The Book of All-Power

in these bad old days. He waved his hand and thousands of men and women

a reason, for Dimitrius, his sometime friend, had fled to the capital of the higher Balkan state and Serganoff went down without authority to terrify his sometime confidant into r

ter of these before he was sen

roking his long, brown beard, "how

, Excellency,"

ister. "There is a train for the north in forty m

t out from the ornate office, and the

carry the body to one of the common houses of the town-preferably that of the

he man gravely, and

ey would have feared him less. He did not leave by the four o'clock train, but by a special w

s suits and cravats in New York; and it is said of him that he made a special pilgrimage to London-the Mecca of those who love g

sallow face, his neat black moustache and his shapeliness of outline. An exquisite of

buttons and comfortable things happened. You opened windows and boiled water, or summoned a valet to your bedside by the

ningly disguised its application, that you might never guess the motive power of the old English clock which ticked in the spacious hall, or realize that the soft light which came

ite Borzoi, had another aspect. He who shivered at the first chill winds of winter and wrapped himself in sables whenever he drove abroad after the last days of September, and had sent men and women to the bleakness of Alexandrowski without a qualm; he who had to fortify him

very pale and shrink back from his victim. Afterwards the reason was discovered. The condemned man had had the front of his rough shirt

was an authority upon blood infection and spent a week of

f thoughtfully. He was looking at the only man he trusted, for it was not vanity, but a love o

with patterns of cloth; he had spent an exciting afternoon with the representat

s comfortably towards hi

ght, and he and the reflection nodded to one another

ed the bell and h

nd Duke gone

lency," rep

Grand D

Excell

Serganof

y's headache bette

ce. "Go to their Highness's suite, and t

ellency," sa

ome to me. The Grand Duke mentioned a

e inconspicuous livery of an English butler rather than

off dismissed his vale

him and Serganoff

a fool of me

man urgently, "I have do

ea of doing all that is possible, I agree with you," said Serganoff. "Be careful, Boolba! The ar

u I did all that you requested. There were many reasons why I s

few," said Serganoff, cle

y. He had never oppressed them, and he is the only popu

aid Serganoff, notic

erican to shoot him in the park, where he walks in the morning, and then for one of the society to shoot the American. That was a good plan, becau

noff

" he said, "failed miserab

his eyes blazing, an

mind! I could have helped Highness better if I had known more.

ff. "What manner of fool am I? Tell me what you have guessed. You may sit

e with a handkerchief and

lustrious person succeeds to his esta

t into words the one difficulty which had occup

?" he

ne. Therefore, the killing of Yaroslav would bring little but the property to the illustrious person. Only if His Imperial Maje

," said Serg

ch the illustrious person formulated? After, the Grand Duke might die-that is a simple matter. Russia would think that he had been put to de

vour yet," he said. "Go on, man,

edged

idly. "Suppose, on evidence which could not be disputed, such as the evidence of the London police, it was proved that either th

noff, "but they do

a hes

ld bring the Grand Duchess Irene to such a meeting, and that I

is orange stick and

I shall bring you to St. Petersburg and plac

ent, his hands clas

ng, unless he's afraid to come, and then boldly suggest to him that he goe

it," said Boolba,

ppose this man is amongst these infamous fellows when the London police raid and arrest them, and he makes a statem

eyes br

l idea, Highness,"

d his pacing, and

will be better if I am present when the raid is conducted. It is necessary that I should iden

," replied the man, and gav