As we came away we saw a string of covered carts with gay carpets over them making their way to the station. They were backed up to a siding, where the veiled beauties within them were rapidly transferred to second-class carriages away from the public gaze. Then the gay coverings were folded up and put in the luggage van, and the carriages were brought round and attached to our train; evidently they contained people of importance, for there was a large crowd of natives to see them off, and on reaching Kazan their carriages were again detached preparatory to being joined to the express as soon as it arrived. Many Persians are to be found throughout Turkestan; the railway stations are crowded with them, and our Russian Red Cross nurse told us a charming idyllic story which I cannot forbear repeating, of one of their veiled beauties with whom she had talked on her journey. The Persian lady was a princess travelling with her husband on their honeymoon. The husband said they had seen one another seven years ago in a garden, and had fallen deeply in love. Owing to his inferior rank the princess’s father would not hear of their marriage, and it was only after seven years that his consent was at last obtained. “She is not beautiful as she was then,” he continued, but there was a look of great tenderness on both their faces, showing that the love at all events had not diminished, and they further explained that they had determined to have a European honeymoon, and were now on their travels. Another happy couple whom our friend met was guarded by the wife’s stalwart brothers. The husband and wife had been married nine years and were still deeply in love, but they were very sad because the wife (aged twenty-one) had as yet no son. They were now on a pilgrimage to pray for one, as the husband said he had not taken a second wife, nor did he wish to do so, “but, of course, if Providence did not send a son——.” He repudiated the idea that as a Mohammedan he might be expected to have four wives if he chose, and said he was very fond of his present wife. Certainly the position of women is the worst evil of Mohammedanism, taken in connection with Mohammed’s own history, and in the light of the teaching of the Koran. It might have been hoped that Russian influence would have had some effect in ameliorating things; but even the Russophile Skrine[9] admits that it has had no civilizing influence on the Khanate of Bokhara. Slavery, tyranny, and barbarism are still allowed free scope, in order that their disintegrating effect may the more readily place it under Russian dominion. CHAPTER XXI Through the Caucasus