Czar says about that? He speaks without anger or bitterness of your Emperor."
"Call him not mine," Henri interrupted, with a flush on his pale cheek. "Mine he never was. I am a Royalist."
"Well, then, of Napoleon. 'What a brilliant career,' said the Czar, 'that man might have run! He could have given peace to Europe—he could have done it; and he has not. Now the charm is broken.'"
"At least you Russians cannot regret that," said Henri with enthusiasm; "for the olive crown of the peace-maker which Napoleon has put aside awaits the brow of Alexander."
"So said the friend to whom the Czar was speaking.[1] 'If only peace is made,' was his answer, 'what does it matter by whom, whether by him, or by me, or by another?' It is a good time to think of peace," Ivan added. "To-morrow will be Christmas day, when peace and good-will upon earth were sung by the angels."
"To-morrow?" repeated Henri. "Am I dreaming? Surely I remember noticing that one of the first blessed, restful days I spent here was Christmas day."
"You forget," said Ivan with a smile, "that we Russians are behind the Western world by twelve days. Our Christmas is your feast of the Epiphany. After divine service to-morrow, the Czar begins his journey, and we follow."
"You do not accompany him?"
"No; he travels with far greater speed than we could do. For guards he never cares anything."
"Strange," said Henri "strange; and how perilous! Think of the country, overrun by war, swarming with stragglers from the army, with desperate characters of every kind!"
"He has no fears," returned Ivan; "nor we for him. Even our white-haired general, with all the caution of his seventy years, answered to some one who spoke as you do, 'Who could
- ↑ Madame de Choiseul-Gouffier
