ST. PETERSBURG
CORONATION OF NICOLAS II
We went round all the world and returned more satisfied than ever with
our capital. I feel like an escaped prisoner.
A few days after our arrival, my husband presented to the Emperor a
deputation composed of representatives of different tribes inhabiting
Oriental Siberia, who offered to His Majesty, according to custom,
a silver dish with “Bread and Salt” and beautiful sable-skins. The
corridors in the Grand Hôtel, where we had taken an apartment, were
crowded with people wanting to get a glimpse of the deputies. One of
them, Tifountai, one of the richest Chinese merchants of Khabarovsk, who
had prominent oriental ideas about women when passing through Paris, led
a dissipated life in the Great Babylon, that went on for a week, and did
not arrive in time for the presentation. The representatives of different
countries began to arrive at St. Petersburg on their way to Moscow,
where the Coronation of Nicolas II. was to take place. One of the first
arrivals was the Ambassador of the Chinese Emperor, the famous Li Hung
Chang who had been treacherously wounded in Japan. Notwithstanding his
eighty-two years, he looks very alert and vigilant. My husband had an
interview with the old diplomatist, after which he presented his suite to
him. According to Chinese etiquette the mandarin addressed to everyone
two stereotype questions translated by his dragoman into French: “What
is your name,” and “How old are you?” Henritzi, the youngest of Sergy’s
_aide-de-camps_, who was of German origin and spoke his national tongue
better than French, when answering to the last questions, said that he
was twenty-four years old, German-fashion: “_Quatre-vingt_,” _vier und
zwanzig_, which means eighty-four in French. The dragoman casting an
astonished glance at the young octogenarian, translated his answer to the
letter. The old mandarin never winced, and rising from his seat, bowed
low to the “_Ninon de l’Encles_” of the unfair sex. (I beg your pardon,
gentlemen!) In China old age is greatly venerated. If you wish to make
a Chinaman perfectly happy, all you need to say is “How old you look!”
When the reception was over, Li Hung Chang remitted to my husband the
Chinese order of the “Double Dragon,” bearing the imprinted inscription
“Before this the lion will grow pale and the tiger mute.”
Little by little, St. Petersburg was getting empty. The railway-line to
Moscow, notwithstanding its twenty-four trains a day, could hardly supply
all the passengers proceeding to the old capital; they had to book their
places a month beforehand.
A great many crowned heads had gathered in Moscow. Amongst the European
guests there were several exotic personages who had come from Siam, Japan
and other distant countries.
In the beginning of May Sergy went to Moscow to be present at the
Coronation, which was to take place on the 15th May. That day at ten
o’clock in the morning all the church-bells in St. Petersburg began
ringing, and at noon volleys of artillery announced the beginning of the
ceremony in the Kremlin, and at the end of the ceremony the Coronation
was made known by a salute and one-hundred-and-one cannon shots.
I learned from the papers that during the festivals there occurred a
terrible accident at Moscow, which claimed some thousand victims, and
darkened the Coronation of Nicolas II. On the 19th May, a colossal
festival was organised for the populace on the Khodinka-Field. Long
tables with all sorts of refreshment were laid on the brink of an
enormous ditch. Towards two o’clock in the afternoon about 6000 persons
hurried to the spot where free dinners were distributed. Tumultuous
crowds continued to arrive unceasingly. The first arrivals couldn’t
resist the great pressure of the oncomers, and fell headlong into the
ditch. The catastrophe took place in twenty times less than it takes to
describe it.
The moment of our departure for Khabarovsk approached. It was decided
at first that Sergy would go alone. He promised to come back to St.
Petersburg in six months’ time. I dreaded the moment of his departure,
and the moment was not far off. No! I could not bear to part with Sergy.
I always yielded to impulse under any circumstances. I told him that
nothing should induce me to stay away, and that I would follow him a
second time to the end of the world. But Sergy absolutely refused to hear
of it. His opposition made me only the more distinctly determined to have
my own way. I simply didn’t know what “No” meant, and Sergy consented
after a good deal of coaxing to take me with him.
The Serebriakoffs could not accompany us. The Colonel was promoted to the
grade of general, and had received a new appointment at Moscow. I was
awfully sorry to part with Mrs. Serebriakoff with whom I had gone through
many hardships during our first tour around the world.
We have engaged a young lady to hold the position of companion, Maria
Michaelovna Titoff by name. She is a very gay and lively girl, who will
help to make my life at Khabarovsk a little more cheery. Mr. Shaniavski,
Mr. Scherbina and Henritzi accompany us on our journey.