was as great as Degraux. Truly, the
white-haired Salmoros was a wizard, masquerading under the guise of a
benevolent financier.

With a great effort he pulled himself together and stammered his
thanks. "I cannot sufficiently express my gratitude, your Excellency.
I shall do my best to justify your kindness. But I feel it will be no
easy task to follow in the footsteps of such an illustrious
predecessor."

As soon as Nello had retired, the man who was lounging in the bay
window turned round to Golitzine and shot at him the abrupt question,
"Well, what do you think of him, eh? Is that shrewd old fellow
Salmoros right? Will he be useful to us?"

The Count replied in respectful tones. "It is rather early to form a
judgment, your Majesty; but I must own I am very favourably impressed
with the young man. I think he would be as true as steel to those who
had befriended him."

Nello had little suspected that the tall middle-aged person, dressed
in civilian attire, whom he had taken for an official of the Court or
a personal friend of the Count's, was the Emperor Alexander himself,
the autocrat of all the Russias, supposed to be the strongest man in
Europe, who could bend a horse-shoe between his fingers.

"The one thing to do now is to bring this young Italian and La Belle
Quero together." The Emperor spoke in a musing tone. "That is what the
Baron intends. And we know besides that she is suspected by our secret
police. Half the men who go to her little parties are in their black
books; about Zouroff, we have already pretty convincing evidence. My
own belief is that she is one of the prime movers in the affair."

"So far, of course, nothing has been brought home to her. She
entertains these men, I know, but she is a foreigner, a Spaniard, and
cannot be well acquainted with our domestic politics," interjected the
Count, who was rather favourably impressed with the beautiful
contralto. "Still, in this direction, Corsini may be very useful. He
may be able to worm something out of her."

"Well, Golitzine, we will bring matters to a head as soon as possible,
so far as these two people are concerned," commanded his Majesty. "Let
your wife give a concert before the week is out and engage La Belle
Quero and this young Corsini for it."

The Count bowed. "I will execute your orders, Sire. I agree it would
be politic to introduce them under social auspices, rather than
strictly business ones. Next week he will be installed at th