The General was accustomed to decide
every case en militaire. He had received from
the police court an unfavourable opinion of
the petitioner's character, which was
described as "restless;" and was, moreover,
rather offended at his authority having been
appealed to by a subordinate. He therefore
settled the business summarily, by sending
the young petitioner to the military service
for life, in virtue of the vagrant act.

Still the young man's petition produced a
good effect: the poor girl was not flogged, lest
that might have provoked some disturbance in
the town. She was merely dressed in convict's
apparel and sent off to Siberia.

The transport of Russian convicts costs
the government but very little. They go on
foot, sleep in étapes or barracks; and the daily
allowance for their subsistence amounts only
to five kopecks, equal to a halfpenny in
English money. This they, as well as the
poor old soldiers who escort them, have to
eke out by charity. For that purpose, the
most attractive person amongst each party of
exiles is delegated—box in hand, but with an
armed soldier behind—to beg alms of the
benevolent; and Sophie was appointed to be the
suppliant for the rest of her wretched
companions.

The road from Vilna to Siberia passes
through Vitebsk. The convicts had not been
long in the town before Sophie encountered
Madame Strognof, who recognised the girl
from her very great likeness to her mother,
who had died in that lady's house. When she
learned that Sophie had been living with the
Botwinkos, she had no longer a doubt.

The girl asserted her innocence of the
pretended crime for which she was on her way to
Siberia, with tearful energy, and the good
Madame S. believed her; but her husband,
who was at that time the Vice-Governor of
Vitebsk, to disabuse his wife's romantic
dreams, as he called them, sent for the officer
escorting the prisoners; and showed her the
list of prisoners, which contained a full record,
not only of the crime imputed to the orphan
girl, but also of the punishment to which she
had been condemned.

In the face of an official document which
appeared to be regular, and which detailed the
girl's presumed offence with circumstantial
consistency, Madame Strognof began to waver
in her belief of Sophie's protestations; but the
unfortunate girl asserted her innocence so
strongly and incessantly, that the Vice-
Governor himself was at length induced to
look into the facts. The first suspicion that
entered his mind was derived from the
circumstance of the document stating that the
culprit had been punished with the knout;
whilst, it was evident from her appearance,
that that dreadful torture had not been
inflicted. He caused a medical man to examine
her, who testified that not a scar appeared;
yet the knout always leaves ineffaceable traces
for life.

In consequence of this discrepancy, Sophie
was allowed to remain for some time at
Vitebsk under the plea of illness; which,
at the request of the Vice-Governor, was
readily certified by an official surgeon. After
some delay, a memorial was forwarded by the
unfortunate sufferer to the late Emperor
Alexander, in consequence of which a court-
messenger was sent immediately to Vilna.
This gentleman brought back to St. Petersburgh
an enormous volume, containing the so-
called depositions taken at the pseudo trial.
After careful inspection of them, the Emperor
decided that they proved the legality of the
proceedings. So artfully were these infamous
depositions framed; that, among them,
appeared the formula of a chemical analysis of
the poison which the girl was accused of
administering, and a full confession; to which
the culprit's signature was forged.

The answer, therefore, from the throne was
not only unfavourable; but the authorities of
Vitebsk were reprimanded for allowing the
girl to importune his Majesty without
sufficient grounds.

Notwithstanding, Madame Strognof was
not discouraged; and, to the great alarm of
her husband, had another petition drawn up
and forwarded with a suitable memorial to
the Princess Maria Fedorowna, the Emperor's
mother, who was known to all the country as
a pious and charitable lady. This petition,
presented to his Majesty by his own mother,
had so great an influence over him, that he
ordered the girl to be brought to St. Petersburgh.
He felt convinced that some
unaccountable mystery was involved in the
case.

In due time Sophie arrived at St. Petersburgh,
and underwent a rigid examination.
She asseverated with the most earnest
truthfulness, that all the depositions were fictitious;
that the chemical analysis was a wicked
invention; and that the signature to her
fabricated confession was a forgery. She also
denied that any trial had taken place, or that
she had been examined in any court whatever.
Upon this, the Emperor appointed Mr.
Getzewicz, the Governor of Minsk—who was
known as a most trustworthy man—to go
personally to Vilna; to investigate the case;
and to report the result. For this purpose
the papers and the girl were forwarded back
to Vilna.

The mission of Mr. Getzewicz was by no
means an easy or a pleasant one: he had to
contend with a swarm of official insects; which,
like Canadian mosquitoes when disturbed,
attack the new comer from every side.
However, Mr. Getzewicz stood his ground firmly.
He soon discovered that the secretary of the
police court who had drawn up the depositions
was a convict, sentenced for life to
Siberia for having been associated with
highway robbers. He had escaped and was
retained in his situation by merely changing
his Christian name, and by being reported