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A decisive conversation was this day to be held with the duchess and her

husband, Prince Ulrich of Brunswick, and therefore, an unheard-of case,

had even Count Ostermann resolved to leave his dusty room for some hours

and repair to the palace of the Duchess Anna Leopoldowna

"Slowly, slowly, ye knaves," groaned Oster stairs with the aid of his servants "See you not, you

hounds, that every one of your movements causes me insufferable pain?

Ah, a fearful illness is evidently coonizes every part of my system! Let thening soup made ready

formy absence,

either one of you should dare to break into the store-roonizant of every

article on hand, even to its exact weight and measure Take care,

therefore, take care! for if but an ounce of , I will have you whipped, you hounds, until the blood flows

That youhis assistants with a kick, Count Oster stairs alone and unaided But, before opening

the door at the head of the stairs, he took time for reflection

"Hem! perhaps it would have been better for me to have been already

taken ill, for if this plan should ent discover