Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-10-04
Grand Duke Nicholas.

Grand Duke Nicholas.
We find the following anecdote of the Grand
Duke Nicholas, OF Russia, in recent number
OF the Court Journal, of London, one of the
ablest and most reliable authorities in all
matters connected with the movements of the
European nobility published His Imperial
Highness resembles the Grand Duke Constan-
tine rather than the Emperor He is short,
and of small make, wholly Russian, despising
the civilization of the west, and resolved to
maintain Russian customs and manners
throughout the Empire, as far as lies in his
own individual power. His quick wit and
Tepartee render him great favorite with the
fair sex and his summary method of storm
ing the strongest citadels has made his name
celebrated in the annals of gallantry through.
out all Russia.
1t was he who, being on a visit during the
intense heat of a certain summer, few years
ago, at hlew where, at that time, dwelt the
Princess C, the lady of his thoughts, on
hearing the lady eXclaim, at sight of the splen-
did fruit and flowers the Grand Duke had
presented to her, that she would just then,
have vastly preferred a bunch of strawberries
from the neighborhood of Ir1utsk, Immediate
ordered a courier to be dispatched to the
governor of the province to fetch the dainty,
with orderS-on pain of Punishment knOut,
death--to bring it back within a given time,
driving the expedition to so close limit that
body and soul risked separation during the
night.
Your Russian courier however, is not
man to be defeated he skinned back through
ice and FROST through wind and rain, through
burning heat and scorching sun, which mark
the gradations of climate from Irkutsk to
Kew, and arrived within a few hours of the
time allotted by the Grand Duke for the execu-
Of tla +I,o
moment when the ball given to him by the
authorities of that holy city was about to open.
With the tact and discretion of an eXpe-
rlenced lover, he selected one single bunch of
the miniature stack of strawberries brought by
the courier, under influence OF excess ofsReal
which signalized the governor of Irkutsk, and ,
placing it in his buttonhole, repaired to the
ball. The lady had already arrived. The
double doors at the head of the stairs which
led into the ballroom were thrown wide open.
Opposite was a long, French looking-glass
which reflected the figure of the grand duke,
with those of his aids de-camp and officers, at
full length Mechanically he raised his eyes
toward it, and beheld more than the reflection
of his own party, for he beheld, also, the lady
of his love, who was seated on the opposite
side of the room, in close conversation with
young officer, at whose attraction the grand
duke had often imagined himself jealous.
usher, in loud voice. announced the imperial
visitor by name, his eye-which, with prophet.
ic jealousy, had never quilted the mirror-be-
held the lady start at the sound of that name,
and the young officer suddenly withdrew, as
if with guilty consciousness, bearing away
with him flower from the lady's boquet,
which she had torn from it with an impatient
jerk and placed i'll his hand. They say the
grand duke looked pale enough when he enter
ed-and some people thought him overcome
by the sudden glare and heat of the ballroom,
but he soon rallied, and led out the governors
lady to open the hall, as in duty he was bound
TO do.
But he comes not toward the place where
she is seated. He disappears for moment in
the room beyond, and presently issues forth,
leading by the hand the beautiful Princess Sa-
feha NJ and, strange to tell wearing
now in his button hole together with the
bunch of strawberries, the little scarlet flower
which the Princess c. had torn from her
bouquet to bestow on the young officer as a
token of her love. The grand duke had nd
mired the flower with seeming careessness,
and had said, as if without any meaning, that
it would serve to heighten the whteness of
his strawberries, which upon his green uni
form did not show with as much effect as
could be wished AS no mortal living has
ever yet been able to tell whether the grand
duke speaks in irony or in earnest, and as no
man out of Russia can ever Judge of the mag
netic power exercised by the imperial family
over every individual in the nation, it is, there
fore, needless to represent the feeling o. me-
cessity which compelled the young man to
bestow, without further ceremony OF excuse
the flower just bestowed by the Princess
c. upon the grand duke, nor yet the sat.
isfaction with which the latter beheld the gr
mace Of affected devotion and courtesy with
which he did so.
1t was then that his imperial highness went
to seek the young Princess M and led her
out to dance, while the neglected love sat
trembling with jealousy and terror as she be-
held her gift to the young officer transferred
to the grand duke. With woman's instinct
she was beginning to understand that discov.
cry had taken place, but how, she has never
been able to discover to this day. When the
dance was ended her humiliation became COM
plete, for the grand duke, leading his partner
10 a seat quite near the Princess c., whose
presence he affected not to recognize, sat down
beside her, and, while she blushed and hung
her head, he whispered soft compliments into
her ear, and before he left her side, drew from
his button hole the bunch of strawberries and
the scarlet flower, and placed them in her
hand, The grand duke quilted the ball almost
Immediately atterward; his vengeance was
complete He left the city early on the fol-
lowing day, bearing with him the secret of his
revenge; tor lie never reproached the lady
with her treachery, nor was it known for
years.