e spent chiefly far away in the
Altai country in Siberia, below Omsk, engaged in work of a missionary
character. No one is more respected in the whole of Russia. He is just
as shown in the portrait he gave me, slight and not tall, and his whole
face lights up with keen interest as he talks and enforces his words
with appropriate gestures. He was very caustic upon the subject of the
non-attendance at church of educated and wealthy people in a certain
place, which perhaps it will be kinder not to mention.

"No," he said, "they are never to be seen at any service, however
important and solemn it may be. There are none there but the same common
people who are always crowding into their churches. At least," he added
more deliberately, "if the others are there, they adopt the common
people's dress for the occasion!"

His expression and gesture as he said this were inimitable and
indescribable, and the little touch of humour made one's heart warm
towards him. He was much interested in hearing anything I could tell
him of our own Church, and delighted, in a wistful sort of way, to hear
the many details I gave him of its progress, especially in the extension
of its missionary activities and ever-deepening interest in social
questions and economic problems, as they affect the labouring classes
and the very poor. His eyes sparkled as he too spoke of the poor, and
told me what I should hear from the Grand Duchess Elizabeth, whom I was
to see that afternoon, about the work to which she has given her life
since the assassination of her husband, the Grand Duke Serge.

Like all his brethren of the episcopate he was greatly interested in
anything I could tell him of the Archbishop of Canterbury and of his
views and hopes about our own and the Russian Churches, and the
Christian Church as a whole. He looked thoughtfully down as I spoke to
him about unity and inter-communion under special circumstances, and
said rather sadly:--

"How one would love more unity! But how much ground there is to be
covered, how many difficulties to be cleared away before that can come!"

I smiled a little, at which he looked at me questioningly, and so I
said:--

"I smiled because I thought of the brotherly and loving way in which
you have received me to-day, and in which you are speaking so much and
so freely of what is in your heart, and if these kind and friendly
relations go on increasing between our Churches it will be progress such
as He must lov