I knew that there had been a time when he
was high in place at the court of his native city, St. Petersburg; I
knew that he had been prominent in the favor of Czar Alexander, and I
had no doubt that he was so still, notwithstanding the positive
assertion once made by him that he would probably never pass the
borders of Russia again. But this was only another phase of the mystery
that surrounded him, and it belittled not at all my estimation of the
man's character, and the power he could sway if he chose to do so. How
deeply he was, even at that moment, in the confidence of the Russian
emperor, I was one day to understand, although the moment of
comprehension was many months distant from me then.

He had dined and so we had cigars served to us in that cozy corner
where, with a table which held a box of them, together with some liquid
refreshments and other conveniences, we settled ourselves for an
uninterrupted chat.

"It is good to see you, old chap," he told me in his frank and hearty
way; "good to be with you again; to feel the clasp of your hand and to
hear your hearty laugh. I have been thinking about you considerably of
late, and this morning when I found that my wandering life had dropped
me down in your city, I determined to look you up at once. In my
baggage I found your card which contained this club address; and here I
am." His big, hearty, infectious laugh rang through the room.

There was no need to tell him of my own delight in his presence. My
manner of greeting him had demonstrated that without any question of
doubt. Presently he asked me:

"What is your particular avocation just now, Derrington? Are you still
at the old game?"

"Still at the old game," I replied, nodding my head solemnly. "I
suppose I will always be at it in one way or another."

"Your government won't let you go very far away from its reach," he
said, with a quizzical smile.

"Oh, the government! I have cut it, Alexis."

"What? Left the service?"

"Temporarily," I replied, and he laughed again as loudly as before.
There was reason for his levity, because placing my resignation in the
hands of the secretary had become a habit with me. I was periodically
depressed by the duties of a secret service agent and as often
determined to leave the service for good. But as often, I had returned
to it upon the request of one department or another of my government,
when my services were required in the line of some particular duty
which