New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-07-30
VOLUME XIII.


guished bravery, had been sent after the conclu-
sion of the peace of Adrianople to Orenburg,
mild species Of punishment, for having at the
siege of Silistria, had the misfortune to witness
the Grand Duke Nicholas spoil well-concerted
attack by the imbecility Of an order, against
which he had yentured word of remonstrance,
Circumstances of most important character soon
furnished our yindictye Greek with an opportunity
of revenging his disgrace on its Imperial author.
The accession to the throne of Nicholas, preceded
by the unexpected resignation of the Grand Duke
Constantine, gave the signal not only to that most
formidable insurrection at ST. Petersburg, the his
tory of which has been so often described, or
rather n1s-described, but also to series of minor
reYolts in the military administration of the En-
pire, in which the father Of the Countess took
leading part. Tie dramatic usurpaton Of Nicho-
las in the capital decided, OF course, the fate of
all these petty rebellions, and adventurous
Greek speedily found himself dragged before a
Court Martial and condemned to be shot. On the
evening preceding the execution, Count B--f,
the Imperial Commissioner, was requested to give
audience TO lady who, peraeyeringly forcing her
way through the guards into the Governors ante
chamber, suddenly threw herself at his feet, and
fixing pair of the most beautiful eyes, glimmer
ing with tears, implored the Count in the most
touching terms save the life Of her father The
Count, overwhelmed with astonshment and fas
cinated by the regards of this Incompatible
beauty, bade his orderes to leave the room
Selling her hands and raising the fair petitioner
from her PROSTATE attitude, he answered with
smile: MADAM, you may command my services"
conversation OF about an hour ensued the result
of which was, the Counts parole dhonhep1 to
| avert, at the risk Of his own disgrace, the iudg
ment of the Court Martial, and to commute it into
transportation 10 Siberia. We are ignorant at
what price the daughter obtained this mercy for
her father but so satisfactorily matters ar
ranged that in few hours afterwards the prisoner
was ordered to be brought before the Count, who
offered him not only an opportunity to take leave
of his daughter, but also ordered in the most
| phatic manner the Cosaks, charged with CON
Quoting the eulprit into exile to take the greatest
care of him. On the same day that the latter was
on the way to Siberia, the daughter was journey
| ing with the Count to one OF his country resi-
dences, where Hymen soon crowned their roman
teal liaison.
This adventure created some sensation at st.
Petersburgh; the consequence was that the Count
on his return was received by the Emperor with
great GOODNESS. Forbidden to reappear at court,
he would possibly have shared the fate of his un.
fortunate father-in-law, had not the powerful in
luence of his family intervened, and Nicholas con-
tented himself to punish the enamered Boyard with
| five years involuntary travels through foreign
| countries. Accompanied by his charming wife,
the Count visited Germany, Italy, France and Eng
| land, until an Imperial decree permitted him to
return to Russia. RGadmtted into the court circles,
shrewd eyes soon detected the rayishng qualities
of the recently introduced Countess, and the lively
impression which bsr graeefulness made from their
very first presentation at court on the young mind
| of the Czarewiteh. The Emperor, conscious of the
| sway which beautiful woman would not fail to
| gain over the heir to the crown, and desrous to
have instrument for controlling the nclinations
of his son, nourished rather than suppressed the
| flame in the bosom of Alexander. To avoid sus-
| pieion, the Count was ostensibly distinguished by
| the Emperor. and employed in several confidential
| missions Shortly afterwards, Alexander had the
pleasure Of announcing with his own lips the par
don of the exiled father of the Countess, who,
| yielding to a natural impulse of gratitude, and
! calculating the immense advantages Of her con-
| quest, took from this moment the air of the ac-
knowledged taTorite Of the Czarewitch.
So firmly did the new Star of the North establish
| IFS dominion over Alexander, that she apprehended
no danger from his projected marriage with a
| Princess of the blood, whom court gossip already
represented as model OF candour and adTretf,
blooming as quietly as any German daisy on the
rich meadows of her Rhensh fatherland. Far from
| being enraged at this resolution, the Countess
fegned even great satisfaction, when Alexander in
obedience to the dictates OF his father set out on
his bridal expedition, and betrayed not the least
emotion when the Empress mother bestowed upon
her one of the most important charges in the new
| household.
Fully convinced OF her power over the Care
witch, and trusting in the irresistibility OF her
| charms, she admitted not the least doubt in the
continuation of her authority. Alas. how soon
was she to be deceived in her calculations! From
dissimulated calmness her heart burst out with
| violent passion, when she saw Alexander happy
by the side of his young wife in the imperial apart
| ments. Mary looked indeed, very young modest
and unpresumptiye: but the cunning Countess dis
covered beneath these angelic traits all the Gle
| ments of future mistress. Hanghtiness. pride
and even contempt, would have produced less ef.
feet in the mind of the avoFite than this real fem
nine grace and beauty of the newly married Grand,
duchess. In vain she tried several stratagems
By redoubling her attentions towards Alexander
and endcayoring to perform her duties with the
utmost exactitude towards her Imperial mistress
she disguised her internal fury. But at the birth
of Princess, seeing her former lover totally alien
ated from her, and brought closer aud closer tc
the side of his Legitimate wife, her peut-up fury
could nc longer contain itself.
She gaze herself up 10 the most violent sungts
lions Of wounded pride, female jealousy ana lG
yenge, for what she deemed her betrayal. Untor
tunately for her, the scheme on which her yindic
tive and Jealous spirit fixed its choice, became the
very means of seeering forever the ties which has
for a certain time united her with Alexander
The exposure it produced destroyed her hopes for
ever Instead of removing her rival altogether
by some great crime, which seemed both danger
ous and Of doubtful advantages, the Countess re
solved to spoil only her beauty, trusting that Alex
ander would restore her to his affections on per
ceiving that the appearance OF his wife had become
repulsive.
Having constant access, as lady OF the bed-chaul
her, to the apartments Of the GTand-duehess, sht
introduced into the washing water corrosive
not poisonous fluid. This infamous project 81
far succeeded, as the Grand. duchess used the oh
no8ious water whereupon her hitherto blooming
face began to burn with fire and speedily becam
covered with eruptious. At first she was told the
were the symptoms Of some hidden disoase; bu
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