t, March 15th, 1843, Valerie, only daughter of Constantine,
Baron de la Motte; divorced, Nov. 1st, 1844."

Now as to this poor, unhappy first wife:

Some few years before this first fatal marriage, the Baron de la Motte,
one of the most illustrious French statesmen, was dispatched by his
sovereign as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary from the
Court of France to the Court of Russia.

The baron, with his suite, proceeding to St. Petersburg, accompanied by
the baroness, a handsome Italian woman, and by their only child, Valerie,
a beautiful brunette of only seventeen summers.

Valerie de la Motte was first introduced to the world of fashion at a
great court ball, given by the Czar, in honor of the French Ambassador,
in the Imperial Palace of Annitchkoff.

On this occasion the dark, brilliant beauty of Mademoiselle de la Motte,
inherited from her Italian mother, was the more admired from its rarity
and its perfect contrast to the radiant fairness of the Russian blondes.
Here Valerie de la Motte met, for the first time, Waldemar de Volaski,
the second son of the Polish Count de Volaski, and a captain of the Royal
Guards, stationed at the palace. He was but twenty years of age, yet a
model of fair, manly beauty. He was even then called "the handsomest man
in all the Russias."

There was a Romeo and Juliet case of love at first sight between the
young Russian officer and the youthful French heiress.

During the first season, the beauty's hand was sought by some among the
most princely of the nobles that surrounded the throne of the Czar; but,
to the disappointment of her ambitious parents, she refused them every
one.

Certainly the French father might have followed the custom of his class
and country, and coerced his young daughter into the acceptance of any
husband he might have chosen for her; but he did not feel disposed to
use harsh measures with his only and idolized child; he rather preferred
to exercise patience and forbearance toward her, until she should have
outlived what he called her childish caprices.

It was, however, no childish caprice that governed the conduct of Valerie
de la Motte, but the unfortunate and fatal passion, inspired by the
handsome young captain of the Royal Guards, whom she had waltzed with
about a half a dozen times at the court balls.

Waldemar de Volaski was indeed as beautiful as the youthful god, Apollo
Belvidere, and in his radiant blonde complexion a perfect con