The latter, indeed,
enlarged so much upon the atrocities perpetrated by Dumnoff as to weary
the superior officer. The Cossack having escaped, the policemen did not
mention him. The officer glanced at Dumnoff.
"Your name?" he inquired.
"Victor Ivanowitch Dumnoff."
"Occupation?"
"Cigarette-maker in the manufactory of Christian Fischelowitz."
"Lock him up," said the officer. "Resisting the police in the execution of
an arrest," he added, speaking to the scribe at his elbow.
"Your name?" continued he, addressing the Count. "Boris Michaelovitch,
Count Skariatine."
"Count?" repeated the officer. "We shall see. Occupation?"
"I have been occupied in the manufacture of cigarettes," answered the
Count. "But as I was only engaged in this during a period of temporary
embarrassment from which I shall be relieved to-morrow, I may be described
as having no particular occupation."
The officer stared incredulously for a moment and then nodded to the
scribe in token that he was to write down what was said.
"Charged with having stolen a doll, is that it?" He turned to the
policeman in charge.
"Jawohl, Herr Hauptmann."
"May it please you, Herr Hauptmann, I did not say that," put in the
porter, coming forward.
"Who are you?"
"The man from whom the doll was stolen. Jacob Goggelmann, Dienstmann
number 87, formerly private in the Fourth Artillery, lately messenger in
the Thueringer Doll Manufactory."
"When was the doll stolen?"
"Last New Year's eve," answered the porter.
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