Page:The Tsar's Window.djvu/30

 stabbed in the streets last summer—has been warned that the life of his only little girl will be attempted.

Such is the respectable and humane course which these Nihilists, with whom you pretend to sympathize, take to attain their ends. There must be many good Russians who desire a more liberal form of government. Their cause would be mine were I a Russian subject, but I have no sympathy with the Nihilists, or with the principles which they avow.

Last week there was a grand review of all the troops about Petersburg (Russians drop the "St.") on the Champs de Mars, a large open field near the river. We went with Nicolas and Alice, to witness it from the windows of the Oldenburg Palace. The Prince of Oldenburg is related in some way to the imperial family, but I have not yet studied the "Almanach de Gotha" sufficiently to be quite sure of these relationships.

From the window in which we were placed, we could overlook the whole field, where the soldiers had been drawn up since eleven o'clock, although the review was not to begin until twelve. There had been a slight fall of snow the day before, which froze during the night; so the ground was very slippery, and the horses, which had not been newly shod, had some difficulty in keeping their feet. The white ground and the gray sky made an outlook which was anything but cheerful. Apparently the men found it cold waiting, and, not content with jumping up and down to warm themselves, they chased each other about and performed various gymnastics.

Punctually at noon, cheers resounded along the lines;