what
afterward befell him. One thing is certain, and that is, that his young
bride never saw him again.[3]

Catharine, when she found herself separated from her husband and shut up
a helpless prisoner with a crowd of other wretched and despairing
captives, was overwhelmed with grief at the sad reverse of fortune that
had befallen her. She had good reason not only to mourn for the
happiness which she had lost, but also to experience very anxious and
gloomy forebodings in respect to what was before her, for the main object
of the Russians in making prisoners of the young and beautiful women
which they found in the towns that they conquered, was to send them to
Turkey, and to sell them there as slaves.

Catharine was, however, destined to escape this dreadful fate. One of
the Russian generals, in looking over the prisoners, was struck with her
appearance, and with the singular expression of grief and despair which
her countenance displayed. He called her to him and asked her some
questions; and he was more impressed by the intelligence and good sense
which her answers evinced than he had been by the beauty of her
countenance. He bid her quiet her fears, promising that he would himself
take care of her. He immediately ordered some trusty men to take her to
his tent, where there were some women who would take charge of and
protect her.

These women were employed in various domestic occupations in the service
of the general. Catharine began at once to interest herself in these
employments, and to do all in her power to assist in them; and at length,
as one of the writers who gives an account of these transactions goes on
to say, "the general, finding Catharine very proper to manage his
household affairs, gave her a sort of authority and inspection over these
women and over the rest of the domestics, by whom she soon came to be
very much beloved by her manner of using them when she instructed them in
their duty. The general said himself that he never had been so well
served as since Catharine had been with him.

"It happened one day that Prince Menzikoff, who was the general's
commanding officer and patron, saw Catharine, and, observing something
very extraordinary in her air and behavior, asked the general who she was
and in what condition she served him. The general related to him her
story, taking care, at the same time, to do justice to the merit of
Catharine. The prince said that he was himself very ill serv