The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-02-20
CHAPTER Xxx.
IN DEFIANCE OF THE CAR.
IN ALL the interviews l had mad
with the Car during the many
H rnnnths of nv association with him


with the Gar during the many
months Of my association with him
he had maintained the condition
that he had himself made at the be-
ginning, which was that we should
meet on the basis of friends and equals
Whenever We were alone together he
commanded me TO forget that we were
other than two friends who were en-
joying an opportunity for a chat with
each other, and as at such times we
invariably conversed in French, he al
ways insisted that / should address him
by the simple term monsieur When
the prince was with US, as was nearly
always the case. the degree OF famil-
iarity was slightly, though hardly per
ceptibly modified, and / must say mat
I had learned 10 enjoy such occasions
exceedingly.
For Alexander I had begun to feel
a sincere affection. I doubt If there was
any other man IN Russia who under
stood him so thoroughly as / did. Dur
ing these familiar hours we had passed
together re had told me many things
concerning him self, his ideas and his
hopes; and these condolences had re-
vealad the real .uan-that is, the man
behind the CZar-to me, and I knew
that. Of the thousands Of crimes at
tributed 10 him. only a few haS ever
come TO his II Owledge, and thai Il was
too late for lin TO interfere, or too
impolitic for hiIL 10 do so. ILtellectu-
ally, he was not prepOnderant. indeed,
he was rather deficient in this respect;
but he was naturally a kindly disposed
man. and at the beginning OF his reign
and indeed through more than half OF
H. he had proved that fact TO the people.
Il was just before the time Of my ar
rival in st. Petersburg that he allowed
himself 70 fall more and more into the
power Of the mobiles, who In reality
ruled the empire, and who do so still.
Easily Influenced by those TO whom he
trusted, thousands OF crimes were com
mitted in his name Of which he had no
knowledge, and OF which he had never
known. At all events. liked him, anu
moreover, I had thorough faith in my
own influence over him.
In like proportion 10 my familiarity
at court and 10 the Emperor's fOEdncss
for my society. I was cordially hated
by the nobility; but as they feared me
quite as much as they hated me, and
as my real standing among them re-
Inained mystery. was constantly
fawned upon 10 a degree that was nau-
seating. Even the story I had so lately
heard from the lips Of the princess had
not materially lessened the liking I felt
for Alexander, for I could understand
much better than she could, all the in
fiueEce that had been brought 10 bear
upon the Emperor not 20 pardon the
woman in whose possession had been
-Ound cyanide of potassium intended for
his wine. I did not believe he had in
tended that she should go TO the Island
of Saghaliea; I did not believe that he
could be held accountable for the evils
that befell poor Yvonne In the isolated
garrisOns Of Siberia. He had been con-
WINGED that she intended to poison him.
the evil ceased The awful things that
happened In the garrison he lid not
know about, for I believe that among all
his friends, / was the only one who
- cell In he HTHHHF he
prince lied to him, for L had often heard
him do so.
Ag TO the killing OF Stanislaus, who
could blame the Car for that2 The
man had endeavored to kill him; had
twice snapped a pistol in his face and
still held it in his hand when the En-
peror tore II from his grasp and struck
him on the head with il. Who would
lot do the same? repeat all this as
nv excuse for still feeling that affection
for him which our intercourse had
taught me. The real criminal in the
case OF the story of Yyonne was Dur
nief Him / hated, and his name was
on one OF the lists that had been read
of to ne before going TO the palace
that night There We're special orders
concerz ing him. too-but that will be
dealth with later.
Nov, as / entered the cabinet with
the prince, I confess that had s0nI.
doubts concerning my reception, for
had r. idea what the prince had said
to his majesty, and ! knew only 30 well
the inclination of the Car to listen TO
anything that had a suspicious side TO
II, particularly II that suspicion con-
cerned one of his closest and most init
mate associates. ] could at any time.
within five minutes, have poisoned the
mind of the Gar against the prince:
and / did not doubt that he c0rfd &c
complish the 81 ne delicate attention for
me. The prince preceded me; the Car
rose as we entered.
His majesty was alone. and I adj
vanced at once with extended hand. as
he had often requested me to do when
discovered him thus; but ne Bowed
coldly. feigning not to see it. 7 halted
drew myself up, and returned his bow
in the same manner that be had given
It. Then waited for him to speak
You are late, sir" he said. You
have kept me waiting"
Il was not aware that your majesty
expected me-" 1 replied. Otherwise I
should have been here sooner.
The prince expected you and led me
to do the same"
Had the prince done ne the honor
to tell me he intended to receive NO
in your cabinet, I should have under
stood. The prince-perhaps uninten-
tionally-deceived me"
Prince Michael flushed holy. but said
nothing. The Car smile1 grizzly.
What detained vOu2" he demanded.
The same business which dstains me
in Russia, your ma ieSIy.
All; you were conc erned in the work
Of our fraternity"
az was"
81 understood that you were much
more pleasurably employed
Whoever gave you so to understand
that either did not know. or lied" (;
turned so that half faced tha prince
and I saw thai he made a mO-i5n as if
TO spring upon and strike me; SsIt he