on his
face, saw the Princess Y---- coming toward him, and stopped short,
the smile changing to a dark frown.

CHAPTER XVII

A SUPERNATURAL INCIDENT

Whether because he saw that I was watching him, or because he placed
his own interpretation on the circumstances, the war plotter changed
his frown into a smile.

"I am glad to see, Princess," he said to the trembling woman, "that
you have so soon found our good friend Mr. Sterling again."

The Princess Y---- gave him a glance which seemed to enjoin silence,
bowed with grace, and left the room in charge of the servant who had
announced M. Petrovitch.

The latter now advanced to greet me with every appearance of
cordiality.

The last time I had met this well-dressed, delicate scamp, he had
drugged and robbed me. Now I had just been told that he was setting
assassins on my track.

But it is my rule always to cultivate friendly intercourse with my
opponents. Few men can talk for long without exposing something of
their inner thoughts. I wanted M. Petrovitch to talk.

Therefore I returned his greeting with equal cordiality, and made him
sit down in the chair from which the Princess Y---- had just risen.

"You will be surprised to hear, no doubt, Mr. Sterling, that I have
brought you an invitation from the Emperor."

"From what Emperor?" was the retort on the tip of my tongue.
Fortunately I suppressed it; there is no accomplishment so fatal to
success in life as wit, except kindness.

I simply answered,

"I am not readily surprised, M. Petrovitch. Neither, I imagine, are
you."

The financier smiled.

"May I call you M. V----?" he asked. "His majesty has told me who you
are."

"Were you surprised by that?" I returned with sarcasm.

Petrovitch fairly laughed.

"I hear you have been denouncing me to Nicholas," he said lightly.
"Can't I persuade you to let our poor little Czar alone. I assure you
it is a waste of breath on your part, and you will only worry a
well-meaning young man who has no head for business."

This was plain speaking. It argued no ordinary confidence on the part
of the intriguer to speak in such a fashion of the Autocrat of All
the Russias.

Already the interview was telling me something. Petrovitch must have
some strong, secret hold on Nicholas II.

I shrugged my shoulders as I answered in my friendliest manner,

"I have no personal feeling against you, my dear Petrovitch. But to
use drugs--come, you must admit that that