Dinner in Smolni was the same informal affair
that it was in the old days, only with much less
to eat. The Commissars, men and women, came
in from their work, took their places, fed and went
back to work again, Zinoviev in particular stay-
ing only a few minutes. The meal was extremely
simple, soup with shreds of horse-flesh in it, very
good indeed, followed by a little kasha together
with small slabs of some sort of white stuff of no
particular consistency or taste. Then tea and a
lump of sugar. The conversation was mostly
about the chances of peace, and Litvinov's rather
pessimistic reports were heard with disappoint-
ment. Just as I had finished, Vorovsky, Madame
Vorovsky and little Nina, together with the two
Norwegians and the Swede, came in. I learnt
that about half the party were going on to Mos-
cow that night and, deciding to go with them,
hurried off to the hotel.

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