The Recompensing

When St. Petersburg awoke it heard with astonishment the news of a new
revolution. From mouth to mouth flew this astounding announcement: "We
have changed our rulers! We are no longer the servants of the Emperor
Ivan, but of the Empress Elizabeth! A new dynasty has arisen, and we
have a new oath of allegiance to take!"

At first only a few ventured to spread this extraordinary intelligence,
and these few were tremblingly and anxiously avoided; it was dangerous
to listen to them; people fled from them without answering. But as the
rumors became constantly louder and more significant, as at length their
truth could no longer be doubted, as it became certain that the regent
and her son were dethroned and Elizabeth was established in power, all
the doubting and anxious faces were, as by an electric spark, lighted up
with joy; then nothing was heard but the cry of triumph and jubilation;
then was Anna Leopoldowna loudly cursed by those who had blessed her on
the preceding day; then was the new Empress Elizabeth loudly lauded by
those who yesterday had smiled with contempt at her powerlessness.

All again hastened to the imperial palace; the great and the noble again
brought out their state coaches for the purpose of throwing themselves
at the feet of the new possessor of power and swearing a new allegiance;
again nothing was heard but the sound of universal rejoicing, nothing
seen but faces lighted up by ecstasy and eyes glistening with tears of
joy. And this was, in fourteen months, the third time that they had done
homage to a new ruler who had as regularly dethroned his predecessor,
and they had each time gone through the same ceremony with the same
evidences of joy, the same ecstasies, the same slavish humility, not
commiserating the defeated party, but professing love and devotion to
the victor!