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45°
176 RUSSIA IN DECLINE [chap, xxiii.
the Grand-Duke Nicolas Mikhailovitch to his property
in the south of Russia. The public scandal grew from
day to day.
Then there was the resignation of Trepoff and the
appointment of Prince Nicolas D. Galitzin (I mentioned
him before) as Prime Minister—an absolutely unexpected
appointment, which could only be explained by the
personal wish of the Empress. However, with regard
to this appointment, every one realised that henceforth
the principal part in the Government would be played
by Protopopoff, who was becoming more and more
excited, and heaping folly on blunder and blunder on
want of tact. He arrived at the Duma in the military
uniform of the " head of the police," a costume to which
he had a vague right as Home Secretary, but which
none of the most " police-like" of his predecessors had
ever donned. In town every one was saying that he
had convinced the Empress that Rasputin’s soul was
reincarnated in him ; consequently he indulged in
prophecies and extravaganzas which deeply impressed
the exalted personages to whom they were addressed.
I do not know to what extent these tales were true.
I only know from experience of one fact which would
appear to corroborate them. Just at that time a kind
of American spiritist appeared repeatedly at our
Stockholm Legation, clamouring to have his
passports for Petrograd vised, the Consul-General not
considering his position quite in order. The American
boasted of the protection of M. Protopopoff, who, he
said, was impatiently awaiting him. To confirm his
words he showed us some telegrams from his powerful
protector, who was actually inviting him to come. I
caused inquiries to be made about this individual by
the police of my allied colleagues; it was discovered
—as moreover was to be expected—that the said
American was a German who quite recently had
become an American citizen, that he passed himself off
as a spiritist, mesmerist, medium, and I know not
what besides, but that he was strongly suspected of
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