A MIDNIGHT CHAT. 99 



But the iiiliabitants of the Caucasus at 

 the present day are no longer pure Caucasians 

 for the most part, and the fragments of 

 conquered races are perhaps more apt to imi- 

 tate the vices than the virtues of their con- 

 querors. 



Whether the priest or Platon had the lasc 

 word in that lono- midnio-ht chat I never 



o o 



learnt ; my allowance of tobacco had long 

 been exceeded, and the nio-ht was more than 

 half spent when I left them still talking, as 

 only Caucasians can talk, every limb keeping 

 time to their tongues in the excitement of the 

 discussion, and joined my feeble note to the 

 deep chorus that had for a long time past 

 proclaimed the restful slumbers of the other 

 inmates of the room. Before I turned in I 

 went out on the balcony to satisfy myself 

 about the weather ; and as the sky was clear, 

 and in the shed below three horses were 

 already tied up, waiting to carry us on our 

 H 2 



