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 duty to satisfy the desires of any Russian sailor; and all this passed unnoticed as though it were all as it ought to be. There were cases of unmistakable frenzy; one woman, for instance, dressed in the colours of the French and Russian flags, waited for the arrival of the sailors, and exclaiming: "Vive la Russie!" leaped from the bridge into the river, and was drowned.

Women generally took a prominent part in all these ceremonies and even gave the lead to the men. Besides throwing flowers and ribbons of all sorts and presenting gifts and addresses, French women fell upon the Russian sailors in the street and kissed them, others for some