rom
the time he was attacked in the streets of Warsaw.

"So it was you, Captain Carstairs, after whom there was so keen a
search in September. The death of Ben Soloman made a great stir,
and I can assure you that there are a great many people who owe you
a debt of gratitude. The man had no sons, and all his property
passed to his widow, whom he had, it seems, treated harshly during
his lifetime. She was from Holland, and wished to return to her
people, so, as his means were very large, she made the easiest
terms with all those on whose estates her husband had held
mortgages, in order to wind up her affairs as soon as possible.
Thus, his death was the subject of wide rejoicings. However, if you
had been caught at the time, I fear it would have gone hard with
you; for the Jews were all very keen about it--as the man, rascal
though he was, was one of the chief heads of their religion--and
were you to fall into their hands in any of the towns, they would
either kill you or send you to Warsaw."

"And now, sir, will you tell me what has taken place since
September?"

"Things have moved slowly. Augustus endeavoured, after his defeat
on the Dwina, to make peace with Charles on his own account, and
without the knowledge of the diet, but Charles refused to give
audience to any of his agents, and would not even see the beautiful
Countess of Konigsmark, who is, you know, herself a Swede, and whom
Augustus sent, thinking that her blandishments might win over the
young king. It was useless. Charles maintained the ground that he
took up from the first--namely, that he would treat with the diet,
but would have nothing whatever to say to Augustus. So the diet
sent an embassy of four senators.

"Instead of receiving them with every pomp and ceremony, as they
expected, the king met them on horseback. He demanded that, as a
first condition, they should dethrone Augustus. Parties in the diet
were pretty equally divided; but the proposal was rejected, for
even those most hostile to Augustus resented the proposal that we,
a free and unconquered people, should be ordered by a foreign
prince to change our king. So nothing came of it.

"The Swedish army advanced a certain distance into Poland, and
there were a great number of skirmishes, but there has been no
serious fighting, nor is there much chance of any, until the snow
has gone and the country dried up in the spring. At present,
Augustus is quarrelling with the diet, who still set t