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.. meta::
   :PG.Id: 46735
   :PG.Title: Victor Victorious
   :PG.Released: 2014-08-30
   :PG.Rights: Public Domain
   :PG.Producer: Al Haines
   :DC.Creator: Cecil Starr Johns
   :DC.Title: Victor Victorious
   :DC.Language: en
   :DC.Created: 1915
   :coverpage: images/img-cover.jpg

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VICTOR VICTORIOUS
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      VICTOR
      VICTORIOUS

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      BY CECIL STARR JOHNS

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      LONDON: JOHN LANE THE BODLEY HEAD
      NEW YORK: JOHN LANE COMPANY
      MCMXV

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      THE ANCHOR PRESS, LTD., TIPTREE, ESSEX, ENGLAND

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      TO
      IRMA
      MY WIFE

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   *AUTHOR'S NOTE*

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*This book was written in the spring of*
1913--*fifteen months before the outbreak of the present
war.*

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*September*, 1915.

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.. _`CHAPTER I`:

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   VICTOR VICTORIOUS

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   CHAPTER I

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It was a magnificent tree, old and stately; it
was, moreover, the first cause of grief that I
can remember.  Its foliage in summer afforded
much shade, and in the mornings when the sun was
shining caused patterns to appear on the floor of my
nursery; my sorrow was, that I could not fasten the
pattern to the floor with tacks, tacks of the ordinary
tin variety, which I had procured from goodness
only knows where.  I tried again and again, weeping
bitterly at my want of success.  I wept still more
bitterly when my nurse returned; but that is a
detail which has nothing to do with these memoirs,
it is a sacred thing not to be spoken of lightly.

Such is the first of my remembrances, and I was
then between three and four years of age.  After
that, my memories are confused and not particularly
interesting, much the same, I daresay, as many
millions of children can look back on: childish
miseries, mishaps and pleasures, but always of the
same place and the same people.

The house we lived in was not large, but the garden
was; a splendid garden full of flowers, trees and
shrubs, wild places and rockeries, while at the end
flowed a tributary of the Thames, which to my
childish vision was a most noble river.  I imagine
that its importance increased every time I was
warned against going near the edge; and, as this
injunction was repeatedly laid upon me, the Amazon
or the Mississippi must have been mere streams in
comparison.  As, however, I obeyed and religiously
refrained from falling in, I can only suppose that in
those days I was singularly obedient, and also
lacking in enterprise.

I remember my nurse; she was a most lovable
woman, with a comfortable lap and nice kind
arms.  She let me have my own way; and I am sure
I loved her very much.

Then, of course, there was my mother, but
somehow my childish memories of her are vague.  I
fancy I was a little bit frightened when in her
company, for no reason that I can recall, excepting
the fact that she smiled so seldom.

And then there was my great friend, Bauen, a
very dark and swarthy man who attended to the
horse and pony.  I loved him best of all.  He was a
peculiarly silent person, who never spoke unless
directly addressed, and never wasted words when
replying.  He worshipped my mother and myself.
I remember one occasion, when I attacked him with
a switch because I was angry with him--I was only
five at the time, so I could not have hurt him
much--he just stood and looked at me, with his eyes full of
tears, until I felt like a little beast and cried too,
imploring him to forgive me.

I couldn't understand why, when I put my arm
round his neck and kissed him, he only kissed my
hand in return.  That was the only time we ever
had a difference of opinion, and I believe then only
because I wished for the impossible.  It was Bauen
who first set me astride the pony's back and taught
me most of what I know of horses and riding;
knowledge which has been of great value to me.

He also would keep me quiet for hours with
wonderful stories, of which he seemed to have a
never ending supply, tales of giants and fairy folk,
which I know now were the legendary doings of the
ancient heroes of his own country.  It is wonderful
to me that children can remember the fairy tales of
their early years, and to this day I can recall my
thrills at the story of the prince who turned himself
into an ivy plant so that, when it had grown up a
tall tower, a princess could use it as a means of
escape.  I had plenty of time to listen to these
stories, for I never had any playmates of my own
age.  Not knowing the joys of companionship, I
experienced no pain at the lack of comrades; nor
were my days unhappy, for they were carefully
arranged by my mother; so much work, and then
perfect freedom to do what I wished, as long as I
did not stray from the garden.

At an early age I could read and write, not English
but French.  My education at that time was a
source of great perplexity to me: my infantile
mind could never hope to understand the reason
why, just when I was able to speak in one language,
I was switched on to another; but so it was.  In
this way I learnt to a certain extent French, German,
English, and lastly a language which my mother
spoke when addressing her women, and which she
assured me, one day, was the language spoken by the
people of my own race: Rudarlian.  I do not
remember that this information added much to my
pleasure in learning the language, I do not think that
at that early age nationality troubled me a great
deal.

However, I must have been born with a gift for
languages, and they all came easily.  In after years
I appreciated the value of the teaching, for I found
it had given me command over the subtleties of
pronunciation.

Most of my days were spent in the following
manner: I was out of bed very early, summer and
winter, every morning starting with a cold bath and
simple exercises; then came breakfast, after which
half an hour was allowed for a scamper in the
garden, a visit to the stables, and then work until
eleven o'clock.

From eleven until one, my time was occupied by
play and dinner, a meal rather too ceremonious for
my liking; then, work again until two-thirty.  Of
course, as I grew older, these hours were altered,
and my play was curtailed, a thing which did not
cause me any unhappiness, as I loved my books,
chiefly owing to the intelligent methods of
instruction, which leads me to further
acquaintances--two men.

One, about forty-five years of age, appearing
considerably older on account of his grey-tinged hair,
came to visit my mother once every year.

