"Your alphabet," he said, "does not lend itself to our language. You have neither our J, nor our L, V, or Ë. I have a collection of _daïnos_ published last year at Koenigsberg, and I had immense trouble to understand the words, they are so queerly formed." "Your Excellency probably speaks of Lessner's _daïnos_?" "Yes, it is very vapid poetry, do you not think?" "He might perhaps have selected better. I admit that, as it is, this collection has but a purely philological interest; but I believe if careful search were made one would succeed in collecting the most perfect flowers of your folk-poetry." "Alas! I doubt it very much, in spite of my patriotic desires." "A few weeks ago a very fine ballad was given me at Wilno--an historical one.... It is a most remarkable poem.... May I read it? I have it in my bag." "With the greatest pleasure." He buried himself in an armchair, after asking permission to smoke. "I can't understand poetry unless I smoke," he said. "It is called _The Three Sons of Boudrys_." "_The Three Sons of Boudrys_?" exclaimed the Count, with a gesture of surprise. "Yes, Boudrys, as Your Excellency knows better than I, is an historic character." The Count looked at me fixedly with that odd gaze of his. It was almost indefinable, both timid and ferocious, and produced an almost painful impression until one grew accustomed to it. I hurriedly began to read to escape it. "THE THREE SONS OF BOUDRYS. "In the courtyard of his castle old Boudrys called together his three sons--three genuine Lithuanians like himself. "'My children,' he said to them, 'feed your war horses, and get ready your saddles; sharpen your swords and your javelins. It is said that at Wilno war has broken out between the three quarters of the globe. Olgerd will march against Russia; Skirghello against our neighbours, the Poles; Keystut will fall upon the Teutons.[4] You are young, strong and bold; go and fight; and may the gods of Lithuania protect you! This year I shall not go to war, but I wish to counsel you. There are three of you, and three roads are open to you. "'One of you must accompany Olgerd to Russia, to the borders of Lake Ilmen, under the walls of Novgorod. Ermine skins and embroidered stuffs you will find there in plenty, and among the merchants as many roubles as there are blocks of ice in the river. "'The second must follow Keystut in his incursion. May he scatter the cross-bearing rabble! Amber is there as common as is the sea sand; their cloths are without equal for sheen and colour; their priests' vestments are ornamented with rubies. "'The third shall cross the Niémen with Skirghello. On the other side he will find base implements of toil. He must choose good lances and strong buckles to oppose them, and he will bear away a daughter-in-law.