The Daughter of an Empress

"Let me, also, do homage to you, Empress Elizabeth!" exclaimed Woronzow,

falling to the earth.

"And I, too, will lie at your feet and declare myself your slave,

Empress Elizabeth!" said Grunstein, kneeling with the others.

But Elizabeth's anger was already past; only a momentary storm-wind had

lashed her gently flowing blood into the high foaming waves of rage; now

all again was calm within her, and consequently this solemn homage scene

of her four kneeling friends made only a comic impression upon her.

She burst into a loud laugh; astonished and half angry, the kneeling men

looked up to her, and that only increased her hilarity.

"Ah, this is infinitely amusing," said the princess, continuing

to laugh; "there lie my vassals, and what vassals! Herr Lestocq, a

physician; Herr Grunstein, a bankrupt shopkeeper and now under-officer;

Herr Woronzow, chamberlain; and Alexis Razumovsky, my private secretary.

And here I am, the empress of such vassals, and what sort of an empress?

An empress of four subjects, an empress without a throne and without a

crown, without land and without a people--an empress who never was and

never will be an empress! And in this solemn buffoonery you cut such

serious faces as might make one die with laughter."

The princess threw herself upon the divan and laughed until the tears

ran down her cheeks.

"Princess," said Lestocq, rising, "these four men, at whom you now

laugh, will make you empress, and then it will be in your power to

convert this chirurgeon into a privy councillor and court physician,

this bankrupt merchant into a rich banker, this chamberlain into an

imperial lord-marshal, and your private secretary into a count or prince

of the empire."

The eyes of the princess shone yet brighter, and with a tender glance at

Alexis Razumovsky she said: "Yes, I will make him a prince and overload

him with presents and honors. Ah, that is an object worth the pains of

struggling for an imperial crown."

"No, no," interposed Alexis, kissing her hand, "I need neither wealth

nor titles; I need nothing, desire nothing but to be near you, to be

able to breathe the air that has fanned your cheek. I desire nothing for

myself, but everything for my friends here, with whose faithful aid we

shall soon be enabled to greet you a real empress."

Elizabeth's brow beamed with the purest blessedness. "You are as

unselfish as the angels in heaven, my Alexis," said she. "It suffices

you that I am Elizabeth, you languish not for this imperial title which

these others would force upon me."

Alexis smilingly shook his fine head. "You err, princess," said he; "I

would freely and joyfully give my heart's blood, could I this day but

salute you as empress! I should then, at least, have no more to fear

from this strange prince whom they would compel you to marry!"