"Rely upon me," whispered Alexis, "she must and shall join in our
plans."
He approached the princess, who was walking the room in a state of the
most violent agitation, giving vent to her internal excitement and anger
in loud exclamations and bitter curses.
"I must therefore die!" sighed Alexis, pressing Elizabeth's trembling
hand to his lips. "Kill me, princess, thrust a dagger in my heart, that
I at least may not live to see you married to another!"
"No, you shall not die," cried Elizabeth, with fierce vehemence,
throwing her arms around Razumovsky's neck. "I will know how to defend
you and myself, Alexis! Ah, they would shackle me,--they would force me
to marry, because they know I hate marriage. Yes, I hate those unnatural
fetters which could command my heart, force it into obedience to an
unnatural law, and degrade divine free love, which would flutter from
flower to flower, into a necessity and a duty. It is an unnatural
law which would compel us forever to love a man because he pleased us
yesterday or may please us to-day, and who perhaps may not please us
to-morrow, while on the next day he may excite only repugnance! Would
they forge these matrimonial chains for me? Ah, Regent Anna, you are
this time mistaken; you may be all-powerful in this empire, but you
cannot and shall not extend that power over me!"
"And how," asked Lestocq, shrugging his shoulders, "how will Princess
Elizabeth oppose the regent or empress? What weapon has she with which
to contend?"
"If it must be so, I will oppose power to power!" passionately exclaimed
the princess. "Yes, when it comes to the defence of my freedom and my
personal rights I will then have the courage to dare all, defy all;
then will I shake off the lethargy of contented mediocrity, and upon the
throne will find that freedom which Anna would tread under foot!"
"Long live our future empress! Long live Elizabeth!" cried the men with
wild excitement.
"I have long withstood you, my friends," said Elizabeth, "I have not
coveted this imperial Russian crown, but much less have I desired that
crown of thorns a compulsory marriage. I am now ready for the struggle,
and, if it must be so, let a revolution, let streams of blood decide
whether the Regent Anna Leopoldowna or the daughter of Peter the Great
has the best right to govern this land and prescribe its laws!"
"Ah, now are you really your great father's great daughter!" cried
Lestocq, and bending a knee before the princess, he continued: "Let me
be the first to pay you homage, the first to swear eternal fidelity to
you, our Empress Elizabeth."
"Receive also my oath, Empress Elizabeth," said Alexis, falling upon his
knees before her, "receive the oaths of your slaves who desire nothing
but to devote their bodies and souls to your service!"