Elizabeth turned away with a shudder, she felt her heart rent, she had
not strength for an answer.
Lestocq beckoned the soldiers, and commanded them to remove the
traitress, Anna Leopoldowna.
Thirty warriors took possession of the regent, who calmly and proudly
submitted herself to them and suffered herself to be led away.
In the corridor they encountered another troop of soldiers, who were
escorting the regent's husband, Prince Ulrich of Brunswick, and Anna's
favorite, Julia von Mengden.
"Anna!" sorrowfully exclaimed the prince, "oh, had you but listened to
my warning! Why did I not, in spite of your commands, what I ought to
have done? I alone am to blame for this sad misfortune."
"It is no one's fault but mine," calmly responded Anna. "Pardon me, my
husband, pardon me, Julia."
And so they descended to the sledges in waiting below. They placed the
prince in one, and the regent, with Julia, in the other.
"Ah," said Julia, throwing her arms around Anna's neck, "we shall at
least suffer together."
Anna reclined her head upon her friend's shoulder.
"God is just and good," said she. "He punishes me for my criminal love,
and mercifully spares the object of my affections. I thank God for my
sufferings. Julia, should you one day be liberated and allowed to see
him again, then bear to him my warmest greetings; then tell him that I
shall love him eternally, and that my last sigh shall be a prayer for
his happiness. I shall never see him again. Bear to him my blessing,
Julia!"
Julia dissolved in tears, and, clinging to her friend, she sobbed: "No,
no, they will not dare to kill you."
"Then they will condemn me to a life-long imprisonment," calmly
responded Anna.
"No, no, your head is sacred, and so is your freedom. They dare not
attack either."
"Nothing is sacred in Russia," laconically responded Anna.
The sledges stopped at the palace of the Princess Elizabeth. Hardly two
hours had passed since Elizabeth, in those same sledges, had left her
palace as a poor, trembling princess; and now, as reigning empress, she
sent them back to the dethroned regent.
The latter entered the palace of the princess as a prisoner, while
Elizabeth, as empress, took possession of the palace of the czars.