Year: 1872

The VOlce OI Cne grand QucneSS grew fainter and fainter, and for the second time it seemed as if the anguish and emotion of her heart would overpower her physical strength. But as if to conterbalence these impressions, and to dispel her nervousness by his sternness, the czar suddenly asked her in menacing tone.

 "And where can sec him2"

 "Yeu can see him tomorrow morniog at the military revlew.'

 "And how am to recognize him ?"

 "By the green plumage on his hat, and by his splendid black horSe."

 Very well shall look out for him." replied the czar, and dismissed his daugh- ter without another word.

 Tue grand duchess, almost paralyZed with fear and excitement, rceled out of the room.

 As soon as the czar was alone he began to pace the room in the most violent agita ton. The tremulous motion of his lips and the frightful pallor which mantled his mo- ble features gave evidence of the tempest raging in his breast. A terrible struggle took place in the heart of this proudcst monarch of modern times, between his pride and Lis paternal love.

 "Pshaw ]" he calculated at last; "the whole affair is nothing but ridiculous whlm of Maria's. am foolish, indeed, to attach so much importance to it, and to allow myself to be alarmed. She will soon get over her childish fancy. She must for get it shall compel her to forget it."

 But the very moment he had come to this peremptory conclusion of crushing the tender flower of love h the heart of his daughter the fearful face of the young girl fitted before his imagination, and ap- pealed to his heart, which throbbed warmly for her.

 On the day following, the eagle eye of the cGar looked with strange restlessness at the brilliant spectacle oi the military review which was passing before him with all the splendor and regularity of grand opera performance. Hurriedly the czar glanced from one regiment to another, as if searching for one single object of greater importance to him than all tho rest of the world. Not one of the princes and gener- als surrounding him dared to interrupt or to address him, for there was frown on the brow of Nicholas which seemed to be portenous of a terrible storm. With some disappointme the czar suddenly turned round to Prince Galitzin, one of his aids, as if to mal0e an inquiry, but at the same moment he closed his lips, which he had already opened, and his eyes remained l fixed upon young officer ill his own suite whom one of tho group of officers in the rear of the emperor had until then con- cealed from his view. The young officer was the very ideal of manly beauty and grace, and the splendid uniform of Bava- rian colonel of calvalry seemed to be the most appropriate to set off his personal charms to the greatest advantage. There was thoughtful and kind expression in his face which immediately prepossessed the beholder in his favor, while tue classic mould of his features had been equally ad- mired in his father and his grandmothWr, both of whom had played conspicuous parts in the history of Europe. The young man, who attracted the emberor's atten- tion both by the large tuft of green feath- CTS in his hat and by the splendid black steed Ee mounted, was nonc other than the young Duke of Leuchtenberg, the son ot Eugene Bcauharnais, and the grandson of the Empress Josephine, Napoleon's first wife.

 An exclamation both of surprise and re- lief escaped the lips of the czar. In the twinlkling of an eye he had comprchended how difficult it would be to get such an accomplished lover out of the way, but, at the same time, the thought of the high de- scent of the object of his daughters afiec- tion consoled him little, The Duke oi Lcuchtenberg was the son of Prlxce Flu gene by his marriage with the daughter ol the King of Bavaria so, if not tae son of king, he was, at least, the grandson of a

 king by his mother, and the grandson oi an empress by his father. This was some

 thing to compensate for the loss of a crown

 But, at all events, the czar resolved to send the young duke away from St. Peters

 burg, and to dismiss him in such manner

 as to give him to understand that it would f be better for hin not to return. He turned to one of his aids, and ordered the Duke of Leuchtenberg to appear before him. l In two minutes the duke was in the , presence. of the czar. But at the very r moment when Nicholas, with a stern auc almost contemptuous face, turned toward r him in order to tell him to leave the capi , tai and the empire within twenty -fou hours, he cast side glance at the impevia 5 carriage, in which both the empress ant , the Grand Duchess Maria were witnessin, = the review. And the sight which ther, r presented itself to his eyes restrained tn, = words which he was about to utter; for 5 with faint cry of terror, the young gran; duchess fell back in a swoon upon her seat

 She had followed with her eyes every mo q tion of her father, and when she saw hin e sending for the Duke of Leuchtenbcrg l aad the moment which was to decide he Q happiness or misery throughout life was a = hand, her fear and emotion had overcom ], her trmness.

 a Without saying word to the duke, bu s only casting on him a menacing glance, tn - emperor turned his horse and gaIloped of

 toward the c,rriage.

 e For six weeks the czar employed al j. possible means to divert the grand duches l. from her infatuation for the young German e duke. Persuasion, kindness, severity j. threats, intrigues-everythin was tried IS but everything proved vain and futile Il At tho close of the first week the gran d duchess seemed composed and quiet; a 9, the close of the second she cried and wep g in secret; at the close of the third sh d wept openly ; at the close of the fourt g. week she took the heroical resolution t is sacrifice her love, and perhaps her life, t

 the cruelty of her father at the close

 the fifth she was so i'll that her physician

 grew alarmed at the state of her health

 at the close of the sixth she might hay

 died but for the assurance of the emperc ," that she should marry the Duke of Lehcl - tenberg.

 T. While his lady-love was being expose le to such terrible trials, the Duke of LeucI IF tenberg could not fail perceiving that, f D. some reason unknown to him, he had los

 the grace of his emperor. He did nc a dare to make any further inquiries whic

 might have informed him ot the cause, b,

 made up his mind to return forthwith Id Munich, instead of submitting to the whi K of ana utocrat to whom he owed no all ce glance. He was just on the point of exec

 ting this plan, and had already fixed upc