tenance gave no sign of talent or true genius. It was indeed
wanting. He had the sense to take advantage of the ideas of others, and
the determination to carry them into execution. The colonel stopped to
look at the picture, but there was no smile of affection on his
countenance. There were also full-length portraits of many Czars, and
among others of Paul, which had a rollicking, half-tipsy look about it,
very characteristic of the man. The crown was on one side, and the
buttons of the waistcoat unfastened, if not, indeed, buttoned awry.
Intoxication or insanity was clearly portrayed by the too faithful
artist. It was a way of speaking truth in which courtiers are not apt
to indulge.

The colonel led the party through a number of halls, each more vast and
more beautiful than the former. The walls of one were of white and
gold, of another blue and silver, and of a third of a pinkish hue; but
the most beautiful of all was the music hall. The pillars which
supported the roof were white twisted with gold--a most aerial flight of
steps leading to a gallery above, with a second row of pillars. It was
more like a scene described in Eastern romance than what one expects to
meet with in the solid reality of life. The windows of the hall looked
out on a fine view of the Neva, with the citadel before it. The colonel
caught the eyes of the British officers looking at it.

"Ah!" said he, taking the hands of the commander and pointing to the
fortress, "that is the place you would have had to take if you had come
here in the spring; but, believe me, my dear sir, I receive you much
more willingly in this friendly way than I should have done at the point
of the bayonet."

The colonel spoke in so frank and cordial a way, and with so much grace
in his manner, that he completely won the hearts of his guests. They
all warmly pressed him to come on board, their ship, promising to show
him everything about her. He replied that he would gladly have availed
himself of their offer, but that he was compelled to go to Moscow to
make preparations for the coronation.

Two fine old soldiers, tall and upright, with huge moustaches, and
breasts covered with decorations, stood guard at the entrance of the
treasury. It contained jewels of every description, and curious
productions of rare art, such as a prince in the _Arabian Nights_ might
have been told to bring from a far distant country before he could hope
to win the hand of some l