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2 we found him absent, and the horse bleeding, and on a closer
3 examination, saw that the tendons of his legs had been cut
4 across. It was quite natural that the suspicion of the theft
5 and mutilation of the horse could only fall on the absent
6 groom, and as his immediate capture was impossible, I was
7 obliged to arrest the Bokharian merchant who was security
8 for him. I addressed myself to the police-officer, who was
9 instructed by my friends, and who came in person to make
10 an inspection at the hotel. After the imprisonment of the
11 Bokharian, the groom, who had escaped, came of himself to take
12 the place of the captive. It being impossible now to take the
13 horse with me, I sold him for a mere trifle to one of my friends,
14 an Englishman, Mr. Strubing, who bought him for a sire, and
15 who was so kind as to take upon himself to manage my affairs,
16 for which I gave him full power, and a document was drawn on
17 stamped paper, in the presence of the official authorities. Soon
18 after my arrival at Moscow, I received a letter from Mr. Strubing,
19 informing me that my groom had been released immediately
20 after my departure, without any further process. The merchant,
21 M. Lomoff, with whom I transacted the business of the sable
22 skins at Nowgorod, having been a citizen resident at Moscow, I
23 thought it but right to lay the case before his Excellency Prince
24 Galitzin, Governor of Moscow. But great was my astonish-
25 ment at my unfriendly reception by the prince, who said he
26 had not the best opinion of my character, on account of the
27 bad reports which had reached him. I met with the same
28 fate at Count Benkendorf s, on whom I called when he was
29 there with the suite of the Emperor. It is impossible to con-
30 ceive the difficulties I had to struggle with in getting a passport
31 for the continuation of my journey to St. Petersburgh, as they
32 had retained mine at Nowgorod.
33 As I was naturally extremely desirous to restore my injured
34 reputation, I required that a commercial jury should be sum-
35 moned to decide between me and Lomoff. Several months
36 passed away fruitlessly, but at last that jury, consisting of two
37 Russians, two Germans, and two Greek merchants dealing in