es was added to his hard-earned savings, but
her little valuables had been sold to make up the full amount of the
money that had been lost!"

"Oh, papa! what honest people! But did the English woman take all their
money!"

"No entreaties on her part could induce the poor Isdavoi to take back
the rubles to save up which had been for so long the object of his life.
The lady, however, generously placed the money in a public bank to
accumulate for the benefit of his children."

"Bravo!" exclaimed Neddy, clapping his hands; "that was just how a lady
should behave; and as for the poor Isda-- what do you call him?-- he was
a fine fellow, and quite worthy to have been an Englishman!"

[* The materials for my little sketch of Russian manners, &c.,
have been chiefly drawn from the translation of a work by the
German traveller Kohl.]

[** A Russian piece of money.]

CHAPTER XV.

FIRST VIEW OF ST. PETERSBURG.

"Cronstadt! Cronstadt!" I heard the shout from the deck one evening when
the sun was going down, and his red disk seemed resting on the heaving
waters, while to the east the strong fortifications stood clearly
defined against the sky, bathed in his glowing light. Being quite alone
in the cabin, for every human being was on deck, I was taking my survey
of the place from the open port-hole before me.

It was a very gay scene upon which I looked. Not even on the Thames,
our own river, have I seen a greater variety of craft. Steam-boats, and
sailing-boats, schooners, cutters, brigs and gondolas,-- paddled along
the water, or spread snowy wings to the breeze. I gazed upon them, and
upon the formidable batteries, bristling with guns, which defend the
"water-gate of St. Petersburg" as Cronstadt has been called, till the
shadows of night fell around, and I could without risk of observation,
join Whiskerandos in the hold.

He was in company with another rat, of rather a foreign appearance.

"My friend Dwishtswatshiksky here," said he, "tells me that we shall
soon arrive at the capital of Russia."

"I am very glad to hear it!" cried I; "I long to be again on shore. If
we had any means of landing here, I should not care if I stopped short
of St. Petersburg." I had not forgotten the pies.

"You would doubtless, little brother, from natural association, like to
visit Rat Island," said the stranger with the unpronounceable name.

"Rat Island!" exclaimed Whiskerandos and I at the same moment.

"T