At first whenever he came my mother appeared
unhappy; so much so that when I was six I
connected his appearance with my mother's tears, and
threatened him with I know not what.  She,
however, put her arms round me and assured me that
Mr. Smith was the best friend she had.

Mr. Smith--Mr. Smith.  In those days I never
thought that I should owe you so much.

He it was who introduced Mr. Neville to my mother.

Mr. Neville became my tutor.  He is another to
whom I owe much, very much, but my indebtedness
to him is of a different kind from my indebtedness
to Mr. Smith.

I was eight when my tutor appeared upon the
scene; tall and broad-shouldered, a fine athlete, an
ex-university don, and, as I found later, strong in
every sense.

He had a method of teaching peculiarly his own,
simple, practical, and yet full of the most complete
wisdom.  His teaching awoke my childish interest;
under his handling, dry facts of history became
fraught with vivid life, and that perhaps was the
study which fascinated me the most.  He showed
me the indirect effects of various actions, proving
how nearly always they are more potent and
far-reaching than the direct.  Dates, the plague of most
childish brains, he never troubled about.

With wonderful word pictures, he conjured up
before my eyes the lives and deeds of long-dead
heroes and monarchs, pointing out their failings,
explaining their actions.  His knowledge was vast,
I realise that now; he would encourage me to
observe everything, and he was never wearied of
explaining the why and the wherefore.

In matters geographical it was the same.  Not
content with teaching me the names of cities,
rivers, etc., he would take me mentally to the places
we spoke of, informing me of their imports, exports,
mineral wealth, and chief manufactures, giving me
brief historical lectures to explain the reason for
certain boundaries, describing the lives, rural and
urban, of the inhabitants, discoursing on their modes
of conveyance, fighting power, anything--everything.
He assisted his words with photographs.
Perhaps if I had had boy companions, I should have
been a worse pupil; I don't know.  As it was, I sat,
metaphorically speaking, in rapt adoration, drinking
in his words, remembering much, thank God.

Even arithmetic was made interesting after I had
mastered the first simple rules.  Owing to the
thorough grounding I had from him, I seem all my
life to have had a deep sense of arithmetical
proportion, not only in figures but in the events of
every-day life.

His lessons were short; I was never given more at
one time than I could assimilate; the moment that
he noticed the slightest falling off of my attention
he would cease.  "Now," he would say, "that's
enough for the moment, let us go and exercise our
bodies."

Away we would go, in any weather, for a walk or
swim, a ride, or row up the silent little stream.
Even then my instruction went on, not that I was
aware of it at the time, but by subtle little
observations which led me to ask questions and take an
interest in all forms of life.

When he came, I saw much less of my mother; she
was a great many times away from home, sometimes
for days, sometimes for months.  In my childish
way, I observed changes in her, not in her manner to
me--that was always kind and affectionate, though
withal a trifle stately--but in appearance.

She dressed more in colours, and seemed gayer
and less wrapped up in her own thoughts.  With
perfect confidence I mentioned my thoughts one day
to Mr. Neville, but he laughingly declared that it
was owing to his presence, as now she had not the
worry of looking after me.

"I did not think that I was a great worry," I
said innocently.

"No, my boy, I don't imagine you could have
been," and his hand rested a moment upon my
head.  "So we must look elsewhere, mustn't we?"

"Yes, but I should like to know, because I might
help."

"Not at present, I think; some day, perhaps,
when you are older.  You see, your mother has had
a great deal of trouble in her life, but even troubles
lose their poignancy after years; so take my advice
and wait patiently.  When the time comes you will
be told without a doubt."

By this time I had such absolute faith in my tutor
that I accepted what he said without hesitation;
and thought no more of the matter.

When I was ten years old, a great change took
place.  My mother married again--an American.

It came quite suddenly, this marriage.  I had no
idea, no thought of possessing a stepfather;
presumably, I was too young to understand or be
bothered with information.

My own father was more of a myth than a reality;
I had no memory of him, he was rarely mentioned
by my mother, and my nurse would only answer my
questions concerning my progenitor in a vague
manner.  That he had been a soldier, I gathered
from the fact that he had been killed at the head of
his own regiment; Mr. Neville had told me that,
during a lesson dealing with the history of Rudarlia.

Had I been older, I might have wondered at the
way in which I was taught the intimate history of
such a small kingdom, far more minutely, indeed,
than that of great powers like England or France.

During this lesson I read that King Merlin I of
Rudarlia had been killed in a revolution, his cousin
ascending the throne.

"I wonder if my father was there?" I asked.

"Yes, he was there."

"Was he a soldier?"

"Yes."

"Did he get killed?"

"Yes, he was killed at the head of his regiment."

"Oh!"

I remember that, in my dreaming for months after
that, I pictured a man resembling in turn Mr. Neville
and Bauen at the head of a magnificent regiment,
charging, killing, and behaving like one of those old
heroes with whom I was familiar.

But to return to my stepfather.  He was a man of
about fifty, very tall, and handsome, possessing the
musical, low-pitched voice of the Americans from the
more Southern States.

At first his coming made little difference to me, I
accepted his presence in much the same spirit as I
accepted most things; Mr. Neville and my mother
were there, so it must be all right.

I can see now that it showed consummate tact on
his part to behave as he did to me.  He never
sought me, never objected to my presence with
my mother, never assumed any kind of parental
prerogative; but, instead, suited his conversation
to my understanding, asked my opinion gravely in
small matters, and related many tales of adventure,
in such a way as to leave me ready for more.  Above
all, he made me realise that he would like my
affection.

