e touched the bell, and the warder re-entered and led Godfrey away. The
colonel sat for some little time in thought. He liked the lad's face and
his manner, which, although perfectly respectful, had none of the
servility with which Russians generally address their superiors. "He did
not say that he was a Russian," he said to himself, "only that he was
born in Russia. I should say from his appearance and manner that he was
English. What was he sent out here for, I wonder? He may have been a
clerk and been condemned for forgery or embezzlement. He may have been a
political prisoner, most likely that I should say. He may have got mixed
up in some of these Nihilist plots; if so, he has done well to become a
vagabond. I can't help thinking he was speaking the truth when he
declared he was innocent. Well, perhaps in the long run it will be the
best for him. A clerk's lot is not a very bright one, and I should say
he is likely to make his way anywhere. He has a hard two years' time
before him among those scoundrels, but I should think he is likely to
hold his own."

Then he dismissed the subject from his thoughts and turned to a pile of
papers before him.

Godfrey, on leaving the presence of the governor, was taken by the
warder to one of the prison blocks, and was handed over to the prison
official in charge of it. He was taken to a small room and there
furnished with a bag in which to keep his underclothing and other
effects.

"You will use this bag for a pillow at night," the official said. "What
money you have you can either give to me to take charge of for you, or
can hand it over to the head man of the room to lay out for you as you
require it, or you can keep it yourself. If you choose to hold it
yourself you had better keep a very sharp look-out; not that there are
any professional thieves here, it is only for very serious offences that
men are sent east of Irkutsk."

Godfrey thanked the official, but said that what little he had he might
as well keep with him. His money in paper was safely hidden in the
lining of his convict jacket, and as he knew that that would be worn by
night as well as by day, it was perfectly safe there. He was provided
with some flannel shirts and other underclothing.

"I see you have underclothing of your own," the official said; "but of
course you have the regular allowance given you; if you run short of
money you can sell them. Now come along with me."

Godfrey was led into a large ro