rceive a deep background of sadness in her. She knew better than
anybody the violent (ARDENTE) character of her husband; and perhaps
she then already foresaw what would come. She also had her circle every
evening, and always asked the company to stay supper. One evening, when
I was of her party, a confidential Equerry of the Czar came in, and
whispered me That I had been searched for all over Town, to come
to supper at the COUNTESS'S (that was the usual designation of the
Sultana,"--DAS FRAULEIN, spelt in Russian ways, is the more usual).
"I begged to be excused for this time, being engaged to sup with the
Czarina, to whom I could not well state the reason for which I was to
leave. The Equerry had not gone long, when suddenly a great noise was
heard, the two wings of the door were flung open, and the Czar entered.
He saluted politely the Czarina and her circle; called me with that
smiling and gracious air which he always had; took me by the arm, and
said to the Czarina: 'Excuse me, Madam, if to-night I carry off one of
your guests; it is this Prussian I had searched for all over the Town.'
The Czarina laughed; I made her a deep bow, and went away with my
conductor. Next morning I went to the Czarina; who, without mentioning
what had passed last night, said smiling, 'Come and sup with me always
when there is nothing to prevent it.'"

FEBRUARY 21st, HORDT AT ZARSKOE-ZELOE. "On occasion of the Czar's
birthday [which gives us a date, for once], [Michaelis, ii. 627: "Peter
born, 21st February, 1728."] there were great festivities, lasting a
week. It began with a grand TE DEUM, at which the Czar was present, but
not the Czarina. She had, that morning, in obedience to her husband's
will, decorated 'the Countess' with the cordon of the Order of St.
Catharine. She was now detained in her Apartment 'by indisposition;'
and did not leave it during the eight days the festivities lasted." This
happened at the Country Palace, Zarskoe-Zeloe; and is a turning-point in
poor Peter's History. [Hermann, p. 253.] From that day, his Czarina saw
that, by the medium of her Peter, it was not she that would ever come to
be Autocrat; not she, but a pock-marked, unbeautiful Person, with Cordon
of the Order of St. Catharine,--blessings on it! From that day the
Czarina sat brooding her wrongs and her perils,--wrongs DONE, very
many, and now wrongs to be SUFFERED, who can say how many! She perceives
clearly that the Czar is gone from her, fixedly sulle