four o'clock in the afternoon
found herself suddenly plunged into hostilities . Petrograd , of course , went wild with excitement . Our loyal Russians , who believed in official declarations and in their Tsar , were ready to fly at the Teutons , little dreaming that already , before a single shot was fired , Germany held all the honours of the game , and had the Russian bear shackled hand and foot . At four o'clock in the afternoon Rasputin called me , and handing me an envelope which seemed to contain some small object -- a lady 's silver powder-puff case I afterwards knew it to be -- said : `` Féodor , I want you to go to the booking-office of the Finnish station at the departure of the train for Helsingfors at five-thirty . There you will meet a fair-haired young man who knows you by sight . He will say the word ` Anak , ' and when he does , hand him this in secret . He will quite understand . ''