d, outside the
Arsenal, a number of guns of all sizes, many of them very beautiful.

"All those guns were taken from us," observed one of their French
friends to Cousin Giles. "How curiously things change in this world!
Now, in early days our two nations were cutting each other's throats,
and yours was friendly to Russia; then lately we have been fighting side
by side against the Russians. Now, behold, here we are walking freely
and at peace within the walls of this ancient capital."

Thus discoursing, they descended into the gardens on the west side, and
proceeded towards the Church of Saint Saviour, then in course of
erection.

Their French friend smiled again: "Ah, this church, now, is building to
commemorate the retreat of the French from Russia," he observed. "The
Russians may well boast of what they did in those days, and we are not
likely to forget it."

The church is the finest in Moscow; the exterior is of white stone,
ornamented with groups of figures in the deepest relief. The
architecture is of the purest Byzantine order. The interior presented
but one vast vault of brick, without pillars or any other support but
the walls to its vast dome. Part of the walls were covered with wood
painted in imitation of marble, to show the effect of the proposed style
of ornament. It is in the form of a Greek cross. The altar is at the
east end. The church is warmed by means of several large stoves, whence
pipes are carried inside the walls all round the building, with vents at
intervals, out of which the hot air can be allowed to escape. Broad
flights of stone steps lead up to the entrances, which are on three
sides. Cousin Giles altogether preferred the edifice to that of the
Isaac Church in Saint Petersburg.

As our friends were returning homeward, a religious procession passed
by. It consisted of a long line of priests walking two and three
abreast, in somewhat irregular order, bearing banners of gold and
coloured cloths, fringed and bespangled. They were chanting loudly, but
not inharmoniously. Most of them had long straggling locks, which waved
about in the breeze, and gave them a very wild appearance, which was
increased by the careless, independent way in which they walked along.

The Russian priests seem to consider that, like the Nazarites among the
Jews, an especial virtue exists in the length of their hair. As the
procession passed through the streets, the people rushed out of their
houses,