of them she had received attentions more brilliant than ever woman
had had lavished upon her by any lovelorn king. The famous
Potemkin--he who had said the word "impossible" should be ruled out of
the dictionary--had testified his adoration for her with a
magnificence surpassing all that we read of in the "Thousand and One
Nights." When, in 1791, after making her journey in the Crimea, the
Empress Catherine II. returned to St. Petersburg, Prince Potemkin
remained behind in command of the army, several of the generals having
brought their wives. It was then that he had occasion to meet Princess
Dolgoruki. Her name, too, was Catherine, and the Prince made a great
banquet for her, nominally in honour of the Empress. At table the
Princess was seated by his side. At dessert, on the table were put
crystal goblets full of diamonds, which were served to the ladies by
the spoonful. The queen of the festival observing this luxury,
Potemkin whispered to her, "Since this celebration is for you, why
should you be astonished at anything?" He would spare no sacrifice to
satisfy a wish or a whim of that charming woman. Learning one day that
she was in want of ball slippers of a kind she usually sent for to
France, Potemkin despatched an express messenger to Paris, who
hastened day and night to bring back these slippers. It was well known
in St. Petersburg that to afford the Princess Dolgoruki a spectacle he
much desired her to see he had assaulted the fortress of Otschakoff
sooner than had been agreed upon, and perhaps sooner than was prudent.

No woman, it seems to me, had greater dignity of mien and manner than
Princess Dolgoruki. Having seen my "Sibyl," about which she was very
enthusiastic, she wished me to make her portrait in this style, and I
had the pleasure of doing her bidding to her entire satisfaction. The
portrait done, she sent me a very handsome carriage, and put on my arm
a bracelet made of a tress of her hair with a diamond inscription
reading, "Adorn her who adorns her century." I was deeply touched by
the graciousness and delicacy of such a gift.

At the time of my reaching St. Petersburg, Prince Potemkin had already
been there some years, but he was still spoken of as though he had
been a wizard. Some idea of what an extraordinary and high-flying
imagination he had may be obtained from reading what the Prince de
Ligne and the Count de Segur have written about the journey he
arranged for the Empress Catherine II. in