At that moment, the bandage fell from Ivan's eyes, and he was almost blinded by a dazzling and brilliant flame which burned before him. On recovering his sight, he found himself standing in the midst of a circle of persons, the points of whose swords radiated towards him. "With these swords we swear to protect you! to gain true liberty for Russia, or to perish in the attempt, with them in our hands!--and with these swords we swear to destroy any, who, by word or deed, shall betray the trust reposed in him!--We swear!" uttered all the persons present. "Our aims are these," added the first speaker: "to curb the despotic power of the autocrat; to abolish the exclusive privileges of the nobles; to place every subject of Russia on an equal footing of liberty; to liberate the serfs from the thraldom under which they groan; to have but one law in the land to govern all men." "To these we have sworn," responded the conspirators. "Ivan Galetzoff! are you ready to swear to do your utmost to aid in the accomplishment of these objects?" "To all this I solemnly swear!" said Ivan, repeating the secret form of the oath. No sooner had he uttered these words, than the conspirators dropped the points of their swords, which they had hitherto held up at his breast, and advanced towards him with extended hands, exclaiming-- "Welcome, our brother in the great work of the regeneration of Russia!" "We will leave you now," said he who appeared to be the conductor of the ceremony, "till it be time to summon you to the assembly of members;" saying which, the conspirators disappeared by a number of separate doors, from the chamber, which was much larger than the one where he had been previously left, and Ivan again found himself alone.