score of horses; six in their own carriage; four in the breetchka, containing the male and female servants, trunks, and band boxes; and a pair in the koleemashka, which contained the bedding packed up in large square chests, and the cooking utensils for the road stowed among hay. Single persons came with six horses, and very few with four. Some families came with a still greater number of these animals, as a badge of the importance of their owners, and I really do not think it amiss that Mr. Gologordoffsky should have contriv ed to feed them with bulrushes, husks, and weeds. This custom of going a visiting with a whole stud at the expense of another, has the same consequence to the entertainer as the inroad of a Tartar horde; and if the landholders did not prepare this forage for guests, which is nothing but the shadow for the substance, two country balls would eat up their whole yearly stock of hay and oats. But, as no assembly can come together without cattle, the main point is to know how to get them decently off their hands.

After morning prayers, breakfast was served up, or properly speaking, dram-drinking, as the ladies ate but little, and the gentlemen drank more than they ate. Spirits of different colours and tastes* were unceasingly circulated, till the decanters were emptied. Then the gentlemen walked into the garden to join the ladies. In the mean time the cloth was laid in the dining-room, and, as fresh guests were continually arriving, four lackeys continued to serve up spirits and whets in the garden.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, when dinner was on the table, the musicians, led by the Kapel-meister, stationed. themselves on the flight of steps leading to the garden, and played a Polish air. This was a signal for dinner, and all the guests assembled in the principal alley. Mr. Gologordoffsky offered his arm to his most distinguished guest, the wife of the Government-marshal. The Marshal himself led up Mrs. Gologordoffsky, and in this way, two couples in a row, they moved into the dining-room. The other guests also followed in couples, that is to say, the ladies alongside of the gentlemen. It is true that Mr. Gologordoffsky managed to place the most respectable guests higher, notwith

* In Russia the making of all different sorts of cordials and bitters is much better understood than it is in this country: even in the very lowest classes they are connoisseurs of that art.

standing they came into the hall later. Before they were seated, he called them out of the crowd according to their rank,* and begged them to occupy the place nearest to the landlady, arranging these movements with various jokes and proverbs. The dinner was luxurious, and, although more than a hundred sat down at table, there was abundance of provisions. With regard to wine, the following arrangement was adopted. The common table-wine, that is to say French wine, was placed in decanters before the guests. The best wines of different qualities were carried about and poured out under the direction of the marshalek and stud-master. The first with three footmen on the right side of the table, the other with the same number of assistants on the left. On each side, the first lackey held bottles of the very best wine, the second with a middle quality, and the third with the most common, appertaining to the class of best wines with only one name. The marshalek and stud-master, by a previous understanding, took their cue from Mr. Gologordoffsky's style of address, what sort of wine to pour out for each guest: for instance, when he said to a guest, "I beg you will drink, Sir, do honour to my wine, assure you it is worth trying," then they poured the first sort. “Drink a little wine; it really is not bad," denoted the second sort. “You don't drink any: hey, pour out wine to the gentlemen," marked the third sort. It appears that Mr.Gologordoffsky knew perfectly the tastes of his guests, for they all drank a decent portion, and regularly complied with the landlord's invitation. Besides, I reckon Mr. Gologordoffsky's behaviour very commendable: why treat a guest with what he is not acquainted, and when he is as well satisfied with the name as with the quality of his wine? Some drink Champagne and Tokay, because they find that these wines please their taste; others merely in order to have it to say, "We have drunk Champagne and Tokay!” Who does not know the proverb, 'Do not throw your pearls before swine?' At the end of the dinner a huge goblet was brought in adorned with coats of arms and inscriptions. Mr. Gologordoffsky poured wine into it, drank to the health of his spouse, and with loud cries of Vivat!' with peals of

* In the houses of the greater part of the Russian gentry who have never seen any world but their own, this practice is still kept up.

music and flourishing of trumpets emptied it, and bowing to his next neighbour, added, "Into your hands." Exactly with the same ceremonial the cup went round from hand to hand. At last, when all the party refused to drink more, with the significant observation," that the day was not over yet, "the landlord rose, all the guests following his example, and each of them taking one or two ladies by the arm, walked away tottering into the garden, where coffee and sweetmeats awaited them. Hardly had the gentry left the dining-room, when the lackeys belonging to the house and to the guests, the musicians and maid-servants, rushed in like harpies upon the remains of the feast, and without listening to the hoarse voices of the marshalek and stud-master, tore every thing to pieces, and emptied the bottles to the very lees. In the kitchen the greatest confusion reigned while the servants got their dinner. Without the least ceremony they helped themselves, took possession of the pots and pans, and satisfied their appetite which had been sharpened by the journey. In recalling to my mind all the particulars of this feast, I am persuaded that the one half of the provisions consumed would have been amply sufficient both for masters and servants; but, in this case, order would have been requisite, and that was a thing quite neglected in the house of Mr. Gologordoffsky.

