“And what are the terms?”
Mentchikoff shrugged his shoulders.
“Sweden wants nothing for himself—Gottorp is to get his indemnity and his Duchy, and Denmark is never to meddle again against Sweden.”
Peter was silent a moment he was still very pale and one side of his face twitched convulsively.
“What news from Poland?” he asked at length.
“There were those dispatches yesterday, but you would not listen to them.”
“Tell them to me now.”
“Augustus has raised the siege of Riga.”
“Why?” demanded the Czar, trembling all over.
“The excuse is that the town is full of Dutch merchandise and Poland would not offend Holland. The truth is that Augustus could not take the town.”