AZOFF THE SPY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3118, 9 July 1892, Page 1 (Supplement)

AZOFF THE SPY.

Ik an apartmonfc in ono of the big public buildings on the banks of I the Neva, two men confronted each other. The one, elderly and of distinguished appearance, though with a crafty look in his cruel Tartar eyes, sat at a large official table covered, with papers ; the other a carefully - groomed young Russian of the modern Frenchified type, had just entered. " You wish to see me, General ?" he asked. ,

" Ah! Count Petroff, come in and sit down," said the other. " Yes I desire to speak to you on a delicate matter. You have just been appointed attache to our Embassy at the Court of St. James's, I understand."

"That is so," said the young man; "I start for London this evening."

" Very well ; then I may speak ■without reserve. The department of the secret police here, in St. Petersburg, of which I have the honour to be the chief, has received information from one Azoff—a Eu6sian subject resident in London—that a secrot society, engaged in treasonable plottings against His Imperial Majesty the Czar, is holding regular meetings in the English capital. The society ie in communication with some persons

in St. Petersburg. I neednot point out to a young gentleman of your diplomatic promise thas it is of the utmost importance to the department to be put in possession of fuller particulars as to the doings of this society, and also as to their correspondent here. Azoff, who seems to be the common sort of informer, with whom we are, happily, so familiar, is willing, for a consideration, to supply us with this information. I want you to see what you can do with him." Count Petroff, highly flattered, bowed a smiling ..ssent. " That sounds easy, your Excellency," he pxid ; "your commands shall my most devoted attention. I confess, though, that I do not see why the rascal Azoff does not deal with your honourable department." The Chief of the Police smiled. " And I also, my young friend, do not quite «atch his drift, though I can guess at it. He has probably had dealings with us before under some other name, and having failed to give satisfaction has failed to be satisfied. Be that as it may, he makes the stipulation that he will only tell what he knows to an accredited member of the Embassy. We must take him as we find him."

" True," said the attache ; " and where shall I discover the worthy disciple of Judas ?"

The chief referred to a memorandum. " Were is the address," he replied, " 337, Vauxhall Bridge Road, Lambeth. He has taken an apartment in that distant part of London so that he may receiv" his diplomatic visitor far from th " prying eyes of his compatriot.' who mostly frequent the district of Soho and Leicester Square." " Yes, I suppose a visit from an Embassy official, if known to those he intends to betray would be followed by a prod from a knife. Anything further General?"

" No," replied the chief, " except to urge expedition. I must have the name oE that St. Petersburg correspondent without delay. A little trip to Siberia—ah! you understand. Good day, and a fortunate journey to you, Count," and the great man turned to his piles of papers again.

Sorgius Petroff had just three hours to spend in his native city before he started on his journey. As he stood on the steps of the Police Bureau he decided to spend them in the company of the lady who, only the evening before, had promised to be his wife. Princess Sophie Perovna was the daughter of a nobleman who, earlier" in his career, had Oiled various high offices of State, but who, of late years,.had developed a passion for foreign travel. Prince Perovna had not been seen in St. Petersburg for tpany a day, and there were people who wondered that he should leave his daughter—young, rich and beautiful—to keep house for herself in the great grim palace on the Nevski Prospect all alone. But Sophie Perovna had plenty of friends, and while bewailing her father's absence, went a good deal into St. Petersburg- society, of which she was one of the shining lights. Her lovers had been many, and till young Petroff came upon the scene, all of them had failed to make any impression upon her. But the attache ' had been more fortunate, and on the eve of his departure the young couple., had plighted their troth.

Turning sharp to the right the Count left the* Bureau of the Third Section, and walked quickly up the splendid street which fronts the Neva. Near the imposing pile of the Winter Palace were a number of mounted soldiers, and the usual crowd of detectives and police agents who swarm round the entrances when the Czar is in residence. A. little further way up the Prospect, Sergius reached his destination. The stately home of that great nobleman, the Prince Perovaa, was well nipli under the shadow of his Imperial Master's palace.

