ir of wide sleeves being turned back in oriental
fashion. Over this tunic was a red velvet dolman with very short
sleeves. The cap set on her white hair was not adorned with bows, but
with diamonds of the greatest beauty. When Her Majesty had taken her
place all the ladies sat down to the table, and, according to
universal custom, laid their napkins on their knees, while the Empress
fastened hers with two pins, just as napkins are fastened on
children. She soon noticed that the ladies did not eat, and suddenly
burst out: "Ladies, you do not want to follow my example, and you are
only pretending to eat! I have adopted the habit of pinning my napkin,
as otherwise I could not even eat an egg without spilling some of it
on my collar."

I, in fact, observed her to dine with a very hearty appetite. A good
orchestra played during the whole meal, the musicians being in a large
gallery at the end of the room.

Relating to dinners, I may say here that certainly the saddest I ever
went to at St. Petersburg was at a sister's of Zuboff, where I had
neglected to present a letter of introduction. Six months of my
sojourn in Russia had gone by, when I met her one evening coming out
of the theatre. She stepped over to me and said most politely that she
was still waiting for a letter which had been given to me for her.
Scarcely knowing what excuse to make, I replied that I had mislaid the
letter, but that I would look for it again and hasten to bring it to
her. I accordingly went one morning to visit the Countess D----, and
she invited me to dine with her the day after the next. It was then
the custom all over St. Petersburg to dine at half-past two, and I
therefore went to the Countess's at that hour with my daughter, who
was also invited. We were conducted to a very melancholy drawing-room,
on the way to which I observed no preparations whatever for dinner.
One hour, two hours went by, but there was no more question of sitting
down to table than if we had just taken our morning coffee. At last
two servants came in and opened several card-tables, and although it
seemed rather strange to me that any one should eat in a drawing-room,
I flattered myself that dinner was now to be served. But I was wrong.
The servants went out, and in a few minutes a number of the guests
had settled down to play cards. About six o'clock my poor daughter and
I were so starved that, when we looked into a mirror, we were
frightened and sorry for ourselves. I