Among the curious historical places in France that I wanted to visit during this trip, one of the first was Versailles (see Figure 2.3, Palace of Versailles).1 I had seen this monument to the times and glory of Louis XIV back in the year 1817, but at that time, the magnificent residence of French kings was just emerging from the ashes and dust into which it was cast by the frantic revolution. I will describe my present trip and what I saw, not in a systematic or dogmatic way, but as the trip unfolded and as the words find their way to the page.

Among my acquaintances in Paris, no one else was happier to see me than Alexander Vattemare, the mime and ventriloquist who is also popular in Petersburg. I had received him with pleasure in my home, especially when I got to know his noble character and way of thinking and when I got acquainted with his lovely family. Having heard of my arrival in Paris, he immediately found me, offered his services, invited me to his home, and was extremely helpful to me on many occasions, as I will describe later. His wife, a respectable woman, intelligent and well-bred, was ill at that time and was staying with their children in a suburban house in Marly. Planning to go to Versailles, I gave my word to have dinner at his house on that day. Marly lies not far from there, close to the road that leads to Paris.

I set off for Versailles on Sunday, the 27th of June, in the company of Sofia Ivanovna Conrad and her twelve-year-old son, Alfred, a lovely, clever boy.4 I could not look upon him without heartfelt sadness, thinking that he is being educated and has to grow up in Paris, and

At eight o’clock in the morning, we arrived at the office of the Versailles omnibuses in rue de Rivoli near the Tuileries Palace and barely managed to find seats. The crowds come to Versailles in flocks.