A VISIT TO THE PRINCE 257 



setting off with the zakushka, the Russian idea of 

 hors-d'ceuvre, laid on a side table, and generally meaning 

 vodka, tomatoes, halves of hard-boiled eggs, and 

 caviare. Not the fresh swejie ikra, but the very salt 

 warranted-to-keep variety, such as we mostly get in 

 London restaurants. I am " the general " to whom 

 the flavour of caviare appeals in vain, so I always held 

 back until the soup arrived. Besides, the Prince 

 rather put us off the zakushka by his habit of dabbing 

 into every dish indiscriminately with his own fork. 

 One really had to leave the whole collection to him. 



The soup was a weird compound of milk, bits of meat, 

 and floating cucumber, which vegetable was also 

 served separately, with sugar. Meat was always 

 mutton, and inevitably boiled. The cheese of the 

 country followed, wine, and, as a very great treat, 

 Guinness's Stout ! What Heidsieck is to the dinner 

 giver at home, porter of any brand is to the Caucasian 

 host, and it forms, all over the country, the most 

 valuable, hang-the-expense treat which can be pro- 

 vided for any guest. 



Supper was a repHca of dinner, and came off about 

 10 p.m. 



The whole " castle " was quite small, and a series of 

 stone erections, not unlike out-sized Kentish oast- 

 houses, strung together with passages. The living-room 

 was furnished with big divans and fine carpets. On 

 the walls hung some beautiful examples of silver- 

 handled poniards, rifles inlaid with gold and silver, old 

 matchlocks, and ancient pistols. Fine trophies there 

 were also — some grand specimens of bison, leopards, 

 s 