He it was who gave me my first horse.  I had
always ridden the pony, so it was a great joy to me
to be able to accompany Mr. Neville on an animal
equal in height to his.  Then again, it was my
stepfather who first taught me to box, use the rapier,
and shoot with a revolver, himself superintending
my efforts with the greatest care; until from being
a stranger he became a friend, one whom I could love,
trust, and admire, nearly as much as Mr. Neville.
Whenever I think of those two men, my thoughts
are almost hushed, they were so good, so kind, so
perfectly unselfish to me, with no ulterior motive
besides my well-being, both for the time and the
future.

They gave me of their best, mentally, physically,
and morally.

Perhaps the chief thing I learnt from them was a
sense of duty.  Whenever there was something to be
done, each put the question before me, for me to
decide whether I considered it obligatory on me.
They would advise thought first before deciding, and
then would say no more.  They were very good
friends, these two.

Mr. Smith continued his yearly visits, but now
each time he came the three men and my mother
would hold a solemn conclave from which I was
excluded.

He was becoming to me something more than the
apparition of former years, as he would talk more
to me, showing a considerable amount of interest
in my studies, and would ask permission to send me
books, which were mostly stories of war.

War was a subject which appealed to me, for my
feelings towards soldiers were almost sacred.

My stepfather had given me a great number of
small leaden warriors, and I fancy that he must
have had them made for me, as they were absolutely
complete in detail.  They consisted not only of the
actual fighting men, but artillery, commissariat,
red-cross waggons, and engineers.

With these, when the weather permitted, we
would adjourn to the garden, and on a patch of rough
ground fight out the great battles of history.

Perhaps ten little pieces of lead counted as at
regiment, or one small brass cannon a whole battery;
it did not matter, the main thing being that the
opposing armies should be as near as possible to the
actual strength of the armies they represented.  It
would have amused people perhaps to have seen the
group we made: two elderly men and one small
boy absolutely engrossed in their game; if it could
be so termed.

Personally, I have never underrated the effect it
had on me, and I trace the success I have met with
in real warfare to the accuracy and care we
expended on these occasions.  Naturally many
questions had to be asked, and these were generally
answered by my stepfather, who was a great
authority on all things pertaining to war.  How he
could make the necessary leisure to play with me I
cannot understand, for his must have been a very
strenuous life, although I did not realise it at the
time.

Two more years went by, and then I was informed
that it had been decided to send me to school, an
idea which at first did not greatly charm me.  It had
never entered my head that I should ever be a
schoolboy, it had seemed to me that I was apart
somehow from all other boys, and although I had
read books of school life, they had never appeared
real to me, most probably because I had never
known anyone of my own age.

When the thought obtained a firm footing in my
mind, it began to wear a more interesting aspect, for
I conjured up alluring adventures, and finally grew
to like the idea so much that I was all excitement
for the entrance examination.

The only drawback that I could perceive, was the
fact that I should have to leave Mr. Neville, and my
mother and stepfather.  It was difficult to conceive
life without them, but they one and all pooh-poohed
that side of it, and told me that it was high time
that I got away from their apron strings.  In spite
of this Spartan argument, I know they were very
sorry when the day came for me to depart.

I passed my entrance examination too well,
rather too brilliantly, and was therefore put into a
class with boys a good deal my senior; consequently
my first term was not all my fancy had painted it.
At first, I foolishly imagined that school was the
place for work, so endangering my reputation by
being looked upon as a "swot," and something of a
prig.  Realising this and recognising my shortcomings,
I scrupulously refrained from working hard
and devoted myself to games.

The senior I fagged for was a nice, kind chap who
treated me with great consideration for the first few
days, but after that he treated me in a way that
was essentially good for my soul.  He did, however,
explain many little difficulties in regard to games
and encouraged me to go in for them hot and strong.

With the majority of my schoolfellows I was on
good terms; I had the usual number of scuffles
which could not be called fights, only one coming
under that category; that was with a fellow whom I
disliked heartily, for no particular reason; he
returned the feeling and tried to bully.

We therefore set to in good earnest; he was two
years older and a good deal bigger; it is undoubtedly
true that I should have received a thrashing, had it
not been for the tuition I had received from my
stepfather.  I held my own for ten rounds, when we
were stopped by a prefect.  I had a beautiful black
eye and a cut lip, as well as sundry bruises.  My
opponent, ditto, ditto; he looked worse, however,
because he was full-blooded.

My reputation went up enormously after that.
We never finished that scrap, but used to conduct
ourselves civilly towards each other.  It is wonderful
how a tussle can clear the air.

I made a friend that day, Rupert Carruthers, the
second son of the Earl of Yelverton.  He is still my
friend.

My stepfather was delighted when he heard of this
fight, and joked with Mr. Neville about it.

"We shall have him in the ring one of these days,
eh, Neville?"

"Ah! he might be happier so."  A remark
which at the time was unintelligible to me.

I do not think my mother was pleased, she said
nothing.

These were very happy years; I did as little work
as I could, but I played games with every ounce in
me, hence I became a good all-round athlete.

In the holidays I studied with Mr. Neville to make
up my lapses of the term, and I found it quite
enjoyable; he always had the power of making me
think more clearly than anyone else ever had.

My stepfather encouraged me in sport of all kinds,
boxing, foiling, swimming, rowing, and shooting.
He had had a magnificent gymnasium built in the
garden and had also rigged up a shooting range for
revolver practice.

I believe if I had been the veriest fool and lubber,
these two men would have made me different.

My great chum, Carruthers, and I were
inseparable, and sometimes exchanged visits to each
other's homes.  I remember the first time he came
to our place; when we went to bed he slipped into
my room, which adjoined his, to have a chat.  We
could both of us do well in that line.  This night,
however, he did most of the talking, chiefly
eulogising my stepfather and Mr. Neville; he spoke
with a keen appreciation of their qualities, especially
of those I most admired in them; which showed,
now I think of it, a perspicacity I had not credited
him with.

