fume to her mistress
with success," remarked Anna. "And there was not the slightest suspicion.
Xenie Kalatcheff failed, therefore I am not in favour of her being
employed again."

"True, Olga is a girl of great daring, and her lover has long been in the
German service," Rasputin remarked. "I will see her to-morrow." Then,
turning to me, he said: "Feodor, write to her and ask her to call on me
to-morrow evening at eight. Send the letter by special messenger."

This I did, and next evening the girl Bauer called. She was slim, very
pretty, and dressed as she was, as a girl of the people, none would
suspect her of having committed several secret murders at Rasputin's
instructions.

"Olga," he said, when she was shown into his room, "really you are
growing prettier each day! I envy Ivan Ivanovitch, for he has good
taste."

"You flatter me, Father," said the girl, blushing.

"I speak the truth," declared the monk, twisting the end of his beard in
his fingers and fixing his strange eyes upon hers. "But," he went on, "I
asked you here because I want you to help our cause once again--with the
perfume."

She grew serious in an instant.

"Who is obnoxious?" she asked quickly, in a hard voice.

"Purishkevitch," declared the monk. "The man has somewhere in his house
certain incriminating papers regarding Madame Vyrubova. These, however,
do not concern you. When the Deputy is dead I will have the police search
the house at once, and the papers when found will be handed to me. You
must repeat the role you played in Prince Tchekmareff's household."

With these words he rose and took from a drawer he unlocked a small
bottle containing a piece of cotton-wool, saying:

"This wool has been soaked in the perfume and dried, so that it is more
easily carried and less suspicious than in liquid form. Just place a
little water on the wool and squeeze it out, when you have the perfume
ready to hand."

The pretty girl took the little wide-mouthed bottle and held it against
the light.

"The Deputy will be difficult to approach," she said. "He is not a
fast-living man, like some with whom I have dealt."

"He will not be able to resist a pretty face like yours," Rasputin said
confidently.

"Well," she said at last, "I will try, Father. Give me your blessing."

And she went upon her knees, while the erotic blackguard placed his dirty
hands upon her head, and, raising his eyes to Heaven, pretended to place
upon her his benediction.