Petroff found the Princess waiting for him. The time passed all too quickly, as it is wont to do with lovers who have a long separation before them, and at length Sergius was constrained to late his leave,

" My clearest one " he murmured, as they stood saying their last words, " wo have everything now that promises the most perfect happiness except your father's consent, Where is tho Prince now? How are wo to get at him ? " "Ho is in—in New York," Sophie answered, with the slightest touch of hesitation. " Give me, then, his address, dearest, and I will write to him. I. am rich, and have large estates. Ho will not refuse his consent," said Petroff. " I may not give you my father's address, my Sergius," Sophie answered ; and then, still strangely ill [ at ease, she went on, " but I must I tell you the profoundest of secrets. ' You swear that it shall be a secret, my own ? " Petroff assented. " Well, then," proceeded Sophie, " I am half hoping to see my dear father here in St. Petersburg shortly. Then I can ask him." " That is good news," said Petroff; then he added, as a startled look came into his eyes, " but why this need for secrecy. Sophie, darling ? Surely, the Prince Perovna can come and go as he likes. Is he—oh !do not tell me so—is your father a suspect 1" " I—l do not know," Sophie. " I would give ten thousand roubles to know, I can only fear."

Then Sergius Petroff, the servant of the Czar, knew for the first time that those to whom he was about to ally himself were among his master's terrible foes—foes of whom a great net was always lying spread, deadly but invisible, with its all-enveloping meshes everywhere in that policeridden city. A great fear came over him for the safety of his friends.

" You, yourself, are safe, Sophie ?" e asked.

"At present, yes," she replied ;

" and there will be no cause for danger soon. Here, Sergius, my own," she added, taking a Maltese cross of diamonds from her breast,

' wear this next your heart, always, lor my sake. It will hold you safe

if danger threatens ; and now, dearest, farewell. When I have my father's consent I will write to you ; and soon, who knows how soon, we may meet again."

Four days later Count Sergius Petroff reported himself at the Russian Embassy in London.

In accordance with his promise to the Chief of Police, one of his first duties was to turn his attention to

the man Azoff. With this end in view he searched the lists of suspects know to be resident in London which was kept at the Embassy. Running his finger down the roll he found no trace of the name he sought—the man was perhaps too obscure to have come under official notice —but when he came to the last entry on the list Petroff turned pale. There, in the bold handwriting of the Ambassador himself was the name of his Sophie's father, Prince Perovna, followed by a note of the Prince's address — a house in Jermyn street.

Petroff was horror-struck. If the Prince ventured to show himself in St. Petersburg, as Sophie half expected, there was no knowing what consequences might not ensue. Strange things happen in Russia, and should any evil chance befall the Prince, it was quite likely that his beautiful daughter would have to share it. There was only one course to take, and Sergius took it unhesitatingly. He wrote to Sophie, begged her not to permit her father to go to St. Petersburg, and urging her to look well to her own safety. He gave no reasons. Sophie would understand ; and it would not do to be more explicit. Letters that reach the Russian capital are sometimes perused by other eyes before they are subjected to those of thelegitimate owners.

This done, the young attache was free to think of Azoff once more. A few morniugs after his arrival he took a cab and drove to the address in Vauxhall Bridge Eoad. The house was of mean exterior, and a card in the fanlight announced that apartments were to be had by single gentlemen. A knock at the door evoked a slatternly specimen of the lodging-house maid-of all work, who informed Petroff, in answer to his enquiry, that " Mr Hazoff was at home - " The young person, with the usual proud disdain of her class for

" furriners," consented to take up the Count's card, and shortly reappeared with a request to " Step this way, and mind the holes in the stair carpet."

"Evidently not an aristroemtic conspirator," thought Sergius to himself, as he wended his way up two flights in the wake of his conductress, who finally deposited him at the door of a room on the second floor.

He knocked, and being bidden, entered. ■ A tall figure with stooping shoulders and keen black eye 3 that were in strange contrast with the masses of touzled red hair which almost hid the features, rose to greet him. The occupant had been sitting on a truckle bed in a corner of a shabby room, and motioned his visitor to take a seat on tho solitary chair.

