doubt
for years, seizes the opportunity to rush into the murdered man's
dwelling, and sing over his inanimate body a little thing of his own
composition. Anyone who has been in Russia will immediately recognise
this incident as absolutely true to life. Amongst my own acquaintance
I know three priests who did precisely the same thing--they are called
BROWNOFF, JONESKI, and ROBINSONOFF.

Next we have the Palace of the _Princess Orenburg_, and make the
acquaintance of _Anna Ivanovna_, a young lady who is the sister of the
aimless murderer, and owner of untold riches. We are also introduced
to the Head of Police, who, as everyone knows, is a cross between a
suburban inspector, a low-class inquiry agent, and a _flaneur_ moving
in the best Society. We find, too, naturally enough, an English
_attache_, whose chief aim is to insult an aged Russian General, whose
_sobriquet_ is, "the Hero of Sebastopol." Then the aimless murderer
reveals his crime, which, of course, escapes detection save at the
hands of _Prince Zosimoff_, a nobleman, who I fancy, from his name,
must have discovered a new kind of tooth-powder.

Next we have the "Interior of a Common Lodging House," the counterpart
of which may be found in almost any street in the modern capital of
Russia. There are the religious pictures, the cathedral immediately
opposite, with its stained-glass windows and intermittent organ, and
the air of sanctity without which no Russian Common Lodging House
is complete. Needless to say that _Prince Tooth-powder_--I beg
pardon--and _Anna_ listen while _Fedor Ivanovitch_ again confesses his
crime, this time to the daughter of the drosky-driver, for whom he has
a sincere regard, and I may add, affection. Although with a well-timed
scream his sister might interrupt the awkward avowal, she prefers to
listen to the bitter end. This reminds me of several cases recorded in
the _Newgatekoff Calendaroff_, a miscellany of Russian crimes.

After this we come to the Gardens of the Palace Taurida, when _Fedor_
is at length arrested and carted off to Siberia, an excellent picture
of which is given in the last Act. Those who _really_ know Russian
Society-will not be surprised to find that the Chief of the Police
(promoted to a new position and a fur-trimmed coat), and the principal
characters of the drama have also found their way to the Military
Outpost on the borders of the dreaded region. I say dreaded, but
should have added, without cause. M. BUCHA