A SECRET SERVICE
BEING
STRANGE TALES OF A NIHILIST
BY
WILLIAM LE QUEUX
AUTHOR OF
“Zoraida,” “The Great War in England in 1897,” “Guilty Bonds,”
“Stolen Souls,” “The Temptress,” “Devil’s Dice,” &c.
SECOND EDITION
London:
Ward, Lock & Co., Limited
Warwick House, Salisbury Square, E.C.
New York and Melbourne
1896
[All rights reserved]
While writing for The Times a series of articlesdealing with the Russian Revolutionary movementand the condition of political exiles inSiberia, I became acquainted with the originalof Anton Prèhznev. Strange as his storieschronicled in these pages may appear, thereare nevertheless in London at the presentmoment many refugees from the Tzar’s empirewho could relate facts of an even more startlingcharacter. Tzaricide is unfortunately as popularin Russia as it ever was, and the so-calledNihilists have, since the accession of NicholasII., relinquished none of their activity. There wasbut little genuine mourning for Alexander III., andthe feigned national affliction was speedily succeededby joyful anticipations of a new and prosperousera. But Russia has already found thather golden hopes have faded. The powerful, unscrupulousofficials surrounding the young sovereign,prompted by those evil principles thatmade Russia under Alexander III. a blot uponEuropean civilisation, have, by painting in lurid[6]colours a rude and ungrateful nation whom togovern is now his thankless task, quickly succeededin crushing any projected reforms. Thus thedespairing nation continues to writhe under theoppression of corrupt officials, and those whodare lift their voices in protest are arrested andhurried without trial to far Siberia. The land isinundated with the swelling flood of the people’ssorrow as rivers in spring, abundant with water,overflow the fields, and it will always be as longas an irresponsible, cruel, and despotic autocracyholds and directs her destinies.
The Tzar knows little of the horrors committedin his name. He has never been inside thetenth pavilion in Warsaw Citadel, where starvingpeople have, times without number, beenknouted to death. He knows nothing of thedark underground dungeons overrun with verminin the Peter-Paul Fortress; he has neverbreathed their fœtid, poisoned atmosphere.Even when he crossed Siberia the officials whosurrounded him took every precaution to preventhim from witnessing the troops of wretched,shivering humanity trudging through tracklesssnows and driven to their gloomy tom