第21章

WearrivedintwentyminutesfromtheEmperor\'s。Itisalovelyplace。

Thebeautifulpalacenestlesamongthegrandoldgrovesofthepark，theparksitsinthelapofthepicturesquecragsandhills，andbothlookoutuponthebreezyocean。Intheparkarerusticseats，hereandthere，insecludednooksthataredarkwithshade;therearerivuletsofcrystalwater;therearelakelets，withinviting，grassybanks;thereareglimpsesofsparklingcascadesthroughopeningsinthewildernessoffoliage;therearestreamsofclearwatergushingfrommimicknotsonthetrunksofforesttrees;thereareminiaturemarbletemplesperchedupongrayoldcrags;

thereareairylookoutswhenceonemaygazeuponabroadexpanseoflandscapeandocean。ThepalaceismodeledafterthechoicestformsofGrecianarchitecture，anditswidecolonnadessurroundacentralcourtthatisbankedwithrareflowersthatfilltheplacewiththeirfragrance，andintheirmidstspringsafountainthatcoolsthesummerair，andmaypossiblybreedmosquitoes，butIdonotthinkitdoes。

TheGrandDukeandhisDuchesscameout，andthepresentationceremonieswereassimpleastheyhadbeenattheEmperor\'s。Inafewminutes，conversationwasunderway，asbefore。TheEmpressappearedintheverandah，andthelittleGrandDuchesscameoutintothecrowd。Theyhadbeatenusthere。

Inafewminutes，theEmperorcamehimselfonhorseback。Itwasverypleasant。

Youcanappreciateitifyouhaveevervisitedroyaltyandfeltoccasionallythatpossiblyyoumightbewearingoutyourwelcome——thoughasageneralthing，Ibelieve，royaltyisnotscrupulousaboutdischargingyouwhenitisdonewithyou。

TheGrandDukeisthethirdbrotheroftheEmperor，isaboutthirty­sevenyearsold，perhaps，andistheprinceliestfigureinRussia。HeiseventallerthantheCzar，asstraightasanIndian，andbearshimselflikeoneofthosegorgeousknightswereadaboutinromancesoftheCrusades。

Helookslikeagreat­heartedfellowwhowouldpitchanenemyintotheriverinamoment，andthenjumpinandriskhislifefishinghimoutagain。Thestoriestheytellofhimshowhimtobeofabraveandgenerousnature。HemusthavebeendesirousofprovingthatAmericanswerewelcomeguestsintheimperialpalacesofRussia，becauseherodeallthewaytoYaltaandescortedourprocessiontotheEmperor¹shimself，andkepthisaidsscurryingabout，clearingtheroadandofferingassistancewhereveritcouldbeneeded。Wewereratherfamiliarwithhimthen，becausewedidnotknowwhohewas。Werecognizedhimnow，andappreciatedthefriendlyspiritthatpromptedhimtodousafavorthatanyotherGrandDukeintheworldwouldhavedoubtlessdeclinedtodo。Hehadplentyofservitorswhomhecouldhavesent，buthechosetoattendtothematterhimself。

TheGrandDukewasdressedinthehandsomeandshowyuniformofaCossackofficer。TheGrandDuchesshadonawhitealpacarobe，withtheseamsandgorestrimmedwithblackbarblace，andalittlegrayhatwithafeatherofthesamecolor。Sheisyoung，ratherprettymodestandunpretending，andfullofwinningpoliteness。

Ourpartywalkedallthroughthehouse，andthenthenobilityescortedthemalloverthegrounds，andfinallybroughtthembacktothepalaceabouthalf­pasttwoo\'clocktobreakfast。Theycalleditbreakfast，butwewouldhavecalleditluncheon。Itconsistedoftwokindsofwine;

tea，bread，cheese，andcoldmeats，andwasservedonthecentre­tablesinthereceptionroomandtheverandahs——anywherethatwasconvenient;

therewasnoceremony。Itwasasortofpicnic。Ihadheardbeforethatweweretobreakfastthere，butBluchersaidhebelievedBaker\'sboyhadsuggestedittohisImperialHighness。Ithinknot——thoughitwouldbelikehim。Baker\'sboyisthefamine­breederoftheship。Heisalwayshungry。Theysayhegoesaboutthestate­roomswhenthepassengersareout，andeatsupallthesoap。Andtheysayheeatsoakum。Theysayhewilleatanythinghecangetbetweenmeals，butheprefersoakum。Hedoesnotlikeoakumfordinner，buthelikesitforalunch，atoddhours，oranythingthatway。Itmakeshimverydisagreeable，becauseitmakeshisbreathbad，andkeepshisteethallstuckupwithtar。Baker\'sboymayhavesuggestedthebreakfast，butIhopehedidnot。Itwentoffwell，anyhow。Theillustrioushostmovedaboutfromplacetoplace，andhelpedtodestroytheprovisionsandkeeptheconversationlively，andtheGrandDuchesstalkedwiththeverandahpartiesandsuchashadsatisfiedtheirappetitesandstraggledoutfromthereceptionroom。

TheGrandDuke\'steawasdelicious。Theygiveonealemontosqueezeintoit，oricedmilk，ifheprefersit。Theformerisbest。ThisteaisbroughtoverlandfromChina。Itinjuresthearticletotransportitbysea。

Whenitwastimetogo，webadeourdistinguishedhostsgood­bye，andtheyretiredhappyandcontentedtotheirapartmentstocounttheirspoons。

