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Updated: June 17, 2025
When I inquired of the French director of my hotel for the residence of his Excellency, the Governor-General, he regarded me with some surprise, saying: "The Baron lives up at the Palace, m'sieur that great building opposite the Salutong. The driver of your drosky will point it out to you." "Is his Excellency in Helsingfors at the present moment?" I asked.
I thanked him and left at once, but as I stepped out of the house and re-entered the drosky I saw close by, lurking in the shadow, the spy of "The Strangler of Finland," who had traveled with me from Abo. Our eyes met, and he recognized me, notwithstanding my light overcoat and new hat. Then, with heart-sinking, the ghastly truth flashed upon me. All had been in vain. Elma was lost to me.
Most travellers read too much. "There are learned institutions in St. Petersburg: universities, libraries, picture-galleries, and museums; but the first institution with which I became acquainted was the drosky. The drosky is a very, very small phaeton. It has the driver's seat in front, and a very narrow seat behind him.
For 300 roubles a month, O'Donahue had procured a drosky, very handsomely fitted up; the shaft horse was a splendid trotter, and the other, a beautiful-shaped animal, capered about curving his neck, until his nose almost touched his knee, and prancing, so as to be the admiration of the passers-by.
When the door opened she moved away remembering the sixpence but she saw the traveler come out and stand against the background of the warmly-lighted hall, the older children still hovering about him. "Will Moscow be covered with snow?" said the little girl Janet. "Will there be ice everywhere?" "Shall you drive in a drosky?" cried another. "Shall you see the Czar?"
They were at the custom-house, across the city. My nephew and I jumped upon a drosky we could not say that we were really in the drosky, for the seat was too short. The drosky-driver started off his horse over the cobble-stones at a terrible rate. I could not keep my seat, and I clung to W. He shouted, 'Don't hold by me; I shall be out the next minute! What could be done?
Instantly the danger was apparent, and instead of driving back to the hotel, I called out to the man to take me to the Moscow railway station, in order to put the spy off the scent. I knew he would follow me, but as he was on foot, with no drosky in sight, I should be able to reach the station before he could, and there elude him.
At noon I descended from a drosky before a long, gray, massive building, over the big doorway of which was a large escutcheon bearing the Russian arms emblazoned in gold, and on entering where a sentry stood on either side, a colossal concierge in livery of bright blue and gold came forward to meet me, asking in Russian: "Whom do you wish to see?" "His Excellency, the Governor-General."
Petersburg a pretty extensive city, as any body will find who undertakes to walk through it this adroit and skillful whipster, who had never uttered a word from the time of starting, now deliberately drew up his drosky on the corner of a principal street and began a conversation. I repeated the name of the street in which the consulate was located, and dratzall kopeck.
Drive quickly, and I'll pay double fare." He whipped his horses, and we turned into that maze of dark, ill-lit, narrow streets that lies between the Vosnesenski and the Nevski, turning and winding until we emerged at last into the main thoroughfare again, and then at last we turned into the street I had indicated a wide road of handsome buildings where I knew I was certain to be able to instantly get another drosky.
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