The Russian national anthem.
____________________________________________________________

_______

“His Excellency the Grand Marshal of the Court is waiting for you, Monsieur.”

Rouletabille shook hands with Athanase Georgevitch, who returned to his zakouskis, and followed the interpreter to the door of one of the private rooms.  The high dignitary was there.  With a charm in his politeness of which the high-born Russian possesses the secret over almost everybody else in the world, the Marshal intimated to Rouletabille that he had incurred imperial displeasure.

“You have been denounced by Koupriane, who holds you responsible for the checks he has suffered in this affair.”

“Monsieur Koupriane is right,” replied Rouletabille, “and His Majesty should believe him, since it is the truth.  But don’t fear anything from me, Monsieur le Grand Marechal, for I shall not inconvenience Monsieur Koupriane any further, nor anybody else.  I shall disappear.”

“I believe Koupriane is already directed to vise your passport.”

“He is very good, and he does himself much harm.”

“All that is a little your fault, Monsieur Rouletabille.  We believed we could consider you as a friend, and you have never failed, it appears, on each occasion to give your help to our enemies.

“Who says that?”

“Koupriane.  Oh, it is necessary to be one with us.  And you are not one with us.  And if you are not for us you are against us.  You understand that, I think.  That is the way it has to be.  The Terrorists have returned to the methods of the Nihilists, who succeeded altogether too well against Alexander II.  When I tell you that they succeeded in placing their messages even in the imperial palace...”

“Yes, yes,” said Rouletabille, vaguely, as though he were already far removed from the contingencies of this world.  “I know that Czar Alexander II sometimes found under his napkin a letter announcing his condemnation to death.”

“Monsieur, at the Chateau yesterday morning something happened that is perhaps more alarming than the letter found by Alexander II under his napkin.”

“What can it be?  Have bombs been discovered?”

“No.  It is a bizarre occurrence and almost unbelievable.  The eider downs, all the eider down coverings belonging to the imperial family disappeared yesterday morning."* _______________________________________
____________________________

* Historically authentic.
____________________________________________________________

_______

“Surely not!”

“It is just as I say.  And it was impossible to learn what had become of them — until yesterday evening, when they were found again in their proper places in the chambers.  That is the new mystery!”

“Certainly.  But how were they taken out?”

“Shall we ever know?  All we found was two feathers, this morning, in the boudoir of the Empress, which leads us to think that the eider downs were taken out that way.  I am taking the two feathers to Koupriane.”