Page:The Czar, A Tale of the Time of the First Napleon.djvu/317

Rh how completely the Czar kept himself and his Russians out of sight, only mingling incognito with the crowd of spectators, that none might say of the son of St. Louis, "Foreign bayonets have brought him back to his capital." You said to me then, "Think what a welcome they will give him in St. Petersburg! That will be a triumph to throw this one completely into the shade!" And Henri added, "Would that I could see it! But you must tell us all about it when you write." I must—so far as I can; but it would be impossible to paint the rapture of enthusiasm, of loyalty, of gratitude with which his return was awaited. Think of it! Russia not only delivered from her enemies, but set upon a pinnacle of glory she had never known before. In less than two short years, the invader driven back from our capital to his own, stripped of the power he had misused, and hurled from the throne he had disgraced, France conquered, rescued, forgiven.'"

"If there is much more about the conquest of France, you may pass it over," said Madame de Salgues rather tartly. "Of course, M. Pojarsky writes as a Russian."

"The honour of France is dear—at least to some Russians," Clémence answered with a heightened colour. She went on: "'Three long days did the Senate spend in debating what Russia should do to show her gratitude to the Czar Alexander Paulovitch. Other princes had been given high-sounding titles, had been styled in their life-time the Great, the Magnificent, the Invincible, or, still more honourable, the Well-beloved—and for him surely that would have been appropriate. But some who knew the heart of our Czar spoke and said, "Such titles would give the honour to himself alone; let us find one which brings it back to God. That will please him best." "Blessed of Heaven" was the name chosen at last. Would it not have sounded well in the long and glorious line of our Czars, Alexander Paulovitch, the Blessed of Heaven? Moreover, they planned to erect in St.