f to disappear," declared the
Kaiser. "His mouth should be closed, as he may become an awkward witness.
Tell Protopopoff from me that it would be judicious to send him to some
unknown destination, and that I shall expect to hear early news that he
is missing."

"I will carry out thine order," said Rasputin gravely. "I agree with thee
that Kartzoff is highly dangerous. Besides, he is a friend of my worst
enemy, Purishkevitch, the member of the Duma who has been agitating
against the events at the front."

Rasputin, by the way, did not fail to give Protopopoff the Kaiser's
message, and three days after our return to Petrograd Kartzoff was
enticed away from there by means of a forged telegram, a week later his
body being found in a wood near Kislovodsk, in the North Caucasus, while
two other witnesses against the Minister of War were arrested, and died
later in the island fortress of Schluesselburg.

The Kaiser seemed unusually cordial towards the monk, much more so than
on the occasion when they met in Silesia. The Chancellor seemed to be
watching the "holy" man, taking note of his every gesture and every
remark.

The Kaiser agreed entirely with his Chancellor's views, and was insistent
upon the creation of a pestilence in Russia.

"Cholera or plague could work more for our ends in Russia in a month than
we can effect by military force in a whole year," he declared as he lit a
cigarette, afterwards tossing the match carelessly into the fire. "What
are the views of Alexandra Feodorovna?"

"The same as thine own," the monk replied. "Unfortunately all our efforts
failed. A man named Tsourikoff by some means obtained knowledge of what
was intended. Her Majesty heard of it, hence I had him removed two days
later. He was met by a certain dancer, and had supper with her at
Pivato's, in the Morskaya. An hour after they parted Tsourikoff died
mysteriously."

"The dancer was a friend of yours, eh? Perhaps a sister-disciple?"
remarked the Emperor with a meaning grin.

"Thou hast guessed aright," answered the monk. "But after that we did not
dare to carry the infection further."

"It must be done. I have some ideas. The baron will explain them to you
to-morrow, and I shall expect you to carry them out," said the great War
Lord. "In Russia there must be revolt and disease, in England invasion,
and in France--well, we know how we shall conquer both France and Italy,"
he added, smiling mysteriously.

He spoke as one who bel