New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-01
Once Banned. Now Welcomed.

The whirliglg OF time brings about many
odd changes. Some thirty years ago the
fascinating Countess Alexandra Hutton
Czapska. wife of young Nicholas de Kolo-
mine. secretary of the Russian Legation at
Berne. was the toast of the town in the
Swiss capital. All the young men. and
many OF the old ones as well. were at
her feet. An arrant flirt and heartless
coquette, she seemed to delight in provok-
ing trouble, and so many duels were
fought on her account not only among the
members Of the foreign diplomatic corps,
but even among the more phlegmatc
Bernese (who are very patrician in their
preiudices and ideas). and so much do
nestle happiness was either seriously dis
turbed or entirely wrecked that the Hell
vetian government at last Tesorted to the
extraordinary step Of requesting the Rus
sian Minister of Foreign Affairs TO trans
fer young de Kolomine, and, above all. his
wife, to some other post.
Evidently the Car was not consulted
about the matter. Otherwise ii Is improb-
able in the extreme that he would have
sanctioned the appointment Of the kolo-
mines TO the court OF his nephew, the late
Grand Duke Louis of Hesse. For no
sooner was Nine. de Kolomine established
at Darmstadt than she straightway began
to set her cap at the grand duke, who a
widower OF uxOrious disposition. felt par
| ticularly lonely. In course Of time de
Kolomine was transferred to Japan. at the
| instance Of the grand duke who possessed
! many powerful and influential friends at
| ST. Petersburg. Nine. de Kolomne re-
manned behind at Darmstadt. and when
they had thus been separated their mar
riagc was equally quietly snnulled.
The grand duke would have married
/ Nine. dc Kolomine at once-morganatic teal
| ~. Of course-had he not been afraid Of
his first wife's mother, Queen Victoria. lie
was largely dependent upon her, in a
| financial sense and also was aware OF the
| benefits which his children We're 10 re-
ceive under the terms Of her will, and he
| knew that since she had remained faithful
| 10 the memory of her own husband, the
! late Prince Consort, she viewed with pro-
| nounced disfavor second marriages. and
| would certainly regard any union on his
| part with Nine de Kolomine as an almost
objectionable affront When, however. the
marriage of his daughter, Princess Eliza
| beth, 10 the late Grand Duke Sergius ~
Russia took place at Darmstadt, in the
presence of the old Queen herself, of the
late Emperor and Empress Frederick Of
Germany, and of royal and imperial per
sonages from all the courts Of Europe he
plucked up courage. and on the morning
OF the day of his daughters wedding lie
went through a secret ceremony of NOR
ganatic marriage with Nine de KolomIne
He was summoned to her presence near
midnight on the same day from his brides
apartments, and under the threat Of os-
tracism by the courts Of Great Britain and
OF Berlin. the stoppage Of his allowance
from tho Queens privy purse, and the
elimination Of his own name and that Of
HIS children from her will he gave his
consent 10 the deportation that same night
| Of Nine. de Kolomine from his domnions
by the police, without ever seeing her
again. Shortly after the marriage was an
nulled by the Hesstan and German tri-
bunals. as illegal, on the ground that the
grand duke, being q general of the German
army, had married without previously OBJ
tanning the sanction Of his superior officer.
its generalssimo, old Emperor illiam.
Nine de Kolomlne received as a solace
the Hessian title Of Countess Of Romrod
and an annuity of $1,000 for the remainder
Of her life. The son born of her union
with the grand duke was brought up by
his half-sster, the present Empress Of Rus
sIa, and is now serving as an officer in The
Russian army.
The Countess of Romrod, two years after
her brief marriage TO the Grand Duke OF
Hesse, married the Russian diplomat de
Bacheracht, who has recently been appoint
ed as envoy extraordinary and minister
plenipotentiary Of Russia at Berne whittier
the former Nine. de KOlomine, now Nine.
de Bacheracht and Countess of Romrod has
returned as Muscovite Ministries. She still
retains many traces Of her former beauty
is as witty and clever as ever but is no
longer considered dangerous by the Swiss
government. except IN the role Of a polit-
zeal intriguante.
MARQUISE DE FONTENOY.