te and surrounded by shields bearing the arms
of all the towns in the empire. Her face was uncovered, her beautiful
hand resting on the bed. All the ladies--of whom some took turn in
watching by the body--bent to kiss that hand, or pretended to. I, who
had never kissed it in her lifetime, did not dare to kiss it now, and
even avoided looking at Catherine's face, which would have left too
bad an impression on my memory.

After his mother's death, Paul at once had his father Peter
disinterred; he had been buried for thirty-five years in the convent
of Alexander Nevski. Nothing was found in the coffin but bones and a
sleeve of Peter's uniform. Paul desired the same honours rendered to
these remains as to Catherine's. He had them exhibited in the middle
of the Church at Kazan; the watch service was performed by old
officers, friends of Peter III, whom his son had pressed to come, and
whom he loaded with honours. The day of the funeral having arrived,
Peter III.'s coffin, on which his son had placed a crown, was put with
great ceremony beside Catherine's, and both were conveyed to the
Citadel, Peter's preceding, it being Paul's wish to humble his
mother's ashes. I saw the marvellous procession from my window as one
sees a play from a box in the theatre. Before the Emperor's coffin
rode a horseman of the guard, clad from top to toe in golden armour;
but the man riding in front of the Empress's coffin wore only steel
armour. The murderers of Peter III. were, by order of his son, obliged
to act as pall-bearers. The new Emperor walked in the procession on
foot, bareheaded, with his wife and the whole court, which was very
numerous, and attired in deep mourning. The women wore long trains and
enormous black veils. They were obliged to walk in the snow, at a very
low temperature, from the palace to the fortress, where Russia's
sovereigns were laid to rest, a long distance on the other side of the
Neva. Mourning was ordered for six months. The women's hair was
brushed back, and their headgear came to a point on the forehead,
which did not improve their looks at all. But this slight
inconvenience was insignificant compared to the deep anxiety to which
the Empress's death gave rise throughout the whole empire.

CHAPTER X

THE EMPEROR PAUL

ACCESSION OF THE EMPEROR PAUL -- HIS ARBITRARY RULE -- HIS
CIVILITY TO THE AUTHORESS -- A MAN WHO DID NOT KNOW THE EMPEROR'S
ADDRESS -- PAUL'S KINDNESS TO FOREIGNERS -- HI