m I was anxious to guard. The oppressive powers
wielded by the police of Russia are tolerated only on one condition,
namely, that they are never abused to the disparagement of the social
importance of the aristocracy.

Bearing this in mind, I proceeded to the coach set aside for the
servants of the rich passengers, and contrived to secure a place
close to that occupied in the day-time by the maid of the Princess.

Having more than an hour to spare, I now laid in a large stock of
Turkish tobacco and cigarette papers, so as to have some means of
beguiling the time on the long, wearisome run across Asia. I also
bought a second-hand valise, and stocked it modestly with clothes.
Finally I made a hearty breakfast in the station restaurant, and
boarded the train a few minutes before it rolled out of Moscow.

Needless to say, I had introduced myself to the superintendent of the
train, an official of great dignity and importance. As a police
agent, of course I traveled free on the Government lines. The
superintendent was good enough to offer me a spare bed in his private
cabin at the end of the train, and during the run we became the best
of friends.

But I must be excused from dwelling on the details of the journey,
not the first I had taken on the great transasiatic line. My whole
energies were absorbed in two tasks. In the first place, I had to
gain the confidence of the maid, Marie, and in the second to prevent
her mistress gaining the confidence of the messenger of the Czar.

"I hope that message I brought to the Princess did not contain any
bad news?" I said to Marie as soon as I got a chance of addressing
her.

This was when we were fairly on the way.

After first attending to her mistress, and seeing that she was
comfortably settled, the maid was at liberty to look after herself,
and I had seized the opportunity to render her a few trifling
services with her luggage.

"I don't know, I'm sure," was the answer to my question. "The
Princess tells me nothing of her secrets."

"Perhaps the Princess Y----"

"Oh, let's call her Sophy," the maid interrupted crossly.

Needless to say I welcomed these symptoms that Marie was no great
friend of her employer.

"Perhaps she has no secrets," I continued. "Have you been with her
long?"

"Only six months," was the answer. "And I don't think I shall stay
much longer. But you're quite mistaken if you think Sophy is one of
the innocent ones. She's always up to some mischi