If, in addition to the natural precautions of the messenger, there was added the watchfulness of one or two suspicious Russian policemen, then would her difficult enterprise become indeed impossible.

On the other hand, the ill-paid policemen might be amenable to the influence of money, and as she was well supplied with the coin of the realm, their presence might be a help rather than a hindrance.

All in all, she had little liking for the task she had undertaken, and the more she thought of it, the less it commended itself to her.

Nevertheless, having pledged her word to the editor, if failure came it would be through no fault of hers..