190 BY ORDER OF THE CZAR.
General Petronovitch, whose name he had noticed in the papers that very morning, by the way, as the representa- tive whom Russia in a semi-official way was sending to Venice, to be present at the functir n, on which occasion Venice was to put on some of her ancient glories, gondolas of past centuries, so far as decoration was concerned, gon- doliers in all the glories of the greatest days of the Queen of the Adriatic. Russia was not willing, it appeared, to let England and Germany have it all their own way even with Italy; and in that gorgeous procession of boats was to be a barge belonging to General Petronovitch, and probably a military and civic staff. At least that is what the papers said. Philip hoped he might be there to see ; and how could ne see the show in better company than that of Dolly and her sister and Walter Milbanke, who knew Venice, and would be sure to do the thing as it should be done ?
If Philip had been confronted with this mixture of pro- saic, artistic, worldly, and incongruous interpretation of his multifarious reflections and thoughts as he drove from Gower-street to St. John's Wood, he would probably have denied the correctness of the report ; but much as it might have surprised and perhaps annoyed him, it would nevertheless have been perfectly true ; therefore, in your estimate of the character of Philip Forsyth, do not forget this somewhat inconsequential record of his state of mind on this notable day.
