ipments.

"I had to authorize a delay of another month, and the Marine
Department would not promise to have the fleet ready even then.

"Naturally, I wished to know what would become of the fleet when it
did sail. Auguste questioned the spirit."

His majesty broke off to feel in his pocket for a small slip of
paper.

"I took down the answer myself, as the spirit rapped it out." And he
read aloud:

Baltic Fleet threatened. Japanese and English plotting to
destroy it on the way to Port Arthur.

I started indignantly.

"And you believe that, sire! You believe that the British Government,
which has been straining every nerve to maintain peace, is capable of
planning some secret outrage against your Navy?"

"It does not say the Government," he announced with satisfaction.
"The spirit only warns me against the English. Private Englishmen are
capable of anything. At this very moment, two Englishmen are
arranging to run a torpedo boat secretly out of the Thames, disguised
as a yacht, and to bring her to Libau for us."

This piece of information silenced me. It was no doubt possible that
there might be Englishmen daring enough to assist the Japanese in
some secret enterprise against a Russian fleet. But I felt I should
like to have some better authority for the fact than the word of
Madame Blavatsky's spirit.

"The warning is a very vague one, sire," I hinted.

"True. But I hope to receive a more definite message to-morrow night.
I was going to ask you if you would have any objection to be present.
You might then be able to put pressure on the British Government to
prevent this crime."

Needless to say I accepted the imperial invitation with eagerness.

And I retired to send the following despatch to Lord Bedale:

When Baltic Fleet starts prepare for trouble. Have all
ports watched. It is believed here that attack on it is
preparing in England.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE MYSTERY OF A WOMAN

Who was M. Auguste?

This was the question that kept my mind busy after my singular
interview with the Russian Emperor.

In accordance with my rule to avoid as much as possible mentioning
the names of the humbler actors in the international drama, I have
given the notorious medium a name which conceals his true one.

He appeared to be a foreigner, and the Czar's weakness in this
direction was too well known for his patronage of the quack to excite
much attention; apparently it had occ