Year: 1879

| take Tue rug uoh uiJ AH6~N ~s~-,
| | could not get it Of for l was a little
fleshier then than now said Charlotte,
smllingly. MY governess Insisted on
my keeping the ring as a souvenir. L
accepted her present, and the ring has
been on my finger ever since. Some
time afterwards, when l was contem'
plating its strange workmanship, sue
ceeded IN pulling it from my finger, and
was much surprised at seeing engraved
on the inside some words, which, Though
nearly rubbed out by wear OF time. were
still legible. Now, Your Imperial
Highness, what do you think were the
words engraved upon It? think when
you hear them you will take semc in
terest in the ring


'Ah! and pray what were they"


The words engraved upon the inside
were, Empress of Russia The ring
had undoubtedly been presented by an
Empress Of Russia to the relatives OF
Mrs. Wildermatt, for l was told that
both this lady and her mother had form
erly belonged to the household of the
Czarina, your august grandmother


This is really remarkable ssld the
Grand Duke, thoughtfully. Il am quite
superstitious, and I am really inclined
to regard this ring, if 1 should be happy
enough to receive it from you as pledge
of your love, as an omen Of very auspi-
cious significance


In answer to this second and even
more direct to her heart, the Princess
took a small piece Of bread, played care
lessly with it, and managed to press the
ring into the soft crumbs. Then she
dropped it playfully on the table, quite
close 10 the plate Of her neighbor. And
after this adrolt exhibition of her skill
as an actress, she continued to eat as
unconcernedly as if she had performed
the most trivial action OF her life.


With the same apparent GOODNESS and
indifference the Grand Duke picked up
the bread enclosing the ring, took the
latter out of its ingenious envelope and
concealed It in his breast, for it was too
small to fit any of his fingers. 1t was
this ring-both the pledge OF Charlottc's
| love and the auspiclous omen ofhis own
elevation to the imperial dlgnity-which
Nicholas wore on golden chain around
his neck to the very last day OF bis life,
and which, if We are not mistaken, has
even descended with him into the vault
of his ancestors.


Three years afterwards, in 1871,
Princess Charlotte, then only 10 years
of age, and in the full splendor OF beau
ty and happiness, made her entry into
St. Petersburg by the side OF her hus-
band, whose eye had never looked
prouder and whose Olympian brow bad
never been more serene than at this
bapplest moment Of his life. As he
looked down upon the vast multitude
who had fiocked together from all parts
of the vast empire to greet the young
Princess with shouts and rejoicings, and
then again upon his fair Young bride,
| perhaps the inscription upon the ring
required to his mind, for bending his
head close 10 the ear of Charlotte, he
whispered:


Now, Empress ofthe heart, and some
day, perhaps, Empress Of the realm


At this moment the procession reach
ed the main entrance Of the Winter
Palace, where Alexander the First, the
Emperor, came to meet his beautiful
sster.in-law and conducted her into the
sumptuous drawing rooms OF the mag
nifcent palace OF the Cars.


Who would believe that eight short
wears afterwards the brilliant young
Emperor had breathed his last, and that
Nicholas and Charlotte would succeed
to the throne oil Russia Truly the
n scription of the engagement ring had
proved prophetic.