Russia in 1839 -Empire of the Czar: A Journey Through Eternal Russia

106THE HISTORY OF THELENEF.

for I have not omitted a single day to mention your name in my prayer there, in that chapel, before the image of St. Wladimir, which reminded me of your departure. Do you remember it ? It was there that you bade me adieu, now nearly a year ago."

In concluding these words, she cast on her brother a look of tenderness and reproach, the mingled softness and severity of which made a great impression.

" I forget you ! " cried the young man, lifting his eyes to heaven. Xenie was silent, awed by the religious, yet somewhat fierce expression of an eye that was generally east down.

Xenie was one of those beaiities of the north that are never seen in other lands. Scarcely did she appear to belong to earth. The purity of her features, which reminded one of the pictures of .Raphael, might have appeared cold had not a most delicate expression of sensibility softly shadowed her countenance, which, as yet, no passion had ever ruffled. At the age of twenty, which she had attained that very day, she was ignorant of all that agitates the heart. She was tall, and her slender form displayed unusual grace, although the habitual quiet of her movements concealed its natural pliancy. Her languor possessed a charm which belongs only to the women of her country, who are rather lovely than pretty, and perfectly lovely when they are so at all, which, however, they rarely are among the inferior classes, for, in Russia, there is aristocracy in beauty : the peasants are, in general, much less gifted by nature than the great ladies. Xenie had the beauty of a queen and the freshness of a village maiden. Her hair was parted in bands on a high and ivory