Further amazing and incriminating letters are before me as I write, and I shall print more of this secret correspondence in order that readers in Great Britain may know the depths of Germany's villainy and the exact methods by which Russia has been betrayed.

The official _dossier_ concerning the crimes and conspiracies of the arch-scoundrel is astounding. It becomes increasingly amazing as one turns over its voluminous pages, its confidential reports, its copies of telegrams dispatched under fict.i.tious names, since obtained from the telegraph bureaux of Russia, and its originals of secret instructions from Berlin.

In the latter one finds the subtle hand of the notorious Steinhauer, the head of the Kaiser's spy-bureau, the fair-bearded, middle-aged Prussian who accompanied the German Emperor to Buckingham Palace on his last visit to London, and who was one of the select party of German motorists who came to tour England with Prince Henry of Prussia at their head.

It devolved upon myself to accompany and watch that tour very closely.

Even then one department in Whitehall had not been chloroformed by the dope of the Sleep-quietly-in-your-beds Party--a department in the formation of which I had had some hand. Steinhauer I had met in Germany, though he did not know me, and when he came to England with His Imperial Highness, as Herr Eschenburg of Stuttgart, driving his big red "Mercedes," I considered that it was high time to keep a strict eye upon him--which I did. What I discovered of his movements and of his a.s.sociates has been of greatest advantage since the outbreak of war.

No more expert spy exists in all the world today than "Herr Eschenburg of Stuttgart", whose real name is Steinhauer, known in the German Secret Service as "Number Seventy."

The _dossier_ here placed at my disposal shows that Herr Steinhauer visited Rasputin in Petrograd four times before August, 1914, while his underlings arrived at the house in the Gorokhovaya many times after the two Empires had come to grips.

Rasputin, in his unique position as autocrat aver the Autocrat, felt himself the personal agent of the Kaiser, and as such seems to have somewhat resented Steinhauer's rather arrogant orders. Indeed, he complained bitterly to the German Emperor, who, in reply, propitiated the Siberian peasant by explaining that he was so occupied by the campaign against his enemies that he left all matters of detail to "our trusted and loyal friend Steinhauer, whose actions and orders are as my own."

On August 28th, 1916, there arrived in Petrograd a pretty dark-haired young Dutch woman named Helene Geismann. She presented a letter of introduction to Rasputin that evening at his house, and was promised audience of Her Majesty the Empress at noon next day.

The monk was at Tsarskoe-Selo when the young woman called. It was a meeting day of the higher, or Court Circle of the "sister-disciples,"

such seances being held at five o'clock each Friday afternoon.

Three new "disciples" had been initiated into the mysteries of the mock-pious rascal's new "religion." Their names were the Baroness Zouieff, and Mesdemoiselles Olga Romanenkoff and Nadjezda Tavascherne, the two latter being of the n.o.blest families of Moscow, and all moving in the Court entourage.

Nicholas II was away at the front, therefore Rasputin on such occasions ruled the Empire, and actually signed with his own hand orders and appointments, as His Majesty's representative. When the Emperor was absent the dirty, unkempt peasant, who called himself a monk, usurped his place in the Imperial household.

Through this unprincipled scoundrel and blackmailer Germany was cleverly working to undermine and effect the fall of the Muscovite Empire. No expense was being spared, nor were there any scruples. Germany intended that the Russian defensive should crumble.

When the Empress received the young woman Geismann, an emissary from Berlin and the bearer of several doc.u.ments, including an autograph letter from the Kaiser, the "Holy Father" was also present. The superst.i.tious, neurotic Empress could do nothing without the advice of the man who had by his mock-piety and his sensuous "religion" so completely entranced her. She, like her weak, narrow-minded husband, had become completely hypnotised by the dissolute charlatan, in whose hands lay absolute power.

When the Kaiser's messenger presented the secret letter to the Empress, she also handed another to Rasputin.

This was found among the contents of the safe in the bas.e.m.e.nt of "Grichka's" house, and is in German, as follows:--

"_Strictly private and confidential_.

"General Headquarters in France, Montmedy, August 10th, 1916.

"Your excellent service to our Empire has been reported to me by Herr Steinhauer. I congratulate you, happy in the knowledge that the Empress Alexandra has, in yourself, such a good and wise counsellor. You have done much, but there is still more good work for you to accomplish.

"Your friends must see that there is an increasing lack of material and ammunition, that information reaches Berlin regarding orders for guns, explosives and automobiles placed in England, in order that we can watch for them near the Finland coast, and destroy them. Disasters on railways, in munition works and elsewhere are advisable. Steinhauer is sending you six trusted agents to effect these. Your friends must afford them official protection, and they must be also afforded opportunity.

"I have also sent certain suggestions to Her Majesty the Empress which she will discuss with you. Your two most dangerous enemies at the moment appear to be Prince Yuri Lvov, who has a great following, and the man from Tiflis, M. Cheidze. If their activities could be ended, you would be in far less danger. It may be possible for you to arrange this. Consult with the Empress. It is my Imperial will that the payment arranged between us shall be doubled from this date.

Salutations.

"Wilhelm R. and I."

Could any letter be more incriminating? The Kaiser, with his constant appeals to Almighty G.o.d, was suggesting outrage and a.s.sa.s.sination to his paid agent--the man who, aided by the Prime Minister Sturmer and the blackmailer Protopopoff, held the future of Russia in his unwashed hands!

