"With the greatest pleasure, sire, if your majesty orders it. But the funds, the funds?"
"Don't be troubled about them. Ask for all the money you want."
And turning to the engineers:
"You see," said Nicholas to them, "I can get along without you. I will build my own railroad."
And the construction of this road lasted ten years. It did not deviate an inch from the line marked out by the imperial finger; and leaving on one side, at about a distance of ten leagues, the villages of Novgorod, Twer, and a host of others equally rich and important, it traversed, in the midst of marshes and woods, nothing but immense solitudes; 706 kilometres of iron rail cost Russia 400,000,000 francs—a little more than half a million a kilometre—of which the devoted Kleinmichel, but that as a matter of course, took a good share. Nicholas, however, was right in saying nothing could resist him.
Some weeks after the inauguration of this railroad an ambassador arrived at St. Petersburg. According to custom and to pay him attention, everything was shown him in detail, all the objects of interest in the city. He expressed no surprise or admiration; his oriental gravity was proof against either.
"What could we show him that would astonish him?" asked the emperor of Menschikoff.
"Show him the accounts of Kleinmichel for the Nicholas railroad," replied the prince, laughing.
A few days later, General Kleinmichel, in presence of the emperor, was discussing with Menschikoff some question upon which they could not agree. The general proposed to the prince a wager.