"I like not this mummery," thought he. "How weak I have been to put such implicit trust in a man of whom I know so little. He may, after all, have deceived me; but it is now too late to retract, and if deceived, I must suffer for my folly, and will boldly carry through the adventure." He threw himself on the chair. "Emblem of mortality!" he exclaimed, looking at the skull, "to this must we all come, and to a brave man, what terrors canst thou bring? Death, what have we to fear in thee? Why, then, should I hesitate, when thou, happen what may, must be the victor at last! Thou art, at the same time, the mighty despot of all, and the only true dispenser of liberty! Thou canst conquer the proudest potentates, and make all men equal--and yet I fear not thee; then, why should I fear aught else? Time flies quickly; I learn this lesson, that one must not delay when work is to be done!" His eye caught sight of a sheet of paper, on which were inscribed several questions. He seized the pen, and wrote appropriate answers. He remained lost in thought. "Yes," he exclaimed, "the die is cast; I will plunge boldly in, nor dream of retracting." He had just come to this conclusion, when suddenly, three dark figures stood before him enveloped in cloaks, and their features concealed by masks. "You must consent to be for a time deprived of sight," said one, "ere the true light can shine on you. Are you ready to undergo your ordeal?" "I am prepared for every ceremony necessary," answered Ivan; "do as you will!" One of the dark figures advanced, a handkerchief was tightly bound over his eyes, and he felt his hand grasped by some one. "Follow me," said a voice, "we have a long and toilsome road to take, full of difficulties and perils, such as you dream not of finding here; but true courage and perseverance will carry you through all dangers." "Lead on then," said Ivan, "I am eager to undertake the journey."