“You see this boy?” he asked.

“Yes, excellency.”

“It has pleased His Majesty the Czar, acting through the administration of the police of St. Petersburg, to expel him from his dominions.  He is honored by my personal attention.  I in person am executing the order of His Majesty.  I shall now conduct him to the exact border line and see to it that he is placed on German soil.  His name is Frederick Waring.  On no pretext is he to be allowed to return to Russian soil.  Should he succeed in doing so, he is to be arrested, denied the privilege of communication with any friend, or with the consul or ambassador of any foreign nation, and delivered to me in Petersburg.  You will receive this order in due form to-night.  Understood?”

“Yes, excellency.”

“Photographs will be attached to the official order.”  He turned again to the boy, and for just a moment the expressionless mask was swept from his eyes by a look of fierce hatred.  “Now, then, step forward!  As soon as you have passed the line on the platform you will be on German territory, subject to German law.  I give you a word of good advice.  Do not offend against the German authorities.  You will find them less merciful than I.”

“I’m not afraid of you,” said Fred. He was angry, but his voice was steady nevertheless.  “You’ve cheated me.  You’ve had my passport and my money taken from me.  What do you think I can do, when you land me in a strange country in the middle of the night, without a kopeck in my pocket?  But I’ll find a way to get back at you.  Any man who would treat me the way you have done is sure to have treated some other people badly, too.  And I’ll find them—­perhaps they’ll be stronger than I.”

“Your papers were confiscated in due process,” said the Russian.  He smiled very evilly.  “As for your threats—­pah!  Do you think your word would carry any weight against that of Mikail Suvaroff, a prince of Russia, a friend of the Grand Duke Nicholas and General of the army?”

“Oh, you’re a great man,” said Fred.  “I know that.  But you’re not so great that you don’t have to keep straight.  You may think I had no business to come to Russia.  Perhaps you are right, but that’s no reason for you to treat me like this.  After all, you’re my uncle—­”

“Silence!” said Suvaroff harshly, startled at the carrying power of the boy’s voice.

Fred stepped nimbly across the line.

“You can’t touch me now, by your own word!” he taunted.  “I’m in Germany, and your authority stops at the border!  I say, I could forget everything except the way you’ve put me down here in the middle of the night, without a cent to my name or a friend I can call on!  You needn’t have done that.  I don’t suppose you took my money—­you don’t need it—­but you let your underlings take it.”

“I do not know that you ever had the money you say was taken from you,” said Suvaroff, controlling himself.  “It is easy for you to make such a charge.  But the officers who arrested you deny that they found any money in your possession.  There is no reason to take your word against them.”