Wehadspentthebestpartofhalfadayinthehomeofroyalty，andhadbeenascheerfulandcomfortableallthetimeaswecouldhavebeenintheship。IwouldassoonhavethoughtofbeingcheerfulinAbraham\'sbosomasinthepalaceofanEmperor。IsupposedthatEmperorswereterriblepeople。Ithoughttheyneverdidanythingbutwearmagnificentcrownsandredvelvetdressing­gownswithdabsofwoolsewedontheminspots，andsitonthronesandscowlattheflunkiesandthepeopleintheparquette，andorderDukesandDuchessesofftoexecution。Ifind，however，thatwhenoneissofortunateastogetbehindthescenesandseethemathomeandintheprivacyoftheirfiresides，theyarestrangelylikecommonmortals。

Theyarepleasantertolookuponthenthantheyareintheirtheatricalaspect。Itseemstocomeasnaturaltothemtodressandactlikeotherpeopleasitistoputafriend\'scedarpencilinyourpocketwhenyouaredoneusingit。ButIcanneverhaveanyconfidenceinthetinselkingsofthetheatreafterthis。Itwillbeagreatloss。Iusedtotakesuchathrillingpleasureinthem。But，hereafter，Iwillturnmesadlyawayandsay;

"Thisdoesnotanswer——thisisn¹tthestyleofkingthatIamacquaintedwith。"

Whentheyswaggeraroundthestageinjeweledcrownsandsplendidrobes，IshallfeelboundtoobservethatalltheEmperorsthateverIwaspersonallyacquaintedwithworethecommonestsortofclothes，anddidnotswagger。

Andwhentheycomeonthestageattendedbyavastbody­guardofsupesinhelmetsandtinbreastplates，itwillbemydutyaswellasmypleasuretoinformtheignorantthatnocrownedheadofmyacquaintancehasasoldieranywhereabouthishouseorhisperson。

Possiblyitmaybethoughtthatourpartytarriedtoolong，ordidotherimproperthings，butsuchwasnotthecase。Thecompanyfeltthattheywereoccupyinganunusuallyresponsibleposition——theywererepresentingthepeopleofAmerica，nottheGovernment——andthereforetheywerecarefultodotheirbesttoperformtheirhighmissionwithcredit。

Ontheotherhand，theImperialfamilies，nodoubt，consideredthatinentertainingustheyweremoreespeciallyentertainingthepeopleofAmericathantheycouldbyshoweringattentionsonawholeplatoonofministersplenipotentiaryandthereforetheygavetotheeventitsfullestsignificance，asanexpressionofgoodwillandfriendlyfeelingtowardtheentirecountry。

Wetookthekindnesseswereceivedasattentionsthusdirected，ofcourse，andnottoourselvesasaparty。Thatwefeltapersonalprideinbeingreceivedastherepresentativesofanation，wedonotdeny;thatwefeltanationalprideinthewarmcordialityofthatreception，cannotbedoubted。

Ourpoethasbeenrigidlysuppressed，fromthetimeweletgotheanchor。

WhenitwasannouncedthatweweregoingtovisittheEmperorofRussia，thefountainsofhisgreatdeepwerebrokenup，andherainedineffableboshforfour­and—twentyhours。Ouroriginalanxietyastowhatweweregoingtodowithourselves，wassuddenlytransformedintoanxietyaboutwhatweweregoingtodowithourpoet。Theproblemwassolvedatlast。Twoalternativeswereofferedhim——hemusteitherswearadreadfuloaththathewouldnotissuealineofhispoetrywhilehewasintheCzar\'sdominions，orelseremainunderguardonboardtheshipuntilweweresafeatConstantinopleagain。Hefoughtthedilemmalong，butyieldedatlast。

Itwasagreatdeliverance。Perhapsthesavagereaderwouldlikeaspecimenofhisstyle。Idonotmeanthistermtobeoffensive。Ionlyuseitbecause"thegentlereader"hasbeenusedsooftenthatanychangefromitcannotbutberefreshing:"Saveusandsanctifyus，andfinally，then，SeegoodprovisionsweenjoywhilewejourneytoJerusalem。

Forsomanproposes，whichitismosttrueAndtimewillwaitfornone，norforustoo。"Theseahasbeenunusuallyroughallday。However，wehavehadalivelytimeofit，anyhow。Wehavehadquitearunofvisitors。TheGovernor­Generalcame，andwereceivedhimwithasaluteofnineguns。Hebroughthisfamilywithhim。Iobservedthatcarpetswerespreadfromthepier­headtohiscarriageforhimtowalkon，thoughIhaveseenhimwalktherewithoutanycarpetwhenhewasnotonbusiness。Ithoughtmaybehehadwhattheaccidentalinsurancepeoplemightcallanextra­hazardouspolish（"policy"

joke，butnotabovemediocrity，）onhisboots，andwishedtoprotectthem，butIexaminedandcouldnotseethattheywereblackedanybetterthanusual。Itmayhavebeenthathehadforgottenhiscarpet，before，buthedidnothaveitwithhim，anyhow。Hewasanexceedinglypleasantoldgentleman;

wealllikedhim，especiallyBlucher。Whenhewentaway，Blucherinvitedhimtocomeagainandfetchhiscarpetalong。

PrinceDolgoroukiandaGrandAdmiralortwo，whomwehadseenyesterdayatthereception，cameonboardalso。Iwasalittledistantwiththeseparties，atfirst，becausewhenIhavebeenvisitingEmperorsIdonotliketobetoofamiliarwithpeopleIonlyknowbyreputation，andwhosemoralcharactersandstandinginsocietyIcannotbethoroughlyacquaintedwith。Ijudgeditbesttobealittleoffish，atfirst。Isaidtomyself，PrincesandCountsandGrandAdmiralsareverywell，buttheyarenotEmperors，andonecannotbetooparticularaboutwhoheassociateswith。

BaronWrangelcame，also。HeusedtobeRussia