his influence was great; and, although he was little liked, he
was regarded as an important person, and his loss was a very heavy
one to the Jewish community. A deputation went to the governor, and
we heard that troops would be at once sent out to capture you, and
the band of brigands you had joined. Mr. Ramsay told me that it was
fortunate, indeed, that you had not returned to the city. But, no
doubt, he has told you all that in the letter."

"I feel quite another man, Stanislas," Charlie said, when he had
changed his garments. "Now I can read the letter you brought me."

After expressing the great satisfaction he felt, at the news that
Charlie was alive, Mr. Ramsay went on to say that, even were he
well, he could not return to Warsaw in the present state of public
feeling.

"Your story that you were attacked, grievously wounded, and, after
being confined here for some days, carried away and confined in the
wood, by order of Ben Soloman, and that he visited you there, would
be treated with derision. The version given by the man who brought
in the story of the Jew's death was that he himself was staying in
the cottage of a charcoal burner, an acquaintance of his, and that
a party of brigands, of whom you were one, arrived there, and that
they were boasting of having caused the death of Ben Soloman, who
had fallen by your hand. He managed to escape from the brigands,
and on the road found the dead body of his employer, who was, he
knew, that morning coming out to give him some instructions. My
opinion, and that of my friends who knew you, was that the fellow
had himself killed and robbed his master; but your letter, of
course, showed that his account was true to some extent--that Ben
Soloman had fallen in a struggle with you, and that you yourself
were a prisoner in the hands of these bandits. Still, as it would
be next to impossible for you to prove the truth of your story, and
as the Jews of the place, who are numerous and influential, are
dead against you, your life would certainly be forfeited were you
to be captured.

"I know your story to be true, but it would appear wildly
improbable, to others, that this wealthy Jew should have conspired,
in the first place, to cause an attack to be made upon an unknown
young stranger, still less that he should have had him carried off
to the forest, and should have gone to visit him there. The
explanation that you were a Swedish officer in disguise would not
benefit you i