146 CHARLES'S INTRODUCTION TO COUNT KLEINMICHEL. 



protection alone did we owe it, that we were enabled 

 successfully to execute the great works, which he 

 entrusted to us. 



Count Kleinmichel did not conceal from me, that 

 he would have liked to have retained me altogether 

 in Russia for the execution of his further plans. As 

 I could not accede to that. I announced to him, when 

 at the end of July I took my leave, the approaching 

 arrival of my brother, who had great experience in 

 the construction of lines and would be able to execute 

 his orders better than I could myself. A few days 

 after my departure Charles arrived in St. Petersburg. 

 When he presented himself to the count, the latter 

 was surprised at his youthful appearance. He evinced 

 in consequence much annoyance, gave him however 

 the order to propose an arrangement, whereby the 

 wire of the telegraph in course of construction between 

 Oranienbaum and Kronstadt might be conducted into 

 the turret-room of the imperial winter palace, hitherto 

 the terminal station of the optical telegraph to War- 

 saw, without disturbing the Emperor's dwelling house. 



When brother Charles looked attentively at the 

 proud palace with the turreted projection, wherein the 

 bureau of the optical telegraph was placed, it struck 

 him that in one of the corners of the tower no 

 gutter ran down, as was the case in the others. On 

 perceiving this he immediately returned to the count, 

 who, annoyed at his supposed fussiness, inquired rather 

 roughly what else he wanted. Charles at once commu- 

 nicated the plan of placing in the vacant corner of the 



