“‘Be careful,’ ses the Czar, ‘one of them cartridges might be loaded. I can see you are a brave man’ (and he was too, for he was married three times, and he a widower, and he but three and thirty). ‘There’s nothing like discretion,’ ses the Czar, ‘if you want to keep alive and out of trouble.’
“‘I’m afraid of nothing,’ ses Bryan. ‘And I’ll always befriend a stranger in a foreign country.’
“And when the Czar heard that, he ses: ‘Bryan O’Loughlin of Cahermore, come here to me,’ and Bryan came. ‘Sit down there,’ ses he, ‘while I fill my pipe,’ and when his pipe was filled, he up and ses, as he drew a lot of photographs from his pocket: ‘These are my seven daughters,’ ses he, and Bryan was delighted and surprised, so he ses: ‘And is their mother living too?’ ‘She is, indeed,’ says the Czar, and without saying another word he pulls her photograph out of another pocket, and when Bryan sees it, he ses: ‘’Pon my word, she’s a fine, decent, grauver looking woman, and I wouldn’t mind having her for a mother myself, only she looks too like a protestant.’
“‘She was the Duchess of Skatchachivouchi,’ ses the Czar.
“‘Is that so? Well, then, she comes of a real decent family,’ ses Bryan.
“‘Now,’ ses the Czar, ‘I want to reward you for your wonderful courage, so you can have your choice of my seven daughters,’ ses he, ‘and I’ll make you Duke of Siberia besides.’
“But Bryan neither hummed nor hawed, and only asked him for the fill of his pipe, and when both were puffing away together, ses Bryan to the Czar: ‘I can see you are a decent man, and I must thank you for your kindness, and indeed I must say also that your daughters are fine respectable-looking young women, and I’m sure that they would make good wives if they were well looked after. But I promised my last wife, and she on her dying bed, that I would never marry any one again but the King of Spain’s daughter.’
“And when he had all that said, the Czar looked very sad, and turned as pale as a ghost, and all he said was: ‘Well, I couldn’t do any more for you,’ and then ses he: ‘Is there any place down here where we can have a drink?’
“‘There is,’ said Bryan, ‘down in the glen at the Fox and Hounds.’
“So off they marched together, and after they treated each other to three halfs of whiskey each, the Czar looked very tired and forlorn, and said, as they made a short cut through St. Kevin’s boreen, and observed the clouds of night coming on from east and west, and south and north, and not a friend nor an enemy in sight: ‘Well,’ ses he, ‘how the devil am I to reach the shore in safety? I’m a mighty monarch, and I must have a bodyguard.’