written Alexis delivered them to Kikin,
who at some future time, in case of necessity, was to show them to
Peter, and pretend that he had intercepted them. Thus he expected to
avert suspicion from himself, and throw it upon innocent persons.

Kikin also helped Alexis about writing a letter to his father from
Libau, saying to him that he left St. Petersburg, and had come so far
on his way toward Copenhagen. This letter was, however, not dated at
Libau, where Alexis then was, but at Konigsberg, which was some
distance farther on, and it was sent forward to be transmitted from
that place.

When Alexis had thus arranged every thing with Kikin, he prepared to
set out on his journey again. He was to go on first to Konigsberg,
then to Dantzic, and there, instead of embarking on board a ship to go
to Copenhagen, according to his father's plan, he was to turn off
toward Vienna. It was at that point, accordingly, that his actual
rebellion against his father's commands would begin. He had some
misgivings about being able to reach that point. He asked Kikin what
he should do in case his father should have sent somebody to meet him
at Konigsberg or Dantzic.

"Why, you must join them in the first instance," said Kikin, "and
pretend to be much pleased to meet them; and then you must contrive to
make your escape from them in the night, either entirely alone, or only
with one servant. You must abandon your baggage and every thing else.

"Or, if you can not manage to do this," continued Kikin, "you must
pretend to be sick; and if there are two persons sent to meet you, you
can send one of them on before, with your baggage and attendants,
promising yourself to come on quietly afterward with the other; and
then you can contrive to bribe the other, or in some other way induce
him to escape with you, and so go to Vienna."

Alexis did not have occasion to resort to either of these expedients,
for nobody was sent to meet him. He journeyed on without any
interruption till he came to Konigsberg, which was the place where the
road turned off to Vienna. It was now necessary to say something to
Afrosinia and his other attendants to account for the new direction
which his journey was to take; so he told them that he had received a
letter from his father, ordering him, before proceeding to Copenhagen,
to go to Vienna on some public business which was to be done there.
Accordingly, when he turned off, they accompanied him without any
ap