Aivasoff straightened himself and, pointing to a
door on the opposite side of the room, asked:

"Are you both ready? The Tsaritza is awaiting you."

Rasputin, though pretending to be careless of his personal appearance,
stroked his long beard, and then announced his readiness to pass into the
presence of the Empress.

"You will go first, and bow," said our attendant. "Your secretary will
remain within the door with hands crossed before him," he said.

Then with his knuckles he rapped thrice upon the white enamelled door,
and, turning the handle of the lock, entered, walking before to announce
us.

In front I saw a deep glow of electricity shaded with daffodil silk, a
pretty artistic room with high palms, choice cut flowers, and soft
luxurious couches upholstered in grey and gold brocade. There sat two
ladies, one of whom was in a silk gown of bottle green, which was, no
doubt, the latest creation of the Rue de la Paix--the Empress--while the
other, who was in elegant black, I afterwards recognised as her bosom
friend who had accompanied her to Kazan, Mademoiselle Zeneide Kamensky.

Ivan Aivasoff bowed low as he uttered his stereotyped words of
introduction. He was one of those ignorant persons with whom the
unscrupulous bureaucrats had surrounded the person of the Tsar. He was an
honest, well-meaning fellow from the Urals, who had been selected to
pose as a palace official, and to act just as I was acting, as the tool
of others; a peasant chosen because he would naturally be less affected
by revolutionary and progressive influence.

Aivasoff was, as I afterwards learnt, but one of many peasants in
immediate contact with the Emperor and Empress, the other servants being
German.

As we bowed before the two ladies they rose smiling, while the Father
with raised hands pronounced upon them his blessing in that pious,
slightly hoarse, but deeply impressive voice of his. Then, after the
Empress had welcomed him he fixed her with that impelling, hypnotic gaze
of his, and in pretence of never having met her before, exclaimed:

"O Gracious Lady, I have come here at thy bidding, though I am but a poor
and unlettered wanderer, unfamiliar with palaces. My sphere is in the
houses of the very poor in order to direct, to advise, and to succour
them. Such is God's will."

"Already, Father, we have heard of you," responded the Empress,
fascinated by the extraordinary thraldom of his gaze. "Your great
charitable works are wel