Page:The Novels and Other Works of Lyof N. Tolstoï-v20.djvu/17



HE Franco-Russian festivities which took place in October, 1894, in France made me, and others, no doubt, as well, first amused, then astonished, then indignant—feelings which I wished to express in a short article.

But while studying further the chief causes of this strange phenomenon, I arrived at the reflections which I here offer to the reader.

Russian and French peoples have been living for many centuries with a knowledge of each other—entering sometimes into friendly, more often, unfortunately, into very unfriendly, relations at the instigation of their respective governments—when suddenly, because two years ago a French squadron came to Kronstadt, and its officers, having landed, eaten much, and drunk a