of mind which prompted him to wish not
to take any part in the conversation between the emperor and the
embassador respecting himself, as his office of interpreter would
naturally lead him to do, but to prefer that the communication should be
made through an indifferent person, in order that the embassador might be
perfectly free to express his real opinion without any reserve.

Accordingly, the Czar, taking another interpreter with him, went to the
embassador and began to ask him about Le Fort.

"He speaks very good Russian," said Peter.

"Yes, please your majesty," said the embassador, "he has a genius for
learning any thing that he pleases. When he came to me four months ago
he knew very little of German, but now he speaks it very well. I have
two German interpreters in my train, and he speaks the language as well
as either of them. He did not know a word of Russian when he came to my
country, but your majesty can judge yourself how well he speaks it now."

In the mean time, while Peter and the embassador were talking thus about
Le Fort, he himself had withdrawn to another part of the room. The Czar
was very much pleased with the modesty of the young gentleman's behavior;
and, after finishing the conversation with the embassador, without,
however, having asked him to release Le Fort from his service, he
returned to the part of the room where Le Fort was, and presently asked
him to bring him a glass of wine. He said no more to him at that time in
respect to entering his service, but Le Fort understood very well from
his countenance, and from the manner in which he asked him for the wine,
that nothing had occurred in his conversation with the embassador to lead
him to change his mind.

The next day Peter, having probably in the mean time made some farther
inquiries about Le Fort, introduced the subject again in conversation
with the embassador. He told the embassador that he had a desire to have
the young man Le Fort about him, and asked if he should be willing to
part with him. The embassador replied that, notwithstanding any desire
he might feel to retain so agreeable and promising a man in his own
service, still the exchange was too advantageous to Le Fort, and he
wished him too well to make any objection to it; and besides, he added,
he knew too well his duty to his majesty not to consent readily to any
arrangement of that kind that his majesty might desire.

The next day Peter sent for Le Fort, and fo