My mother had received him kindly, but with that
unapproachableness which often mystified me; and
he was almost shy when speaking of her.  I chaffed
him about his nervousness when she asked for an
explanation of the nickname he always used when
speaking to me: "Splosh."  Of course he could
not give any reason, as there was none to give; but
he managed to murmur that I was called Splosh, by
every one, because I looked like it.

This lucid explanation was sufficient and convulsing
for my stepfather and Mr. Neville, but did
not seem to charm that dear mother of mine.

Carruthers' last remarks that night were:
"What a lovely mother you have, Splosh."

"Yes, she is," I said.

"I think I should be scared of her."

"Why?"

"I dunno, but I should.  Good night."

If he had waited, I might have confessed that
sometimes I felt the same myself.

Mr. Smith came for his yearly visit that month;
he took quiet notice of Carruthers.

Towards me his manner had changed slightly.
He was, I thought at the time, rather ceremonious;
but he gave me some splendid lessons with the foils,
and I forgot about it.  He stayed longer than
usual, and his conversations with my mother were
more drawn out.

It was about this time that a vague feeling first
entered my head about my mother; I fancied there
was some mystery attached to her, and I in no way
desired that such a thing should be.  The strange
reticence every one showed when I endeavoured to
ask questions about my family, the periodical visits
of Mr. Smith, the care taken to exclude me from all
their conversations, all these things made me wonder,
and then Carruthers asked me one day to show him a
picture of my father.

Picture of my father, picture of my father?  I
had never seen one; it struck me that this was
extraordinary, almost as extraordinary as the fact
that never before had I wished to see one.  There
had never been one that I could remember, no
painting, drawing, not even a photograph, but I did
not like to tell Carruthers that, so I made some
excuse, and slipped away.

The desire to know what my father looked like
became very strong, mingled with a feeling almost
of shame; he may have loved me, petted me,
planned out my future, and yet I had never given
him more than a passing thought.  In fact, I had
grown to look upon my stepfather as my real parent
and certainly cared for him that way.

When I slipped away from my chum, I got into a
boat and pulled up the river to my favourite lounging
place, and then I spent an hour or two, lying on my
back, staring at the sky and vainly striving to explain
what now I was convinced was a mystery.  I
recalled the early visits of Mr. Smith, when my
mother used to cry; could it be that my father had
committed some crime?  Surely not, but why was he
never mentioned, why were there no pictures of
him in the house?

I was in a mood full of curiosity, but this soon
changed to one of anger, I don't quite know why,
unless I thought that I was old enough to be told
anything there was to know.

In this angry state I rowed back and stumped
straight up to the house, no doubt with great
dignity.

My mother was sitting talking to Mr. Smith and
my stepfather.

"Why, Victor, how flushed you look; is there
anything the matter?" asked my mother.

"Can I speak to you a minute, mother?"

"Of course, what is it?"

I blushed furiously, and blamed my own
precipitation.  Why had I not waited a better
opportunity?  I could not ask the question I wanted to
ask with the others there; but I had to say
something, and so blurted out:

"Oh, it does not matter now, mother."

I believe that Mr. Smith made a sign to my stepfather,
because they both rose, and, after mentioning
billiards, disappeared.

I glanced round hurriedly; this was better.

"Mother."

"Yes, Victor."

"I want to see a photograph of my father."

Her face grew very cold and stern.  Without a
word she got up and walked slowly into the house;
I followed.  In her boudoir she handed me a
miniature--I did not look to see where she took it
from--and so, for the first time that I had
remembrance of, I saw my father's face.  I don't know
what I thought of the face, but the eyes were kind
eyes.  I stared long and fixedly at the miniature;
various feelings surged through me, far too subtle to
describe.

At last I handed it back.

"Thank you, mother," I said.

"Is that all you wished, are you satisfied now?"

"No, I can't say that I am satisfied, because there
are so many things I wish to know; is there any
reason why I should not be told about him?"

"There is, Victor."

"But it is nothing wrong, is it?"

"Wrong?  My God! yes! it is wrong, but it
does not take from your father's name.  Listen to
me, Victor; you are growing into a man, when the
time comes, you shall be told many things, until
then wait patiently, my boy, I promise that you
shall know everything."





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.. _`CHAPTER II`:

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   CHAPTER II

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I now knew that there was something mysterious
about my parentage--the interview with my
mother had at least settled that point--but
all the certainty in the world could not prevent my
mind continually turning to it, and this had rather
a curious effect upon me: it made me quite
humble-minded.  I do not mean to imply that my normal
state was bumptious beyond the ordinary, but it
had a chastening effect upon my mind.  I disliked
the thought of the unknown.  I desired to have a
father whom I could speak of without any kind of
doubt.  As it was, I found it necessary, upon several
occasions, to slur over any allusions to him, and
schoolboys are not always tactful in their dealings
with reticence.  However, the fact that he had been
a soldier generally proved sufficient to satisfy the
curiosity of the inquirer.

Another thing which annoyed, or rather chafed
me was the length of time that must necessarily
elapse before I could know, for I had no doubt that
it would not be until I came of age.

My disturbed state of mind did not prevent me
enjoying my life immensely; and at eighteen I
found myself in a very enviable position in the
school, and one which I believe was a record in its
way, for I was captain of the school, and also captain
of the cricket eleven.  I may say that the latter was
by far the more important post in my eyes, and
certainly much the nicer.

I take no credit for being the best boxer and
fencer in the school, for I had done both since very
early childhood, and had had most excellent
instructors.

It was a great shock to me to learn that I was to
leave school, it seemed to be the most complete
upheaval I had ever experienced.  I hated the idea,
it caused me an infinite amount of real trouble to
get myself into the proper frame of mind to behave
decently about it.  Yet, had I thought, I might have
recalled numerous hints that I had received from
my people, and which would have prepared me
better; presumably I had been so engrossed in my
own little affairs that I had not paid too much
attention.

