“ What exclamation I uttered when I first caught sight of this startling apparition I do not recollect. But when the personage before me thrust his hand into his pocket and drew out a revolver it was impossible for me to doubt that I was dealing with a man of flesh and blood. Like lightning I produced my own weapon, which I levelled at his breast, at the same time exclaiming : “ Hold ! lam the envoy of France ! In the name of the Czar, who are you ?” “He lowered his revolver, took a steady look at my features, which he no doubt began to recognise, and replied in mournful tones : “ ‘ I am Alexander lII.’

“ At the same time he sank down again into his chair, while my pistol dropped from my hand, and I had to cling to a table for support. “ ‘ Sire ! ’ was all I could gasp out. ‘ But —but—pardon this intrusion. I itnagiued your Majesty to be ’ “ ‘ Dead ? Yes, I know it,’ he responded, still in the same melancholy voice. ‘ But sit down. Since you are here, and chance or fate has put you into possession of my secret, you had better know it all. Sit down, M. le Baron. I am no longer Em peror.’ “I obeyed, still struggling with my astonishment.
“ ‘First of all, tell me by what means you have penetrated to my hiding place, in which I imagined myself secure from all mankind,” said the ex-Czar. “ In as few words as possible I related to His Majesty the incidents which I have been telling you. He listened with deep atten tion.
