DOI article:
Harland, Henry: The Queen's pleasure
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.27806#0068
The Queen’s Pleasure
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the illustrious dynasty of Pavelovitch ! Oh, lady, lady ! I call it
downright unfriendly, downright inhospitable of you. Where
shall my grey hairs find shelter ? I’m so comfortable here under
your royal roof-tree. You wouldn’t deprive the gentlest of God’s
creatures of a happy home ? Better that a thousand Tsargradevs
should flourish like a green bay tree, than that one upright man
should be turned out of comfortable quarters. There, now, be
kind. As a personal favour to me, won’t you please just leave
things as they are ? ”
The Queen laughed a little—not very heartily, though, and not
at all acquiescently. “ Monsieur Tsargradev must go to prison,”
was her inexorable word.
We pleaded, we argued, we exhausted ourselves in warnings and
protestations, but to no purpose. And in the end she lost her
patience, and shut us up categorically.
“No ! Let me be ! ” she cried. “ I’ve heard enough. I know
my own mind. I won’t be bothered.”
It was with heavy spirits and the dismallest forebodings that we
assisted at her subsequent proceedings. We had an anxious time
of it for many days ; and it has never ceased to be a source of
astonishment to me that it all turned out as well as it did. But—
ce que femme veult, le 1liable ne spaurait pas Pempecher.
She began operations by despatching an aide-de-camp to M.
Tsargradev’s house, with a note in which she commanded him to
wait upon her forthwith at the Palace, and to deliver up his seals
of office.
At the same time she summoned to her presence General
Michai'lov, the Military Governor of Vescova, and Prince
Vasiliev, the leader of the scant Conservative opposition in the
Soviete.
She
64
the illustrious dynasty of Pavelovitch ! Oh, lady, lady ! I call it
downright unfriendly, downright inhospitable of you. Where
shall my grey hairs find shelter ? I’m so comfortable here under
your royal roof-tree. You wouldn’t deprive the gentlest of God’s
creatures of a happy home ? Better that a thousand Tsargradevs
should flourish like a green bay tree, than that one upright man
should be turned out of comfortable quarters. There, now, be
kind. As a personal favour to me, won’t you please just leave
things as they are ? ”
The Queen laughed a little—not very heartily, though, and not
at all acquiescently. “ Monsieur Tsargradev must go to prison,”
was her inexorable word.
We pleaded, we argued, we exhausted ourselves in warnings and
protestations, but to no purpose. And in the end she lost her
patience, and shut us up categorically.
“No ! Let me be ! ” she cried. “ I’ve heard enough. I know
my own mind. I won’t be bothered.”
It was with heavy spirits and the dismallest forebodings that we
assisted at her subsequent proceedings. We had an anxious time
of it for many days ; and it has never ceased to be a source of
astonishment to me that it all turned out as well as it did. But—
ce que femme veult, le 1liable ne spaurait pas Pempecher.
She began operations by despatching an aide-de-camp to M.
Tsargradev’s house, with a note in which she commanded him to
wait upon her forthwith at the Palace, and to deliver up his seals
of office.
At the same time she summoned to her presence General
Michai'lov, the Military Governor of Vescova, and Prince
Vasiliev, the leader of the scant Conservative opposition in the
Soviete.
She