Volume VII - Modernist Magazines Project

64 The Queen's Pleasurethe illustrious dynasty of Pavelovitch ! Oh, lady, lady ! I call itdownright unfriendly, downright inhospitable of you. Whereshall my grey hairs find shelter ? I'm so comfortable here underyour royal roof-tree. You wouldn't deprive the gentlest of God'screatures of a happy home ? Better that a thousand Tsargradevsshould flourish like a green bay tree, than that one upright manshould be turned out of comfortable quarters. There, now, bekind. As a personal favour to me, won't you please just leavethings as they are ? "The Queen laughed a little—not very heartily, though, and notat all acquiescently. " Monsieur Tsargradev must go to prison,"was her inexorable word.We pleaded, we argued, we exhausted ourselves in warnings andprotestations, but to no purpose. And in the end she lost herpatience, and shut us up categorically." No ! Let me be ! " she cried. " I've heard enough. I knowmy own mind. I won't be bothered." ,It was with heavy spirits and the dismallest forebodings that weassisted at her subsequent proceedings. We had an anxious timeof it for many days ; and it has never ceased to be a source ofastonishment to me that it all turned out as well as it did. But—ce que femme veult^ le dlable ne sftzurait pas Fempecker.She began operations by despatching an aide-de-camp to M.Tsargradev's house, with a note in which she commanded him towait upon her forthwith at the Palace, and to deliver up his sealsof office.At the same time she summoned to her presence GeneralMichailov, the Military Governor of Vescova, and PrinceVasiliev, the leader of the scant Conservative opposition in theSoviete.She