She flung out this in a breath, then added, panting, “You vain, mad boy!” in a tone of utter contempt.
Karl stared at her, and the color slowly mounted up under his eyes; he gave a harsh, short laugh, turned on his heel, and left the room without a salute.
Augustus caught the Countess by the arm.
“What have you done!” he cried frantically.
She flung him off with a passionate gesture of scorn.
“I have done with you,” she said. “Pray God your son will be a different man.”
PART II
POLTAVA
“Nous n’avons de propre que l’honneur; y renoncer, c’est cesser d’être monarque.”—Peter the Great to Chofiroff.
CHAPTER I
LADEN with the plunder of Poland and Saxony, the spoils of their brilliant feats of arms, the Swedes, amid the January ice, marched on Grodno, the several parties of Muscovites in the neighborhood flying at the mere rumor of their approach.