76 THE POST AND THE PADDOCK. 



and when he reflected on the nonchalance with which 

 both his customer and his brother, who were seated 

 at an early breakfast, received the news, he did not 

 altogether disbelieve the rumour that the twain had 

 with their own hands drawn the fatal searlet sash 

 the night before. With true John Bull curiosity, our 

 hero joined in the privileged stream of Muscovites, 

 which flowed through the little room where the tra- 

 gedy was enacted. The ex-tyrant lay where he fell, 

 on a little sofa, in a morning gown and cap, with a 

 face as black as a Mulatto, and the left jaw all awry, 

 and broken by a. fist-blow from a third conspirator, 

 who must have "blushed to find it fame." This pri- 

 vate view was succeeded by a public lying-in-state, 

 and the corpse, dressed in uniform with a blaze of 

 orders on its breast, met the fierce gaze of its late 

 subjects for three days and nights at the foot of the 

 throne. Koutightsoff retained his presence of mind 

 in money transactions to the last; and when Mr. 

 Kirby gained an interview with him during the 

 twenty-four hours which were allowed him by the 

 police to set his house in order, he observed that it 

 did not lie in his mouth to dispute the valuation of 

 the man who knew better than any one in Russia 

 what Brough was worth, and that he was therefore 

 quite welcome to have him back for 500 ! Never 

 was Yorkshireman so checkmated before. 



The Emperors Alexander and Nicholas invariably 

 smiled on Mr. Kirby, whether his country was in 

 sunshine or in shade with them, and not only gave 

 him four valuable rings, but granted him permission 

 to emblazon the two-headed black eagle of Russia on 

 the front of his white jockey caps. His racing days 

 were over before the late Emperor visited Ascot Heath 

 in 1844, or he would have taken care that his "cho- 

 colate jacket and white cap" should have been un- 

 furled for the fray. It has always been a subject of 

 congratulation with him that the Imperial visit did 



