On the 14th we went to spend two or three days at Grou-
zine, a place some thirty miles hence, belonging to an uncle
of M — 's. General Constantino Poltoratzky, from a second visit
to whom we only returned two days ago. Constantine Mar-
kitch — as he is called — is one of the most agreeable men I
ever met with, and I can readily believe he is universally
popular. His lady and his son were old acquaintances, as we
had dined with them in Petersburg a few days after our
arrival. The former was a Princess Galitzin, and is descended,
through her mother, from the kings of Georgia, her great-
grandfather having been the last who sat upon the throne
from which he was driven by the Kussians. His son, Madame
Poltoratzky's grandfather, attempted to regain his crown, but
was overcome and thrown into prison, where he died, and his
grandson, her uncle, enjoys the empty title of Prince of
Georgia, with large estates in Russia, given to the. family in
lieu of their lost dominions.*

The house is large and handsome, and the garden upon
which it looks is extensive and well laid out, with a piece of
water running through it. Here we spent two days much as
they might have been spent in a large English country-house,
except that we dined at four and supped at eleven. The
whole establishment is on a very handsome footing, with all
appliances for making a visit in the house agreeable. Nothing
could exceed the kindness of our reception ; we repeated our
visit the following week, and before we came away we pro-
mised our host and hostess, after we leave Krasnoe, to spend
a short time with them at Yaroslav, of which province the
General is Governor.
