long journey across Asia, I had had time to mature my plans,
with the advantage of knowing that the real enemy I had to fight was
neither M. Petrovitch nor the witching Princess Y----, but the Power
which was using them both as its tools.

It was a frightful thing to know that two mighty peoples, the
Japanese and Russians, neither of which really wished to fight each
other, had been locked in strife in order to promote the sinister and
tortuous policy of Germany.

So far, the German Kaiser had accomplished one-half of his program.
The second, and more important, step would be to bring about a
collision between the Russians and the English.

Thus the situation resolved itself into an underground duel between
Wilhelm II. and myself, a duel in which the whole future history of
the world, and possibly the very existence of the British Empire,
hung in the balance.

And the arbiter was the melancholy young man who wandered through the
vast apartments of his palace at Tsarskoe-Selo like some distracted
ghost, wishing that any lot in life had been bestowed on him rather
than that of autocrat of half Europe and Asia.

It was to Nicholas that I first repaired, on my return, to report the
result of my mission.

I obtained a private audience without difficulty, and found his
majesty busily engaged in going through some papers relating to the
affairs of the Navy.

"So they have not killed you, like poor Menken," he said with a
mixture of sympathy and sadness.

"Colonel Menken killed!" I could not forbear exclaiming.

"Yes. Did you not hear of it? A Japanese spy succeeded in
assassinating him, and stealing the despatch, just before Mukden. A
lady-in-waiting attached to the Dowager Czaritza happened to be on
the train, and brought me the whole story."

I shook my head gravely.

"I fear your majesty has been misinformed. Colonel Menken committed
suicide. I saw him put the pistol to his head and shoot himself. His
last words were a message to your majesty."

The Czar raised his hand to his head with a despairing gesture.

"Will these contradictions never end!" he exclaimed. "Really, sir, I
hope you have made a mistake. Whom _can_ I trust!"

I drew myself up.

"I have no desire to press my version on you, sire," I said coldly.
"It is sufficient that the Colonel was robbed, and that he is dead.
Perhaps Princess Y---- has also given you an account of my own
adventures?"

Nicholas II. looked at me distrustfully.

"Le