The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-03-11
RusspsN sroRf
THE ENSIGN and THE
EMPEROR

-, rom Moscow, IN ceptesuoes, 'ess. H'e
s...ss had carried him too far for him &c
ssss ~ r"turning home that evening. He was
sD.s. anal house which belonged 10 az aged man
~ ,..h,e birth who had lived there for seven aud
Sr,v vears. This old man had taken possession Of
ne house IN his twentieth year. but nobody knew
hov be had purchased IL, nor from whence he bad
come. nor Who he vas. Hehad never onee Quilted
n-not even 70 60 TO Moscow--sincetheda day ne eos
tered upon possession. The fret tea years ne
lived there he had made no acquaintance seen
nobody, aud never spoke except TO ask Tor whas
vas absolutely necessary TO him. He had never
married, although his estate, containing TWO
tnousAnd deeistinas Of laud aud nse huoa,sa
ssrfs brozsht him 10 Eve thousand SILVER ro"oieS
. year. ,,n - en-.
Ananieahie. INV friend did not hesitate to ask per-
mlssioo 10 spepd the night In his house. A place
A the stoye no Russian peasant ever refuses TO
the stranger The old man invited MN 10, ana
my friend found seated at the sao'e Win ms most
Consequently busy, for they were no longer stran.
Uers The old man Was well preserved person,
Of ave and seventy years old: his eye were
BRIGHT bat rather uneasy looking. His health
vse robust and his noble white hair aad white
beard, 10 no wise diminished bis appearance Of
visor. He wore the true Russian Costume; boots
which came above his knees, black velvet panta-
looms. with large foIds: gray frock coat and cap,
trimmed with astrakan.
Tue conversation turned on subj ects Of cotempo-
rary Interest. They talked freely, aud this very
freedom seemsd pleasure 70 men who had been
doomed to silence for three Add Thirty years. The
Gar Nicholas had died the 18th Of February previ-
Gus, aud the Car Alexander ii had begun bis
reign by words and acts which opened future ca
yeer 70 Russia Russians had ceased to hope. The
old man-unlike most persons OF his age, who ate
always regrettinS the past-seemed glad TO nave
Witnessed . change Of reign, and to breathe Ike
free mau. He seemed like q man long buried In q
dungeon and set at liberty; he enjoyed light and
afr and liberty.
"But how did il happen that man of your birth
should have quilted st. Petersburg in your eigh-
ssepsh year. and bury yourself in ihis obscure
Deishborhood tor fftysseven years." asked my
friend, encouraged by the tone OF the old mans
conversation to put 30 indiscreet question.
Evil, tel, you, replied the host: was then, as
you say, eighteen years old. j had been for two
ysars 40 ensiso In Palowsky's regiment. The re.
eiment was qusrtered in thu large building oppo-
site tue sumnler garden, cad on the other side oil
the Campus XSrftuf. The Gear Paul had been on
tbe throne til years. He lived In the Red Palace,
watch was Just completed. Ooe night. leave OF
absence was refused me for some eight breach OF
discipline. / DO not now remember which, and
was forced to abandon a gay party Of my comrades
who went out on frOiic. They being gone, RS
aiaoss the oaly officer Of my grade lett in the bar
racks. vent to bed early aud soon fell asleep
vas awakened from my SOUND sleep By q voice Il
fets !.s breath on my facel whispering into my
"Dimitri Aiexaudroyich, wake up" Iopened my
eyes,aed sa~ man standing by my bedside, who
&c
"what do you want 2" said 1. sect up aud follow
me" "Follov you! where!" 81 cannot tell you
Know II 10 the Enperor's order"
A cold chill ran through me. The Emperor's
orderl what could be want with me, poor CO.
siSu, Of good family IL Is true ba. leo far removed
froa tia tarous Cor 1t to be possible my name
shooid ever have reached bis ear. Remembered
the teTri5., Russian prorcrb which arose in the
reign Of Ivan the Terrible, "SeGr she Cz,r, close
to Death" Nevertheless could not hesitate.
jumped ap eed began 80 dress. Theu l closely
examiued the man v 40 had come - wake me-.
Hid ~ he Vas In his furs, thought recos niaed
N old Turkish slave, who rose from being bar
kes 10 be the CzAr's favo-i.e. This scrutiny, bnw-
bsso dangerous had 1t been too long. II an ready
~ last" said I. buchling my eword around my
waist 70 be ready for any contingency.
