sister-in-law whom she had hated for so many years the wife of a Russian
Grand Duke, and of one, too, whose position put him very near to the
succession to the Throne. One of those fits of hysterics to which
Alexandra used to give way whenever she was crossed followed upon the
news, and she insisted on the Czar declaring that he would never
recognize the marriage and exiling the young couple. But here she met
with an unexpected rebuff. Cyril’s father, the Grand-Duke Wladimir, was
still alive at the time, and he was not a man to endure any slight
offered either to him or to his children. He sought the Emperor and in a
stormy interview reminded the latter that his new daughter-in-law was
also the granddaughter of the Czar Alexander II., and asked him what he
thought the latter would have said had he seen a Princess with Romanoff
blood in her veins banished from the Russian Court. Nicholas was scared,
and revoked the orders he had issued a few hours before, insisting only
on the newly married pair not coming back to Russia for a few months,
after which he left them free to do what they liked.
Alexandra Feodorowna was defeated, and this did not improve by any means
her temper nor her feelings in regard to the Imperial Family. She then
bethought herself to win over to her side that same Grand-Duke Paul
against whom she had been so incensed at the time he had married Madame
Pistolkors. It must here be added that one of the reasons for her change
of opinion in that respect lay in the fact that she had by that time
struck up the extraordinary intimacy with Madame Wyrubewa which was to
have such sinister consequences later on, and that this lady had always
been one of the closest friends of the morganatic wife of Paul
Alexandrowitch. The latter was therefore invited to return to Russia and
given to understand that it depended on him to be reinstated in favor,
if only he would take the Empress’s part against their other relatives.
Of course he promised he would do so, and we shall see presently what
resulted of this intrigue in the years which followed.
Cyril and his wife returned to Tsarskoye Selo and to St. Petersburg in
due course. They were received by both the Czar and Czarina coldly but
civilly. Alexandra, however, persisted in her determination to keep her
former sister-in-law at arm’s-length, and the relations between the two
ladies remained official, without the least attempt at any intimacy,
until the Revolution sent the Empress into exile and threw into the arms
of its leaders both Cyril Wladimirowitch and Victoria Mélita.
It was known already at the time that one of the persons who had the
most contributed to excite Alexandra Feodorowna against her cousins had
been Madame Wyrubewa. The latter was a new importation at Court, who,
thanks to a very clever piece of strategy, had won the good graces of
the Empress, whom she had met under rather peculiar circumstances. She
was the daughter of a certain Mr. Tanieiew, who occupied important
official functions at Court, and she had contrived to let the Czarina
hear, through her father, that she was engaged in the occupation of
writing a history of Hesse, which she meant to present to a
public-school library or other institution of the same kind. Alexandra
was immediately interested and asked to see the work. She sent for
Madame Wyrubewa and soon the latter became her friend and confidante.
Madame Wyrubewa knew very well what she was about, even before
circumstances turned out favorably in regard to her views and designs.
She fully meant to become the Gray Eminence of the Empress, and, like
the famous Père Joseph of Richelieu, to rule her, and through her the
whole of Russia. We shall presently see how she proceeded to reach her
aim, which in the mean while she knew very well she could never attain
so long as there were near the Czar people whose close relationship with
him allowed them to speak quite frankly with him on all subjects, even
on that of the caprices and extraordinary behavior of his wife.
Anna Wyrubewa contrived to create a deadly feud between the Imperial
pair and the whole clan of the Grand-Duke Wladimir’s family, who in a
certain way was most powerful. The other members of the family were not
dangerous in so far that the only thing they aspired to was to be left
severely alone, and that they never cared to trouble with their presence
the Emperor and Empress, for whom their dislike was only equaled by
their contempt. There was only to be feared the Grand-Duke Michael, the
only brother of Nicholas II. and his Heir so long as the Empress had not
given birth to a son. It was therefore against him that the new favorite
turned her attention and against him that she excited the revengeful
feelings of Alexandra Feodorowna.
What I wish to point out at present is that one of the secrets of the
extraordinary influence which Anna Wyrubewa acquired over the mind of
her Imperial mistress lay in the extreme ability which she displayed in
appealing to all the bad sentiments of the latter, under the pretext of
pitying her, and condoling with her on all the real or imaginary
troubles of her life. She soon made herself indispensable to the
Sovereign, who liked to visit her in her house, where she knew that no
one would interfere with her and where she could meet the few people
with whom she thoroughly sympathized, who in their turn were but too
glad to have an opportunity of seeing almost in tête-à-tête the
otherwise unapproachable Empress of Russia.
