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"Monsieur," said our bare-legged captain, in a tone and manner not unworthy of Jacques Haret, "I take no offense at your calling me a liar, by implication; in war, lies are stratagems. But your allusion to village hen-roosts is exceedingly painful to a gentleman like myself, who has danced at a court ball with the Duchess Anna Iwanowna.
One thing I do know about Count Saxe and one lady, in particular; if he had been willing to marry that ugly Duchess of Courland, Anna Iwanowna, now Czarina of Russia, he would have been Duke of Courland de facto as well as de jure; he would have become "cousin" to the Kings of France and Spain; he would have been "most Illustrious" to the Emperor, and "most Illustrious, most Mighty," to the King of Poland, and what is more, he would have had the right of coining money.
"Here was a predicament, was it not? I managed to get speech of some of the servants in the palace, and found that Madame Riano's tongue had got her in serious trouble with the Russians, with whom the Duchess Anna Iwanowna had taken sides vigorously, and Madame Riano was being escorted to the Russian frontier in consequence.
We are gentlemen, if you please; I, myself, have danced with the lady, Anna Iwanowna, whom you, Count Saxe, refused to marry, and though you have not asked my views upon political affairs in this my native land of Courland, I will say to you that you will rest in Abraham's bosom before you become Duke of Courland."
The palace, however, is a fine building, and there dwelt the ugly Duchess Anna Iwanowna bad luck forever to her! and there could have dwelt Count Saxe if he would but have obliged the duchess by marrying her. But he could not swallow the pill.
And a duchess, Anna Iwanowna, with all the graces of a Calmuck Venus, waiting to become your duchess! But you ever adored the ladies, and are the very man to please a Calmuck princess!" "Monsieur, you are most kind. Thank you for your congratulations," replied Count Saxe, gravely. "If the Calmuck princess fancies me it will only be because she has not seen you.
And the Duchess of Courland, Anna Iwanowna, a brisk and homely widow, wished to marry Count Saxe, and as he had no mind to put his head in the noose, he had abandoned his enterprise for the present, to be resumed when convenient.
Charles VI. was survived but a few days by his ally, the czarina Anne Iwanowna, who died in the forty-fifth year of her age, after having bequeathed her crown to Iwan, or John, the infant son of her niece, the princess Anne of Mecklenburgh, who had been married to Anthony Ulrick, duke of Brunswick Lunenberg-Bevern.
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