OUR 'LEADER' IN THE 'TIMES.' 29 



It was no wonder that we could not find 

 Theodore's house, for since our last visit it had 

 been burnt down, and Theodore himself was 

 lodging next door with his brother, in whose 

 house we found as cleanly a room and as cheery 

 a welcome as any peasant's house in Southern 

 Russia ever affords. Late as it was, that one 

 comfort of the Russian's life, the samovar, was 

 soon aglow, and, soothed by the fragrant odours 

 of tea and cigarettes, even Frank did not seem 

 to consider our first night in Russia likely to 

 put too severe a strain on our endurance, and 

 was ere long treating us to a lovely nocturnal 

 solo, which lasted without intermission until 

 breakfast time. 



Mr. S. had some theory about insects and 

 newspaper which I did not completely under- 

 stand, but the result of it was that he passed 

 the night on a bed he had brought with him, 

 rolled up bodily in a newspaper, and a livelier 

 or more noisy edition of the ' Times ' never was 



