was himself shown into a room, where he waited for some time, but no lady made her appearance. Growing suspicious, he determined to search the house at once; but, on reaching the door of the room, he found himself locked in. On making this discovery, he kicked and called loudly, until not only his own assistants but some of the lodgers in the house came to see what was the matter. As soon as the officer was released from durance, he began to inquire for Madame the woman of whom "Why," said the people of the house, "did She spoke to you herself at the door, and. Whether Madame he was in search. not you see her? has ever been brought up at the Moscow Bow Street, or whether she is still wanted, I have not heard. LETTER XIX. The carnival-Bleenies- Ice-hills-A sledge promenade A masquerade Tamboff, February 24th, 1838. We are now arrived nearly at the conclusion of the carnival, which ends to-morrow (Sunday) at midnight, Lent in the Greek church beginning, not on Ash-Wednesday, but on the previous Monday. Indeed, the carnival-week itself is, strictly speaking, a commencement of the fast, or at least a preparation for it; the use of meat being forbidden at this time, though eggs, milk, and butter are allowed.* This, however, is a distinction seldom or never observed by the higher classes, who generally content themselves with abstaining from animal food during a single week of Lent, usually the first or the last. The traders and peasants are, as I have already told you, extremely rigid in observing this and all the other rules of the Greek church. One of the great amusements of the carnival is eating bleenies; a bleeny being a kind of cake somewhat like an English crumpet or a thick pancake, and eaten with butter. The carnival is the season in which ice-hills are chiefly in use in Russia, but unfortunately none on a considerable scale have been erected here this winter, and the only specimen I have seen is a very small one made in the court-yard of a private house for the amusement of the children. For the three last days, as well as on Sunday, there have been grand promenades in the principal street, at which nearly all the inhabitants of the town have appeared, parading up and down in sledges of every description, at a foot's-pace, in two rows like the lines of carriages in Hyde-park. Order is maintained by a number of policemen, aided by a few mounted gendarmes, and the middle space between the two ranks is *The week before Lent is called butter-weck in Russ. reserved for sledges which have poles instead of shafts, these being dangerous in the close ranks, as, in the case of a sudden stoppage, the point of the pole may run, not against a back panel, but against the back of the person in the next sledge. We ourselves have joined the procession more than once with a large party, in a sledge holding ten or twelve people, and drawn by four horses, and, our pole procuring for us admission to the open centre-space, we have been able to drive rapidly up and down the street, so as to pass in review the two lines of sledges on either side. The weather during the whole week has been most beautiful-a hard frost and a bright sun. The Tamboff promenaders, however, instead of enjoying the fine and pleasant portion of the day, do not begin to appear till about four o'clock, when the sun is near the horizon. By five o'clock the street is crowded, and the sledgers continue patiently to glide up and down till nearly seven. This fashion arises, I presume, from the Russian habit of wasting two or three hours of the short daylight in a siesta after an early dinner. The lower orders consider it very unlucky not to appear in a sledge at the promenade once at least during the carnival; and they deem it equally unlucky not to get drunk in the course of the week. There are, however, few among them who run any risk on the ground of sobriety. During the last two days happy has been the master who has had a cook sober enough to dress his dinner, or a servant steady enough to place it on the table. On Thursday there was a public assembly, the last of the season, and yesterday there was a masquerade for the servants and the lower class of tradesmen. We went with some friends into the gallery to witness the scene, and the decorum, and even politeness, which prevailed was quite as great as among the more fashionable society which had appeared in the same room the night before. The ladies' maids were dressed in imitation of their mistresses, contrary to their usual custom, and for the most part they wore neither mask nor fancy dress. The men were equipped in general in various grotesque costumes, being disguised by veils placed over their faces instead of masks; the veils being thrown off as the wearers became heated with dancing. Waltzes, quadrilles, and Polonaises were executed with tolerable success, but the Russian dance, which was frequently repeated, was the great attraction of the evening. This is performed by two persons at a time, and is a sort of pantomime representing a courtship. The partners are placed opposite to one another about seven or eight feet apart. The gentleman first advances with many graceful and winning steps to his fair vis-à-vis, who remains in her place. He then figures in various attractive attitudes before her, but in vain, as she turns brusquely round and rejects him, upon which he finally retires. It is now the lady's turn to make similar advances, which are received in like manner with demonstrations of scorn. This alternate advance and retreat is carried on for some time; the talent of the performers consisting in the coquetry displayed on both sides, and in the grace and variety of their movements. At last, the lady, instead of rejecting her suitor, deigns to accept his attentions, and to receive the kiss which concludes the dance. Such is the Russian dance, but yesterday I only saw it executed correctly once; the performers on the occasion being a masked man and a very pretty girl dressed in the Russian costume, who both played their parts extremely well. With the exception of this one instance, the performers were all men, and the dance in each case became a caricature and a trial of skill and activity between the two partners, which could invent the most extraordinary and grotesque steps and attitudes, and which could keep up longest the violent exertion of this amusement. A farewell dinner was yesterday given by the nobility of the province of Tamboff to the ex-Governor on his departure. I was favoured with an invitation, and was glad of the opportunity of witnessing a public dinner in this country. About seventy gentlemen were assembled on the occasion; the tables being laid so as to form three sides of an oblong. At four o'clock the ex-Governor arrived, and was received by the principal people in the room; a military band, which was stationed in the gallery, striking up a national air as he entered. We sat down to dinner almost immediately, the guest of the day being placed in the centre of the cross-table. He was supported on his right hand by my brother-in-law, who, being Marshal, officiated as President; and on his left by two Generals, Oushakoff* and Arapoff; I sat opposite to these gentlemen. The dinner was very good, all the best cooks in the town having contributed their services, without, as the event proved, "spoiling the broth." Towards the conclusion of dinner we stood up and drank the Emperor's health in champagne, the wine always used for toasts in Russia. The band played "God save the King," the glasses were replenished, and the President then gave the health of the ex-Governor without speech or comment. We again rose to do honour to the toast, and the compliment was acknowledged in a few words. General Oushakoff's health was next drunk with congratulations on a new Order which he had lately received. He briefly returned thanks, and, dinner being by this time brought to a close, we rose from table, and coffee was handed round the room, where we stood conversing in groups. The ex-Governor soon after made his bow and took his leave, but not till the champagne had once more circulated as a stirrup-cup to wish him a safe journey to Petersburg. A public dinner in England is, as we all know, generally arranged for the purpose of allowing some person or persons an opportunity of making speeches, and expressing opinions on public matters: but this can never be the case in Russia, where no one is permitted to discuss political topics. Under these circumstances the few words in which the toasts were yesterday proposed and responded to were far preferable to long and fulsome eulogies of the gentlemen to whom the compliment of drinking their healths was paid; followed by equally tedious and equally sincere assurances of deep feeling and boundless gratitude in return. * His name is now familiar to English ears, from the command he held in the Crimean campaign of 1855. |