sty commands an audience of you at half-past noon.
He is here ex-officio, of course, with only Alderberg, Zelanoi, and
ourselves, on the matter of the forestry ukase. But about you--there's
another matter he wants you for: the petition for the families of
convict-exiles to follow them to Siberia. The Council has rejected it
twice; but Benckendorf is still agitating the question. His Majesty
still seems to object, strongly. You, too, I suppose?"

"If the wife or the daughter be pretty--of course," returned Gregoriev,
lightly. And Ryumin, seeing that he was not to be drawn, hastily forced
a laugh.

They passed thence into a discussion of local affairs in which they had
recently acted as allies when Ryumin had been Lieutenant-Governor of the
Moscow province. No undercurrent of enmity marred their intercourse.
Gregoriev was certainly an adept at applying or loosening his screws.
His guest had felt them sharply once or twice before to-day. He knew
Gregoriev's power; and Michael asked no more. He had soon made the
General entirely at his ease, and the half-hour passed most agreeably.
At last, however, Ryumin rose, tacitly to remind his host of the
Imperial audience. They had now, indeed, by driving as fast as possible,
barely time to reach the Kremlin. Gregoriev, nevertheless, paid no
attention to the other's movement.

"Come, Boris Vassilyitch, one more cigar! We may as well settle now the
details of this Pahlen affair. You wish a conviction in any case, I
understand?"

"My dear Prince, it can wait. His Majesty's wishes are more important
than mine, you know."

Gregoriev leaned back in his chair and took three leisurely puffs before
he observed, lazily: "I don't agree with you. However, I must not keep
you if you have some other appointment. I shall hardly start for the
Kremlin before one.

"But--but my dear Gregoriev! The Czar! Your audience!--You see you
forget, my good fellow!"

"I forget nothing whatever, General: not even promises that are not
kept."

Ryumin stared, open-mouthed, as Gregoriev's gloomy eyes met his. Then,
with a thrill of wonder, he understood that the man before him had the
superb audacity thus openly to rebuke his Emperor.

Certainly Gregoriev's suggestion was no empty threat. Nicholas Romanoff
actually waited something more than an hour for the arrival of the
Moscow police official. When at last Prince Gregoriev was ushered into
the royal presence, the voice of the master of ceremonies sho