When, afterwards, in the towns I expressed my
disapprobation of these wretched post establishments, I received as
answer that these countries had been too short a time under Russian
dominion, that the imperial city was too far distant, and that I, as
a single woman without servants, might consider myself fortunate in
having got through as I had.
I did not know what reply to make to this, except that in the most
recently acquired colonial possessions of the English, which are
still farther from the capital, everything is excellently arranged;
and that there a woman without servants was as quickly attended to
as a gentleman, since they find her money not less acceptable than
that of the latter. The case is very different, however, at a
Russian post station; when an official or officer comes, every one
is active enough, cringing round the watering-place for fear of
flogging or punishment. Officers and officials belong, in Russia,
to the privileged class, and assume all kinds of despotism. If, for
example, they do not travel on duty, they should not, according to
the regulations, have any greater advantages than private
travellers.
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