purport for
you. Know, then, that there has been a mysterious exchange of letters
between Natacha Feodorovna and the Central Revolutionary Committee,
and that these letters show the daughter of General Trebassof to be in
perfect accord with the assassins of her father for the execution of
their abominable project."

"The death of the general?"

"I declare to Your Majesty that that is not possible."

"Obstinate man! I will read--"

"Useless, Sire. It is impossible. There may be in them the question of
a project, but I am greatly surprised if these conspirators have been
sufficiently imprudent to write in those letters that they count on
Natacha to poison her father."

"That, as a matter of fact, is not written, and you yourself are
responsible for it not being there. It does not follow any the less that
Natacha Feodorovna had an understanding with the Nihilists."

"That is correct, Sire."

"Ah, you confess that?"

"I do not confess; I simply affirm that Natacha had an understanding
with the Nihilists."

"Who plotted their abominable attacks against the ex-Governor of
Moscow."

"Sire, since Natacha had an understanding with the Nihilists, it was not
to kill her father, but to save him. And the project of which you hold
here the proofs, but of whose character you are unaware, is to end the
attacks of which you speak, instantly."

"You say that."

"I speak the truth, Sire."

"Where are the proofs? Show me your papers."

"I have none. I have only my word."

"That is not sufficient."

"It will be sufficient, once you have heard me."

"I listen."

"Sire, before revealing to you a secret on which depends the life of
General Trebassof, you must permit me some questions. Your Majesty holds
the life of the general very dear?"

"What has that to do with it?"

"Pardon. I desire that Your Majesty assure me on that point."

"The general has protected my throne. He has saved the Empire from one
of the greatest dangers that it has ever run. If the servant who has
done such a service should be rewarded by death, by the punishment that
the enemies of my people prepare for him in the darkness, I should never
forgive myself. There have been too many martyrs already!"

"You have replied to me, Sire, in such a way that you make me understand
there is no sacrifice--even to the sacrifice of your amour-propre the
greatest a ruler can suffer--no sacrifice too dear to ransom from death
one of these martyrs."

"Ah,