My uneasfre,s Increased when saw my guide
10 down small stair case leading into the cellars
Of tie immsuse barracks, Instead ofcarrying me-
out BY the main door. He lighted the way by q
emsi biiud isrtsrn. After several windngs be
vent 10 door whose vary existence wac IN
known to ne before. We had not met a soul in the
whc!e building; IL ssemei as If the great barracks
vsrs deserted, aud yet knew 1t contained several
snosssud meu. l thought indeed once OF twice
saw q shadow gliding IN the obsc0risy; but these
f,iu. ..'h'~s disappeared, or rather vanished in
me !, At.er walking for some time. we came to
se0sej door, my guide raped 10 a Certain way.
The door instAstly opened. When We entered II,
cav D mao Ct We II Auu 10 low us; IL Wu6 ne VINO
opened it % suddenly, and he was evidently wait.
ing for %. The passage where We were, evi
IDENTIFY sub.errAnean vault, some seven or eight
feet wide; the humidity of the ground sweated
through the bricks which lined it inside About
I've hundred pacss further On, there was An iron
grated gate, which my guide unlocked aud iasten.
ed after he had let US 10. On we went. then
began to remember that had heard there was a
suhtsrransan passage between the Red Palace
aud the barracks of PaulowskI's greBatiers.
nacd AT ~ re n on WaV IN no mails
We reached another door, aud raped as We
bad raped before; it opened as the other had
done, AMI when We went through | saw man
sitting bshiud 1t. Now we walked up staircase.
It opened into the rooms on the ground floor, but
she atmosphere showed that We were in house
carefully and comfortably warmed. This house
soon assumed the proportions OF palace. Then
all my doubts Ned. was led 10 the Emperor
the Emperor had sent for me, an humble ensign
IN his guard. remembered that young ensign
he met ia the street, aud made get up behind bis
carriage, and raised SUCCESSFULLY and IN less than
Eltsen minutes, lieutenant, captain, major, colo
mel and general. But dared not hope he sent for
me With any such Intention.
We nov reached another door still sentinel
paced before it. My guide laid his hand on my
shoulder, saying, "Take care, you will be in the
Emperor's presence in q minute" He whispered
10 the sentinel; the latter stood on one side. MY
guide will not say Unlocked the door, but opens
ed IL BY touching q secret spring, something of
that sort, % at least 1t seemed to me. The noise
made Ia entering the room made small n,
DRESSED Ia the Prussian style, with boots which
came half way mp his thighs, coat which hung
down TO his spurs, wearing gigantic three cor.
nerod hat, although he was in his bed chamber
and In full dress, although II was Il o'clock at
night; / say the noise We made caused tn is man
90 turn around. I recognized the Emperor. II
was not difficult, for ] saw him every day of my
Life.
remembered that, at our review that morn.
fog, he had looked at me and had called my cap-
had &. =.
mo the while, asked him q good many questions
In Q whisper, ADD then had given some order to
emo Of his stat: and all these recoliections iu-
creased my uneasiness. "Sire," said my guide
s'bsre 10 the young ensigu to whom you desired to
speak" Tho Emperor came up to me, and as he
VS. very low q stature, he stood on tipioe to look
Ct me. He doubtless that was the same
person he had selected that morning, for he nod,
6sd his heal approviDgiy, aad turning on his
hAel, seid. abruptly, to my guide, "foa may 60"
Ny guide bowed and went out, and left me alone
With tho Emperor. ! do declare 70 YOU. | had
rather have been left alone with lion in his cage
than With that man In his chamber.
The Emperor did not ssem TO pay the least at
tsntion to me 1t first. He walked rapidly a., and
Down tho room, stopping occasionally before a
window With = movable pane In 1t, which he
woa.d open to breathe the cold night air. When
no had inhaled il, he would return 10 a table WHARF
bis snnH box was lying aud take pinch This
was the window Of his bed chamber, where he
was sfterUys killed / have heard il has n aver
been opened staco bis death. / had time to ex.
anime everything IN the room. each piece of
furnitase, every chair. Near ons of the Win"
dows was writing desk, and on it paper which
Ras open. 'A
Az last the Emperor seemed TO perceive that
was IN the room; he came up to NE. iii, face
seemed to me to be furious; nevertheless i, was
merely sgitsted by the contractiops of hin rsrvss
he stood justin from. aud said: Dust, dust. do
Jon Know you are nothing but dust, dust of tn.
earn, snd iLat am lord over all and master Of
evesy.n'ns. he never spoke 10 any body. not
svsn 70 ladies, except IN this way; he called evsrv
eooy apo treated every body rs they were indesd
nethirg bus dust and earth and ashes. do not
nnov soe l managed to reply, faye, cir, you are
destiny" ~
.Ah, hs'" ssid he, sshs turned his back on me,
sSa walled up and down the room again. and opsn-
ec sne mosssele pane Of giass, and took another
pineh q SINUS. and came up TO ms q second time:
LOU nnow, said dc, shat when 1 command
noss % ooeyod without refusal, observations. or
AtAA