starets

The Empress, her head bowed in silence, knelt before the weird impressive shrine, side by side with the Starets.

One day a frantic message came to me over the telephone from Madame Vyrubova, who inquired the whereabouts of the Starets.

The Tsar bowed as the Starets, crossing himself, bestowed his blessing upon him.

Experts were brought in, when it was found that the writing was in Russian character, and the words were: "The holy Starets is——"

This conveyed nothing to the London police, who, of course, knew nothing save that a "Starets" in Russia is a "saint."