recently been favored with some light on that subject. I believe the
tales, with reservations, since some perfectly innocent and truthful
friends of mine related to me their own similar experience. A man, who
seemed to their inexperienced eyes to be a police officer, told them
that the authorities thought three weeks, one in Petersburg and two
elsewhere, would be amply sufficient for their travels in Russia. They
had a high-priced French courier, who pretended to know a little
Russian. Perhaps he did know enough for his own purposes. He told them
that they were watched constantly, and translated for the officer. But
he did not tell them that they already had permission to remain in the
country for the customary six months. I made them get out their
passports, and showed them the official stamp and signature to that
effect. This clever courier afterward stole from them, in Warsaw, a
quantity of diamonds which he had helped them to purchase in Moscow, and
of whose existence and whereabouts in their trunks no one but himself
was aware. This helped me to an explanation. It is invariably the
couriers or guides, I find, who tell travelers these alarming tales, and
neglect to inform them of their rights. It certainly looks very much as
if some confederate of theirs impersonates a police official, and as if
they misinterpret. The stories of spies forever in attendance seem to be
manufactured for the purpose of extorting handsome gratuities from their
victims for their "protection," and for the purpose of frightening the
latter out of the country before their own ignorance is discovered. As I
never employed the guides, I never had any trouble with the police,
either genuine or manufactured. I visited the police stations whenever I
could make an excuse; and when I wished to know when and where the
Emperor was to be seen, I asked a policeman or a gendarme. He always
told me the exact truth unhesitatingly, and pointed out the best
position. It was refreshing after the German police, who put one through
the Inquisition as to one's self and one's ancestors as soon as one