The Washington times., 1905-01-29

and unworthy of you. a
long time ago, 1 he'd conversation
in this very room, with your friend, |
Alexis Saberevski, who possesses my
entire confidence. In that conversation /
he rec commended you to me. and L d.
rected him TO put the bee in your bon
net IL tat has been buzzing there ever !
since; so you see that 1 really sent for |
you. 5athcugh you did not know it.
1T vas necessary that 1 should first
be ent trely convinced that 1 could trust |
you If iplicitly, before entering into ne
gotiati pns with you 1 am convinced. |
/ acce DIT your service. You will sleep in
the p aIace tonight, and tomorrow we |
will d iscuss your plans in detail Mr. |
Smith has been arrested as a N1hlllst, |
and the morning papers Will announce
that he has started on his journey for |
Siberia. Mr. Darlington Will remain in !
St Pet ersburg and tomorrow he will de- |
eide W hat disposition TO make of him |
self. The prince will act as your host !
for ton ight.'
/ got z7pon my feet and bowed to MIN,
but he extended his hand in the most
cordial manner, and with genial smile
upon his face, which made it handsome,
and which won my affection as well as
my respect. said:
1T will be a pleasure to me to be
upon terms OF familiarity with one who
wears lao title, and who does not wish
for one.i IIenceforth we will count our
selves as friends. and forget relative
positions and rank. Give me your
hand
1 was nearly as tall as he. but much
more slight in build. and in my hand
was almost lost in his great palm when
they were clasped together l forgot
the Gar in the magnff1cence OF the man.
and as L gave him my hand, L said:
MY lkfe goes with it, sir. il the ne
cessity arises"
Il believe you. Mr.. Darlington. In
the morn ing 1 will send for you Good
night
Then /, followed the prince from the
room, and was presently conducted to
an apartment that evidently had been
designed for me; at least / so decided
when / sad an opportunity to examine
it, and TO familiarize myself with all
that it contained.
The pr1ice found some Russian cigar
cites on the table, and lighted one,
while he said laughingly:
Il see that you are prepared to en-
terrain your guests. Mr.. Darlington
Shall we chat together little before we
part for The night?
IF yo,.. will DE SO good as 20 remain
with me- at least until latch my
breath, / will esteem it a great favor"
rogation removed"
Certainly"
Then ,viII you please tell me how the
6ev-''
A hearty laugh interrupted me.
II know all that you would ask he
said. Our mutual friend, Alexis. is more
IN the Confidence Of his majesty than
any other: man in the world, and this
plot to :.dLce you to come here and
offer yorlr. services to the Car was de-
liberia tely rDIanned between them nearly
three years ago. From time TO time
Alexis drosoped little hints TO you which
] set you ~ thinking, and the thought
finallv bic. ;somed into action. Had you
Lconfded your plans to anybody, even 70
Alexis, your services would not have
! heen accepted. AS it is, after tomorrow
l trembIe for you in the power that you
will have, for in many ways it will be
/ as great as that of the Gar himself.
Shall / give you a bit of history, in or
der that you may know something of
what is expected of you?"
/ IF you will do So"
! peter the Great organized a system
/ of police which still endUres, though to-
/ day it contains only three members, the
! Emperor Alexis, and myself 1t is called
the Brotherhood of Silence. During all
these years its members have been Sc
/ lected with the greatest care, and with
| increasing difficulty, so that now it has
I dwindled To nothing In the meantime,
| the necessity for it has grown greater.
for Nihilis;n infests the country like a
plague w Ehout Nihilism In Russia ST.
t bera would. be unnecessary. The very
faults who, Nihilisn. seeks to remedy
are kept alive by its existence Once
| eradicated Russia would take its place
among the liberal nations Of the world,
| and it is tfse ambition of Alexander TO
perform that service for the empire he
controls. jusN as It was his idea to free
! the serfs-
But the character of our people is
| different from that of any other people
in the world, and your task is not SO
much 10 find out and Danish those who
conspire against the Car, as it VIII be
To convert the men who organize such
| conspiracies You are to reorganize the
| Frot herhooi of Silence on 4 new plan,
| and the power to act upon your own
! Judgment VIII be absolute II may seem
! strange to you, that considering your
| self almost unknown you should have
been selected for this work, but you
must remember that you have been rec
commended by one whose word is entire
" respected by the Emperor, and that
YOU have been under careful espionage
for three years. Does the outline that L
have given you accord with the plans
which you thought of submitting TO the
CARR
Yes, largeE.
plots for the assassination Of the
Emperor are Matching every day. Our
present system is not adequate You
must fill the breach.
rs the existence of this organization
of which you speak known to anybody,
prince?'
TO nobody'except those whom have
| mentioned
Not to any Nihilist?
Alexander, Alexis. You and 1 are the
only living beings who ever heard of
it,"
VIII you pardon me, prince, IL 1 tell
vo,, that you are Mistaken
mistaken, DO you mean, Mr.. Der