I shall never forget the last day of that term, I
felt as though I was going to execution, and
absolutely beastly; had I been a girl I should have cried
my eyes out.  With the eyes of my world upon me,
however, I had to make a brave show, and say
good-bye to every one and everything; and lastly I
had to have an interview with the head-master.  I
had, naturally, had much to do with him as captain
of the school, and we were very good friends.

He was a short, thickset man with a great white
beard, who bore a tremendous reputation for severity
among the boys; but those among them who got to
know him found a warm-hearted, kindly, genial
man.  After speaking with me for some time he said
good-bye, adding a few words which I shall never
forget.

"My boy," he said, "I have this to say to you: no
matter where you are, or what befalls you, remember
that over us all, king or peasant, there is God.  Turn
to Him in your troubles, thank Him for your joys.
That you will do your duty through life, I feel
assured, however hard it may be, however irksome.
The love you have inspired in your comrades will, I
hope, be inspired by you in the world; I, and others,
will pray for you in the future.  May God keep you
in his sight."

I could not help wondering, as I left his study, why
such emphasis had been laid upon my future.
What did it portend, did the head-master know
anything of which I was ignorant perhaps, for since
my interview with my mother two years before, I
had made no further inquiries.

When I was home again, I found that they were
beginning to treat me as a man; and for three
months or more I spent my time in sport.  By
which I do not mean killing things, that was a
pursuit I never really cared for.

Towards the end of this time Carruthers paid me
a visit from Sandhurst, into which he had passed a
year or so before I left school; after his visit I began
to wonder what I should do with my life.  His
stories of the great military college had fired me
with a desire for the army.

It was after dinner some three nights following his
departure that I broached the subject of my future.

"I wish to know what vocation you think I am
suited for?"

I spoke collectively.  My mother gave a little
start, looked quickly at my stepfather, gave a little
sigh, and remained silent.

My stepfather smiled a trifle grimly, he too did not
speak.  Mr. Neville, however, answered me.

"What do you yourself feel inclined for?" he asked.

"I hardly know.  You see, I have never thought
much about it until lately; but it seems to me, that
now I have left school, I ought to do something to
be independent."

"There is no need of that, Victor," said my
stepfather.  "Would you not be content to stay
here, and wait for a little?"

"If I did, it would prevent my going to Sandhurst."

"Aha! that was in your mind then.  I rather
suspected it.  Rupert's reports, eh?"

"Yes," I said.  "It seems a nice life, and I might
do well as a soldier; what do you think?"

My mother leaned forward.

"Victor, do not set your heart upon it, I think
that it will be impossible."

"Oh, am I also to know the reason for that, some day?"

"Yes," she answered, "that goes with the rest."

"Well, I shall be very pleased when that day comes."

"Ah!" said Mr. Neville.  "I wonder."

We sat silent for a while, and then I said again:

"What am I to do?  You know, I am completely
in the dark about everything.  I have been
supplied with money, it is true, but is it mine, or is it
yours, mother?  These things ought, I think, to be
explained to me.  Shall I have some day to work for
a living, or do I inherit anything when I come of
age, because I feel that, in the latter case, I can take
a course that will be totally different to what it
would be supposing I had to earn bread and cheese."

My stepfather had risen and was walking up and
down the room.

"I quite see your point, my boy," he said, "and
I think that you are of an age to understand me,
when I say that you will never want in the future:
you will inherit a certain sum on coming of age,
which will be enough to keep you handsomely in
any ordinary way.  When I die, you will have
everything of mine, and I trust you will then be in a
position to make good use of it.  That, I hope, is
sufficient to say about financial matters; about
your career, it is more difficult.  If I were you, this
is what I should do: I should ask Mr. Neville to
come with me and should then take a continental
tour.  See everything, meet everybody, acquire a
knowledge of mankind, virtues, and vices.  Spend
money when you think good may come of it; read
and digest history as you go, also national law, and
natural law; gain as much knowledge as you can of
affairs military; study arms and armaments, from
cutlasses to cannon.  Your cadet corps has given
you a capital foundation to work on.  Then in two
years return to us.  That is my advice, and I know
your mother will agree."

"Yes," said my mother a trifle sadly, "I agree."

"But could you not give me some idea, so that I
may study for my future as well as all those things
you mention?"

"I believe that if you study those things, Victor,
they will be of immense importance to you in what I
hope will be your career.  You may trust your
mother and myself to give you the best advice we can."

"Of course I do," I said, "but it is puzzling,
isn't it?"

"Yes, it is, but this you may count on: you shall
know everything you wish when you come of age,"
said my mother.

"Thank you, mother."  I turned to my old
tutor.  "Mr. Neville, will you come with me?"

"I will," he said.  "It will be a pleasure
for me to renew my acquaintanceship with the
continent."

"Then let us go; and, for my part, the sooner the
better, for the time will pass more quickly."

"Don't forget the old advice to 'hasten slowly,'"
my stepfather remarked.

"To-morrow," said my mother, rising, "we will
plan out your tour."

I went to bed that night with fresh fields of thought
open to me.  I was now to see all those places of
which I had read and heard; I was to study
everything.  The thought flashed through my brain,
that from this advice I ought to be able to glean
something of my parents' views for my future,
which I immediately tried to do, but without any
satisfactory result.  I wondered whether they wished
me to enter the diplomatic service; but, if that were
so, why be mysterious about it?  It was a perfectly
feasible career to anyone like myself.  I was pleased
with this idea, and indulged in a little fanciful
dreaming, seeing myself as an ambassador, carrying
through some skilful piece of diplomacy with great
success.  I believe that this was still in my mind
when I fell asleep.

