Michaeloff
said calmly. "Russia wants a way to the sea--the Turks cut her off
to the south, and the Swedes from the Baltic. She is smothered
between them, and when she saw her chance, she took it. That is not
good morality. I admit that it is the excuse of the poor man who
robs the rich, but it is human nature, and nations act, in the long
run, a good deal like individuals."

"But you have not told me yet, doctor," Charlie said, turning the
conversation, "whether the proposal for an exchange was accepted."

"The general had no power to accept it, Carstairs. It had to be
referred to the czar himself."

"I wish his majesty could see me, then," Charlie laughed. "He would
see that I am but a lad, and that my release would not greatly
strengthen the Swedish army."

"But then the czar may be of opinion that none of his officers, who
allowed themselves to be captured by a handful of men at Narva,
would be of any use to him," Doctor Michaeloff laughed.

"That may, doubtless, be said of a good many among them," Charlie
said, "but, individually, none of the captains could be blamed for
the mess they made of it."

"Perhaps not, but if all the men had been panic stricken, there
were officers enough to have gathered together and cut their way
through the Swedes."

"No doubt there were; but you must remember, Doctor Michaeloff,
that an officer's place is with his company, and that it is his
duty to think of his men, before thinking of himself. Supposing all
the officers of the left wing, as you say, had gathered together
and cut their way out, the czar would have had a right to blame
them for the capture of the whole of the men. How could they tell
that, at daybreak, the general would not have given orders for the
left wing to attack the Swedes? They were strong enough still to
have eaten us up, had they made the effort, and had the czar been
there in person, I will warrant he would have tried it."

"That he would," Doctor Michaeloff said warmly. "You are right
there, young sir. The czar may not be a soldier, but at least he is
a man, which is more than can be said for the officer who ordered
sixty thousand men to lay down their arms to eight thousand."

"I am sure of that," Charlie said. "A man who would do as he has
done, leave his kingdom, and work like a common man in dockyards,
to learn how to build ships, and who rules his people as he does,
must be a great man. I don't suppose he would do for us in England,
becaus