But no one could rely upon Paul, for his character was made up of extreme
impulses. Without having done anything to offend his master, and without
knowing the cause of his disgrace, Souvarow, on arriving at Riga,
received a private letter which informed him, in the emperor's name,
that, having tolerated an infraction of the laws of discipline among his
soldiers, the emperor deprived him of all the honours with which he had
been invested, and also forbade him to appear before him.

Such tidings fell like a thunderbolt upon the old warrior, already
embittered by his reverses: he was heart-broken that such storm-clouds
should tarnish the end of his glorious day.

In consequence of this order, he assembled all his officers in the
market-place of Riga, and took leave of them sorrowfully, like a father
taking leave of his family. Having embraced the generals and colonels,
and having shaken hands with the others, he said good-bye to them once
more, and left them free to continue their march to their destination.

Souvarow took a sledge, and, travelling night and day, arrived incognito
in the capital, which he was to have entered in triumph, and was driven
to a distant suburb, to the house of one of his nieces, where he died of
a broken heart fifteen days afterwards.

On his own account, Foedor travelled almost as rapidly as his general,
and entered St. Petersburg without having sent any letter to announce his
arrival. As he had no parent in the capital, and as his entire existence
was concentrated in one person, he drove direct to the general's house,
which was situated in the Prospect of Niewski, at an angle of the
Catherine Canal.