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the　Exposition；　instead　of　the　admiration；　the　laughing…stock　of



the　empire；　but　I　wrote　a　letter　to　the　assistant　secretary　of



state；　Mr。　Quincy；　who　presently　put　an　end　to　these　vagaries。







One　is　greatly　struck　in　Russia　by　the　number　of　able　and　gifted



men　and　women　scattered　through　Russian　society；　and　at　the



remarkable　originality　of　some　of　them。　The　causes　of　this



originality　I　touch　in　my　chapter　on　Tolstoi。







It　was　a　duty　as　well　as　a　pleasure　for　me　to　keep　up　my



acquaintance　with　persons　worth　knowing；　and；　while　many　of　the



visits　thus　made　were　perfunctory　and　tedious；　some　were



especially　gratifying。　My　rule　was；　after　office　hours　in　the



afternoon；　to　get　into　the　open　sledge；　to　make　my　visits；　and　as



a　result；　of　course；　to　see　and　hear　a　vast　deal　of　frivolity　and



futility；　but；　from　time　to　time；　more　important　things。







The　entertainments　given　by　wealthy　Russian　nobles　to　the



diplomatic　corps　were　by　no　means　so　frequent　or　so　lavish　as　of



old。　Two　reasons　were　assigned　for　this；　one　being　the　abolition



of　the　serf　system；　which　had　impoverished　the　nobility；　and　the



other　the　fact　that　the　Emperor　Alexander　III　had　set　the　fashion



of　paying　less　attention　to　foreigners　than　had　formerly　been　the



custom。







The　main　hospitalities；　so　far　as　the　Emperor　and　Empress　were



concerned；　were　the　great　festivities　at　the　Winter　Palace；



beginning　on　the　Russian　New　Year's　day；　which　was　twelve　days



later　than　ours。　The　scene　was　most　brilliant。　The　vast　halls



were　filled　with　civil　and　military　officials　from　all　parts　of



the　empire；　in　the　most　gorgeous　costumes；　an　especially　striking



effect　being　produced　by　the　caftans；　or　long　coats；　of　the



various　Cossack　regiments；　the　armor　and　helmets　of　the　Imperial



Guards；　and　the　old　Russian　costumes　of　the　ladies。　All　of　the



latter；　on　this　occasion；　from　the　Empress　down；　wore　these



costumes：　there　was　great　variety　in　these；　but　their　main



features　were　the　kakoshniks；　or　ornamental　crowns；　and　the



tunics　in　bright　colors。







The　next　of　these　great　ceremonies　at　the　Winter　Palace　was　the



blessing　of　the　waters　upon　the　8th　of　January。　The　diplomatic



corps　and　other　guests　were　allowed　to　take　their　places　at　the



palace　windows　looking　out　over　the　Neva；　and　thence　could　see



the　entire　procession；　which；　having　gone　down　the　ambassadors'



