tor as such creatures
usually were removed in the days when they were more common. Rasputin
had been lured to the house of Prince Felix and there killed.

It was said that the czarina was hysterical for days after the
sensational news had swept over all Russia and Protopopoff fainted
upon being informed of the death of his dark ally and master. The
czar, who was at headquarters at the front, hurried home to Tsarskoe
Selo. And then, as though to insult the nation, the dead mujik was
buried with such pomp as was accorded only to members of the Imperial
family, the emperor and Protopopoff being among the pallbearers.

The people treated the event as though it were a great military
victory, rejoicing unrestrainedly. The premier, Trepov, who though a
mere figurehead, was still loyal to Russia and secretly an enemy of
Rasputin and Protopopoff, allowed all the details of the assassination
to be published in the papers, even to the names of those concerned in
the actual killing. These latter were of too high a rank to be
punished, besides which popular sentiment stood solidly behind them.
Trepov himself did not prosecute them because of his sympathy with
their deed.

Now that Rasputin, the undoubted leader and master mind of the dark
forces was dead, there was universal hope that the pro-German
conspiracy was killed with him. But the machine he had built up for
his own protection and medium through which to accomplish his ends was
too well organized to be broken even by his removal. Into Rasputin's
place stepped Protopopoff. He maintained his hold over the czar by
means of spiritualistic seances in which he pretended to have
communication with the spirit of the dead monk. The conspiracy
continued unabated, only now Protopopoff worked with the fury of
desperation. And so the crisis soon came to a head.

All Russia, save for the small palace group, was against him. At the
new year reception held in the palace he was most severely humiliated
by Rodzianko, the president of the Duma, who, when Protopopoff
approached him with extended hand, swung his back to him, causing a
sensation all over the country. At another time, when he entered the
rooms of the aristocratic club in Petrograd, of which he was a member,
all the other members present walked out. Yet he had the courage of
his evil convictions; with the desperate fury of a tortured bull in
the ring he faced all his enemies and continued on his path, the whole
nation against