MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 117 



The dinner is ended ; the clatter of plates and of all 

 the European languages has ceased ; the most of the 

 guests have dispersed some have gone out on pleasure 

 or business, some to read the newspapers in the next 

 room, and others to arrange about their journey to the 

 great fair, then going on at Nijni Novogorod. But at the 

 end of the empty table, half a dozen Englishmen and 

 Scotchmen have remained, by special invitation, to chat 

 with the travellers who have brought some of them letters 

 of introduction. 



One man has been twenty years at the head of pros- 

 perous works for the manufacture of machinery ; another, 

 nine years in a similar business ; another, fifteen years a 

 superintendent of one of the largest cotton mills; two 

 others, partners in an establishment which has neces- 

 sitated a large amount of travelling for sixteen years in 

 every part of Russia; while one or two more are 

 acquainted with the country during a residence of 

 several years, either in Moscow or in St. Peters- 

 burg. 



Such are the witnesses. Let us examine them on 

 several points. 



We begin. 



"One hears a great deal about the Russian police," 

 was remarked, "but it is difficult to know how far the 

 stories recorded of them in anonymous books are true, 

 or how far they may be the mere invectives or inventions 

 of men who suffered righteously from them." 



44 A greater set of scoundrels don't exist I " pronounce 