The small drawing-room full of flowers, where Alexandra Feodorowna was
to spend so many happy and peaceful hours, and which was to witness in
time such memorable events, filled itself with all manner of people,
who, by common accord, never spoke of having been admitted within its
precincts, or of having met one another there. It became also the
meeting-place of a party, small at first, important later on; not,
perhaps, on account of its number, but by the character of those who
constituted it; a party that came to be known by the name of the
“Empress’s Party.” It was to number among its adherents men like Mr.
Sturmer, the latter’s secretary, the too-famous Manassavitch-Maniuloff,
Mr. Protopopoff, and, last but not least, the vagrant preacher who for a
short time was to be the dominant figure in Russian politics, Grigory
Raspoutine.
XI
AND HE SAW HER PASS ...
Madame Wyrubewa was a very clever woman, and an ambitious one into the
bargain. Her ambition, however, was absolutely different from what might
have been expected of a person brought up in the atmosphere of a Court
and having been, if not actually mixed up, at least well posted, thanks
to the position occupied by her father and family. She knew all the
intrigues which always flourished and made the Court of St. Petersburg
such a slippery ground for those who did not possess sufficient support
to hold their own amid the rivalries and gossip which constituted the
daily existence of the Imperial Family and of their friends. She did not
care in the least for money, having got enough for her wants, nor for
rank or position, which she knew too well could be lost or obtained
according to circumstances, and which, besides, were never sufficient in
Russia to make or mar an individual whose social worth depended only on
the manner in which he was viewed by the Sovereign--the words of Paul
I., when he said that the only persons deserving of any notice in his
Empire were those “to whom he spoke, and only while he spoke with them.”
These words, about which one had laughed all through the three preceding
reigns, had come to be absolutely true during that of Nicholas II., when
favoritism assumed hitherto unknown proportions, as none knew better
than Anna Wyrubewa, whose quick wit and ever-alert intelligence
discovered very soon that she would become a far more important
personage if she remained in the background content with being the
Empress’s friend, if she did not work toward obtaining for herself or
for her husband a Court appointment or a lucrative official post. She
aspired to something much more tangible, and at the same time much more
amusing. She wanted to rule the Empress, and through her the whole of
the vast Russian Empire. This young and delicate woman had the head of a
statesman, and she might have risen to unheard-of might if she had not
allowed those superstitious leanings which are inherent in the Russian
character in so many cases to get the upper hand of her reason and lead
her, together with her Imperial mistress, into the manifold mistakes
which culminated in the catastrophe that destroyed the Throne of the
Romanoffs.
At the same time Madame Wyrubewa sincerely loved the Empress. About
this there is no doubt. She began by feeling sorry for the sad,
miserable woman, so lonely amid her luxury and splendor, who stood
friendless and defenseless among implacable enemies. She did not stop to
consider whether this situation had arisen out of the personal fault of
Alexandra Feodorowna, or out of other circumstances. She simply saw the
fact, and hearing, as she did, all the different rumors concerning the
Czarina which were going about in St. Petersburg society, she conceived
the idea of coming to her help, and trying to be to her that friend in
need she had never found since she came to Russia in quest of a Crown.
This latter had certainly turned out to be, for her, one of thorns!
When her relations with the unfortunate Sovereign in whose life she was
to play such an important part began, Anna Wyrubewa did not look beyond
this simple fact, finding out how she could best be useful to her. The
whole of St. Petersburg was discussing the question of a possible
divorce which would send Alexandra Feodorowna into a convent, and bets
had been made in select circles of Court society as to whether or not
this would really take place. It was known that her relations with the
Emperor were anything but tender, and that numerous quarrels had taken
place between them.
Nicholas II., after an interval of several years, had resumed his former
relations with Mademoiselle Krzesinska, and the dancer was contributing
perhaps more than she herself suspected to sow dissension in the
Imperial _ménage_. The Empress, as we know, was exceedingly proud, and
as soon as she perceived, which did not take very long, that her husband
was seeking amusement outside his home, she retired once more in haughty
silence into the solitude of her own apartments and refused to fulfil
the social duties required from her by her position, to the disgust of
her friends and the joy of her numerous enemies. Matters had got to such
a pass that sometimes days used to go by without the Czar and Czarina
exchanging one single word beyond what was absolutely necessary during
meals, and even these were not always taken together, Alexandra
Feodorowna often putting forward her health as an excuse for having her
dinner or lunch served in her own apartments. She was simply playing
into her enemies’ hands, and, whether consciously or unconsciously,
herself tightening around her neck the rope which had been put within
her reach.