"Yes, I am Azoff," said the curious lodger. " I expected a visitor from the Embassy. See, hero is a letter from General Dom.. browski, advising me of your intended call."

Petroff glanced at the letter, and saw that it came from the Chief of Police. This was evidently the right man. " Well, what have you to reveal ?" asked Petroff.

" Absolutely nothing," was the unexpected reply.

The altfu-loi fired up. "Do yon mean to say that you have brought mo to this squalid hole of yours on a fool's errand?" ho exclaimed. " Not so fast, most noble Count." Azoff replied. " I did not sny that you should not obtain the information you desiro. I merely remarked that I, personally, shall, reveal nothing. I can put you in the way of arranging the matter. "How then?" asked Petroff. "It is like this," said the informer ; " there are reasons why, if I should betray the secrets of the brotherhood, I should be at once suspected. My people are not kind t) those who report their affairs in the wrong quarter, and the risk is more than I care to run. But with you it would be different. If I take you to the meeting and have you sworn in as a member 3'ou can help vourself to the information; and. if it is found out that you, an attache of the Embassy, made the discoveries, they will not seek revenge upon you. You are their natural enemy, and all is fair in war ; but for me to botray them would make my life not worth an hour's purchase, so keenly do the brotherhood resent treachery among themselves."

Petroff paused before replying. It was a dangerous thing to venture among a crew of conspirators — Nihilists, probably—and he thought ho would be within his right in refusing the risk. But ho was young in the service, and the thought of what such an effort might bring him in the way of promotion spurred him on. He drew a long.breath and said :

'•Yery well, that is the course that must bo taken."

Before they separated it was arranged that that samo evening Petroff was to bo introduced to tho Secret Brotherhood. He was to disguise himself as an artisan, and sustain that character throughout the proceedings. Azoff engaged to meet him at the north-east corner of Leicester Square, and conduct him to the place of meeting, which he refused to particularise more closely than that it was "somewhere in Soho." Finally Petroff agreed to pay his guide the sum of one thousand roubles on returning safely to the Embassy with the details of the conspiracy in his possession.

At twelve o'clock that night Count Sergius Petroff and the redhaired Pole entered a small, dimly lit room on an upper story in one of the old streets at the back of Leicester Square. In this apartment two men were seated, apparently playing cards, but, it soon became evident to Petroff's aroused curiosity that they were,'in reality sentinels, guarding the approach to an inner chamber. Azoff made some secret sign, and whispered a password, when one of the men arose, and drawing back a heavy curtain at one end of the room, unlocked a massive oak door, and ushered the new comers into a brilliantly-lighted apartment.

For a moment Petroff's eyes were dazzled, and looking round he saw that he was in the presence of a score of men who sat in silence on either side of a long table running down the centre of the room. The windows were all covered with thick shutters which prevented any straggling ray of light penetrating to the street, and showing that all was not hushed in sleep in that grim rendezvous. There was nothing peculiar about the occupants of the room, who were dressed like ordinary middle-class citizens, except that they all wore a short crape mask, which effectually concealed the features. There was a high chair at the head of the table, but, so far, it was vacant.

To Petroff's surprise, his conductor, leading him by the arm, marched straight up the room and, seated himself in the vacant chair. He motioned to the Count, who began to be greatly puzzled at the evident identity between the traitor and the president of the brotherhood, to stand at his side. Then Azoff rose, and said :

" Gentlemen, I have the honour to introduce to you this excellent young man, who has expressed his desire to join us. Before swearing him in, however, I propose to put to him one little question, as a test of his good faith."

Petroff began to think that Azoff was rather overdoing it. Why make such a fuss, and draw so much attention to him? What could the question be ?

He was soon undeceived. Turning his glittering black eyes full on Petroff's face, Azoff said sharply;

" You have read the list of suspects that is kept at the Embassy?"

