THE SVIR. 21 



advance made by me may bring upon me an insult, the 

 English are so supercilious. I will have nothing to do 

 with him." I find that you are the tourist ; I find nothing 

 supercilious about you. How is this ? ' I replied, also 

 laughingly, ' I am not an Englishman.' ' You are not an 

 Englishman ? I thought you were/ ' Oh, no.' ' Then 

 what countryman are you ?' ' I am a Scotsman.' ' Ah/ 

 he exclaimed, * that explains all ;' and with fervour he 

 embraced me, giving me, as is the national custom, three 

 kisses the first on one cheek, the second on the other, 

 and the third on the first again. 



I told some friends in St. Petersburg of the incident, 

 when my story was capped, with other like incidents 

 experienced by others ; and it was mentioned by one 

 whose experience had been given, that gentlemen in Russia 

 fully recognise the difference between Scotchmen and 

 Englishmen. They say the average Englishman is a Jingo, 

 pooh-poohs anything you may say, and will not hear you 

 complete a sentence you may have begun ; the average 

 Scotchman is intelligent ; he is not afraid to hear what you 

 have got to say ; he may differ from you, but he will allow 

 you at least to express your views, and he will judge dis- 

 passionately of what you say. I have found the difference 

 between Scotchmen and Englishmen recognised the wide 

 world over, and generally with a preference for iny 

 countrymen. To many foreigners the supercilious bearing 

 of Englishmen is offensive; and of English-speaking people 

 the only thing more so is that of a discourteous American 

 citizen travelling an prince. 