The next week passed in a whirl of preparations.
It was decided that we should go first to Paris,
and then roam wherever we willed, to St. Petersburg
or Rome, to Egypt or Iceland.

For the first time that I can remember, my
stepfather spoke to me of money.

"Victor," he said, "it is necessary that you
should acquire a knowledge of the value of money; I
don't mean of pennies being saved to make pounds,
but I wish you to get used to the handling of large
sums, to appreciate what such sums can buy.  It is
an extremely difficult thing to discover the best
method of learning this; I believe there is no certain
way, it depends so much on the individual.  I don't
fancy that you have ever been in debt or money
difficulties, have you?"

"Never, you gave me such a ripping allowance, I
never spent it all."

"Didn't you?  All the better, it proves that you
are not thoughtlessly extravagant; but I don't wish
you to be too careful either.  I want you to be so
used to handling and spending money that, if, in the
future, the occasion arises where it is wise to spend
a big sum, you will do it without hesitation; for
delay often spells ruin.  Now don't forget, I want you
to spend money, as much as you like, ten, thirty,
fifty thousand pounds, if you wish; and, my boy, I
will confide in you this much, if you spent twice that
sum, I shouldn't feel it."

"You must be jolly rich then," I said, although I
only vaguely realised the position.

My stepfather smiled.

"I am, but I don't wish people to know it."

I have often wondered what other young men of
my age would have felt under similar conditions.

To be invited to spend as much money as they
liked, to have it made a point almost of favour that
they should do so.

I suppose their thoughts would have run wild on
all kinds of imaginary delights, and pastimes; as for
me, I hardly felt even a passing thrill at the prospect.
I had always been lavishly supplied with money,
and strangely enough had no expensive tastes or
habits; I needed very little to make me happy.
As it was, I gave my word to spend whenever I
could.  But I could not help laughing as I did so,
it seemed so funny.

"Possibly I may have this explained when I
come of age," I remarked.

My stepfather laughed.

"Yes, I think so, Victor."

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   \*      \*      \*      \*      \*

.. vspace:: 1



I do not intend to give an account of our tour, the
places we went to can be read of in Baedeker, or
other guide books, that is, for the most part.  We did
go to some small places out of the regular beat, but
nothing extraordinary happened.

We visited France, Germany, Italy, Russia, during
the first two years, generally making Paris our
head-quarters.

I followed strictly my stepfather's advice, studying
everything and everybody.  In those two years I
must have shed at least seven skins of ignorance,
and acquired seven others of knowledge, and, with
the knowledge, understanding.

Naturally, Mr. Neville being with me aided me
enormously; without him, I should no doubt have
profited far less.  He it was to whom I turned
continually for guidance and explanation.  When I
say guidance, I mean mentally, as in all decisions of
a physical nature I was made to decide myself.

In each country, as we visited it, he pointed out in
his lucid way the chief points of government, and
many were the discussions we had over the selection
of the finest.

At first, I remember, I was inclined to favour
theories, but before his searching dissection they
very soon crumbled away.

We had many letters of introduction to notable
people, wherever we went; and these enabled us to
obtain a grasp of the real life of all classes, for we
invariably found some one who could and did act as
guide.

Sometimes we would go for a walking tour lasting
a month or six weeks, sometimes we would motor
through a great tract of country, barely stopping a
day in any one place.

We met many people, young and old, men and
women, and as my mind expanded I seemed to read
their characters, recognising their virtues and their
vices, carefully stowing the results of my
investigations away in the recesses of my brain.
I was repeatedly told that I was handsome,
sometimes subtly, more often quite openly.  This was
news that failed to interest me.

Women with languorous glances, or carefully
dropped eyelids, had little fascination for me; and
so I passed through, unscathed, what would have
been irresistible temptations to many.

Perhaps I was cold by temperament, or perhaps
my upbringing had taught me to avoid such
pleasures, or, again, perhaps I was simply waiting
for love to come to me.

Now although, as I say, I evaded these things, I
take no credit to myself; they were not for me, that
was all.

I did not quite understand myself then, and I find
it hard even now to say what prompted me to keep
sexually clean.  I in no way avoided opportunities,
as in my desire for knowledge I would often with
some acquaintance or friend visit the haunts of the
*demi-monde* and underworld; I do not say it was
necessary to seek such opportunities.  The society
we naturally consorted with differed strangely
little in essentials.

I have seen a man, head of a noble family,
deliberately cheat at cards; and I have experienced the
disagreeable duty of refusing the amorous advances
of more than one *grande dame*.

I, personally, find much blame for the man, and
very little condemnation for the woman, for the
craving of sex must be the most difficult of all to
fight, and conquer.

As I have said, we studied four great nations in
two years, superficially, of course; but the knowledge
we gained was good.  One subject in particular I had
given my whole attention to, whenever possible:
war, chiefly in the way of preparation for attack or
defence.

It was extremely interesting to me to discuss
with Mr. Neville, or with a soldier if possible, the
defences of any place.

Of course, as outsiders, we were never allowed to
inspect any of the fortified places of Europe, but we
would discuss them nevertheless, and I was always
trying to find the best plan of defence for these
places.  The military portion of the friends we
made seemed much amused with me; I don't know
why, unless it was my eagerness.  All the same they
entered into the fun of "drawing a civilian," and
bantered me unmercifully, which I know was
excellent for me.

I remember once, when motoring through France,
entering into a heated discussion with a celebrated
French General; I refuse to allow for one moment
that I wanted to lay down the law, although
Mr. Neville did suggest it afterwards.  This General, no
doubt immensely amused by me, pulled out a map
of the district through which we were travelling.

"Now," he said, "supposing you had a force of
so many men, with so many guns, here," he jabbed
with his finger, "and the enemy were here and here,
with so many men and guns, what would you do?"

