RUSSIAN STATESMEN- 1892-1894 23 



doubtless win great success for his country, though not in 

 exactly the same way as his predecessor. 



The French ambassador was the Comte de Montebello, 

 evidently a man of ability, but with perhaps less of the en 

 gaging qualities than one generally expects in a French 

 diplomatic representative. The Turkish ambassador, 

 Husny Pasha, like most Turkish representatives whom I 

 have met, had learned to make himself very agreeable ; but 

 his position was rather trying : he had fought in the Russo- 

 Turkish War and had seen his country saved from the 

 most abject humiliation, if not destruction, only at the last 

 moment, by the Berlin Conference. His main vexation 

 in St. Petersburg arose from the religious feeling of the 

 Emperor. Every great official ceremony in Russia is pref 

 aced, as a rule, by a church service; hence Husny was 

 excluded, since he felt bound to wear the fez, and this the 

 Emperor would not tolerate ; though there was really no 

 more harm in his wearing this simple head-gear in church 

 than in a woman wearing her bonnet or a soldier wearing 

 his helmet. 



Interesting, too, was the Italian ambassador, Marochetti, 

 son of the eminent sculptor, some of whose artistic ability 

 he had inherited. He was fond of exercising this talent; 

 but it was generally understood that his recall was finally 

 due to the fact that his diplomatic work had suffered in 

 consequence. 



The Austrian ambassador, Count Wolkenstein, was, in 

 many things, the most trustworthy of counselors; more 

 than once, under trying circumstances, I found his advice 

 precious ; for he knew, apparently, in every court of Eu 

 rope, the right man to approach, and the right way to 

 approach him, on every conceivable subject. 



Of the ministers plenipotentiary the Dutch representa 

 tive, Van Stoetwegen, was the best counselor I found. He 

 was shrewd, keen, and kindly; but his tongue was sharp 

 so much so that it finally brought about his recall. He 

 made a remark one day which especially impressed me. I 

 had said to him, &quot;I have just sent a despatch to my gov- 



