are two very different things nowadays, apparently,--without
troubling himself about those petty details."

It is almost superfluous to say that we swore friendship with the
colonel on the spot, on those foundations. Our acquaintance ended with
our long talk there in the cathedral, since we could not well stop in
Poland to accept the delightful old officer's invitation to visit him
and his wife. But the friendship remains, I hope.

When he left us, a young fellow about seventeen years of age, who had
been standing near us and listening to the last part of our conversation
with an air of profound and respectful interest which obviated all trace
of impertinence, stepped up and said:--

"May I have the pleasure of showing you about the cathedral? You seem to
appreciate our Russian ways and thoughts. I have taken a good deal of
interest in studying the history and antiquities of my native city, and
I may be able to point out a few things to you here."

He was a pleasant-faced young fellow, with modest, engaging manners; a
student in one of the government institutions, it appeared. He looked
very cool and comfortable in a suit of coarse gray linen. He proved to
be an admirable cicerone, and we let him escort us about for the
pleasure of listening, though we had seen everything many times already.
I commented on his knowledge, and on the evident pride which he took in
his country, and especially in his church, remarking that he seemed to
be very well informed on many points concerning the latter, and able to
explain the reasons for things in an unusual way.

"Yes," he answered, "I am proud and fond of my country and my church.
We Russians do not study them as we should, I am ashamed to say. There,
for instance, is my cousin, Princess----, who is considered a very
well-informed young woman on all necessary points. She was to make her
communion, and so some one brought her to the church while the Hours
were being read, as is proper, though she usually comes very much later.
She had not been there ten minutes before she began to ask: 'When does
the Sacrament come? Is n't it pretty soon?' and she kept that up at
short intervals, despite all I could do to stop her. I am quite sure,"
he added, "that I need not explain to you, though you are a foreigner,
where the Hours and the Sacrament come in the service?"

"No: the Hours precede the Liturgy, and the administration of the
Sacrament comes very nearly at the end of all."