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"I should joyfully go to my death, were it for the benefit of my country," said he. "But to fall a sacrifice to a cabal, to the jealousy of an insidious, knavish favorite, is what makes the death-hour fearful. Ah, I die for naught, I die that Munnich, Ostermann, and Biron may remain securely in power. It is horrible thus to die!" Natalie's eyes flashed with a fanatic glow.
"Perhaps your majesty may remember Biron, Duke of Courland," said Lestocq. "Count Munnich, as you know, overthrew him, and placed Anna Leopoldowna in the regency. Biron has ever since lived at Pelym in Siberia, and, indeed, in a house of which Munnich himself drew the plan, the rooms of which are so low that poor Biron, who is as tall as Munnich, could never stand erect in them.
Why came you not a few hours earlier, field-marshal? then it would have been yet possible to comply with your request. But now it is too late!" "You have, then, appointed another generalissimo?" shrieked Munnich, quivering with rage. "Yes," said Anna, smiling; "and see, there comes my generalissimo!"
"But those parents certainly hate me, and indeed very naturally, as they, it seems, were, next to me, designated as the guardians of their son Ivan. The Duchess Anna Leopoldowna of Brunswick is ambitious." "Bah! for the present she is in love," exclaimed Munnich, with a laugh, "and women, when in love, think of nothing but their love. But only look, your highness, did I not prophesy correctly?
With the utmost enthusiasm they all took the oath of fidelity to the new ruler, and then hastened to the palace of the Prince of Brunswick, there with the humblest subjection to kiss the delicate little hand of the child-emperor Ivan. Munnich was again alone with the duke, who, forgetting all his ill-boding dreams, now gave himself up to the proud feeling of his greatness and power.
Anna, as we have said, trembled before this means of Providence; and when her eyes fell upon Munnich upon his dark, angry brow and his secretly threatening glance she then with inward terror asked herself: "May not Providence have chosen him for my murderer? Will he not overthrow me, as he overthrew his former master and friend Duke Biron?"
A few hours, and those lips, now smiling with happiness, will be forever silenced by our blows!" These thoughts made the field-marshal unusually gay and talkative, and the regent protested that Munnich had never been a more agreeable convive than precisely to-day.
"I may venture to say so, as I have no longer the least ambition death will soon relieve me from all participation in affairs of state. I am a feeble old man, and desire nothing more than to be allowed occasionally to impart good counsels to my benefactors. And this is now my advice: Guard yourselves against the ambition of Count Munnich." "We shall bear your counsel in mind," said the prince.
Supreme Munnich had lasted about four months; Supreme Bieren hardly three weeks; and Siberia is still agape.
Ah, I hate the nights, which are inimical to all happiness. In the night will misfortune at some time overtake me in the night the evil spirit reigns!" With a drooping head the regent had spoken half to himself; but suddenly raising his head and looking Munnich sharply in the eyes, he said: "Have you, Mr. Field-Marshal, during your campaigns, never in the night foreseen any important event?"
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