"No conditions! Justice, in whose hands you now are, might perhaps not
interrogate you with so much delicacy. Who was this unknown at whose
feet we saw you fall? What do you know of him? How did you get
acquainted with him? And in what way was he connected with the
appearance of the second apparition?

"Your highness"--

"On looking at him more attentively, you gave a loud scream, and fell at
his feet. What are we to understand by that?"

"This man, your highness"--He stopped, grew visibly perplexed, and with
an embarrassed countenance looked around him. "Yes, prince, by all that
is sacred, this unknown is a terrible being."

"What do you know of him? What connection have you with him? Do not
hope to conceal the truth from us."

"I shall take care not to do so,--for who will warrant that he is not
among us at this very moment?"

"Where? Who?" exclaimed we altogether, half-amused, half-startled,
looking about the room. "That is impossible."

"Oh! to this man, or whatever he may be, things still more
incomprehensible are possible."

"But who is he? Whence comes he? Is he an Armenian or a Russian? Of
the characters be assumes, which is his real one?"