The Palace of the Empress

They all gathered around her; the noble gentlemen of her body-guard,
consisting of the grenadiers who had been raised to nobility and created
officers at the commencement of her reign. They came noisily, with
singing and laughing, and saluting their empress, Elizabeth, with a
thundering viva.

"First of all, let us drink your health, sir captain!" said she,
ordering wine to be brought, as well as brandy of the costly sort she
had lately received as a present from the greatest distiller of her
capital, to which she herself was very partial.

Loudly clinked their glasses, loudly was shouted a viva to the
empress, which Elizabeth laughingly accepted by offering them her hands
to kiss, and was delighted when they fell into ecstasies over the beauty
and freshness of those hands.

"Now, silence, gentlemen of the body-guard!" she cried. "I, your
captain, command attention!"

And, when silence was established, she continued: "We will have a game
at dice, and titles and orders, gold and brandy, shall be the prizes for
which you shall contend!"

"Ah, that is magnificent, that is a glorious game!" exclaimed they all.

"The first prize," said Elizabeth, "is the position of privy councillor!
Now take the dice, gentlemen!"

They began to throw the dice, with laughter and shouting when they had
thrown a high number--with lamentations and stamping of the feet when it
was a low one.

In the meanwhile Elizabeth listlessly stretched herself upon a divan,
and laughingly said to Alexis, who sat by her side: "Oh, it is very
pleasant to be an empress. Only see how happy they all are, and it is I
alone who make them so; for out of these common soldiers I have
created respectable officers, and have converted serfs into barons and
gentlemen! I thank you, Alexis, for impelling me to become an empress.
It is a noble pleasure, and I should now be unwilling to return to that
still and uneventful life that formerly pleased me so well! I will so
manage that the Empress Elizabeth shall be as little troubled with labor
and business as the princess, and the empress can doubtlessly procure
for herself more pleasures than could the princess! Yes, certainly, I
will now remain what I am, am empress by the grace of God!"