THE MINISTER OF EVIL

By William Le Queux

chapter		page
1.	Rasputin Meets the Empress	1
2.	Rasputin Enters Tsarskoe-Selo	19
3.	The Potsdam Plot Develops	36
4.	The Murder of Stolypin	53
5.	The Power Behind the Throne	68
6.	Rasputin in Berlin	85
7.	Scandal and Blackmail	100
8.	Rasputin the Actual Tsar	116
9.	The Tragedy of Madame Svetchine	132
10.	Traitorous Work	148
11.	Poison Plots that Failed	163
12.	Rasputin and the Kaiser	180
13.	The "Perfume of Death"	197
14.	Miliukoff's Exposure	214
15.	The Traitors Denounced	229

chap.		page
I.	—A Romance	1
II.	—Omar's Slave	8
III.	—Outward Bound	18
IV.	—A Strange Promise	25
V.	—The Giant's Finger	31
VI.	—The Royal Jujus	37
VII.	—Samory's Stronghold	45
VIII.	—The Secret of the Queen	52
IX.	—Condemned to the Torture	59
X.	—Zomara	65
XI.	—The Human Sacrifice	72
XII.	—In the Sacred Grove	81
XIII.	—The Way of the Thousand Steps	88
XIV.	—Foes	96
XV.	—A Natural Grave	102
XVI.	—Words of Fire	111
XVII.	—A Salute of Bullets	122
XVIII.	—The Mysterious Realm	131
XIX.	—The City in the Clouds	138
XX.	—The Great White Queen	143
XXI.	—A Figure in the Shadow	154
XXII.	—To the Unknown	162
XXIII.	—Under the Vampire's Wing	169
XXIV.	—The Flaming Mouth	180
XXV.	—Liola	191
XXVI.	—The First Blow	201
XXVII.	—By the Naya's Orders	208
XXVIII.	—The Fight for the Emerald Throne	218
XXIX.	—A Mystery	229
XXX.	—Treasure and Treason	242
XXXI.	—A Spy's Startling Story	255
XXXII.	—War	264
XXXIII.	—The Harem Slave	271
XXXIV.	—Liola's Discovery	287
XXXV.	—Into the Mist	303
	Conclusion	308

	PAGE
CHAPTER I.
BESIDE STILL WATERS	1
CHAPTER II.
THE MAN GOING NORTH	17
CHAPTER III.
MAINLY ABOUT MYRA	31
CHAPTER IV.
THE BLACK BLOW	50
CHAPTER V.
IS MORE MYSTERIOUS	63
CHAPTER VI.
CONTAINS A FURTHER ENIGMA	78
CHAPTER VII.
THE CHEMIST’S ROCK	91
CHAPTER VIII.
MISTS OF UNCERTAINTY	102
CHAPTER IX.
THE MYSTERY OF SHOLTO	116
CHAPTER X.
THE SECRET OF THE ROCK	126
CHAPTER XI.
HOW THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENED	133
CHAPTER XII.
WHO IS HILDERMAN?	149
CHAPTER XIII.
THE RED-HAIRED MAN	167
CHAPTER XIV.
A FURTHER MYSTERY	178
CHAPTER XV.
CONCERNS AN ILLUSTRATED PAPER	188
CHAPTER XVI.
DISCLOSES CERTAIN FACTS	202
CHAPTER XVII.
SOME GRAVE FEARS	220
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE TRUTH REVEALED	235

CHAPTER		PAGE
	Prologue	11
I.	Introduces Oswald De Gex	20
II.	The Sister’s Story	37
III.	Who Was Gabrielle Engledue?	48
IV.	Facing the Music	59
V.	The City of the Lily	69
VI.	Another Puzzle	80
VII.	The Millionaire’s Apprehensions	91
VIII.	Little Mrs. Cullerton	102
IX.	Some Plain Speaking	113
X.	Monsieur Suzor Again	122
XI.	The Absolute Facts	132
XII.	“Red, Green and Gold!”	143
XIII.	Some Interesting Revelations	153
XIV.	The Gate of the Sun	163
XV.	The Intruder	172
XVI.	Another Strange Disclosure	182
XVII.	What the Professor Found	192
XVIII.	More About the Mystery-man	202
XIX.	The Track of Despujol	212
XX.	Mademoiselle Jacquelot	222
XXI.	At the Hôtel Luxembourg	232
XXII.	Gabrielle at Home	243
XXIII.	The Death-Drug	253
XXIV.	Yet Another Mystery	263
XXV.	What the Valet Knew	272
XXVI.	More About Mateo Sanz	284
XXVII.	A Curious Story	293
XXVIII.	Love the Conqueror	299
XXIX.	Another Plot	311
	Conclusion	316

CHAPTER		PAGE
I.	INTRODUCES AMBLER JEVONS	9
II.	“A VERY UGLY SECRET”	15
III.	THE COURTENAYS	20
IV.	A NIGHT CALL	27
V.	DISCLOSES A MYSTERY	33
VI.	IN WHICH I MAKE A DISCOVERY	43
VII.	THE MAN SHORT AND HIS STORY	54
VIII.	AMBLER JEVONS IS INQUISITIVE	65
IX.	SHADOWS	76
X.	WHICH PUZZLES THE DOCTORS	87
XI.	CONCERNS MY PRIVATE AFFAIRS	98
XII.	I RECEIVE A VISITOR	109
XIII.	MY LOVE	119
XIV.	IS DISTINCTLY CURIOUS	128
XV.	I AM CALLED FOR CONSULTATION	139
XVI.	REVEALS AN ASTOUNDING FACT	150
XVII.	DISCUSSES SEVERAL MATTERS	162
XVIII.	WORDS OF THE DEAD	173
XIX.	JEVONS GROWS MYSTERIOUS	183
XX.	MY NEW PATIENT	194
XXI.	WOMAN’S WILES	203
XXII.	A MESSAGE	215
XXIII.	THE MYSTERY OF MARY	226
XXIV.	ETHELWYNN IS SILENT	236
XXV.	FORMS A BEWILDERING ENIGMA	249
XXVI.	AMBLER JEVONS IS BUSY	256
XXVII.	MR. LANE’S ROMANCE	274
XXVIII.	“POOR MRS. COURTENAY!”	281
XXIX.	THE POLICE ARE AT FAULT	290
XXX.	SIR BERNARD’S DECISION	298
XXXI.	CONTAINS THE PLAIN TRUTH	306