ame?"

"I expect you must have heard of him already, It is----"

"_Monsieur V----?_"

The second Empress nodded.

No more was said.

The two imperial figures passed away along the terrace, silhouetted
against the red and stormy sunset sky, like two ministering spirits
of peace brooding over a battleground of blood.

CHAPTER I

THE INSTRUCTIONS OF MONSIEUR V----

The great monarch by whose gracious command I write this narrative
has given me his permission to preface it with the following
remarkable document:

_Minute_: It is considered that it cannot but promote the
cause of peace and good understanding between the British
and Russian Governments if Monsieur V---- be authorized to
relate in the columns of some publication enjoying a wide
circulation, the steps by which he was enabled to throw
light on the occurrences in the North Sea.

_By the Cabinet._

In addition, I desire to state for the benefit of those who profess
to see some impropriety in the introduction of real names into a
narrative of this kind, that objections precisely similar to theirs
were long ago raised, and long ago disposed of, in the case of
Parliamentary reports, newspaper articles, society papers, and comic
publications of all kinds; and, further, that I have never received
the slightest intimation that my literary methods were displeasing to
the illustrious personages whom my narratives are intended to honor.

With this apology I may be permitted to proceed.

On a certain day in the winter which preceded the outbreak of war
between Russia and Japan, I received a summons to Buckingham Palace,
London, to interview the Marquis of Bedale.

I am unable to fix the precise date, as I have forsworn the dangerous
practice of keeping a diary ever since the head of the French police
convinced me that he had deciphered a code telegram of mine to the
Emperor of Morocco.

The Marquis and I were old friends, and, anticipating that I should
find myself required to start immediately on some mission which might
involve a long absence from my headquarters in Paris, I took my
confidential secretary with me as far as the British capital,
utilizing the time taken by the journey in instructing him how to
deal with the various affairs I had in hand.

I had just finished explaining to him the delicate character of the
negotiation then pending between the new King of Servia and Pri