Services are held three times every day in most of the churches; and when the students entered the edifice, the preparations were in progress, and they remained to witness the worship. All who entered crossed themselves, and many purchased candles and made offerings of them to the saints, St. Isaac of Dalmatia being the principal one, and women and children kissed the hands of the Virgin, and other holy persons represented by pictures. The church gives a literal interpretation of the commandment, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image," and no part of the person--only the raiment--of the saints can be sculptured for purposes of worship. The service consisted of intoned readings by the priests and deacons, the former being within the royal doors a portion of the time, and is interspersed with singing, generally in recitative style, by the choir, at the end of the platform in front of the screen. The singers seem to break in upon the priests' prayers at times, often with a short phrase or single word. No female voices are allowed in the choir, and no organ or other musical instrument is permitted. During the service the worshippers in front frequently cross themselves, the more devoted kneeling and bowing till their foreheads touch the pavement. Only a few, however, bend thus lowly, and it is noticeable that these are of the lower order. Well-dressed ladies and gentlemen are not seen to do anything more than cross themselves, though all appear to be devout and solemnly engaged in the exercises. Outside of the doors there are always a number of beggars, who stand with hand extended, as the people come out of the church. Besides the chance alms-giving of the worshippers, wrung from them by importunity, one is occasionally seen evidently roused by the service to a keener sense of duty, who makes a systematic business of it, bestowing upon each of the beggars a smaller or larger sum, according to his means. After the service some of the students were permitted to enter the altar, which is the Holy of Holies, as in King Solomon's Temple. Paul Kendall and his wife were about to follow them, when the uniformed official interposed, and shook his head earnestly. Paul did not understand him, and one of the guides was called. "No female is allowed to enter the sanctuary," the man explained. "Woman's rights haven't been attended to here," replied Paul, as he retired with Grace. But there was nothing particular to be seen in the altar space, except the consecrated articles used in the service. Lincoln was on the point of passing between the altar itself and the royal doors, when the church official stopped him, saying that none but the priest and the emperor were allowed to pass in that direction. "I wish I could understand more of it," said Lincoln, as he walked with his friend, the doctor, towards the quay.