"We have the fact, which is better than theory."
"Who saw them last?" asked the chaplain, turning to the students.
"They were in the compartment with me," said Vroome, the third master. "Early this morning, when we crossed the river,—I forget the name of the place—"
"Tver," suggested the surgeon.
"Yes, sir; that was it. They took their bags and said they were going to change their seats," added Vroome.
"That makes it all plain. They have taken the steamer down to Nijni Novgorod, and very likely we shall find them there. Give yourself no uneasiness about them, Mr. Agneau. I will warrant that they are safe enough, and will return when their money is gone, if not before. I will look out for them."
Dr. Winstock, who had been in the ship since she was launched, understood the boys better than the meek, gentle-hearted clergyman, and had seen too much running away to be alarmed for the safety of the absentees. The party were somewhat rested in the evening, and, taking carriages, drove to the Petrofski Park and Gardens, where a band played, and where the people of the city in large numbers were to be seen. On the return they visited an immense restaurant, in order to see more of the people. In this place there was a large orchestrion, a musical instrument, which, being wound up, plays a variety of airs with all the effects of a full orchestra, with drums, cymbals, and trumpets. It executed the Russian National Hymn nearly as effectively as a band could do it. The waiters in this establishment were all Tartars, dressed in loose white pants and tunics. The visitors were drinking tea generally, but a few indulged in beer and stronger drinks.
The students slept soundly that night, for they were generally very tired, and even Scott's jokes were of the most sickly character. But at eight o'clock in the morning they were on their feet again, exploring the city on their own hook, in the vicinity of the hotel. Lincoln find Scott ventured to enter a shop to purchase some photographs. One of the salesmen spoke French very well, and the business was made easy to them. After breakfast, the party started together again, and their first point was the Romanoff House, the birthplace of Michael, the first sovereign of the present dynasty. The original was built in the sixteenth century, but it has been carefully restored after suffering much from fire and the sack of the invading French. It is filled with relics of the ancient time, and in the nursery are a cradle, and the toys and playthings of the Czar. The furniture of the bed-room is rather curious, and in a box are the slippers of the monarch, and the night-dress of his wife. The walls are covered with stamped leather.
From this house the party went to the Bazaar in the Kitai Gorod. Its stalls contain everything that can possibly be wanted by a Russian or anybody else, from old clothes up to paintings and statuary. Second-hand articles of every description form a considerable portion of the trade. Siberian and Circassian wares, and specialities from other remote regions of the empire, are on view and sale here. The Bazaar is a perfect labyrinth of stalls, and the scene is sometimes quite exciting. Opposite the principal entrance are the statues of Minin and Pojarski; the former, a peasant, urging the latter, a boyar, to deliver Moscow from the dominion of the Poles, which was accomplished by their inspiration and labor. Outside of the walls of the Kitai Gorod is the Winter Market. As soon as the cold weather comes, the farmers slaughter their live stock in vast numbers, and the carcasses are immediately exposed till they are frozen, and then sent to market. Housekeepers then lay in a large supply of frozen provision, which is always ready for use, the quantity required for cooking at any time being first thawed in cold water. Frozen oxen, sheep, calves, and other animals stand up in the market, ready to be chopped and sawed into pieces. Fish from the White Sea, the northern lakes, and the great rivers, are brought to the market in this condition. Sometimes, but very rarely, a sudden thaw produces sad havoc among the frozen provisions.
Between the two gateways which form the principal entrance to the Chinese Tower is the chapel of the "Iberian Mother of God." It Is a picture brought from Mount Athos, a holy mount of the Greeks, where four thousand monks dwelt, during the reign of Alexis, who is said to have invited the saint to take up her abode in Moscow. The picture, placed in a sanctuary at the end of the chapel, is believed to have the power of working miracles, and is regarded with the deepest veneration by the Russians. All who pass bow and cross themselves, and many kneel and prostrate themselves on the ground. On a holiday several hundred may be seen at their devotions. Elegantly dressed ladies leave their carriages, and bow down with the beggars. The emperors frequently visit it, and Nicholas, when he could not sleep at night, is said to have roused the monks at midnight to enable him to attend to his devotions in this chapel. The religious zeal of the people in Moscow even exceeds that of St. Petersburg. Donations for the church are received at this chapel to the amount of about fifty thousand dollars a year, of which thirty-five thousand is appropriated to the salary of the Metropolitan of Moscow, who need not starve on this sum, though it is not the whole of his income.