▁of ▁myself ▁sometimes ▁as ▁Alexander ' s ▁mist ress , ▁or ▁as ▁if ▁we ▁had ▁been ▁married ▁secret ly ..." ▁Elizabeth ▁wrote ▁to ▁her ▁mother . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 8 2 5 , ▁Elizabeth ▁Alex e iev na ' s ▁health ▁was ▁fra il ; ▁she ▁suffered ▁from ▁a ▁lung ▁condition ▁and ▁a ▁nerv ous ▁ind is position . ▁The ▁do ctors ▁recommended ▁her ▁to ▁take ▁a ▁rest ▁in ▁a ▁temper ate ▁climate ▁and ▁suggested ▁the ▁southern ▁city ▁of ▁Tag an rog , ▁by ▁the ▁sea ▁of ▁Az ov . ▁With ▁no ▁comfortable ▁Palace , ▁the ▁Imperial ▁couple ▁were ▁established ▁in ▁a ▁mod est ▁house ▁in ▁Tag an rog ▁by ▁ 5 ▁October . ▁They ▁were ▁happy ▁together ▁living ▁in ▁int imate ▁simplicity . ▁On ▁ 1 7 ▁November ▁ 1 8 2 5 ▁Alexander ▁returned ▁to ▁Tag an rog ▁from ▁visit ing ▁Crime a ▁with ▁a ▁cold , ▁which ▁developed ▁into ▁ty ph us , ▁from ▁which ▁he ▁died ▁that ▁December ▁in ▁the ▁arms ▁of ▁his ▁wife . ▁Elizabeth ▁was ▁str icken ▁by ▁her ▁loss , ▁writing ▁" I ▁do ▁not ▁understand ▁myself , ▁I ▁do ▁not ▁understand ▁my ▁dest iny ... ▁What ▁am ▁I ▁to ▁do ▁with ▁my ▁will , ▁which ▁was ▁entirely ▁subject ed ▁to ▁him , ▁with ▁my ▁life , ▁which ▁I ▁loved ▁to ▁dev ote ▁to ▁him ?" ▁▁ ▁The ▁now ▁Dow ager ▁Ts arina ▁was ▁too ▁fra il ▁to ▁come ▁back ▁to ▁St . ▁Petersburg ▁for ▁the ▁fun eral . ▁When ▁Elizabeth ▁Alex e iev na