not drunk tea out of a tumbler may be assured that it is by far the best way of taking it to quench thirst. The Americans put a lump of ice into it, which keeps bobbing up against the nose while the hot tea is being quaffed; also a very agreeable fashion. The result of all this tea-drinking was, that poor Evergreen could not manage to close his eyes when night came on and the rest of his party went to sleep. After some hours had passed, he was accosted by an officer in uniform

"Ah, sir, I see that sleep has fled your eyelids," said the officer, in very good English.

"Oh, yes; but I can do very well without it,” replied Evergreen, delighted to have some one to talk to ; "there is always so much to think about and interest one in a strange country."

"Your first visit here, I presume," said the stranger. "Never out of England before,” replied Evergreen. "What do you think of affairs in general in this country?" asked the stranger.

People

"Very large country-very fine country-inhabitants very polite. Big city St. Petersburg. may not say exactly what they think, I hear; but that's nothing to me, you know," observed our friend.

"Oh, that's quite a mistake, my dear sir," replied the stranger; "people may say exactly what they

think, I assure you no one interferes with them. Now, for instance, in the friendly way in which we are talking, one man might unbosom himself to another of his most secret thoughts, and no harm could come to him."

"Very pleasant state of society; exactly what I like," said Evergreen, who, thereupon, taking the hint, launched forth on several little bits of his own family history, with which he was fond of entertaining any casual acquaintance.

The strange officer appeared to be listening attentively, and finally offered to call upon Evergreen, and to show him the lions of Moscow.

Cousin Giles awoke while the conversation was going on, and was exceedingly amused at what he overheard, especially with the warm way in which Evergreen accepted the stranger's offer. After the latter had made numerous inquiries about Cousin Giles, and Fred, and Harry, he got up and went into another carriage.

"Wonderfully polite man that was who came and talked to me last night," observed Evergreen, in the morning, after the passengers had rubbed their eyes and stretched themselves. "I wonder who he can be. A man of some consequence, I should think."

Among the passengers were some merchants from

the north, who had never before been at Moscow. They had for some time been putting their heads out of the windows, and as they caught sight of a few gilt domes and gaily-coloured roofs, and some convents scattered about, which was all that was visible of the holy city, they began crossing themselves and bowing most vigorously. This ceremony lasted till the train rushed into the station. The luggage was handed out as each person presented his ticket, and Mr. Evergreen found to his delight that his hatbox was safe. A vast number of ishvoshtsticks presented their tickets, and offered their droskies for hire, and two being selected, away the whole party rattled through broadish streets, paved with pebbles, up and down hill, among gardens and green-roofed houses, and pink, and yellow, and grey, and blue walls, till they reached their hotel.

They had been recommended to go to that of M. Chollet, in the Grand Lubianka, and they had no reason to regret their choice. Nowhere could a more civil, active, attentive landlord be found. Every language seemed to flow with the greatest ease from his tongue. He would be talking to three or four customers in German, and English, and Italian, addressing his wife in French, and scolding his servants in their native Russian, answering fifty