AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE 277

your army than they have among the Swedes,” Charlie
remarked, ‘if that is how it has come about.”

“Tt would be a matter of favour,” the governor said.
“Tf Michaeloff is acquainted with the field-marshal, or had
attended him when unwell, he could ask a little favour of
that sort. If the field-marshal sent you here he could
send for you again without more trouble than signing his
name to the order.”

“Well, if it is Michaeloff who has done this,’ Charlie
grumbled; “no doubt he meant it kindly, but I would
much rather that he left me here. A ride of two hundred
and fifty miles in August is not pleasant to begin with,
and the thought of winter in those swamps is enough to
make one shiver.”

“With a comfortable room and a warm stove you will
not find much to complain of, Captain Carstairs,” the
governor said with a smile; “and no doubt Michaeloff
may be enabled to obtain leave for you to go out with
him on parole. Iwas about myself to ask you, now that
you are strong and well again, whether you would like to
give your parole, and offer you the use of my horse for a
ride when inclined for it.”

“Thank you, governor; if Michaeloff can do that it will
certainly be a boon, but I am not disposed to agree that the
change can be his work. In the first place, we don’t know
that he is there; in the second, I can hardly think that he
could have managed it; and most of all, I do not see he
could possibly have had a hand in the matter, for even sup-
posing the officer had found him directly he arrived and
then given him the message, and he had acted upon it at
once, there would have been no time for the order to get
here. It would have needed a messenger riding night and
day with frequent relays of horses to have got to Notteburg
and back since the day I spoke to you about the matter.
When am I to start?”