Yes, that plan will do very well. But you will have no difficulty
in finding the house, as I have arranged that a man shall accompany
you as servant. He is a Lithuanian, and is the grandson of a
soldier of Gustavus Adolphus, who married and settled there. His
grandfather kept up his connection with his native country, and the
young fellow speaks Swedish fairly, and, of course, Polish. For the
last three weeks I have employed him in various matters, and find
him shrewd and, I believe, faithful. Such a fellow would be of
great use to you, and could, if necessary, act as your interpreter
in any interviews you may have with Polish Jews, although you will
find that most of these men speak other languages besides their
own."

He touched a bell, and on a servant entering, said:

"Bring Stanislas Bistron here."

An active, well-built young fellow of some four and twenty years of
age entered the room a minute later. His fair hair and blue eyes
showed that he took after his Swedish ancestors.

"This is the gentleman, Stanislas, that you are to accompany to
Warsaw, as his servant. You will obey him, in all respects, as if
he had hired you in his service, and, should he arrive at any
situation of danger or difficulty, I trust that you will not be
found wanting."

The man had looked closely at Charlie.

"I will do my best, sir, and I doubt not that the gentleman's
service will suit me. He has the look of one who would be kind to
his servants."

"Wait at the outside door," the count said. "Captain Carstairs will
speak to you as he leaves."

The man bowed and went out, and the count then said, with a smile
at the look of surprise on Charlie's face:

"It was not a slip of the tongue. Here is a commission, signed by
his majesty, appointing you to the rank of captain, as he has long
considered that you had well won your promotion, by your suggestion
which enabled him to cross the Dwina without loss; but he thought
there would be a difficulty in placing you over the heads of so
many officers senior to yourself. This inconvenience no longer
exists, now that you have what may be considered a staff
appointment, and the rank may, moreover, add to your weight and
influence in your interviews with persons at Warsaw.

"You will need money. Here is a purse for your expenses. You may
meet with some of these men, especially among the Jewish traders,
who may need a bribe. Bribery is common, from the highest to the
lowest, in Poland. Y