AN IMPERIAL LOVER [Illustration: Pierre le Grand.] AN IMPERIAL LOVER BY M. IMLAY TAYLOR AUTHOR OF “ON THE RED STAIRCASE,” ETC. [Illustration] CHICAGO A. C. McCLURG AND COMPANY 1898 COPYRIGHT BY A. C. MCCLURG AND CO. A.D. 1897 _All rights reserved_ CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I. GUILLAUME DE LAMBERT 7 II. THE GOLDEN HALL 21 III. AUNT AND NIECE 34 IV. THE LIVONIAN PEASANT GIRL 49 V. THE TOWER OF IVAN VELIKI 64 VI. CATHERINE AND THE CZAR 79 VII. THE ENVOY’S CLOAK 93 VIII. A MEDDLESOME COUSIN 106 IX. MADEMOISELLE’S BRACELET 120 X. THE TRYST 131 XI. AN INTERCEPTED LETTER 146 XII. UNDER A CLOUD 160 XIII. TWO WARNINGS 172 XIV. A FAIR REBEL 184 XV. AN IMPERIAL INQUISITOR 196 XVI. A DUEL WITH TONGUES 207 XVII. MENTCHIKOF 223 XVIII. MISSING 233 XIX. THE MARRIAGE OF THE DWARFS 244 XX. THE FAITHFUL SPY 256 XXI. NAJINE 266 XXII. AN INTERVAL OF SUSPENSE 279 XXIII. A FAIR PETITIONER 290 XXIV. A DUEL WITH SWORDS 303 XXV. NAJINE AND HER LOVER 314 XXVI. MADAME ZOTOF 326 XXVII. THE CZAR’S EQUERRY 337 XXVIII. A SON OF MISFORTUNE 346 XXIX. THE GREATEST ROMANOFF 357 XXX. A FUTURE EMPRESS 369 AN IMPERIAL LOVER. CHAPTER I. GUILLAUME DE LAMBERT. TWENTY years had passed since my last visit to Moscow, a visit made memorable by my marriage with Zénaïde Ramodanofsky. For many reasons we did not return to Russia until, in the spring of 1703, the King of France said to me: “M. de Brousson, there is no one else whom I care to send to Moscow on a delicate mission. You have married a Russian, you know Russia and the czar. In short, monsieur, I desire that you should go.”