From the day when Charlie’s suggestion, of burning damp straw to conceal the passage of the river, had been attended with such success, the king had held him in high favour.  There was but a few years’ difference between their ages, and the suggestion, so promptly made, seemed to show the king that the young Englishman was a kindred spirit, and he frequently requested him to accompany him in his rides, and chatted familiarly with him.

“I hate this inactive life,” he said one day, “and would, a thousand times, rather be fighting the Russians than setting the Poles by the ears; but I dare not move against them, for, were Augustus of Saxony left alone, he would ere long set all Poland against me.  At present, the Poles refuse to allow him to bring in reinforcements from his own country; but if he cannot get men he can get gold, and with gold he can buy over his chief opponents, and regain his power.  If it costs me a year’s delay, I must wait until he is forced to fly the kingdom, and I can place on the throne someone who will owe his election entirely to me, and in whose good faith I can be secure.

“That done, I can turn my attention to Russia, which, by all accounts, daily becomes more formidable.  Narva is besieged by them, and will ere long fall; but I can retake Narva when once I can depend upon the neutrality of the Poles.  Would I were king of Poland as well as of Sweden.  With eighty thousand Polish horse, and my own Swedish infantry, I could conquer Europe if I wished to do so.

“I know that you are as fond of adventure as I am, and I am thinking of sending you with an envoy I am despatching to Warsaw.

“You know that the Poles are adverse to business of all kinds.  The poorest noble, who can scarcely pay for the cloak he wears, and who is ready enough to sell his vote and his sword to the highest bidder, will turn up his nose at honest trade; and the consequence is, as there is no class between the noble and the peasant, the trade of the country is wholly in the hands of Jews and foreigners, among the latter being, I hear, many Scotchmen, who, while they make excellent soldiers, are also keen traders.  This class must have considerable power, in fact, although it be exercised quietly.  The Jews are, of course, money lenders as well as traders.  Large numbers of these petty nobles must be in their debt, either for money lent or goods supplied.

“My agent goes specially charged to deal with the archbishop, who is quite open to sell his services to me, although he poses as one of the strongest adherents of the Saxons.  With him, it is not a question so much of money, as of power.  Being a wise man, he sees that Augustus can never retain his position, in the face of the enmity of the great body of the Poles, and of my hostility.  But, while my agent deals with him and such nobles as he indicates as being likely to take my part against Augustus, you could ascertain the feeling of the trading class,