This was a game I had often played, and I looked
eagerly at the map--there and there the enemy; my
forces here.  It was impossible to do anything
except surrender.  I looked again.

"Where were my forces before they arrived in
that position, in which direction were they
travelling, and with what object?"

"Well, suppose they were moving from A to
try to get to B here."

Again I studied the map, the position was plain
to read; had my reconnaissance been carried out
properly--and I should not have advanced without--I
could never have been in that position, rather
should I have branched off here, and so opened up a
splendid line for either advance or retreat.  I
looked up at the General, he was just winking at
another officer who was with us; that settled it, just
that wink, I knew then that he was "drawing me
again."  I smiled grimly.

"General, if ever you allowed your forces to get
into such a position you ought to be shot."

For a moment he looked at me, and then burst out
laughing.

"*Mon Dieu!* but he is right, this young civilian,
but name of a little dog! how did he know?  I
ought to be shot, I ought to be shot.  Ha Ha Ha!"
he roared with laughter.

I was appallingly conceited inside, but made little
of it outwardly.  The General, however, repeated
the story so often, that I lost my conceit, and was
rather sorry I had been so clever.

Whether it was my enthusiasm, my youth, or the
novelty of everything, I don't know, but I enjoyed
every minute of my time.  Physically I had never
been so fit; I took an enormous amount of exercise,
walking, riding, boxing with Mr. Neville and others,
though chiefly with my companion, who although
not my equal in science, and a middle-aged man, yet
gave me a lot to do.  In each capital, I always went
to the greatest masters and studied with the rapier
and sabre; I also kept up my shooting.

I think I stopped growing in height about then--just
an inch under six feet--but I still continued to
expand in width.  Illness had mercifully passed me by.

We had been in Paris about three weeks, and were
beginning to think of moving on again, somewhere,
I for one did not care where, because every place was
splendid; I was not the least tired of travel, neither
bored nor blasé.  It was Mr. Neville who suggested
Rudarlia.

We had spent the day at Versailles, a place which
I never felt tired of seeing or talking about, and that
evening we were idling over our dinner, when my
companion said:

"And where to next, Victor?"

"I don't know," I answered with a little start, for
he had read my thoughts exactly.  "Where do you
suggest?"

"There is Rudarlia."

I had thought of this many times, but had always
deferred suggesting it.  I imagined that it would be
perhaps better to leave this visit until after I came
of age and received the long-promised information
concerning many things; also I wished to view my
own country, for the first time, with a practised eye
and balanced judgment.  I knew from reading and
conversation that Rudarlia was not in a flourishing
condition, and I did not want to be badly prejudiced
by immature impressions.  Now, however, Mr. Neville
had suggested the visit, which made a great
difference.

"That requires thought," I said.

"Naturally; I only proposed it in order to
discuss it with you."

"Well, what do you think, knowing how I feel on
the subject, would you say my mind was formed
enough?"

He looked at me affectionately.

"My boy, the last part of your question I can
answer at once in the affirmative.  You know, I never
pay you compliments, so you can believe me when I
say that, in my opinion, your views on most subjects
are worth listening to, and your grasp of life is
astonishing to me.  As to your wishing to defer
your visit, the same idea had struck me.  Your
mother has never even hinted at any wish of hers
in the matter, so, to make sure of their views at
home, I wired to them.  Their answer came to-day,
it was this: 'If he feels inclined.'"

"If I only knew," I murmured.  "It makes it
very difficult, but I suppose, as usual, I must decide.
Don't you think that a great deal is left to me?"

"Yes."

"And you agree with that course of procedure?"

"Entirely."

"Yet I should so like to have things taken out of
my hands sometimes, it would be ripping to feel,
now and again, no sense of being in charge, so to
speak, of one's own life; it is rather overpowering to
know that everything depends on whether one says
yes or no."

"And yet, my boy, there are many in the world,
with larger responsibilities than yours are at present;
think, for instance, of a great employer of labour who
has to decide great things, affecting, perhaps, the
welfare of both his employés and his business.
Think of anyone in power, saying whether it shall be
peace or war."

"But they have assistance in making up their minds."

"Certainly; it is there that we want you to
differ from them, we wish you in all things to be able
to decide for yourself; to know how to grasp the
pros and cons, to weigh them one against the other,
and give a decision."

"But will that be of use to me, should I enter
diplomacy?"

"You can only wait and see."

"Not much longer, thank Heaven!"

"Ah!" said Mr. Neville.

We drank our coffee before speaking again, then I
said:

"We will go."

"Good! you have decided as I expected you to.
We must arrange many things first, however."

"What kind of things?"

"Well, do you intend going as a Rudarlian, or as
an Englishman?"

"I have been English everywhere, so far, and for
this visit will remain so, unless I change my mind
when there."

"Which way do you want to go?"

I thought a little while, and then said:

"I should like to enter the country on foot and
walk to the capital; it is a whim, I know, so if you
don't feel inclined please say so."

"It is a first-rate plan, I think, and will be most
enjoyable.  Anyway, Karena is not far distant from
the northern frontier."

"It will be hard going, from what I can gather,
but it ought to be worth while."

"When shall we start?"

"Oh," I said, looking at my engagement book,
"would a week from to-day suit you?"

"Perfectly, it will give us time to work out
details."

Once the matter was settled definitely, I began to
indulge in a little wild speculation.  I was, naturally
perhaps, excited at the idea of seeing my own
country, hearing my own tongue spoken every day
and all day, by my own countrymen and women.

The week fairly flew past.  I had written to my
mother informing her of our proposed trip, and
received an answer back bidding me God-speed, and
also advising me on no account to seek to find out
anything about my father.  It was pointed out to
me that I had only a few months to wait and any
premature disclosures might do much damage.

