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The Tsar had again left for the front, while the Empress, nervous and trembling, held Rasputin and Anna ever at her side. The precious trio which had wrecked Russia were now seriously perturbed at the ugly state of public opinion.
"Ah! Of course you do not know. Pardon, I have forgotten to explain. My husband " And she broke into tears. "My dear husband " "Well, what of your husband?" asked Rasputin. "He is at the front. Has he been wounded or " "No, no not that!" she cried. "They have made a false charge against him.
The result was that not only did Rasputin obtain possession of the concession for Otchakov, but he sold it a month later for a huge sum to a syndicate of bankers in Vienna, who still hold it. The monk, after paying a dole to the ex-agent of police, divided up the spoils with Protopopoff, Stürmer and Soukhomlinoff, and, in addition, he bought a very valuable diamond necklace for Anna Vyrubova.
Half-an-hour later I arrived at the Poltavskaya where old Anna admitted me, and I at once went to the monk's sanctum. Rasputin sprang from his chair and, seizing both my hands, cried: "Ah! my dear Féodor! So here you are back with us! This relieves my mind greatly." "Yes," I said. "Back from the grave." "The infernal idiots!" declared the monk, his wide-open eyes flashing as he spoke.
Kouropatkine had, according to what Rasputin told me, assured the Emperor that the victory would be an easy one, and that the Japanese would fly at first sight of our troops. The General had quite recently returned from the Far East, and had presented a personal report to the Tsar describing Japan's war preparations. He had declared that if Russia meant victory she must strike at once.
Then I returned to my seat, my heart lighter, for at last I had saved the life of our dear general, and also that of His Majesty, for, truth to tell, what I had given Peter Tchernine was only a little tube of French chalk made up to resemble that brought so secretly from Berlin. On reporting to Rasputin next day, he rubbed his hands with delight.
Because of this the Empress sent to Rasputin, at Pokrovsky, a number of telegrams, which eventually the monk gave over to me to docket and put away with the incriminating letters of his foolish and fascinated admirers. The women of Russia, from the Empress to the lowly superstitious peasant, were now at the charlatan's feet.
The poor little prince, of course, was made sick; whereupon, the Empress would hurriedly send for Rasputin, upon whose arrival the Czarevitch "miraculously" got well. In this manner this low-born fakir obtained such a hold over the Czar and Czarina that he was able to appoint governors of states, put bishops out of their places, and even change prime ministers.
This man had, in turn, induced a man named Prohozhi, a member of the organisation, to accept a sum of money in return for the assassination of Miliukoff by means of a bomb. All was arranged for the night of December 20th, and Rasputin sat with the Empress eagerly awaiting news that the deed had been accomplished.
Our armies were advancing, and the combined German and Austrian forces were daily being entrapped into the marshes or forced back. Even Rasputin realised the seriousness of the position, and more than once referred to it. Early one morning, before I was up, Hardt, the secret messenger from Berlin, arrived.
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