ravenous with hunger, for I had had nothing since mid-day except a cup of tea in the tribune, which I had to put down only half tasted, owing to the Empress coming over to speak with me! At 12.30 (P.M.) we were taken to the large pavilion, but could only get a little chicken and zakuska and some tea. However, I ate like a ploughboy, the French ambassador alongside of me being in the same plight – then to bed. Up early, as everything had to be ready for a move – some of our luggage to go off to Narva, and the rest, with ourselves, to go to St Petersburg. Meanwhile we put on full dress for the Preobrajensky fête, and at eleven o'clock were driven over to the camp of that regiment, and witnessed a very interesting parade before the whole Imperial family. Popes, altars, vestments, and sweet music, and then the regimental pope blessed and sprinkled the Imperial family, and then marched down the ranks and blessed the men; and then a march-past and a visit to the camp and the men at their dinners, and hurrahs from every one as the Empress drank to their health. Afterwards a tremendous breakfast or dinner at the pavilion, the whole of the officers being invited, besides the entire Court. We sat down about 450, and the whole of the arrangements were complete, and the dinner hot and well served. On my right hand was the Princess Marie of Hanover, and on my left the Princess Kotchoubey, who is the head of all the ladies of the Court; she was pleased to be gracious to me, and talked a great deal. With the Hanoverian Princess, I, of course, talked English, and it seemed to be like talking to one of our own Royal family.
The Emperor rose towards the end of dinner, and called upon all to drink to the health of the Emperor of Austria, whose birthday it was. We then drank to the health of the Preobrajensky Regiment, and then the Imperial party rose and stood about and drank coffee. I was in close conversation with some one of the generals when the Grand-Duchess Serge (the bride) came across the intervening space and did me the honour to converse for some time about her mother, and the Queen, and of England. It was so touching, and altogether so indicative of a desire to speak with some one who, at any rate, could refer to persons and places which reminded her of her childhood.
By this time it was four o'clock. We had then (the foreign generals) to be presented to the little Grand-Duc Héritier or Czaro witch, at his own pavilion. He seems to be a nice lad; very quick and intelligent: he spoke English with a very pure accent. We had just time to change our red for blue coats, and catch a train at 5.30, arriving at St Petersburg at 6.30, minus our luggage and servants, who did not turn up till past eight o'clock. However, I went off at once to see the Winter Palace, and was shown all over that most extraordinary building, which is about five times as big as Buckingham Palace, and ten times more magnificent. I was shown the cabinet of the great Emperor Nicholas, left just as he left it, for the bed remains in which he died, and all his things are lying around the little low couch, which was all he indulged in. But the objects of interest are endless, though I admit that my sense of the fitness of things was shocked when, in the corner of the cabinet de travail of the late unfortunate
