With light steps Anna approached the cradle of her son, and, bending down over him, regarded him with tender maternal glances, while his still and peaceful slumber seemed to touch her heart with a sweet emotion.

“Sleep, my dear child, my charming little emperor,” she murmured—­“sleep, and in your dreams may you play with angels as beautiful as yourself!”

Bending again over the cradle, she breathed a light kiss upon the rosy lips of her child, and then noiselessly returned to her own chamber.

“And now,” said she, drawing a long breath, “now will I, also, sleep and dream!  Good-night, my beloved; good-night, Lynar!”

With a happy smile she reclined upon her couch, and soon slumbered.

At this moment the clock in the next chamber struck the twelfth hour.  Slowly and solemnly resounded the tones of the striking clocks that announced the midnight.

At this same hour a lively movement commenced in the palace of the Princess Elizabeth.  Lights were seen glancing from window to window, hurrying shadows were seen coming and going in the rooms, every thing there announced an activity unusual for the hour, and certainly it was a signal good fortune for Elizabeth that Anna had forbidden her husband’s sending a patrol through the streets.  One single patrol passing the palace might have frustrated the whole conspiracy!

But the streets were perfectly quiet; nowhere was a sentinel or watchman to be seen.

The slight creaking and whizzing of a sledge upon the crackling snow was now heard; it came nearer and nearer, and then there was a knocking at the palace gate.  The porter opened, and two sledges drove into the court.

The first, with a rich covering and magnificent ornaments, was empty.  But Lestocq was seen to spring out of the second, and hurriedly enter the palace.

Elizabeth, splendidly dressed, sparkling with brilliants, was waiting in her small reception-room.  No one but Alexis Razumovsky was with her.  Neither of them spoke, and their visages plainly discovered that they were in a state of painfully uncomfortable suspense.

Elizabeth was pale and had a convulsive twitching about her mouth, her form trembled feverishly, and she was obliged to cling to Razumovsky, to prevent falling.

“Did you hear the opening of the court-yard gate?” she breathed low.  “Lestocq is not yet here, and it is past midnight.  Certainly he is arrested, all is discovered, and we are lost!  I am fearfully anxious, Alexis; I already seem to feel the sword at my throat.  Ah, hear you not steps in the corridor?  They come this way.  They are my pursuers.  They come to conduct me to the scaffold!  Save me, Alexis, save me!”

And with a shrill cry of anguish the princess clung to the neck of her favorite.

The door was now hastily opened, and upon the threshold appeared Lestocq and Woronzow.

“Princess Elizabeth!” exclaimed Lestocq, with solemnity, “I have come for you.  The throne awaits its empress!”