Anna Leopoldowna remained alone with her husband and the newly-married pair, who had retreated to the recess of a window and were whispering together.
Anna now turned to her husband, and, with cutting coldness in her tone, said:
“You must understand, my husband, that I am very generous. It was in my power to arrest you as a traitor, but I preferred to shame you, because you, unhappily, are the father of my child.”
“You think, then,” asked the prince, with a scornful smile, “that I shall take the buffoonery you have just had played before us for truth?”
“That, my prince, must wholly depend upon your own good pleasure. But for the present I must request you to retire to your own apartments! I feel myself much moved and exhausted, and have also to prepare some secret dispatches for Count Lynar to take with him in his journey.”
“Count Lynar is, then, to leave us?” quickly asked the prince, in an evidently more friendly tone.
“Yes,” said Anna, “he leaves us for some weeks to visit the estate in Liefland which I have given to Julia as a bridal present, and to make there the necessary preparations for the proper reception of his wife.”
Julia clasped the hands of her mistress, and bathed them with tears of joy and gratitude.
“Anna,” whispered Prince Ulrich, “I did you wrong. Pardon me.”
Anna coldly responded: “I will pardon you if you will be generous enough to allow me a little repose.”