ght to
the palace. Just as I came near it, a traveling chaise with an escort
of dragoons rolled out of the gates. On the box of the chaise sat old
Peter, Madame Riano's man, and within was Madame Riano, alone. She had
her head out of the chaise window, haranguing the dragoon officer upon
the iniquity of so treating a Kirkpatrick, the widow of a grandee of
Spain five times over, of the Ricos Hombres, whatever that may
be--whom the Queen of Spain rose to greet, and much more of the same
sort. To this the dragoon officer paid no attention, and the party
rattled and clattered off.

"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. I doubted if
they really meant to be so severe on her, but that was not the
question. It was how to put Francezka under proper protection,
according to Count Saxe's directions. I managed, by bribing the
servants, to be smuggled into the palace. I did not suppose the
duchess to be out of her bed, but I found she had not been in it since
the ball closed. She was bent on being revenged on Count Saxe. I had
done his bidding only too well, having told at least a dozen ladies of
his high regard for the duchess's worth--and she longed then for news
of his capture. Instead of that, she had found out that he had got
away.

"She stormed like fury at that, and in the midst of it Madame Riano
was brought in. I judge the meeting between the two ladies was like an
irresistible force meeting with an immovable body. The very rooks on
the palace roofs soared away, cawing in terror, and the dogs in the
kitchens, with their tails between their legs, skulked into hiding
places. You may imagine this was not an auspicious time for me to
appear with a request that the duchess take charge of Madame Riano's
niece. I own that when I at last succeeded in getting into the
duchess's august presence I thought she would eat me up, crunching my
bones and lapping my blood. However, I ventured to ask protection for
Mademoiselle Capello, and the duchess swore like a trooper--yes,
actually swore. She demanded I should tell her where Count Saxe
proposed to take refuge. I refused. She said:

"'Sir, you shall tell or you shall hang.'

"'Madame,' said I, 'I w