I immediately consented--packed up what we required, and without disturbing those who were enjoying themselves we gained the court-yard, and took our seats in a britska, in company with the officer. In four days we arrived at Petersburgh, and my mistress was separated from me and thrown into prison. She never saw her accusers or her judges; her memorial to the emperor was disregarded, and she was condemned--but her punishment was not immediately decided upon. For three weeks my mistress remained in prison. I was, by the humanity of the officer, who had the charge of her, allowed to visit her for a few minutes every day, but it was always in the presence of a third person. One morning when I came, the poor lady fell upon my neck and sobbed a long while without speaking; the countenance of the officer was also melancholy to a degree, and I perceived that a tear occasionally trickled down his manly cheek. "Ekaterina," said she, at last, "I have heard my sentence, and am to be punished to-morrow. O God! forgive them their cruelty and injustice:" and she sank from my arms upon the floor of the dungeon. We raised her, and she recovered a little. "Yes, Ekaterina, I am to be punished to-morrow for a crime of which I am innocent--a punishment--God have mercy!--worse than death. The knout--the knout--and that attended with public exposure in the market-place. May God forgive the emperor his cruelty!" I had heard of this dreadful punishment, but little thought that women suffered by it. It was too barbarous. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "I have not heard of it," said the pacha. "Tell me, old woman, is it worse than the bastinado?" "Yes, your highness. It is a whip of enormous power, so that if the executioner has a private order, he can kill the party on whom it is inflicted by two or three blows; but your highness will better comprehend the nature of the punishment when I describe what I witnessed." ------------------------------------------------------------------------