The attache stared blankly. He was conssious of nothing for a moment, except that twenty pairs of fierce eyes gazed sternly at him through the holes in twenty masks, and that Azoff, whose stooping figure had straightened up into that of a stalwart man, stood over him threateningly. Then it nil flashed before him in a socond. He had fallen into a trap, and how deep that trap would prove, with all those desperate men around, who should any.

"I retuso to auswor," he said resolutely.

Azoff proceeded in cold and measured tones. " Then I am sorry for you. You have been, you see, the victim of a little understanding-, and it is right that you should see how the case realh' stands. It was necessary that these gentlemen here, and I, should know whether one of our number can safely ven-

lure to visit St Petersburg'. If h« is on the list of suspects we are aware that tho journey cannot be undertaken; if ho is not down on the list, he may go in security. We therefore devised the interesting' little drama now being enacted by which our dear friends, the St. Petersburg police, and our equally dear friends at the Embassy, shall be made to supply us with the information we require, or"—and he paused onminously —" or lose one of their number."

"Do you mean to say that you will murder me if I am true to my duty ?" said Petroff.

"You will never leave this room alive till we have from you what we want. Once we have that information, you are free to go where you will. We do not fear you, for after to-night our meetings will be held elsewhere, and ail these men's fac?.s have not been seen by you. Come, be a sensible fellow, and answer what I shall ask."

"Do your worst," said Petroff, looking very frail and slight before his giant captor, but never for a moment quailing. He would be true to his trust.

Azoff made a sign with his hand. Four men rose from the table and seized the young attache before he had time to commence a useless resistance.

" Strip him to the waist," said Azoff, " and hold a dagger to his heart. Perhaps the sight of the cold steel will bring hiiu to his senses."

The masked men obeyed, while the President looked coldly on. Petroff's coat, waistcoat, and shirt were rnmoved, and he was held against the wall by his captors. Suddenly Azoffs eyes fell on a diamond cross suspended round his neck by a ribbon. He pushed aside the man who was preparing to hold the dagger to Petroff's heart, and asked quickly: " Where did you get that cross 1" " It was given to me by my betrothed. "Her name? 1 ' pursued Azoff, eagerly. "The Princess Sophie Perovna." " You are the betrothed of the Princess So'phie Perovna ? " " I am," said Petroff, wondering at his agitation. " And I," said Azoff, tearing off the unsightly red locks and revealing the close-cropped iron-grey hair and regular features of a Russian nobleman—" lam Sophie Perovna's father."

" Then," said Petroff, calmly, " I shall be able to accommodate my honour to your curiosity, if I inform you that you will probably receive by post in a day or two from the Princess herself the news which you have taken such harsh measures to obtain—that is," he added, " if, as I suspect, it is the position of your own name in the Embassy books you are anxious about."

" Even so," said Prince Perovna ; and—turning to the members listening breathlessly—"gentlemen, I think we may safely let Count Petroff go, when I tell him that the name of our St. Petersburg corres-ponder-i about whom he has shown such e terprising curiosity is the Princes Sophie Perovna."

The Chief of the St. Petersburg Police sat in the bureau where we saw him first. He was conversing with a subordinate official.

" So the Princess Sonhie Perovna has gone to join her father, has she 1" said the Chief.

"Yes, your Excellency," replied the other. " The establishment has been broken up, ai.d I hear that the Prince's estates have been realised. Doubtless the Perovnas intend to settle in London."

"Ah, well," said the Chief, "it will save us some trouble. The Prince has been a suspect for years, and I have long had my suspicions of the daughter. Talking of London, that Azoff affair has come to nothing. Count Petroff writes me that he is unable to find any such person, and now he is compelled to relax his endeavours. He is about to be married, he says, and has resigned his position in the service. He, too, is going to settle in England."

" Ah," said the other. " The gay Count has captivated some English heiress, 1 presume."

But as it happened the astute police officer for once was wrong. It was no Englishwoman who played the principal part in the ceremony which united the houses of Perovna and Petroff.—The Million. .