gentlemen of her body-guard,

consisting of the grenadiers who had been raised to nobility and created

officers at the commencement of her reign. They came noisily, with

singing and laughing, and saluting their empress, Elizabeth, with a

thundering viva.

"First of all, let us drink your health, sir captain!" said she,

ordering wine to be brought, as well as brandy of the costly sort she

had lately received as a present from the greatest distiller of her

capital, to which she herself was very partial.

Loudly clinked their glasses, loudly was shouted a viva to the

empress, which Elizabeth laughingly accepted by offering them her hands

to kiss, and was delighted when they fell into ecstasies over the beauty

and freshness of those hands.

"Now, silence, gentlemen of the body-guard!" she cried. "I, your

captain, command attention!"

And, when silence was established, she continued: "We will have a game

at dice, and titles and orders, gold and brandy, shall be the prizes for

which you shall contend!"

"Ah, that is magnificent, that is a glorious game!" exclaimed they all.