*

After dinner some of the old gentlemen went to repose, the greater part of the guests seated themselves around card-tables, where some experienced hands with mere amateurs sat down to faro. All those gentlemen who during dinner had made loud complaints of bad times, and on the ruin of the corn-trade, produced at the table gold, silver, and heaps of assignats. Some of them having lost their last kopeek, in the height of their phrenzy sold their horses, equipages, cattle, and the copper kettles of their

*The siesta is not confined to southern climates. In the heat of summer, not only elderly people, in good circumstances, but almost the whole body of the people, take a two hours nap, usually from one to three, P. M.; but, then, working people, in summer, are in the habit of rising at three or four o'clock in the mornings. Even in winter, the habit of sleeping after dinner, is by no means uncommon.

+ Government paper money of which there is about six hundred millions of roubles (upwards of twenty-four millions of pounds sterling) in circulation.

distilleries, and hoping to regain these, lost still more. Young gallants and old beaux sat beside the ladies, and, heated with wine, made declarations of love, or entertained the ladies with their nonsense and drolleries. At length, when it began to be damp out of doors, the ladies went into the house to dress and prepare for the dance. At eight o'clock the rooms were lighted, the music struck up, and Mr. Gologordoffsky opened the ball by dancing a Polonaise with his wife. The dancing continued till twelve o'clock, when supper was served.

This was as abundant and luxurious as the dinner, only the drinking took another turn. Almost all the guests made themselves beastly drunk. They sent away the musicians into another room, and began with declarations of friendship among the gentlemen, embracing and kissing one another, and promising to forget all quarrels and mutual differences. The ladies were called as witnesses to these reconciliations, and were obliged to become sureties for the fulfilment of the promises on both sides. On the well-known toast, 'Let us love one another,' (Kochaymysic) being given, the guests drank a full bumper, falling on their knees before one another or embracing. At last they returned to the ladies, and began to drink every one of their healths from their respective shoes. A gentleman falling on his knees before a lady, pulled off her shoe, and, after that, respectfully kissed her foot and her hands, placed his glass in the shoe, and in some cases poured his wine into it, drank it out, and handed it to another. On a sudden a salute from two dozen of muskets and some swivels roused the convivial party. All ran to the windows and beheld in the midst of the court the flaming initials of the lady in whose honour the entertainment had been given. A joyful vivat anew resounded through the hall. The music struck up again, and the large goblet again appeared upon the scene. Some scores of rockets and Roman candles were launched into the air to the gratification of the spectators. But, whether from ignorance or awkwardness, some rockets broke upon the straw-thatch of the barn, and the wind being pretty high, in a few minutes the roof.fell in, and all the offices were on fire. It would be difficult to imagine the consternation occasioned by this unexpected occurrence. The drunken masters VOL. I.

4

were troubled; the servants did not know what to do. All
gave orders, but nobody was disposed to obey them.
They knew not how to manage the fire-engines, and then
every one ran to the fire, with a bucket, an axe, or a
pike,* and nobody ventured to approach the flames. They
sounded the tocsin, and sent to the village for the peasants:
but they, it appeared were not over hasty in coming to the
assistance of their lord and master. The guests ordered
their horses to be put to as fast as possible, and their things
packed up. The household-servants laboured for the
preservation of the silver-plate and table-linen from de-
struction. The phrenzy, disorder, noise and confusion,
and running to and fro, were enough to distract the most
cold-blooded of mortals; every thing was turned upside
down in the house. From sheer terror I did not know
what to do, stood on the outer steps, looked at the fire
and fell a crying. On a sudden Masha appeared. “Vanky!
I am looking for you: follow me." We immediately fled.
through all the rooms to my mistress's bed chamber.
Masha put upon my head my gold laced cap which lay in
my mistress's wardrobe, gave me a bundle and a basket to
carry, threw her capote about her shoulders and told me
to follow her. We fled through the garden, leaped
through a broken fence, and alighted on a field beside a
thicket. There stood a calash drawn by four horses.
the dark I could not discern who was seated in it. Masha
occupied the fore seat, a whiskered footman placed me on
the portmanteau behind, and he himself sat on the box
along with the driver. The horses turned and trotted
slowly to the mainroad, which was about half a verst dis-
tant, and then set off at full speed. However much
wearied I was with faintness and over exertion, I could
not shut my eyes. The fire was continually present to my
imagination, and I shuddered when I thought of my mis-
tress's fate, supposing, according to my reflections at that
time, that probably every thing in the house would be

In

* In all the crown-villages, every house or cottage, in case of fire is obliged to send one of its inmates with one of these three articles, a figure of which is painted on a board at the gate of each house. In the towns, each police office is provided with a fire-engine and people to attend to it. A particular officer, the Brand-major has the command of these engines and people.