SLEIGHING. 343 



and certainly a very agreeable, way of finishing an evening 

 again brings sleighs into requisition. After a long and joyous 

 dinner, when most subjects of conversation have been threshed 

 out, even by such admirable causeurs, and a temporary cooling 

 process is deemed to be advisable, sundry troikas, according 

 to the number of the party, are ordered from establishments 

 known to possess the swiftest teams. As soon as they are an- 

 nounced a fortifier against the night air is swallowed, and the 

 party distributes itself amongst the sleighs. The point to be 

 reached is a winter garden in the suburbs. The passengers 

 are in the highest possible spirits, the horses roaring with 

 impatience, the streets are comparatively clear, and the isvost- 

 schiks only too eager to earn a good pourboire for furious 

 driving. When all are settled in their places and the desti- 

 nation has been explained, the signal is given and away goes 

 the whole party to a flying start and at the wildest speed, 

 the drivers shouting and stamping, and the horses scampering 

 as if they had been fed upon wodka, the youths^ of the party 

 meanwhile laughing and chaffing each other until there is 

 as merry a noise as the sedate inhabitants of the early-to-bed 

 quarters of the town possibly care to hear. Somehow or other 

 all arrive safely at the goal, the winner of the race not being a 

 matter of any great importance, and perhaps difficult to deter- 

 mine in the absence of a competent judge. 



Then the muffled-up figures get extricated from the 

 sleighs, grope their way through the fog caused by the crowd of 

 smoking horses, and leave the cold and darkness of the night for 

 the thoroughly well-warmed and brilliantly lighted conservatory 

 restaurant. Then amongst the palms, ferns and verdure of all 

 kinds, comes the inevitable supper, and something very unfore- 

 seen must happen if the horses outside have not ample time to 

 rest and cool before being called upon to gallop home again. 



Another very amusing but somewhat more sedate sleighing 

 party is occasionally given by the Master of the Horse to 

 members of the Court and a few fortunate retainers. It be- 

 gins with a luncheon at his palace, and when that has been 



