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45°
166 RUSSIA IN DECLINE [chap, xxiii.
amongst the men who for a long time had been marching
to the attack of the former regime, of its manifold
inconsistencies and original blemishes? Towards the
end of 1916 one can assert that the "sacred union,"
planned since the war, no longer existed either at the
Duma or elsewhere. All wishes were turning towards
a radical metamorphosis of things ; only some pictured
this metamorphosis as a sort of coup d’etat or
palace-revolution, like those of the eighteenth century in
Russia, which would set the Emperor and more especially
the Empress on one side, and place the little Tsarevitch
on the throne with a firm and wise regency supported
by national representation; while others contemplated
a popular and complete revolution whence would spring
a new order of things strictly in accordance with their
opinions or their dreams. As I said above, both sides
abjured the word of command " no revolution in
wartime," and to excuse this repudiation of a principle
agreed on, rumours, becoming daily more persistent,
were circulated of treachery to the cause of Russia and
the Allies contemplated by the Empress Alexandra,
Stiirmer e tutti quanti.
In the course of this autumn of nightmares I was
surprised one day by a visit from Prince Nicolas of
Greece (married to the daughter of the Grand-Duchess
Vladimir), who was on his way through Germany
to Petrograd. The Prince, who omitted to explain
whether he had been summoned to the Russian Court
or at least formally authorised to go there, asked me to
viser his passports. During our conversation he did
not utter any categorical complaint of the doings of the
Allies in Greece, nor did he seek to justify the conduct of
his brother, King Constantine; nevertheless, I felt that
he had been sent by the latter to offer the King’s apology
to the Court of Tsarskoe and to explain to what extent
it would be difficult for Greece to place herself resolutely
on the side of the Entente and to declare war. After
having listened attentively to the Prince, I contented
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