LITHUANIA AND ITS PEOPLE. 105 



forthwith showed, that, in his opinion, something very 

 serious was the matter ; and that it was his duty to 

 call us strictly to account for it. In a loud, dictatorial 

 tone, he ordered the servant to open the boxes, and 

 demanded from us our papers. Both these orders were 

 instantly complied with ; but, in surrendering my papers 

 I took the liberty of retaining my English passport as 

 long as I could. 



' After the boxes had been examined, and every article 

 of their contents most minutely scrutinised, the officer 

 turned to Count Bisping, and ordered him to undress. 

 The Count immediately pulled off his coat and other 

 garments. The contents also of his pockets were 

 searched ; his watch and purse seized, and all his money 

 counted ; even his boots were taken off and carefully 

 examined by a soldier, to see if any piece of paper were 

 concealed inside them, or between the soles. The Ger- 

 man servant next underwent the same operation ; 

 whilst I quietly looked on. My turn then came. The 

 gensdarme turned to me, and said, " Now, undress." 



'" I decline doing so," I answered, speaking in French, 

 " I am an Englishman, travelling with a passport given 

 under the hand and seal of our Foreign Secretary j and 

 I have also a Russian passport. 1 have not broken any 

 of your laws ; and, until I am informed of the cause of 

 my arrest, I shall not submit to be treated like a felon." 



' He stared at me with a look of blank amazement ; 

 apparently unable to believe his ears, that any one, con- 

 nected with the despised Poles, should dare to disobey 

 the orders of a Russian official. He paused, but only 

 for a moment : then ran, and opened the window, and 

 spoke some words of loud command, the purport of 

 which, the Count told me, was to summon the Chef 

 militaire, and the Chef de police, together with a 

 troop of Cossacks, to our quarters. I could hardly 

 help smiling at this alarming array of force, ordered 

 out against one defenceless man; and was curious to 

 see whether it were really intended by the Russian 