It was this that made Anna Wyrubewa determined to come to the help of
the unfortunate Sovereign whom she saw going with rapid steps toward
ultimate destruction. She tried to reason with her, to speak to her of
the necessity of not giving up the game, and of her imperative duty to
remain upon good terms with her husband, so as to be able to bear him
the son whose absence contributed so much to the bad relations that had
taken the place of the affectionate ones which had undoubtedly existed
at one time between her and Nicholas II. But the Empress would not
listen, declaring that she was tired of always giving birth to girls,
whose advent into the world only added to her unhappiness, and that,
besides, she was sick of a husband whose deplorable weakness of
character made him an easy prey for the first intriguing person who
approached him. The only thing which she wished was to return to
Darmstadt, together with her daughters; but as she knew very well that
she would never be allowed to take them out of Russia, she preferred to
be sent to a convent, where she could end her days in prayer, and where
she could bring up her children without any interference from the
outside world. The Emperor could divorce her and marry again; she did
not care; all she wished for was a quiet life, far from those detestable
Court intrigues that had wrecked all the hopes of happiness she had ever
had.
Anna Wyrubewa listened, and very gently applied herself to reason with
the sorely tried woman. She told her that it would be unworthy to throw
up the game, but, on the contrary, that her duty toward her daughters
required her to fight vigorously against destiny represented by the
Empress Dowager, the Grand Dukes, the Court, and the nation, who judged
her according to what it had been told of her. She repeated to her that
if once she had a son her position would change immediately, and the
affection of her husband would return to her, together with the
popularity she had lost in the country. Alexandra only replied by floods
of tears and complaints that she did not know how such a desirable event
could happen. She loathed the Emperor and she knew that he did not care
for her; that, in fact, no one cared for her; and that was the calamity
which to her sensitive heart appeared the most terrible one among all
those that had befallen her.
Madame Wyrubewa was at her wits’ end, but she did not despair. She felt,
however, that she could not cope alone with the many difficulties which
she found in her way, and so she looked round her to see whether she
could not find any one in whom she could confide, and from whom she
might, in her turn, seek advice.
I don’t know whether I have related that the lady had always been a
favorite in society. At that time she was going out a great deal, which
was not the case later on, when her whole position changed and when she
became the Empress’s principal confidante, and had perforce to live in
retirement. But twelve or fifteen years ago her house in Tsarskoye Selo
was the meeting-place of a select circle, and especially of the officers
of the regiments constituting the garrison of the Imperial Residence,
who liked to drop in of an evening, and find a pleasant hostess,
together with an excellent supper which was always waiting for them. Mr.
Wyrubew, too, was a general favorite, and altogether the little house
occupied by the young couple was very popular with the inhabitants of
the Imperial Borough.
Among the special friends of Anna Wyrubewa was a dashing officer called
Colonel Orloff. He had a commission in the regiment of Lancers of the
Guard, the chief of whom was the Empress Alexandra. A wonderfully
handsome man, he was also clever, brave, chivalrous, and altogether
different from his comrades in so far that he had never cared for the
boisterous pleasures which made up their daily existence. One day as he
was going to call on Madame Wyrubewa he saw the Czarina leave her house
in a state of evident agitation. Alexandra was alone and on foot, having
walked from the Palace to her friend’s house, and the Colonel, who, on
recognizing the Sovereign, had respectfully stood aside, was much
surprised to notice her red eyes and her general attitude of dejection.
He waited until she had disappeared among the trees in the park and
then rang the door-bell of Madame Wyrubewa.
He found her just as agitated as the Empress, and when he asked her what
was the matter he was much surprised to see her begin to weep.
She related to him that she was terribly anxious about the fate of the
unlucky Consort of Nicholas II., whose safety and person were threatened
as much by her own stupidity as by the intrigues of her numerous
enemies. Colonel Orloff listened in silence. He, too, was troubled by
this unexpected revelation; the more so that for years he had nourished
a secret adoration and worship for Alexandra Feodorowna, which he had
hoped no one had, or would ever discover, and the news of her danger was
terrible for him. His emotion was so evident that Anna noticed it at
once, and an idea which was yet vague and misty began to take shape in
her active brain, and induced her to seek the help of this unexpected
ally whom circumstances and accident had brought to her. She started to
discuss the situation seriously with the young officer, and together
they determined to try and save the Empress, even against her own will,
from the snares into which she was walking with an unconsciousness which
was almost too pitiful to look upon otherwise than with a wild desire to
snatch her away from the abyss whither she was sinking with what
promised to become rapidity.
Colonel Orloff had a wonderful talent for music. On the very next day
following upon the conversation which I have related, Madame Wyrubewa
asked him to call on her in the afternoon, and to perform for her some
melodies of Chopin which she knew were the favorite ones of the Empress.