For half-an-hour the young Dutch woman, the Kaiser's secret messenger, was kept waiting in an ante-room while the Empress consulted with her "Holy Father." Then at last Her Majesty handed the woman an autograph letter to take back to the Emperor William. All that is knows of the contents of that note is that it contained a promise that Germany should triumph.

What chance had poor suffering Russia against such crafty underhand conspiracy? Every one of her proposed military movements were being betrayed to Germany long before they were executed, and thousands of lives of her fine soldiers were daily being sacrificed, while the arch-traitor Rasputin continued his career of good-living, heavy-drinking, and bi-weekly "reunions."

At these meetings the blackguard usually crossed his hands upon his breast, and with appalling blasphemy declared himself sent by the Almighty to deliver Russia from the invader.

Towards all--to society, to those of the immoral cult that he had founded, to Russia's millions, he posed as a stern patriot. Every one believed him to be so. If not, surely, he would not be so closely intimate with their Majesties they argued. n.o.body in Russia dreamed that he was the agent of the Kaiser, or that the Empress had full knowledge of the great plot in progress.

In the following month there occurred a number of mysterious disasters.

Four explosions occurred in rapid succession; two at Petrograd, one at Moscow, and one at Kostrovna, all involving considerable loss of life, while troop trains were derailed at several important junctions, and other outrages committed, by which it was apparent that German agents were actively work. Yet the police were powerless to detect the perpetrators of these dastardly acts. Truly the black eagle of Prussia had struck its talons deep into Russia's heart.

Late one night Rasputin was carousing at his house with the Prime Minister Sturmer and two "sister-disciples," young married women whose names were Baroness Gliuski and Madame Pantuhine, well-known in Petrograd society for their loose living, and who were helping the plotters and receiving large sums from German sources for their a.s.sistance. The "Father" had only an hour before returned from Tsarskoe-Selo, where he had knelt at the bedside of the poor little Tsarevitch and then performed a pretended miracle. The truth was that Madame Vyrubova had administered to the boy in secret several doses of that secret drug with which the mock-monk had provided her. In consequence, he had become ill and his Imperial mother had once again called Rasputin to "heal" him. This the fellow did, for Madame Vyrubova withheld the dose, and within four hours of Rasputin placing his dirty hands upon the poor boy's brow and uttering those cabalistic nine words of jargon from one of the blasphemous prayers which the scoundrel had written for use by the "sister-disciples," the heir had recovered. And in that way, with his degenerate confederate, the rascal worked his "miracles."

The four were seated around the monk's dining-table, smoking and drinking, the two women ever and anon devotedly kissing the "saint's"

dirty hands, when his body-servant entered with a note for his master.

As Rasputin read it his face fell.

"Danger!" he gasped.

"What is it?" inquired the bearded Prime Minister eagerly, putting down his gla.s.s of champagne untouched.

"Letchitzki! He is arrested!"

"Letchitzki!" echoed Boris Sturmer, who was in uniform, as he had been to a diplomatic function at the United States Emba.s.sy that night. "This is indeed serious for us! Why is he arrested? Who has dared to do that?"

"Goutchkoff, Minister of Munitions, has ordered his arrest for embezzlement--ninety thousand roubles!"

"Curse Goutchkoff!" cried Sturmer, starting up. "In that case, our friend Protopopoff, as Minister of the Interior, is powerless to act in his interest!"

"Is it really very serious?" asked the fair-haired young Baroness, who was at that moment holding the "saint's" hand.

"Serious!" cried the uncouth Siberian peasant, who had so completely hypnotised both the women. "Very. If his trial took place he would certainly expose us! We cannot afford that. He has sent me this secret message placing the onus of his release upon me, and I must secure it at once. He has doc.u.ments, letters I have written him. If they were found, then the whole affair must become public property!"

"That must not be!" declared Sturmer. "At any moment Miliukoff, or that young lawyer Kerensky, may get to know."

"Kerensky was again arrested yesterday at my orders for his speech in the Duma," said Rasputin. "I agree. The prosecution of Letchitzki must not proceed. It is far too dangerous."

"Is there anything I can do?" asked the pretty Baroness, one of the most unscrupulous women in Russia.

"Yes," replied the monk. "You know the Minister Goutchkoff. Go to him early to-morrow morning, and appeal on Letchitzki's behalf. Take with you ninety thousand roubles which I will give you as soon as the banks open. Pretend to the Minister that he is your lover, that he has embezzled the money to pay for presents to yourself--then hand over the sum missing."

"Excellent idea!" declared Sturmer. "You are always ingenious when cornered, Gregory!"

"By that we shall clear the way for further action. We must both see the Empress at once. It is not yet too late," Rasputin added, and the merry quartette at once broke up, the "sister-disciples" to their own homes, and the monk to drive to the Palace.

Both conspirators, so well-known, pa.s.sed the sentries unchallenged, and traversing the long corridors to the private apartments, went by the gigantic Cossack on duty at the end, and through the big swing-doors to the luxurious wing of the great Palace.

It was already long past midnight, and the only person they could find was the Tsar's eldest daughter, the Grand d.u.c.h.ess Olga, who had with the eldest of her sisters entered Rasputin's "sisterhood" a year before.

Every one, including the servants, had retired. The Princess, who was reading an English novel in her own little sitting-room, appeared surprised to see the "Holy Father" at that hour, but took from him an urgent message to the Empress.

Ten minutes later the Tsaritza, in a dainty lace boudoir-cap and rich silk kimono, entered the room where the pair of scoundrels awaited her.

When alone, Rasputin revealed the fact of Letchitzki's arrest, adding: