482 HOMEWARD BOUND 



Madame tell us when the Professor will be at home ? " 

 " Possibly late at night, or early to-morrow morning ! " 

 I explained that I had letters of introduction to the 

 Professor, and intended to leave for England early the 

 following morning, and was most anxious to see him. 

 Madame was sorry she ''could give us no further informa- 

 tion." Nothing more was to be said, yet what was to be 

 done ? Fortunately I remembered that I had another 

 letter to a Professor in Kazan, Professor Kovalefsky. 

 The isvostchik drove us to his house. The Professor 

 was at dinner, but most kindly came at once to see us. I 

 explained my vain attempts to find Dr. Peltzam, and 

 asked if he could arrange for me to see the ornithological 

 museum. He at once offered to conduct me thither in 

 half an hour, and promised that Dr. Peltzam should be 

 there to meet me. When I called again, at the expira- 

 tion of the prescribed time, the Professor was waiting 

 to escort us to the museum, and informed me that Dr. 

 Peltzam was already there. This was the second time 

 that a Russian lady had denied to me all knowledge of 

 the whereabouts of her husband, of whom I was in quest, 

 and on both occasions the denial was given in a manner 

 that convinced both myself and those who accompanied 

 me that its object was to prevent us finding the gentle- 

 man in question. The only explanation I can suggest 

 for this strange reception is that, as my companion 

 travelled in the uniform of the Russian service, we were 

 mistaken for members of the secret police, who have 

 power of arresting any individual at a moment's notice, 

 without granting him any form of trial or explanation, 

 and transporting him there and then to Siberia ; a 

 monstrous exercise of tyranny which only a chicken- 

 hearted nation, like the Russian, would endure for a day 

 without a revolution. 



