his master, the head of the
political police, a short, fat man in general's uniform, with
decorations, who, when he entered the room, betrayed unmistakable signs
of having dined well. Indeed, he had been unearthed from a midnight
carouse at a questionable restaurant.

At sight of Rasputin, a power to be reckoned with and a person of whom
even the greatest in the land craved favours, he pulled himself together
and cast himself into a chair to listen.

The monk was clever enough not to enlighten the Police Director regarding
the plot to upset Kokovtsov's undue inquisitiveness. He merely told him
that a certain secret agent named Botkine was leaving Berlin for
Petrograd on the twenty-second.

"The man is dangerous," he added, "extremely dangerous."

"Why?" asked Gutchkoff, somewhat surprised at our midnight visit.

"Because--well, because I happen to know that he is in possession of
certain facts concerning very high personages. He is a blackmailer, and
has been to Berlin to endeavour to sell some documents to Maximilian
Harden--documents which, if published, would place a certain member of
our Imperial family in a very unsatisfactory light," Rasputin said. "My
friend Rogogin here will bear me out."

The Police Director, after a few minutes' silence, asked:

"Has he sold the documents in question?"

"I think not," was Rasputin's reply. "If he has not, he will have them in
his possession on his return. We must secure them at all costs."

"You wish to close his mouth--eh?"

"Yes. He must be suppressed at all hazards," declared the monk. "It is
the wish of the Emperor," he added, a glib lie always ready upon his
tongue. "Further, I need not add that if this affair be conducted in
secrecy and scandal in the Imperial House avoided, His Majesty will
certainly see that you are adequately rewarded. I can promise you that."

General Gutchkoff was again silent. He well knew that if the Tsar had
ordered the man Botkine to be silenced there must be some very unsavoury
affair to be hushed up.

"There is an agent of yours in Berlin named Ostrovski, is there not?" the
monk asked.

"Yes."

"Then he must also be removed at once to another post. Transfer him to
Constantinople, or, better still, to Yokohama. He must not remain in
Berlin another twenty-four hours, and he must, not, at any cost, be
allowed to return to Russia," Rasputin said decisively.

"I scarcely follow you, Holy Father," was the amazed general's reply.