280 A JACOBITE EXILE

heartily. ‘‘ Let me see, it is some twenty months since we
supped together last at Kelly’s quarters. Poor fellow! I
shall miss him greatly. You have heard of his death?”

“The governor of Bercov told me of it a fortnight ago.
I was indeed sorry to hear it. I shall never forget his
kindness to me.”

“Yes, he was a good man, skilful in his profession, and
full of zeal and energy. ‘The blood runs faster somehow in
the veins of you islanders than of us sluggish Muscovites.
If we could but at one sweep banish every Russian official
from the highest to the lowest, and fill their places with men
from your islands, what progress we should make, what work
could we get done, what reforms could be carried out!
However, at present,” he went on changing the subject
abruptly, “the point is supper. Iam as hungry as a bear,
for I have been at work since daylight, and have eaten
nothing since I broke my fast.”

He rang a hand-bell placed on the table; two Cossacks
entered bearing dishes, and the doctor and his guest at once
fell to on the supper, which was excellent.

“Hard work deserves good food,” the Russian said in
reply to a remark of Charlie’s as to the excellence both of
the food and wine. “Your Charles does not think so,
T hear, and lives on the roughest of food. What will be the
consequence? He will wear himself out; his restless activ-
ity will exhaust his powers and weaken his judgment. I
can eat rough food if I can get no better, but I take the
best when opportunity offers. What have you been doing
ever since you left Plescow? I inquired after you the other
day when our troops broke up Schlippenbach’s force on the
Embach; I found you were not among the prisoners, and I
wondered if you were among the killed.”

“T was not in Livonia at the time, I was with the king’s
army at Warsaw. ‘Three regiments were sent off the day
after the battle of Clissow by boats down the Vistula, and