The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-07


love. And, gay as his life had been at
the French Court, it was the first, and
subsequently proved to be the deepest,
passion of his life,
On the Czarine's return to her private
apartment, she summoned her new favor
lite, and superintended with condescend-
ing solicitude. the arrangements for her
palace lodging. Nadge inhabited small
tower adjoining the bedroom of her mis-
tress, and above this was an unOccupied
room, which, at the present suggestion of
the fairy little attendant, was allotted to
the new conner. The staircase opened by
one door into the private gardens, and by
the opposite into the corridor leading inn
mediately into the imperial chamber.
The Marquis delicacy would fain have
made some suggestion to this very init
mate location; but he could hazard moth
ing against the interests of his sovereign,
and he trusted to a speedy termination
of his disguise with the attainment of
his object. Meantime, the close neigh
borhood of the fair Nadge was not the
most intolerable of the necessities.
The Marquis task was very difficult
one. He was instructed, before abandon
ing his disguise and delivering his secret
dispatches, to awaken the interest of the
Czarine on the two subjects to which the
document had reference, viz. A form
erly discussed project of seating the
Prince de Cont on the throne of Poland.
Bestuchetf had so long succeeded in cut
ting offall approach of these topics to the
ear of the Czarine, that her Majesty had
probably forgotten them altogether.
Weeks passed, and the opportunities to
broach these delicate subjects had been
inauspiciously rare. Mademoiselle de
Beaumont, it is true, had completely
eclipsed the favorite Nadge; and Eliza
beth, in her hours of relaxation from
State affairs, exacted the constant at
tendance of the new favorite in her pri-
, vate apartments. But the almost con-
slant presence of some other of the
maids of honor opposed continual obsta-
cles and Interruptions, and the Czarine
herself was not always disposed to talk
Of matters more serious than the current
, trihes of the hour. She was extremely
indolent in her personal habits; and
! often reclining at length upon cushions
: Oh the floor of her boudoir, she laid her
imperial head in the lap of the embar-
raised demoiselle, and was soothed to
sleep by reading and the bathing of her
temples. And during this period she
exacted frequently of the Marquis, with
kind of instructive mistrust, promises
of continuance for life in her personal
service.
But there were sweeter hours for the
enamored La Chetardie than those passed
in the presence of his partial and imperial
mistress. Encircled by sentinels and
guarded from all intrusion of other eyes,
in the inviolabe sanctuary of royalty,
the beautiful Nadge, impassioned, and
she knew not why, in her love for her
new companion, was ever within call and
happy in devoting to him all her facul-
ties of caressing endearment. He had
not yet dared to risk the interests of his
sovereign Ivy disclosure of his sex, even
in the confidence of love. He could not
trust Nadge to play so difficult part as
that of possessor of so embarrassing a
secret in the presence of the shrewd and
observing Czarine. A betrayal, too,
would at once put an end to his happi-
ness. With the slight arm of the fair and
relying creature about his waist,
and her head pressed close
against his breast, they passed
the balmy nights Of the Russian summer
in pacing the fowery alleys of the i'm
perial garden, diseoursing with but one
reserve ON every subject that Aoated to
their laps. 1t required, however, all the
self-control of La Chetardie, and all the
favorite darkness of the night, to conceal
his smiles at the naive confessions of the
unconscious girl and her wonderings at
the popularity of her feelings. She had
thought hitherto that there were affec-
tions in her nature which could only be
called forth by lover. Yet, now, the
thought of caressing another than her
, friend-of repeating to any human ear,
least of all to man, those newborn vows
of love, filled her with alarm and horror
She felt that she had given her heart ir.
revocable sway, and to woman! Ah
, with what delirious, though silent pas
sion La Chetardie drew her to his bosom
and, with the pressure of his lips upon
hers, interrupted those sweet confessions
Yet the time at last drew near for the
waking from the celestial dream. The
=; disguised diplomatist had found bis op
: portunity, and had successfully awak
t. ened in EIizabeth's mind both curiosity
{ and interest as to the subjects of the dis
: patches still sewed safely in his corsets
e There remained nothing for him now but
r to seize favorable opportunity; and
e with the delivery of his misaives, to de
z clare his sex to the Czarine. There wa
: risk to life and liberty in this, but tht
It Marquis knew not fear, and he though
IS but of it's consequences to his love.
d In La Chetardie's ast interview will
d the savant who conducted him to Bus
It sia, his male attire had been successfully
- transferred from one portmanteau to tn,
l. other; and it was now in his possession
II ready for the moment of need. With hi
Q, plans brought to within a single night o
e the denouement, he parted from tn
e Czarine. having asked the imperial Del