staircase；　appeared　at　a　temple　which　had　been　erected　over　an



opening　in　the　ice　of　the　river。　The　Emperor；　the　grand　dukes；



and　the　Archbishop　of　St。　Petersburg；　with　his　suffragan　bishops；



all　took　part　in　this　ceremonial；　and　the　music；　which　was



selected　from　the　anthems　of　Bortniansky；　was　very　solemn　and



impressive。







During　the　winter　came　court　balls；　and；　above　all；　the　〃palm



balls。〃　The　latter　were；　in　point　of　brilliancy；　probably　beyond



anything　in　any　court　of　modern　times。　After　a　reception；　during



which　the　Emperor　and　Empress　passed　along　the　diplomatic　circle；



speaking　to　the　various　members；　dancing　began；　and　was　continued



until　about　midnight；　then　the　doors　were　flung　open　into　other



vast　halls；　which　had　been　changed　into　palm…groves。　The　palms



for　this　purpose　are　very　large　and　beautiful；　four　series　of



them　being　kept　in　the　conservatories　for　this　special　purpose；



each　series　being　used　one　winter　and　then　allowed　to　rest　for



three　winters　before　it　is　brought　out　again。　Under　these　palms



the　supper…tables　are　placed；　and　from　fifteen　hundred　to　two



thousand　people　sit　at　these　as　the　guests　of　the　Czar　and



Czarina。　These　entertainments　seem　carried　to　the　extreme　of



luxury；　their　only　defect　being　their　splendid　monotony：　only



civil；　military；　and　diplomatic　officials　are　present；　and　a



new…comer　finds　much　difficulty　in　remembering　their　names。　There



are　said　to　be　four　hundred　Princes　Galitzin　in　the　empire；　and　I



personally　knew　three　Counts　Tolstoi　who　did　not　know　each　other；



but　the　great　drawback　is　the　fact　that　all　these　entertainments



are　exactly　alike；　always　the　same　thing：　merely　civil　and



military　functionaries　and　their　families；　and　for　strangers　no



occupation　save　to　dance；　play　cards；　talk　futilities；　or　simply



stare。







The　Berlin　court；　though　by　no　means　so　brilliant　at　first　sight



and　far　smaller；since　the　most　I　ever　saw　in　any　gathering　in



the　Imperial　Schloss　at　the　German　capital　was　about　fifteen



hundred；was　really　much　more　attractive；　its　greater　interest



arising　from　the　presence　of　persons　distinguished　in　every



field。　While　at　St。　Petersburg　one　meets　only　civil　and　military



functionaries；　at　Berlin　one　meets　not　only　these；　but　the　most



prominent　men　in　politics；　science；　literature；　art；　and　the



higher　ranges　of　agriculture；　commerce；　and　manufacture。　At　St。



Petersburg；　when　I　wished　to　meet　such　men；　who　added　to　the



peaceful　glories　of　the　empire；　I　went　to　their　houses　in　the



university　quarter；　at　Berlin　I　met　them　also　at　court。







As　to　court　episodes　during　my　stay；　one　especially　dwells　in　my



memory。　On　arriving　rather　early　one　evening；　I　noticed　a　large；



portly　man；　wearing　the　broad　red　ribbon　of　the　Legion　of　Honor；



and　at　once　saw　that　he　could　be　no　other　than　Prince　Victor



Napoleon；　the　Bonaparte　heir　to　the　crown　of　France。　Though　he



was　far　larger　than　the　great　Napoleon；　and　had　the　eyes　of　his



mother；　Princess　Clothilde；　his　likeness　to　his　father；　Prince



Napoleon　（〃Plon…Plon〃）；　whom　I　had　seen　years　before　at　Paris；



was　very　marked。　Presently　his　brother；　who　had　just　arrived　from



his　regiment　in　the　Caucasus；　came　up　and　began　conversation　with



him。　Both　seemed　greatly　vexed　at　something。　On　the　arrival　of



the　Italian　ambassador；　he　naturally　went　up　and　spoke　to　the



prince；　who　was　the　grandson　of　King　Victor　Emmanuel；　but　the



curious　thing　was　that　the　French　ambassador；　Count　de



Montebello；　and　the　prince　absolutely　cut　each　other。　Neither



seemed　to　have　the　remotest　idea　that　the　other　was　in　the　room；



and　this　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　the　Montebellos　are　descended



from　Jean　Lannes；　the　stable…boy　whom　Napoleon　made　a　marshal　of



France　and　Duke　of　Montebello；　thus　founding　the　family　to　which



the　French　ambassador　belonged。　The　show　of　coolness　on　the　part



of　the　imperial　family　evidently　vexed　the　French　pretender。　He



was；　indeed；　allowed　to　enter　the　room　behind　the　imperial　train；



but　he　was　not　permitted　to　sit　at　the　imperial　table；　being



relegated　to　a　distant　and　very　modest　seat。　I　was　informed　that；



though　the　Emperor　could；　and　did；　have　the　prince　to　dine　with



him　in　private；　he　felt　obliged；　in　view　of　the　relations　between



Russia　and　the　French　Republic；　to　carefully　avoid　any　special



recognition　of　him　in　public。







A　far　more　brilliant　visitor　was　the　Ameer　of　Bokhara。　I　have



already　spoken　of　the　way　in　which　he　was　placed　upon　the　throne



by　General　Annenkof。　He　now　came　to　visit　the　Czar　as　his



suzerain；　and　with　him　came　his　eldest　son　and　a　number　of　his



great　men。　The　satrap　himself　was　a　singular　combination　of



splendor　and　stoicism；　wearing　a　gorgeous　dress　covered　with



enormous　jewels；　and　observing　the　brilliant　scenes　about　him



with　hardly　ever　a　word。　Even　when　he　took　his　place　at　the　table



beside　the　Empress　he　was　very　uncommunicative。　Facing　the



imperial　table　sat　his　great　men；　and　their　embarrassment　was



evident；　one　special　source　of　it　being　clearly　their　small



acquaintance　with　European　table　utensils。　The　Ameer　brought　to



St。　Petersburg　splendid　presents　of　gold　and　jewels；　after　the



Oriental　fashion；　and　also　the　heir　to　his　throne；　whom　he　left



as　a　sort　of　hostage　to　be　educated　at　the　capital。







An　eminent　Russian　who　was　in　very　close　relations　with　the　Ameer



gave　me　some　account　of　this　young　man。　Although　he　was　then



perhaps　fourteen　or　fifteen　years　of　age；　he　was；　as　regards



conduct；　a　mere　baby；　bursting　out　into　loud　boohooing　the　first



time　he　was　presented　to　the　Emperor；　and　showing　himself　very



immature　in　various　ways。　Curiously　enough；　when　he　was　taken　to



the　cadet　school　he　was　found　to　be　unable　to　walk　for　any



considerable　distance。　He　had　always　been　made　to　squat　and　be



carried；　and　the　first　thing　to　be　done　toward　making　him　a



Russian　officer　was　to　train　him　in　using　his　legs。　He　took　an



especial　fancy　to　bicycles：　in　the　park　attached　to　the　cadet



school　he　became　very　proficient　in　the　use　of　them；　and；



returning　to　Bokhara　at　his　first　vacation；　he　took　with　him；　not



only　a　bicycle　for　himself；　but　another　for　his　brother。　Shortly



after　his　home…coming；　the　Ameer　and　court　being　assembled；　he



gave　a　display　of　his　powers；　but；　to　his　great　mortification；



the　Ameer　was　disgusted：　the　idea　that　the　heir　to　the　throne



should　be　seen　working　his　way　in　this　fashion　was　contrary　to



all　the　ideas　of　that　potentate；　and　he　ordered　the　bicycles　to



be　at　once　destroyed。　But　on　the　young　man's　return　to　St。



Petersburg　he　bought　another；　resumed　his　exercises　upon　it；　and



will；　no　doubt；　when　he　comes　to　the　throne；　introduce　that　form



of　locomotion　into　the　Mohammedan　regions　of　Northern　Asia。







Among　the　greater　displays　of　my　final　year　were　a　wedding　and　a



funeral。　The　former　was　that　of　the　Emperor's　eldest　daughter；



the　Grand　Duchess　Xenia；　at　Peterhof。　It　was　very　brilliant；　and



was　conducted　after　the　u