ef or other, though
what it is, I don't know."

"If you stay with her a little longer, you may find out. And then,
if it is anything political, you may make a good deal of money out of
her."

The girl's eyes brightened.

"Keep your eyes open," I said. "Look out for any scraps of paper you
see lying about. Keep a diary of the places Sophy goes to, and the
people she sees. And when you have anything to tell, let me know. I
will give you my address in Petersburg. And you may trust me to see
that you come off well."

Marie readily agreed to all I asked of her. The understanding thus
arrived at was destined to be of the greatest assistance to me.
Indeed, it is not too much to say that to this young Russian girl it
is due that the two greatest Powers in the Old World are not at this
moment battling on the Afghan frontier.

We had hardly been an hour under way before I saw the two objects of
my watchfulness seated side by side in the drawing-room car,
apparently on the friendliest terms.

Dismayed by this rapid progress, as it seemed, on the part of the
Princess, I reproached myself for not having warned Colonel Menken
before we started.

I resolved to put him on his guard at the earliest possible moment,
and with that view I hung about the smoking-car, waiting till I saw
him return to his corner.

This was not for some hours. Fortunately, owing to the universal
expectation of war, there were not many passengers proceeding to the
Far East. The train was practically empty, and so when Colonel Menken
had seated himself once more in the snug corner he had prepared for
himself, I was able to approach him without fear of being overheard.

He was just lighting a cigar as I came up, and took no notice of my
respectful salute till he had inhaled the tobacco smoke two or three
times and expelled it through his nostrils to test the flavor.

At last he turned to me.

"Well?" he said with some sharpness. "What is the matter?"

"I have seen in the passenger list that you are traveling on the
service of the Czar," I answered, "and I venture to place myself at
your orders."

Colonel Menken scowled at me haughtily.

"Does that mean that you want a tip?" he sneered. "Or has some fool
ordered you to shadow me?"

"Neither, Colonel," I replied. "I am a servant of the Czar, like
yourself, as you may see from my uniform, and as I have reason to
fear that there is an enemy of his majesty on the train, I wish to
put you on your