_Nicholas._--She must be ours then. She missed her road: she never would have taken her place among stocks and stones and blind worshipers. Easterly winds must have blown her toward a pestilential city, where at every street-corner is very significantly inscribed its true name at full length, _Immondezzaio_. But I hope I am guilty of no profaneness or infidelity when I express a doubt if every picture of the Blessed Virgin is sentient; most are; perhaps not every one. If they want her in England, as they seem to do, let them have her ... unless it is the one that rolls the eyes: in that case I must claim her: she is too precious by half for papist or tractarian. I must order immediately these matters. No reasonable doubt can be entertained that I am the visible head of Christ's church. Theologians may be consulted in regard to St. Peter, and may discover a manuscript at Novgorod, stating his martyrdom there, and proving his will and signature. _Nesselrode._--Theologians may find perhaps in the _Revelations_ some Beast foreshadowing your Majesty. _Nicholas._--How? sir! how? _Nesselrode._--Emperors and kings, we are taught, are designated as great beasts in the Holy Scriptures ... (_Aside_) ... and elsewhere. SECOND CONVERSATION. _Nicholas._--We have disposed of our brother, his Prussian Majesty, who appeared to be imprest by the apprehension that a portion of his dominions was in jeopardy. _Nesselrode._--Possibly the scales of Europe are yet to be adjusted. _Nicholas._--When the winds blow high they must waver. Against the danger of contingencies, and in readiness to place my finger on the edge of one or other, it is my intention to spend in future a good part of my time at Warsaw, that city being so nearly central in my dominions. Good Nesselrode! there should have been a poet near you to celebrate the arching of your eyebrows. They suddenly dropt down again under the horizontal line of your Emperor's. Nobody ever stared in my presence; but I really do think you were upon the verge of it when I inadvertently said _dominions_ instead of _dependencies_. Well, well: dependencies are dominions; and of all dominions they require the least trouble. _Nesselrode._--Your Majesty has found no difficulty with any, excepting the Circassians. _Nicholas._--The Circassians are the Normans of Asia; equally brave, more generous, more chivalrous. I am no admirer of military trinkets; but I have been surprised at the beauty of their chain-armor, the temper of their swords, the richness of hilt, and the gracefulness of baldric. _Nesselrode._--It is a pity they are not Christians and subjects of your Majesty. _Nicholas._--If they would become my subjects, I would let them, as I have let other Mahometans, become Christians at their leisure. We must brigade them before baptism. _Nesselrode._--It is singular that this necessity never struck those religious men who are holding peace conferences in various parts of Europe.