She did not evidence the least devotion during mass; hypocrisy did not seem to be one of her vices.  Now she smiled at one of her suite, now at another, and occasionally she addressed the favourite, not because she had anything to say to him, but to make him an object of envy to the others.

One evening, as she was leaving the theatre where Metastasio’s Olympiade had been performed, I heard her say,—­

“The music of that opera has given the greatest pleasure to everyone, so of course I am delighted with it; but it wearies me, nevertheless.  Music is a fine thing, but I cannot understand how anyone who is seriously occupied can love it passionately.  I will have Buranello here, and I wonder whether he will interest me in music, but I am afraid nature did not constitute me to feel all its charms.”

She always argued in that way.  In due time I will set down her words to me when I returned from Moscow.  When I arrived at that city I got down at a good inn, where they gave me two rooms and a coach-house for my carriage.  After dinner I hired a small carriage and a guide who could speak French.  My carriage was drawn by four horses, for Moscow is a vast city composed of four distinct towns, and many of the streets are rough and ill-paved.  I had five or six letters of introduction, and I determined to take them all.  I took Zaira with me, as she was as curious to see everything as a girl of fourteen naturally is.  I do not remember what feast the Greek Church was keeping on that day, but I shall never forget the terrific bell-ringing with which my ears were assailed, for there are churches every where.  The country people were engaged in sowing their grain, to reap it in September.  They laughed at our Southern custom of sowing eight months earlier, as unnecessary and even prejudicial to the crops, but I do not know where the right lies.  Perhaps we may both be right, for there is no master to compare with experience.  I took all the introductions I had received from Narischkin, Prince Repnin, the worthy Pananelopulo, and Melissino’s brother.  The next morning the whole of the persons at whose houses I had left letters called on me.  They all asked Zaira and myself to dinner, and I accepted the invitation of the first comer, M. Dinidoff, and promised to dine with the rest on the following days, Zaira, who had been tutored by me to some extent, was delighted to shew me that she was worthy of the position she occupied.  She was exquisitely dressed, and won golden opinions everywhere, for our hosts did not care to enquire whether she were my daughter, my mistress, or my servant, for in this matter, as in many others, the Russians are excessively indulgent.  Those who have not seen Moscow have not seen Russia, for the people of St, Petersburg are not really Russians at all.  Their court manners are very different from their manners ‘au naturel’, and it may be said with truth that the true Russian is as a stranger in St. Petersburg.  The citizens of, Moscow, and especially the rich ones, speak with pity of those, who for one reason or another, had expatriated themselves; and with them to expatriate one’s self is to leave Moscow, which they consider as their native land.  They look on St. Petersburg with an envious eye, and call it the ruin of Russia.  I do not know whether this is a just view to take of the case, I merely repeat what I have heard.