nies extremities thus unclad, to display their
gayest gowns. The young men gazed with intense interest. Here and there
a young fellow in "European clothes" was to be seen conversing with the
more conservative young merchants, who retained the wrinkled boots
confining full trousers, the shirt worn outside the trousers, the cloth
vest, and the blue cloth long coat of traditional cut.

It was like a scene from the theatre. Across the lake, dotted with
boating parties, stretched lawns planted with trees chosen for their
variety of foliage, from the silver willow to the darkest evergreens,
while the banks were diversified with a boat-house, a terraced grotto, a
Turkish kiosk with a bath, bridges, and so on. Of the immense palace
which stood so near at hand the graceful breakfast gallery alone was
visible, while high above the waving crests of the trees the five
cupolas of the palace church, in the shape of imperial crowns, seemed to
float in the clear blue sky like golden bubbles. The lawns within the
acacia-hedged compartments were dazzling with campanulas, harebells,
rose campions, and crimson and yellow columbine, or gleamed with the
pale turquoise of forget-me-nots. We had only to enter the adjoining
park surrounding the Alexander Palace, built for Alexander I. by his
grandmother, Katherine II., to find the Field of the Cloth of Gold
realized by acres of tall double Siberian buttercups, as large and as
fragrant as yellow roses.

Soldiers of the garrison strolled about quietly, as usual. The pet of
the hussars was in great form, and his escort of admiring comrades was
larger than ever. They thrust upon him half of their tidbits and
sunflower seeds,--what masses of sunflower seeds and handbill
cigarettes were consumed that day, not to mention squash seeds, by the
more opulent!--and waited eagerly for his dimpled smile as their
reward. When the bands were weary, the regimental singers ranged
themselves in a circle, and struck up songs of love, of battle, and of
mirth, amid the applause and laughter of the crowd. Now and then a
soldier would step into the middle of the circle and dance. The slight,
agile, square-capped _stryelki_ spun round until their full-plaited
black tunics stood out from their tightly belted waists like the skirts
of ballet dancers. The slender, graceful hussars, with their
yellow-laced scarlet jackets and tight blue trousers, flitted to and fro
like gay birds. The best performer of all was a cuirassie