My Mother--Her Musical Friends--I Study with Masset--His Generous Offer--Litolff's Visit--My Mother's Musicales Develop into a Conservatoire--Rubinstein's Anger--His Refusal to Play for the Grand Duchess Helen--The Idols of the Musical World--A Friendly Jealousy--My Stratagem with Liszt--Glasounoff's Kindness--the Musicless CHAPTER XI THE ARMENIAN QUESTION A Fatal Treaty--Gladstone's Opinion--The Concert of Europe--The Unspeakable Turk and His Methods--England's Responsibility--Mr. Gladstone's Energetic Action--Lord Rosebery Resigns--Gladstone's Astounding Letter--"I Shall Keep Myself to Myself"--"Abdul the Damned"--"A Man whose Every Impulse is Good"--The Convention of Cyprus--Russia and England CHAPTER XII THE SOBERING OF RUSSIA Russian Dreamers--Fighting a Curse--First Steps--An Interesting Encounter--A Great Reform--Its Acceptance by the Peasants--The Cabman's Interrogative--He Begs me to Intercede with the Tsar--The Temptation of Drink--My Peasant Teas--The Drink Habit--Our Courageous Emperor CHAPTER XIII MISCELLANEOUS MEMORIES My Embarrassment--A Spy--I Am Easily Taken In--A Demand for Fifty Pounds--A Threat--I Defy the Blackmailer--A Warning--Gladstone's Refusal to meet Gambetta--My Husband's Dilemma--Russian Views on Duelling--Kinglake Challenges Prince Louis Napoleon--My Brother's Views--Kinglake's Charm--The Value of an Englishman--The Dogger Bank Incident CHAPTER XIV THE PHANTOM OF NIHILISM England's Sympathy with the Nihilists--Cabinet Ministers' Indiscretion--Mr. Gladstone's Incredulity--I Prove my Words--Mr. Gladstone's Action--A Strange Confusion--A Reformed Nihilist--His Significant Admission--The Nihilist's Regret--The Death of Revolutionary Russia--The Greatness of the Future--The Reckless, Impulsive Russian--The Russian Refugees at Buenos Ayres--They Crave for a Priest {14} CHAPTER XV RUSSIAN PRISONS AND PRISONERS Our Convict System--Misunderstood in England--Siberia, an Emigration Field--A Lax Discipline--Capt. Wiggins' Opinion--A Land of Stoicism--My Experiences as a Prison Visitor--Divine Literature--Helen Voronoff's Work--A Russian Heroine--Her Descriptions of Prison Life CHAPTER XVI POLITICAL PRISONERS Dostoyevsky's Call--His Retort to a Dandy--Russia and the Revolution--The Court of Imperial Mercy--How Political Prisoners May Solicit Pardon--The Coach-driver's Letter--The People's Belief in the Emperor--A Typical Russian Appeal--Military Offenders--How They Have Justified the Emperor's Clemency--Political Prisoners and the War CHAPTER XVII THE GRAND DUKE CONSTANTINE AND PRINCE OLEG A Remarkable Personality--The Grand Duke's Graciousness--His Tact and Sympathy--The Wounded Soldier--A Censored Book--Prince Oleg and my Brother Alexander--A Talented Child--A Strange Premonition--The Prince's Interest in Public Affairs--His Studious Nature--The Prince Wounded--His Joy on Receiving the Cross of St. George--He Becomes Worse--The End CHAPTER XVIII BULGARIA'S DEFECTION AND PRISONERS OF WAR