Saturday, January 18, 1840

1840

January

Saturday 18

9 35/..

12 1/4

Fine morning; Réaumur 11 1/2° at my bedhead and 11° on the console – Breakfast at 9 55/.. – Message just before that Count Panin would be here at 12 – How is this?  Breakfast over at 10 40/.. –

Ordered the carriage and off at 11 to the river to the water’s edge under the Kremlin to see the procession – Benediction of the waters on the river – Crowds of people and many carriages waiting to see the procession – An animated scene on the ice of the river –It would be 1/2 hour before the procession arrived – Began to snow – As we must be back by 12, returned almost immediately –

Had not been long back before Count and Countess Alexandra Panin arrived about 11 3/4, she en traineau come to drive me to see the procession, which a priest had told her would be at 12 – Bon – Saw little of the count who said he would send me the letters of introduction – Going from home into the country – Countess Alexandra Panin and I drove off in her traineau and pair and Ann followed in the carriage –

Just in time to see the procession wind up the hill towards the Kremlin – The people and carriages still standing and staring – Pretty sight – Drove along the other side the river – Crossed to the Kremlin – Went through the crowd into and in the Church des Miracles in the Kremlin to see the handsome silver (beautifully wrought) door in the iconostase to the préstole – A singular handsome fresco painted aisle or vault church – A sort of chancel railed off in front of the Iconostase, and into this, no women allowed to enter. Ditto that in Church of Miracles.  The feminine distance from the altar is increased ! –

The countess set me down at my own door at 12 3/4 – She could not come in – It seemed to be beginning to snow, but soon cleared off, and having sent away the carriage, Ann and I took George and walked to our boulevard at 1 – 3 turns and home again at 2 1/4 –

Wrote out yesterday – Dinner at 5 20/.. to 6 1/4 – than till 7 20/.. while Ann dressed, wrote out accounts – Then dressed –

Off at 7 50/.. and at the Ourousoffs’at 8 5/.. – to 9 5/.. – He will have, when this business is settled, seventy five thousand roubles a year.  Princess Radzivill said they should have been uneasy if I had not written.  Somehow I felt and feel annoyed and mortified.  Nothing particular to find fault with, but it is not as if they really valued us or were really very anxious for our company.  Princess Radzivill does not now ask when we shall go again, and I think does not care to see us often again, nor does she now say anything about my writing to her.  No mention of the letter to Doctor Belcombe.  I will write it and manage as well as I can, and back out as nicely as I can.  The old woman has told me several times of being cousin to Count Woronzoff and to give her compliments if I see him, but she never offers me a letter! –

Princess Radzivill told me Mr. Bechmétieff, brother-in-law of Madame Apraxin, had called there and said he would give me a letter if I liked and leave it for me with princess Radzivill ! Je le remercie beaucoup, said I – vouz me la voulez pas? said old Princess Ourosoff – I explained that I should be much obliged and glad to have it – Then said they they thought yes! I had better have it – Better have letters – They might be of use –

Home at 9 20/.. – Tea – Had Grotza before Ann till 10 1/2 –

Very fine day – Fahrenheit [Réaumur] 2 34/° on my table at 10 1/2 p.m. –

Count Panin going to the country to meet his brother to settle about their father’s fortune.  He was disgraced, but too proud to speak against the government, and like a fish out of water here.  Lost, like our Count, who left the service recently, and Prince Serge Galitzin the other night advised him reentering it, but the Count said he knew his own affairs.

 

WYAS Finding Numbers SH:7/ML/E/23/0182 and SH:7/ML/E/23/0183