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confidant of the empress, who came with a joyful face and cheerful

smile

Elizabeth felt annoyed by this cheerfulness of her physician With an

angry frown she turned her back upon hi?" she then roughly

said

"I was there," answered Lestocq

"Ah, that is not true," cried the elad at least

to have soer "It is false,

I say; no one saw you there! Ah, you dare, then, to impose a falsehood

upon your empress? You would--"

"I was at the court ball," interposed Lestocq; "I saw and noted all

that occurred there I saw that my empress beamed in all the splendor of

beauty, and yet with her aht Eleonore Lapuschkin

handsomer than herself I read in Elizabeth's noble brow that she was

pained by this, and that she promised to punish the presumption of the

insolent countess"

"And to what end have you read all that," responded Elizabeth, with

veheish a servant that you

make no effort to fulfil any wish of your ardful of your word as not to hold even your oath

sacred?"