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All was again sunshine and pleasure, for the princesses were again

there, and the princesses sh and be beside

theht her friend, the handsome Alexis

Razumovsky Suddenly her brow as darkened and her cheeks paled, for she

saw hi against a pillar, his eyes fixed upon a lady who had

just then entered the hall, and whose wonderful beauty had everywhere

called forth a murmur of astonishment and admiration This lady was the

Countess Lapuschkin, the wife of the coeneral of marine, from

whose family came the first wife of Czar Peter the Great, the beautiful

Eudoxia Lapuschkin

Eleonore Lapuschkin was ic

of youth and loveliness, of purity and energy, was shed over her regular

features She had the traits of a Hebe, and the forly white teeth, she was irresistibly

chare dark eyes,

full of nobleness and spirit, then ht people fall at her feet with

adoration Countess Lapuschkin had often been compared and equalled

to the Princess Elizabeth, and yet nothing could be more dissimilar or

incomparable than these two beauties Elizabeth's holly earthly,

voluptuous, gloith youth and love, but Eleonore's was chaste

and sublime, pure and maidenly Elizabeth allured to love, Eleonore to