Little sixteen-year-old Vera Demidof looked very well in her stylish Parisian clothes. She was a pretty girl of true Russian type, and, Russian like, was an adept in the art of keeping up a constant flow of light talk, half in her native language and half in French, a fashion in polite society then as now. Vera was with her mother, and with them stood or moved about among the crowd of visitors at the annual function of the corps of cadets a young cousin, one Constantine Demidof, a youthful member of the corps. "Tell me the notables," said Vera, "especially the military ones, but don't expect me to admire any of our poor Russians after the smart-looking French officers! As for your cadets--bah!--you are bigger than the French, perhaps, but clumsier; and your manners compared with theirs--the cadets here, I mean--oh! you are bears, my friend, and they are angels. Imagine, Constantine, _mon ami_, I have spoken to Ney--the bravest of the brave--only think of it; and one day the Emperor himself, beautiful man, smiled upon me." "Oh, come," said Constantine, "if you speak of emperors and beautiful men, your Napoleon is a mere tub-man, and not to be named in comparison with our Emperor. You have not yet seen Alexander? A very different person from his unbeautiful father Paul, wait and see, he will be here in five minutes. Your Sasha Maximof is to receive a prize at his hands, lucky Sasha!" "Sasha a prize--oh, I am glad!" exclaimed Vera--"and for what?" "For fencing; he is the best fencer of all here; see, he is still busy with that girl, his latest craze; in charity we will hope that he has not yet seen you." "If he did, I think he would not recognise me; he does not know I am here and it is five years since we met. Presently you shall go and bring him to me, but not yet. Tell me, Constantine, is Sasha liked here?" Constantine glanced at his cousin; he caught her eye and smiled. "Some people like him, I suppose," he said. "Of whom Constantine Demidof is evidently not one," said Vera, laughing merrily. "Why not, my friend?" "How should I? I scarcely know him, he is two years senior to me here, and that means much." "I see. I should say, to look at him, that he has a good opinion of himself." "Oh, he certainly has that," Constantine laughed. "He is thought good-looking, you know, and the girls flatter him, I suppose." "Nevertheless his clothes fit very badly. In Parisian clothes he might look well, yes, he is not bad; you shall bring him to me, presently, but do not say who I am; you shall say that there is a lady who desires to have him presented to her." At this moment the Emperor Alexander entered the room, preceded by an aide-de-camp, who first cleared the space about the doorway in order that his Majesty might enter with effect, which he certainly did.