190 DISGRACE AND EXILE
Speransky's last day in St. Petersburg is now fully known, and all
events that took place during that day have been reliably established.
The State Secretary had not been received in audience by the Emperor
for several weeks preceding the ill-fated Sunday of March 17, 1812.
Such neglect was often the harbinger of imperial displeasure, as Count
Panin, for one, had found out in 1801. Alexander's avoidance of an
audience seemed odd to Speransky, for during the last years he had
had almost daily interviews. Repeatedly he inquired at the Palace
when the Emperor could see him, for the papers which needed
consideration and decision were steadily growing in number. To these
requests Alexander did not reply directly, but instructed the State
Secretary to submit all the papers through a messenger. Anyone else,
less absorbed in his work and more attuned to the changes of atmos-
phere at Court would have been aroused to danger. Speransky, however,
while privately deploring his inability to confer with the Emperor
personally on several matters, did not seem overly concerned. 1
On Sunday March 17, finally, a Palace messenger notified Speransky
that His Majesty expected to see him that same evening. As Speransky
reached the anteroom to the Emperor's study, he found several dignit-
aries waiting for an audience. There is some question as to who these
dignitaries were, apparently the Procurator of the Holy Synod, Prince·
A. N. Golitsyn was one of them. Alexander called Speransky into his
study ahead of the others. The audience lasted for over two hours.
When it was over, the door opened, and Speransky came out looking
much upset with tears in his eyes. To hide his emotion he quickly
walked to a table and procef'ded to put papers into his briefcase,
turning his back to those present in the room. As he was about done,
the door to the Emperor's study opened again, and Alexander - also
very disturbed, with tears on his cheeks - stepped forward, embraced
Speransky, saying, "once more, Mikhail Mikhailovich, good byel" and
turning about brusquely, retired to his apartment. Speransky left in
such haste that he almost forgot to take leave from the other officials
in the room. He remembered it at the door, and turning to them, in
particular to Prince Golitsyn, he said "farewell" and disappeared. A
few moments later, a valet announced that His Majesty was sorry but
would not receive anyone else that evening.
1 Jacob, Denkwurdigkeiten, p. 321: "Der Feldzug gegen Bonaparte war beschlossen
und der Kaiser woHte in wenigen Wochen zur Armee abgehen. Dennoch wusste
Speransky noch nicht ob er den Kaiser begleiten oder zuriickbleiben wiirde. Das
Zuriickbleiben hatte in den Verhaltnissen, in wekhen Speransky damals gegen den
Kaiser stand, schon aHein eine Ungnade zu sein scheinen miissen. Dennoch srhien
es Speransky nicht so zu nehmen. Ich war den Sonntag, wo er arrestiert und ver-
schickt wurde, von 10 bis gegen 2 Uhr bei ihm."