The counsellor swore by all the saints that he would allow himself to be called the greatest rogue in the universe, if he was taking me to any other place than Tobolsk. "But," said I, "how do you know this? your orders are sealed up; are you acquainted with their contents?" He gave me to understand that they had been transcribed by himself; besides," added he, " such a journey would not be divided into two parts: had you been destined for Irkutzk, I should have received orders to have taken you there, as I have formerly received in the case of several exiles; but my order and my post-billet mention no other place than Tobolsk. You may make yourself perfectly easy on that head. You may well suppose that it would ill become the dignity of the emperor to parcel out his orders for the purpose of tormenting prisoners, and procuring them new sufferings." The reader will hereafter see what confidence I ought to have placed in the counsellor.

END OF VOLUME I.

LONDON

PRINTED BY C. H. REYNELL, BROAD STREET, GOLDEN SQUARE.