favour when I recover my empire. Dost thou promise to serve me zealously?"
The rogue's question and his impudence appeared to me so amusing, that I could not repress a smile.
"What art thou laughing at?" asked he, frowning. "Or is it thou dost not believe that I am the great emperor? Answer me frankly."
I was perplexed. I could not acknowledge the vagabond as being the emperor; it would have been unpardonable cowardice. To call him an imposter to his face, would have been to expose myself to destruction, and to utter what I had been prepared to say at the first outburst of indignation in sight of the gallows, and in the presence of the multitude, would have amounted to vain bragging. I hesitated. Pougatcheff awaited my reply in stern silence. At last (and I think of that moment with self-satisfaction to this day), a sense of duty triumphed over human weakness. I said to Pougatcheff—
"Listen! Shall I tell thee the whole truth? Just reflect whether it is possible for me to acknowledge thee as the emperor. Thou art a reasonable being; thou thyself would'st know that I was shamming."
"Who am I then, according to thy opinion?"
"God knows; but whoever thou mayest be, thou playest a dangerous game."
Pougatcheff threw a quick glance at me.
"Then thou dost not believe," said he, "that I am the Emperor Piotr Feodorovitch? Very well! But is there
