't hesitate in the
sacred cause of freedom! As our brethren did in the famous days of the
French Revolution, so must we do now. All the Army is coming over to our
side. The Preobrojenski have come over to us and have arrested their
officers and taken their arms. We must finish with Protopopoff and our
other tyrants, and see that we have a just rule. _Tovaristchi_! there
will never be such a chance again, and you will repent for ever if you
have not played your part in the great fight for freedom!"

So it went on. It did not seem that his audience was greatly impressed.
It was bewildered and dazed. But the fire leapt up behind him giving him
a legendary splendour, and the whole picture was romantic and unreal
like a gaudy painting on a coloured screen.

We hurried through into the Nevski, and this we found nearly deserted.
The trams of course had stopped, a few figures hurried along, and once
an Isvostchick went racing down towards the river.

"Well, now, we seem to be out of it," said Bohun, with a sigh of relief.
"I must say I'm not sorry. I don't mind France, where you can tell which
is the front and which the back, but this kind of thing does get on
one's nerves. I daresay it's only local. We shall find them all as easy
as anything at the Astoria, and wondering what we're making a fuss
about."

At that moment we were joined by an English merchant whom we both knew,
a stout elderly man who had lived all his life in Russia. I was
surprised to find him in a state of extreme terror. I had always known
him as a calm, conceited, stupid fellow, with a great liking for Russian
ladies. This pastime he was able as a bachelor to enjoy to the full.
Now, however, instead of the ruddy, coarse, self-confident merchant
there was a pallid, trembling jelly-fish.

"I say, you fellows," he asked, catching my arm. "Where are you off to?"

"We're off to the Astoria," I answered.

"Let me come with you. I'm not frightened, not at all--all the same I
don't want to be left alone. I was in the 1905 affair. That was enough
for me. Where are they firing--do you know?"

"All over the place," said Bohun, enjoying himself. "They'll be down
here in a minute."

"Good God! Do you really think so? It's terrible--these fellows--once
they get loose they stick at nothing.... I remember in 1905.... Good
heavens! Where had we better go? It's very exposed here, isn't it?"

"It's very exposed everywhere," said Bohun. "I doubt whether any of us
ar