"Now you'll be able to see what order we have got there. And itis very difficult to keep order, it is so crowded, especiallywith people condemned to exile; but I watch strictly, and lovethe work. You will see they are very comfortable and contented.But one must know how to deal with them. Only a few days ago wehad a little trouble--insubordination; another would have calledit mutiny, and would have made many miserable, but with us it allpassed quietly. We must have solicitude on one hand, firmness andpower on the other," and he clenched the fat, white,turquoise-ringed fist, which issued out of the starched cuff ofhis shirt sleeve, fastened with a gold stud. "Solicitude and firmpower."

It consisted of the following. The priest, having dressed in astrange and very inconvenient garb, made of gold cloth, cut andarranged little bits of bread on a saucer, and then put them intoa cup with wine, repeating at the same time different names andprayers. Meanwhile the deacon first read Slavonic prayers,difficult to understand in themselves, and rendered still moreincomprehensible by being read very fast, and then sang them turnand turn about with the convicts. The contents of the prayerswere chiefly the desire for the welfare of the Emperor and hisfamily. These petitions were repeated many times, separately andtogether with other prayers, the people kneeling. Besides this,several verses from the Acts of the Apostles were read by thedeacon in a peculiarly strained voice, which made it impossibleto understand what he read, and then the priest read verydistinctly a part of the Gospel according to St. Mark, in whichit said that Christ, having risen from the dead before flying upto heaven to sit down at His Father's right hand, first showedHimself to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had driven sevendevils, and then to eleven of His disciples, and ordered them topreach the Gospel to the whole creation, and the priest addedthat if any one did not believe this he would perish, but he thatbelieved it and was baptised should be saved, and should besidesdrive out devils and cure people by laying his hands on them,should talk in strange tongues, should take up serpents, and ifhe drank poison should not die, but remain well.