Year: 1876




On the eve Of his departure a gala suppe!
was given in his honor at the royal palace
and by way of accident or policy, the
young Princess Charlotte was seated by the
side of her distinguished admirer.


The grand duke was uncommonly taciturr
during the evening. His high forehead was
clouded, and his gloomy eyes seemed tC
follow in the espace, vague phantoms fitting
before his imagination. Repeatedly he
neglected to reply to questions addsessed
to him. and when he was asked to respond
to toast which one Of the royal princes
had proposed in his honor, he seemed 10
awake from a profound dream which had
entirely withdrawn him from his surround
ings.


Suddenly, as if by mighty effort of his
will he turned to his fair neighbOr and
whispered so as to be understood by her:


80 shall leave Berlin tomorrow"


He paused abruptly, and looked at the
princess as if he was waiting for an answer
which expressed sorrow and grief on her
part. But the princess was fully as proud
as the grand duke, and overcoming the Vi
Olent throbbing of her heart, she said pO-
litely to him,


1--WE are all very sorry to have your I'm
perial Highness leave us so soon. Would it
not have been possible for you to defer your
departureY


''You will all be very sorry?' muttered
the grand duke, not entirely satisfied with
the vagueness of these words of the prin-
cess implied "But you in particular,
madameY' he added, after some hesitation.
''For it will depend on you alone whether
1 shall stay here or depart"


''AhI' replied Charlotte, with her sweet
| est smile, ''and what have to do to keep
your Imperial Highness here?"


"You must permit me to address my ad-
miratiOn and homage to you"


SIS that all?'


And you must encourage me. to please
you"


''That is much more difficult" said the
princess, with deep blush, but at the same
| time her eyes beamed forth so much affec-
tiOn and delight that the prince could see
at glance that his fondest hopes had been
realized beforehand.


During my short stay at Berlin the
grand duke continued, in the same tone of
voice, Il have taken pains to study your
character and your affections, and this study
has satisfied me that you would render me
very happy, while on the other hand, have
some qualities which would secure your
own happiness"


The princess was overcome by emotion,
and in her confusion did not know what to
answer. t......


At last she said, ''But here, in the pres
ence of the whole court, and at the public
table, you put such question to mep


''Oh, replied the prince, ''you need not
make any verbal reply. 1t will be sufficient
for you to give me some pledge of your af-
fectiOn. | see there on your hand small
ring whose possession would make me very
happy. Give it to me-"


What do you think of? Here, in the
presence of hundred spectatOrs?"


''Ah, it can be easily done without being
seen by anybody. Now we are chatting so
quietly with each other that there is not
one among the guests who suspects in the
least what we are speaking about. Press
the ring into mOrsel of bread and leave it
on the table; | will take the talisman, and
nobody will notice it. "


''This ring is really talisman."


Il expected so. May hope to hear its
historyT


"Why not? Ny first goyerness was a
Swiss lady by the name of Wildermatt-
Once she went to Switzerland in order to
enter upon an inheritance which had been
bequeathed her by distant relative. When
she came back to Berlin, a few weeks af-
terward, she showed me quite collection
Of pretty and costly jewelry, which formed
part of the Inheritance. This is curious
old ring, said I to.her, as | put this little,
Old-fsshioned ring on my finger. Does it
not look queer and cunning? Perhaps it is
an old relic or talisman, and may have
been worn centuries ago by piOus lady
who had received it from her knight, start
e.. L. TI-l,- Il 4 =, H,1r Nhr
ring from my finger again, but | could not
get it off; for was a little fieshier then
than now," said Charlotte, smilingly. ''My
goVerness insisted on my keeping the ring
as a souvenir. | accepted her present, and
the ring has been on my finger ever since.
Some time afterward, when l was contem-
pla. ing its strange workmanship, succeed
ed in pulling it from my finger, and was
much surprised at seeing engraved on the
inside some words which, though nearly
rubbed out by the wear of time, were still
legible. Now, your Imperial HighneSs,
what do you think were the words engrav-
ed upon it? think when you hear them
you will take some interest 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 relative of Mrs. Wilder
matt, for / was told that both this lady
and her mother had formerly belonged to
the household of the Czarina, your august
grandmother"


s'This is really remarkable" said the
| grand duke, tbOughtfully. 81 am quite
superstitious. and I am really inclined to
regard this ring, if l should be happy
enough to receive it from you as pledge
| of your love, as an omen Of very ausplclous
significance" s.- a.t.l


In answer to this second and even more
direct appeal TO her heart. the princess
took small piece of bread, played care
lessly with it, and managed to press, the
ring into the soft crumbs. Then she drop
| ped it playfully on the table, quite close
to the plate of her neighbor. And after
this adroit exhibition of her skill as an 'ac-
tress, she continued to eat as unconcerned-
ly as If she had performed the most inslg-
nihcant action Of her life.


With the same apparent GOODNESS and in
difference the grand duke picked up the
bread enclosing the ring, took the latter out
of its ingenious enVslope, and concealed it
in his breast, for It was to small to ut any
of his fingers. 1t was this ring--both the
pledge of Charlotte's love and the suspl-
cious omen of his own elevation to the lm=
perial dignity Nicholas wore on
golden chain around his neck to the very
last day of his life, and which, if we are
not mistaken, has even descended with him
into the vault Of his ancestors.


Three years afterward, in 1917, Princess
Charlotte, then only nineteen years OF age,
and in the full splendor of beauty aud hap
piness, made her entry into st. petersburg
by the side of her husband, whose eye had
never looked prouder, and whose Olympian
brow had never been more serene than at
this happiest moment Of his life. As he
looked down upon the vast multitude who
had focked together from all parts Of the
vast empire to greet the young princess with
shouts and rejOieings, and then again upon
mis- fair young bride, perhaps the inscription
Of the ring recurred TO his mind for, bend
ing his head quite close to the ear of Char
lotte, he whispered "Now empress Of the
hearts, and some day, perhaps, empress Of
the realm"


At this moment the procession reached
the main entrance of the Winter Palace,
where Alexander the First, the Emperor,
came to meet his beautiful sister-in-law,
and conducted her into the sumptuous
drawilg-rooms Of the magnificent palace OF
the ezar. Who would believe that eight
short years afterward the brilliant young
emperor had breathed his last, and tnaC