Page:The Boy Travellers in the Russian Empire.djvu/173

Rh their eyes. There was enough to make the fortune of an artist if he could have placed all the pretty pictures of the evening upon canvas, and preserved the glow of the northern sky and the twinkle of the lights. A few houses were illuminated, probably in honor of a patron saint, or to commemorate an event in the history of the owner of the establishment. While looking at these illuminations Frank and Fred tried to imagine the whole place lighted up as Doctor Bronson had described it on the occasion of the Imperial fête.

After a ride of two hours or more, the party returned to the hotel,

stopping a few minutes on their way to drink some tea at a traktir. Frank ventured to air the few Russian words he had acquired, and acquitted himself in fine style.