Dear old Miss Gladstone seemed delighted with all these details about her relations, and pressed me to prolong my visit, which I did to the point of losing my train! {72} CHAPTER V SOME SOCIAL MEMORIES My Thursdays in Russia--Khalil Pasha's Death--Lord Napier and the Lady-in-Waiting--Madame Volnys--My Parents-in-law's _ménage_--An Exceptional Type--Prince Vladimir Dolgorouki's Embarrassment--The Grand Duchess Helen--A Brilliant Woman--The Emperor's Enjoyment--The Campbell-Bannermans--A Royal Diplomatist--Mark Twain on Couriers--In Serious Vein--Verestchagin--"The Retreat from Moscow"--The Kaiser's Remarkable Utterance I must say I was very fortunate with my Thursday receptions in Russia. In the first place, my husband, who was not particularly fond of singing or playing, never opposed either. Diplomatists like Lord Napier, the English Ambassador at Petrograd, and the Turk, Khalil Pasha, Turkish Ambassador (but brought up in France and devoted to French theatres), also used to come and be as silent as mice if music was already going on. That poor Khalil had a very dramatic end. He returned to Constantinople, as he thought for a short time, but fell ill. His European doctors insisted on an immediate cure at Carlsbad, but his Sultan, for some reason unknown to me, opposed his leaving Turkey. The poor man died mysteriously, and his enormous wealth as mysteriously disappeared. At one of my little receptions there happened a {73} very disagreeable duel between Lord Napier and a lady-in-waiting belonging to the Court of the Grand Duchess Helen. She was the sister of an ambassador, with whom, however, she was not on very affectionate terms. Undoubtedly pretty, she was occasionally rude and almost ill-bred. On seeing him, Mademoiselle de ---- exclaimed: "Lord Napier, I spent last evening at the Winter Palace with old Countess Bludoff. We talked of you and laughed very much." I felt simply horrified at that speech, but Napier remained quite self-possessed. "I know," said he, "you were asked there to be shown to my new secretary, Mitford." Here, fortunately, the dialogue was interrupted by Rubinstein, who started a sonata. A fortunate interruption! Soon after that in came Madame Volnys, the celebrated French actress, who promised to give us some scenes of Molière's _Tartuffe_, which she did to perfection. Madame Volnys was a remarkable woman, not only possessing great histrionic talent, but also very superior character. She lost her only child, whom she adored. This brought her into contact with our Empress Marie Alexandrovna (very particular in her choice of associates), the consort of our "Emperor Liberatas," who used to invite her to the Palace as her lecturer fairly often.