“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.  You will find, in this letter of instructions, that you are authorized to promise sums of money to men whose assistance may be valuable.  It is impossible to fix the sums.  These must depend upon the position of the men, and the value of their services; and I can only say do not be lavish, but at the same time do not hesitate to promise a sum that will secure the services of useful men.  Your best plan will be to find out, if you are able, what each man expects, and to make what abatement you can.  The only limit placed is that you must not commit the royal treasury to a total sum exceeding ten thousand crowns.  You will, I hope, find a smaller sum suffice.