When he came to that capital, he was carried to the house of an officer
of the emperor's palace, named Shepleff, who, having been previously
instructed in the part he was to play, drew several circumstances from
the young man in relation to his condition; and, after some time, told
him, that although the information, which had been sent up from Riga
against him, was of a very serious nature, yet he would have justice
done him; but that it would be necessary to present a petition to his
majesty for that purpose; that one should accordingly be drawn up in his
name, and that he (Shepleff) would find means that he should deliver it
into the czar's own hands.
The next day the czar came to dine with Shepleff, at his own house, who
presented Scavronsky to him; when his majesty, after asking him
abundance of questions was convinced, by the natural answers he gave,
that he was really the czarina's brother; they had both lived in
Livonia, when young, and the czar found every thing that Scavronsky said
to him, in relation to his family affairs, tally exactly with what his
wife had told him concerning her brother, and the misfortunes which had
befallen her and her brother in the earlier part of their lives.
The czar, now satisfied of the truth, proposed the next day to the
empress to go and dine with him at Shepleff's; and, when dinner was
over, he gave orders that the man, whom he had examined the day before,
should be brought in again. Accordingly he was introduced, dressed in
the same clothes he had wore while on his journey to Riga; the czar not
being willing that he should appear in any other garb than what his
unhappy circumstances had accustomed him to.
He interrogated him again, in the presence of his wife; and the MS.
adds, that, at the end, he turned about to the empress, and said these
very words:--'This man is your brother; come hither, Charles, and kiss
the hand of the empress, and embrace your sister.'
The author of this narrative adds further, that the empress fainted away
with surprise; and that, when she came to herself again, the czar said,
'There is nothing in this but what is very natural. This gentlemen is my
brother in-law; if he has merit, we will make something of him; if he
has not, we must leave him as he is.'