70 RUSSIA THEN AND NOW 



in shabby clothing. Princess Mary, after explain- 

 ing his presence with them, brought him out for an 

 introduction, and read to me a lot of queer religious 

 rhymes written by the old fellow. She said he had 

 come last winter telling her father that he had a 

 vision of and message from God that he should 

 spend his last days with Count Tolstoy. Taking 

 him at God's word the Count admitted him. Ask- 

 ing Princess Mary what her father would do with 

 him upon return to their home in Moscow, she 

 expressed the opinion that he would take the old 

 man with him. 



In reply to his inquiry regarding my stay in 

 Russia, I told the Count that it was near its 

 end as I had important business to transact in 

 Liverpool, England, early in June. The Count, 

 expressing his regret that my stay was to be so 

 short, I dropped the American adage "Time is 

 money." "No," he said, "time is not money; 

 that is placing too low an estimate on the value of 

 time. " Standing outside the door to remount our 

 tarantass, I remarked to Princess Mary, looking 

 up at the gathering clouds, "I hope it will not 

 rain today. ' Beaming with brightness she said, 

 "I hope it will." I thought of the long journey 



