ed, into the Duchess's party, regardless of my
unsuitable costume.

On the following Wednesday, I drove to the palace again in the same
style of equipage, and the same gown, which proved to be perfectly
proper, as Mr. Y. P. had told me, and was greeted with a courteous and
amiable smile by the head Swiss, who had the air of taking me under his
special protection, as he conducted me in person, not by deputy, to the
quarters of the Circle.

I had another illustrative experience with closed streets. In February
come the two grand reviews of the Guards, stationed in Petersburg,
Peterhoff, and Tzarskoe Selo, on the Palace Place. They are fine
spectacles, but only for those who have access to a window overlooking
the scene, as all the streets leading to the Place are blockaded by the
gendarmerie, to obviate the disturbance of traffic. On one of these
occasions, I inadvertently selected the route which the Emperor was to
use. I was stopped by mounted gendarmes. I told them that it was too far
to walk, with my heavy furs and shoes, and they allowed me to proceed. A
block further on, officers of higher grade in the gendarmerie rode up to
me and again declared that it was impossible for me to go on; but they
yielded, as did still higher officers, at two or three advanced posts. I
believe that it was not intended that I should walk along that street
either; I certainly had it all to myself. I know now how royalty feels
when carefully coddled, and prefer to have my fellow-creatures about me.
I alighted, at last, with the polite assistance of a gendarme officer,
at the very spot where the Emperor afterward alighted from his sledge
and mounted his horse. At that time I was living in an extremely
fashionable quarter of the city, where every one was supposed to keep
his own carriage. The result was that the _izvostchiki_ never expected
custom from any one except the servants of the wealthy, and none but the
shabbiest sledges in town ever waited there for engagements.
Accordingly, my turnout was very shabby, and the gendarmes could not
have been impressed with respect by it. On the other hand, had I used
the best style of public equipage, the likatchi, the kind which consists
of an elegant little sledge, a fine horse, and a spruce, well-fed,
well-dressed driver, it is probable that they would not have let me pass
at all. Ladies are not permitted, by etiquette, to patronize these
_likatchi_, alone, and no man will take his wife or a wom