When I Was Czar

[Excerpt of the Author's work] “You mean seriously that I am to impersonate His Majesty?� “For this purpose M. Denver that is my serious meaning.� “Well it’s a most extraordinary proposition.� “The occasion itself is quite an extraordinary one of course. But I repeat you will be doing His Majesty and his Ministers a service of extreme importance. I have asked you of course as I said before only because I understand you deem yourself under a deep obligation to my master.� “You heard us speaking to-night of the incident. I owe him probably my life and certainly an escape from serious injuries. We Americans don’t go back on a call and I admit it’s up to him to call now. But this is such an odd thing.� “Think it over. It is a national characteristic of your countrymen to be prompt. Shall I return say in an hour?� “Wait a minute Prince� I said as he rose and pushing my chair back I took a few turns up and down the room. We were in the apartments which had been assigned to me in the Palace and the Prince had interrupted me as I was planning out my projected journey to Khiva. It was nearly midnight and my maps and papers lay open on the table. ...