to return for many years to come. You will miss a few faces at court.
You will be forced to fill a few vacancies in the army. The next
caravan across Siberia will be a larger one than the last, and the
population of this city will be depleted by nearly three thousand souls
counting all that I have enumerated."

"This is glorious news to awaken to--glorious! I cannot repay you the
debt I owe you, Derrington."

"Now that you have heard the good news, can you bear to hear some that
is not so good, monsieur?"

"What! Is there bad news also?"

"Necessarily, there must have been some fatalities."

"Ah! Some one was killed? Some friend of mine?"

"Yes. Some one has killed himself."

"Durnief?"

"No. He is a prisoner."

"Why keep me waiting? Tell me at once."

"I greatly fear, your majesty, that I am responsible for this death.
Here is the letter he left. Read it. I do not know what it contains. I
only just now discovered the body."

"_Michael!_" He exclaimed as soon as he saw the handwriting. I made no
reply and he broke the seal and read the last words of his lifelong
friend. Presently he returned it to me.

"Read," he said, and I read.

_My Friend_,--

In death, qualities of rank cease, hence I address you as I have
always felt towards you--as my friend. Derrington was right; he
told the truth, and I lied. I am not now and have never been a
nihilist in spirit, but it is true that I am one in fact. I joined
them in a moment of folly, to protect a friend whom I knew to be
one. I have never allied myself to them, and have never attended
one meeting of theirs. The friend for whose sake I joined has been
generous, and no demands have been made upon me; nevertheless, I am
guilty. Yet, believe me my friend, when with my last breath I
assure you that I have never harbored one disloyal thought towards
you or yours, and I should unhesitatingly have betrayed the
nihilists had I ever known of a single circumstance inimical to
you. But I can live no longer under this disgrace, so I die. I
beseech you let not the truth of my dishonor be known abroad. I was
unjust to Derrington, and I crave his pardon. I loved him as a
brother, and as brothers quarrel at times, so did we. He is
faithful; trust him. May God lead you in the right; may He preserve
your life and your empire, and may He have mercy upon me.

MICH