She also begged the latter to allow the Colonel to play for them, saying
that it might interest her to hear him. Alexandra consented and, as in
the case of David and Saul, she found a solace in listening to the
wonderful music. Very soon she got into the habit of dropping in at her
friend’s whenever she had a spare moment, and then Orloff would be
telephoned for, and he used to come and hold the two ladies under the
spell of his rare talent. Of course no one was admitted to these
meetings and no one knew anything about them. At that time people did
not trouble about the Empress of All the Russias, and her actions did
not offer the slightest interest to any one, to the Emperor least of
all.
Colonel Orloff was something in character like the famous Count Fersen,
the admirer and devoted friend of Marie Antoinette. He, too, had
conceived a passion for his Sovereign, in whom he only saw the
unfortunate, ill-treated, and misunderstood woman, and he conceived the
thought to sacrifice everything for her service, to try and save her
from the perils with which he saw her surrounded. And gradually, when
his relations with her became more real and intimate, he, too, began to
speak to her in the same sense as Anna Wyrubewa had done, of the
necessity of trying to reconcile herself with her husband so as to be
able to bring into the world that Heir after whom the whole of Russia
had been longing for the last nine years or so.
One day Madame Wyrubewa, whether accidentally or intentionally, left the
Colonel alone with the Czarina. He saw his opportunity, and began more
seriously than he had ever done before to implore her to make an effort
to save herself. The young man grew quite eloquent, until Alexandra,
moved beyond words, started weeping in real earnest and asked him how he
could suggest the possibility of a reconciliation between her and the
Czar, in view of his own feelings for her, the nature of which she had
guessed for some time. To her surprise, the Colonel fell on his knees
before her and told her that it was because of these very feelings that
he had felt himself justified in speaking to her as he had done. He was
nothing beside her, and all he could do was to worship her from afar,
and to try to come to her help, both for her own sake and for that of
their country, that required from them both the supreme sacrifice he was
asking of her. For once the cold and haughty Czarina was startled out
of her usual indifference, and when they parted she had promised her
devoted knight and admirer that, though she might not make an effort to
win back the love of her husband, yet she would not repulse him, as she
had done lately, if he made any attempt to return to her. She promised
that on the love she owned to him that she felt for him, and on that of
the one which they both had for this great Russia, which Orloff had
never forgotten even amid the fervor of his passion. When Madame
Wyrubewa came back to the room where she had left her two friends, she
saw that something had happened, but she was far too clever to question
them, and when the Empress said it was time for her to go home she
simply offered to accompany her, hoping that something might be told to
her during their walk back to the Palace. For once Alexandra was silent,
and parted from Anna without betraying anything of what had passed
during that half-hour when she had been left alone with the first man
who had aroused some interest in her otherwise impassible heart.
Colonel Orloff was not so discreet, in the sense that he related to his
friend all that had taken place between him and the Czarina--related it
with such agitation and poignant regret that she saw at once that she
was in the presence of a feeling capable of driving the man who was
under its influence to any heights of personal sacrifice. She then
communicated to him a plan out of which she hoped to find the solution
of the troubles against which the Empress was struggling so bravely, but
apparently so uselessly. It was a daring plan and it required much
daring to accomplish it; but the future of the woman they both loved was
at stake, and she thought they ought to risk it.
Nicholas II. was fond of Colonel Orloff, whom he had recently appointed
one of his aides-de-camp. The Sovereign liked from time to time to go
and dine or have supper at the mess of some regiment or other of the
Guards, either at Tsarskoye Selo, Peterhof, or St. Petersburg. These
entertainments used to last generally into the small hours of the
morning, and ill-natured people said that the Czar when in this company
of young men, which was more congenial to him than the one he was
compelled to see generally, allowed himself to have more glasses of wine
than were good for him, and to indulge in subjects of conversation he
would have done better to avoid. Whether this was true or not, it is of
course difficult to say, but the fact remains that Nicholas liked these
“family festivities,” as he used to call them, and that he always
returned home in a good temper after having attended them. Colonel
Orloff was aware of this weakness of the Sovereign, and one day he
proposed to him to go and hear some regimental singers at the mess of
his own Lancer regiment, stationed at Peterhof, the same regiment of
which the Empress was Colonel-in-chief. Nicholas II. consented and a day
was fixed. On the morning of that day Colonel Orloff sought Madame
Wyrubewa; the two had a long conversation, the result of which was their
reading together a certain page in French history relating how Louis
XIII. had been compelled to seek the hospitality of his wife, Anne of
Austria, on a stormy night when it had not been possible for him to
return from Paris to St.-Germain, where he resided, an incident that had
had world-wide consequences in the birth of the child who was to become
in time Louis XIV. After that the Colonel returned to the Palace, where
he was on duty that day, and his friend went to seek the Empress and to
try to induce her to lend a helping hand to the plot which they had both
engineered.