o'clock, toward the end of a winter day that had been clear and
bright, but very cold. I wrapped myself in my furs and took my
seat beside him, and he said, 'This is fine, Matrena; this will
have a great effect on these imbeciles.' So we started. At
first we drove along the Naberjnaia. The sleigh glided like
the wind. The general hit the driver a heavy blow in the back,
crying, 'Slower, fool; they will think we are afraid,' and so the
horses were almost walking when, passing behind the Church of
Protection and intercession, we reached the Place Rouge. Until
then the few passers-by had looked at us, and as they recognized
him, hurried along to keep him in view. At the Place Rouge there
was only a little knot of women kneeling before the Virgin. As
soon as these women saw us and recognized the equipage of the
Governor, they dispersed like a flock of crows, with frightened
cries. Feodor laughed so hard that as we passed under the vault
of the Virgin his laugh seemed to shake the stones. I felt
reassured, monsieur. Our promenade continued without any remarkable
incident. The city was almost deserted. Everything lay prostrated
under the awful blow of that battle in the street. Feodor said,
'Ah, they give me a wide berth; they do not know how much I love
them," and all through that promenade he said many more charming
and delicate things to me.

"As we were talking pleasantly under our furs we came to la Place
Koudrinsky, la rue Koudrinsky, to be exact. It was just four
o'clock, and a light mist had commenced to mix with the sifting
snow, and the houses to right and left were visible only as masses
of shadow. We glided over the snow like a boat along the river in
foggy calm. Then, suddenly, we heard piercing cries and saw shadows
of soldiers rushing around, with movements that looked larger than