Part 2 (2/2)

”Before we return, I must take you to the Summer Gardens, where you see the trees beyond the Marble Palace,” said Mr Henshaw ”I wish to show you the statue of Kryloff, the Russian Aesop, as he is called”

The Su, and contain long rows of fine trees, and gravel walks, and seats, and statues, generally of a very antique form and taste, happily now exploded, with heathen deities' hideous faces, such as are to be seen in old prints In the centre of a small open space, surrounded by trees, stands the statue of Kryloff, a fine, bronze, Johnsonian-looking, sitting figure, er than life, with a book and pencil in his hand The pedestal on which he is placed has on each side figures of ani his fables There is the stork and the wolf, and there are bears and apes, and cats and dogs playing violins and violoncellos and otherat the figures with intense interest, apparently entering fully into the spirit of the artist

On their return along the quays, they stopped to look at the long bridges of boats which cross the Neva in the summer A portion of each can be removed to allow vessels to pass up or down the streaulation this can be only done with one bridge at a time, and at a certain fixed hour of the day, so that the traffic across the river receives no very material interruption Near the end of one of them, on the opposite side of the river, they observed a handsoranite colualleys carved in white stone This building they found was the Exchange

Farther ard of it they observed other s, which they learned were the Corps of Cadets,--the na itself,--the Academy of Sciences, the University, the Acade a vast extent of ground nearer the mouth of the river By the time they reached their hotel they were tolerably tired, and, to their surprise, they found that it was nearly ten o'clock Even then there was a bright twilight, though it was too dark to enable therand outlines of the city

CHAPTER FOUR

The Russian Passport Systereen--His Gratitude for the Baron's Politeness--The Difficulty of reading Russian--The Travellers at a Nonplus--Russian Signboard--Fred and Harry lose the--How Toitude, and to steer a right Course for Port

The nextour travellers were reminded that they were not in a free country, in which a o as he lists without let or hindrance, but that certain very stringent regulations respecting passportselse Most condescending gentlemen, ”commissionaires” they called theet the work done for them; but Cousin Giles declined their services

”I have no doubt that we shall be able to get through the business ourselves perfectly well, and we shall see soe these affairs,” said he

He intended to visit the mercantile house on whom he had a letter of credit, and he had also several letters of introduction which he wished to deliver as soon as possible To his bankers, accordingly, they first drove, and they had no difficulty in finding the house The ave them all the information they could desire as to what they should do about their passports; he also wrote down for theed to call Their first duty was to visit the Alien Office, to take out their permission to reside or travel in Russia It is in the south-eastern part of the city The gentleoes by the nalish, froht of stairs, they found the Baron at one end of a handso-room than an office, with a nuo the ordeal of his friendly inquiries Nearly all civilised nations were there represented,--English, Gernised soood-natured face of one of thereen He was very civil to the lads on board, and seereat interest in them Cousin Giles said he did not think he was quite thewas certain, he was not likely to make the police very suspicious about his ers, there were two or three clerks in unifor round on the visitors, and narrowly scrutinising any fresh arrivals

They seemed to have little else to do beyond this, but to e books before theo up to the table of the Baron, and to reply to his questions; so our friends were compelled to exercise their patience till their turn careen spoke a few sentences, which he said was French Cousin Giles also knew a little of that language, but Fred was able to understand it, and to speak it tolerably well At last Mr Evergreen's turn came, and they followed him up to the table

The Baron, in the blandest and reen's nale; as his object in travelling; the na in the country,--to all of which questions he gave anshich seemed perfectly satisfactory to the Baron; and he then volunteered several particulars of his private history, at which the Baron bowed and smiled, as the lads observed he had bowed and s notes in his book

Perhaps he did not understand a word Mr Evergreen said, or, what is very probable, he was not listening to what did not concern him, but was habitually too polite to let this be discovered Mr Evergreen had then to sign his name several times in a book, and then the Baron bowed very politely, handed him his passport to take it to the passport office and various police offices, to be signed and countersigned again and again

Mr Evergreen on this bowed to the Baron, and the Baron bowed again

Mr Evergreen would have continued bowing before so great and benignant a personage had not the Baron su for theh the business, and the Baron gave a bow to Cousin Giles, which, if not so profound as those he gave to Mr Evergreen, was much more cordial, and seemed to say: ”We understand each other; you are a ot outside the door, Mr Evergreen was loud in his praises of Baron Verysoft

”Nice, char man!” he exclaiht to ask him to dinner, now? It would be but a proper attention in return for his civility”

”He would have to fulfil a very large nuht as you do; but I suspect few people are so grateful for his attentions,” answered Cousin Giles

It was soive up his idea

”The credit of our country is at stake,” said he ”Well, well, I suppose I must do as you advise, and let the Baron form his own conclusions of us”

After all, the terrible passport as got through with much less trouble and expense than Cousin Giles was led to believe would be the case One of the head clerks at the passport office, a Dane, who spoke English perfectly, assured hined at once without bribery The Govern He was afterwards told that the Governners ere expected in the country to be present at the coronation, and had therefore issued directions to expedite the delivery of passports

About this tiard to the passports for natives, and many of the old and most obnoxious ones were altered Till now, a Russian, if he wished toseveral days' notice to the police; and if he wished to leave the country he was co per any well-known person to be responsible for any debt he ht leave unpaid, he was able to travel abroad at the notice of a day or two--indeed, as soon as the governor of his district would issue his passport Of course it was a question how long this iners and natives could only get passports from one city to another; and thus Cousin Giles had taken out one for Moscow, but would be obliged then to take another to go farther into the interior All the passport arrangereed to leave their letters of introduction, as a drizzling rain had co the views presented by the city When, however, Cousin Giles caiven by the banker, he found that they ritten in the Russian character Now as the Russian letters, although some of the capitals are somewhat alike in shape, have a totally different sound to the English, or indeed to any other European language, he could not read a word

”Never mind,” said he; ”perhaps our drosky drivers, our ishvoshtsticks, can read it”

He showed it to the two acity over the paper, letting the drops of rain from their shovel hats fall down on the docu; and then they called another of their profession to their council, but the united wisdo of the inscription; for, at last returning it, they shook their heads very gravely, and shrugged their shoulders in a nificant manner

”I daresay we shall fall in with so,” said Cousin Giles, as never long at a loss on an ely stopped one or two people, wholish and French, but they shrugged their shoulders and passed on At last they ly directed the ishvoshtsticks where to drive