April 13th, Good Friday.—In the evening the whole family went to Confession.
Saturday, April 14th.—In the morning, at half-past nine, Mass and Holy Communion. In the evening, at half-past eleven, everyone went to church for the midnight service. Colonel Korovitchenko, the Commandant of the palace and friend of Kerensky, and the three officers of the guard were also present. The service lasted until two o’clock, when we went to the library to exchange the traditional greetings. The Czar, according to Russian custom, embraced all the men present, including the Commandant and officers of the guard, who had remained with him. The two men could not hide their emotion at this spontaneous act.
We then took our places at a round table for the Easter meal. Their Majesties sat facing one another. There were seventeen of us, including the two officers. The Grand-Duchesses Olga and Marie were not present, nor Alexis Nicolaïevitch. The comparative animation which marked the beginning soon relapsed and conversation flagged. His Majesty was particularly silent. Was it sadness or fatigue?
Sunday, April 15th, Easter Day.—We went out for the first time with Alexis Nicolaïevitch on the terrace in front of the palace. A superb spring day.
In the evening at seven o’clock a religious service upstairs in the children’s apartments. There were only fifteen of us. I noticed that the Czar crossed himself piously when the priest prayed for the Provisional Government.
On the following day, as the weather was still very fine, we went out into the park, where we are now allowed to take the air, followed by officers of the guard and sentries.
Wishing to take a little physical exercise, we amused ourselves by clearing the sluices of the pond of the ice which was blocking them. A crowd of soldiers and civilians soon lined up along the park railing and watched our work. After some time the officer of the guard went up to the Czar and told him that the Commandant of the Tsarskoïe-Selo garrison had just warned him that he feared a hostile demonstration or even an attempt on the lives of the Imperial family, and he would ask us not to remain where we were. The Czar answered that he had no fear, and that the good people were not annoying him in any way.
Wednesday, April 18th.—Whenever we go out, soldiers, with fixed bayonets and under the command of an officer, surround us and keep pace with us. We look like convicts with their warders. The instructions are changed daily, or perhaps the officers interpret them each in his own way!
This afternoon, when we were going back to the palace after our walk, the sentry on duty at the gate stopped the Czar, saying:
“You cannot pass, sir.”