off a gigantic Cossack, or defending the Czar's life
against half a dozen infuriated Nihilists. That would be the thing,
Bullen. It would be better than trade any day. Why, you would get an
estate as big as an English county, with ten thousand serfs, and sacks
upon sacks of roubles."

"What bosh you fellows talk!" Bullen laughed. "There is one thing I do
expect I shall learn in Russia, and that is to skate. Fancy six months
of regular skating, instead of a miserable three or four days. I shall
meet some of you fellows some day at the Round Pond, and there you will
be just working away at the outside edge, and I shall be joining in
those skating-club figures and flying round and round like a bird."

"What birds fly round and round, Bullen?"

"Lots of them do, as you would know, Jordan, if you kept your eyes open,
instead of being always on the edge of going to sleep. Swallows do, and
eagles. Never mind, you fellows will turn yellow with jealousy when you
see me."

And so they laughed and joked until they reached London. Then there was
another hearty good-bye all round, and in a couple of minutes they were
speeding in hansoms to their various destinations. Godfrey Bullen's was
Eccleston Square. His father was now senior partner in a firm that
carried on a considerable business with the east of Europe. He had, when
junior partner, resided at St. Petersburg, as the firm had at that time
large dealings in the Baltic. From various causes this trade had fallen
off a good deal, and the firm had dealt more largely with Odessa and the
southern ports. Consequently, when at the death of the senior partner
Mr. Bullen returned to England to take up the principal management of
the affairs of the firm, it was not deemed advisable to continue the
branch at St. Petersburg, and Ivan Petrovytch, a Russian trader of good
standing, had been appointed their agent there.

The arrangement had not worked quite satisfactorily. Petrovytch was an
excellent agent as far as he went. The business he did was sound, and he
was careful and conscientious; but he lacked push and energy, had no
initiative, and would do nothing on his own responsibility. Mr. Bullen
had all along intended that Godfrey should, on leaving school, go for a
few years to Russia, and should, in time, occupy the same position there
that he himself had done; but he had now determined that this should
take place earlier than he had before intended. He thought that Godfrey
would n