t of
the second floor of a building which had originally been destined for
apartments. Its only recommendation was that it was situated near a very
desirable gate into the Imperial Park.

Our experience there was sufficient to slake all curiosity as to Russian
summer resort hotels, or country hotels in provincial towns, since that
was its character; though it had, besides, some hindrances which were
peculiar, I hope, to itself. The usual clean, large dining-room, with
the polished floor, table decorated with plants, and lace curtains, was
irresistibly attractive, especially to wedding parties of shopkeepers,
who danced twelve hours at a stretch, and to breakfast parties after
funerals, whose guests made rather more uproar on afternoons than did
those of the wedding balls in the evening, as they sang the customary
doleful chants, and then warmed up to the occasion with bottled
consolation. The establishment being shorthanded for waiters, these
entertainments interfered seriously with our meals, which we took in
private; and we were often forced to go hungry until long after the
hour, because there was so much to eat in the house!

Our first experience of the place was characteristic. The waiter, who
was also "boots," chambermaid, and clerk, on occasion, distributed two
sheets, two pillows, one blanket, and one "cold" (cotton) coverlet
between the two beds, and considered that ample, as no doubt it was
according to some lights and according to the almanac, though the
weather resembled November just then, and I saw snow a few days later.
Having succeeded in getting this rectified, after some discussion, I
asked for towels.

"There is one," answered Mikhei (Micah), with his most fascinating
smile.

The towel was very small, and was intended to serve for two persons!
Eventually it did not; and we earned the name of being altogether too
fastidious. The washstand had a tank of water attached to the top, which
we pumped into the basin with a foot-treadle, after we became skillful,
holding our hands under the stream the while. The basin had no stopper.
"Running water is cleaner to wash in," was the serious explanation. Some
other barbarian who had used that washstand before us must also have
differed from that commonly accepted Russian opinion: when we plugged up
the hole with a cork, and it disappeared, and we fished it out of the
still clogged pipe, we found that six others had preceded it. It took a
champagne cork and a