The carriage stopped at the house of the Commander-in-Chief Galitzin. The prince was informed of the arrival of the priest, and ordered him to be brought to his bedroom, where he was awaiting him in his dressing-gown.
“Mille pardons, Batiushka,” said the prince, hurriedly dressing. “Most important affair; by orders of the highest authority. You must first give me your oath that you will be silent for ever on everything heard and seen this night. Do you swear?”
“As one offering up a bloodless sacrifice,” answered Father Peter, “I will be faithful to my Sovereign, without any oaths.”
Galitzin was a little embarrassed at first, but he did not insist. He related to the priest a few of the circumstances concerning the captive.
“Did you ever hear anything of her before?” he asked the priest.
“Yes! a few rumours did reach me.…”
“Have you heard that she is now in Petersburg?”
“I hear it for the first time.”
Galitzin told him of the anxiety of the empress, of the several foreign inimical parties, and of the false wills.