t," he said with a courteous inclination.

"You have reason to."

He gave me a questioning glance.

"Up to the present I have been on the defensive," I explained. "I
dislike violent measures. But from this moment I shall hold myself at
liberty to use them."

"I am afraid I have gone rather too far," the promoter hesitated.

"You have drugged me. You have robbed me. You have murdered me."

"You are alive, however," he ventured to retort with an impudent
smile.

"Unfortunately," I went on sternly, "in murdering me you exceeded
your instructions."

"How----"

"I dreamed that I heard you tell your accomplice so," I put in,
without giving him a chance to speak.

He ceased to meet my gaze.

"You are therefore not even a political criminal. You are a common
felon. As such I warn you that I shall execute you without notice,
and without reprieve."

The Russian scowled fiercely.

"We will see about that," he blustered. "I have a loaded revolver in
my pocket."

I waved my hand scornfully.

"Undeceive yourself, George Petrovitch. I am not proposing a duel. I
cannot be expected to fight with a condemned murderer. I sentence you
to death--and may the Lord have mercy on your soul."

"By what right?" he demanded furiously.

"I am accredited by the Emperor of Japan to the Emperor of Russia.
This house is Japanese soil. Farewell!"

Petrovitch rose from his chair, wavering between indignation and
alarm.

"I shall defend myself!" he exclaimed, edging slowly toward the door.

"You will do better to confess yourself. Is there no prayer that you
wish to say?"

The Russian smiled incredulously.

"You seem very confident," he sneered.

I saw that it was useless to try to rouse him to a sense of his
peril. I pointed to the door, and pressed a knob on the wall.

The murderer made two steps from me, laid his fingers on the
door-handle--and dropped dead instantly.

CHAPTER XXV

A CHANGE OF IDENTITY

I now approach the crucial portion of my narrative.

The incidents already dealt with, though not without a certain
interest, perhaps, for those who value exact information about
political events, are comparatively unimportant, and have been given
here chiefly in order to inspire confidence in what follows.

At all events, their truth is not likely to be disputed, and I have
not thought it necessary, therefore, to insist on every corroborative
detail.

But I am now about to enter on what must be conside