Thus the intervention of the highest official at Court had been necessary before the decision to admit the gravity of the Czarevitch’s condition was taken.
Why did the Czar and Czarina subject themselves to this
[Illustration: THE GRAND-DUCHESSES MARIE AND ANASTASIE DRESSED UP FOR A SCENE FROM THE “BOURGEOIS GENTILHOMME.” SPALA, AUTUMN OF 1912.]
[Illustration: THE CZARINA AT THE CZAREVITCH’S BEDSIDE DURING HIS SEVERE ATTACK OF HÆMOPHILIA AT SPALA IN THE AUTUMN OF 1912.
dreadful ordeal? Why, when their one desire in life was to be with their suffering son, did they force themselves to appear among their guests with a smile on their lips? The reason was that they did not wish the world to know the nature of the Heir’s illness, and, as I knew myself, regarded it in the light of a state secret.
On the morning of October 22nd the child’s temperature was 103·5°. About midday, however, the pains gradually subsided, and the doctors could proceed to a more thorough examination of the invalid, who had hitherto refused to allow it on account of his terrible sufferings.
At three o’clock in the afternoon there was a religious service in the forest. It was attended by a large number of peasants from the surrounding districts.
Beginning on the previous day, prayers for the recovery of the Heir were said twice a day. As there was no church at Spala, a tent with a small portable altar had been erected in the park as soon as we arrived. The priest officiated there morning and night.
After a few days, during which we were all a prey to the most terrible apprehensions, the crisis was reached and passed, and the period of convalescence began. It was a long and slow business, however, and we could feel that, notwithstanding the change for the better, there was still cause for anxiety. As the patient’s condition required constant and most careful watching, Professor Fiodrof had sent for Dr. Vladimir Derevenko,[6] one of his young assistants, from St. Petersburg. This gentleman henceforth remained in constant attendance on the Czarevitch.
The newspapers about this time had a good deal to say of the young Heir’s illness--and the most fantastic stories were going round. I only had the truth some time later, and then from Dr. Derevenko himself. The crisis had been brought on by a fall of Alexis Nicolaïevitch at Bielovesa. In trying to get out of a boat he had hit his left thigh on the side, and the blow had caused rather profuse internal hæmorrhage. He was just getting better when some imprudence at Spala suddenly aggravated his condition. A sanguineous tumour formed in the groin and nearly produced a serious infection.