This, of course, was so much double Dutch to me,
and only added to the mysteriousness of everything.
I therefore refused to think about it, but I also
resolved to abide by her wish.  The letter finished
by expressing satisfaction at the idea that I was to
travel as an Englishman.





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.. _`CHAPTER III`:

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   CHAPTER III

.. vspace:: 2

With as little impedimenta as possible,
Mr. Neville and I bade au revoir to Paris,
little thinking that we had made it our
head-quarters for the last time.  Since then I have
never stayed more than one night in that city, when
passing through.  I always feel glad that I saw as
much of it as I could, for, to my mind, it is eminently
a city to induce memories, and I like to look back on
the jolly times I have had there.

We went by express to Nerane, the nearest
stopping-place to the northern frontier of Rudarlia, and
drove in a cart to Melanov, that now famous little
town; in those days it was not known at all well.
We arrived as night was falling, and it was too dark
to see anything of the country which on the morrow
we were to enter.  The cart deposited our shaken
remains at the only inn the place possessed.

I was glad there was only one, for if there had been
another, with the same failings, Melanov should
have ceased to exist, at least that is what I should
have hoped.  We had sent our luggage to Karena
by train, and had with us just the necessities of life,
in our knapsacks.  Our visit excited an unreasonable
amount of interest, but the innkeeper, a fat, oily
Greek, was obsequiousness itself, hovering round
with a look of cupidity and craftiness upon his most
unprepossessing countenance.

Having removed traces of travel as well as we
could, the next thing was food.  This was rough
and plentiful, with accent on the rough; but, in
spite of having recently left Paris, we had
managed to acquire healthy appetites and ate good
dinners.

Having filled our pipes, we made ourselves as
comfortable as the chairs would permit and started
talking; but just as we began to warm up to our
subject--which I remember dealt with the use of
aircraft in war--there was a bang on the door, and
in stalked a soldier.

"Good evening," I said.

"Good evening, messieurs.  I must apologise for
this intrusion, but as Commandant of this frontier, I
always make a point of inviting travellers to spend
an hour or so with me, in order, if I may speak
frankly, to prevent myself becoming too much of a
barbarian to associate with gentlemen.  I therefore
beg of you to consider my poor quarters as your own,
at least the chairs there are in better repair than
those you are sitting on."

"You are very kind," I said.  "May I introduce
Mr. Neville?  My own name is Stevens."

"And I am Colonel von Quarovitch.  Now, since
we know each other's names, will you accompany me
to what poor hospitality I can offer?"

We accepted his invitation with more pleasure
than he could have any idea of, for more reasons
than one.  I think, in my case, it was the knowledge
I had already gained of those inhabitants of the inn
who did not pay taxes, and who seemed to like the
taste of me.

The Commandant gave us some most excellent
coffee.  At first, I believe, he took us for spies, or at
least emissaries of some foreign power; but after a
while his suspicions seemed to calm down, and soon
we were talking and laughing like good friends.

We informed him of our proposed trip, a thing to
him undreamed of; but all Englishmen are mad,
that is well understood, so he gave an expressive
shrug of his shoulders, and offered us any assistance
in his power.

He was a fine, rugged-looking man, with great
fierce eyebrows and eyes, and I thought to myself
that he should be a good soldier.  There was,
however, an undercurrent of deep resentment in his
conversation when speaking of his country's
affairs.

Looking upon us as passers-by, he no doubt felt
safe in laying bare his grievances.  I do not suppose
for one moment that he would have done such a
thing in the presence of any of his officers, or even
civilians of his own race.  He was a grumbling old
bear, and told us that he had been in his present
grade for eighteen years, and for twelve in this place,
badly paid.

"His beloved Majesty needs all the money for his
prostitutes," he growled.  "There is no money for
clothing or weapons for his army.  Here am I, who
have been in every fight for thirty years or more,
wounded a score of times, with only a few hundred
men to guard a frontier, on starvation pay; seeing
men who have never smelt powder made generals,
passed over my head simply because they have
influence either through their females or through
money.  And all the thanks I get for my devotion to
the monarchy is to be told that there are a hundred
applicants for my post if I request anything from
head-quarters."

"Then your feelings are not over-kind to your
King?" said Mr. Neville.

"King!" he roared.  "He is no King of mine,
usurper and assassin.  I continue to serve in his
army, because there is no one who can fill my place
here properly, and my country comes before my
own feelings still, thank God.  And yet," he
continued almost wistfully, "I feel assured that, if war
was declared to-morrow, some captain with influence
would buy my place, and I should be retired, as
too old.  Too old, by God!  I who know every
stick and stone for a hundred miles round, who
was created Colonel on the battle-field by his late
Majesty, God preserve his soul; I, who have studied
war since I could read, who can yet march the
stoutest man off his feet."

"But they couldn't retire you, Colonel?" I said
inquiringly.

"Could they not, my young friend?  Ah, you
don't know to what we have fallen; not the people,
they are as true and brave as ever, but the courtiers,
our rulers, rotten, degraded panders to a gross
sensualist's vices; bah! they sicken me.  Retire
me they would without a thought, and I could take
my nobility back to my own dilapidated castle, and
feed it on the thousand pounds or so I have saved in
thirty years' service."

"Is there not a great deal of discontent in the
country?"

"Naturally! where do you find men who would
not be discontented and disgusted with underpay
and insufficient food?  The peasants, too, are ground
down with taxes, until they starve.  One day some
man, driven desperate, will commit the crime of
regicide, but perhaps it would not be a crime in this
case."

"Would that improve matters?" asked Mr. Neville.

"That I cannot say.  The next heir to the throne
is a cousin, with little Rudarlian in him; from all
accounts he resembles the present man in tastes and
habits.  Ah! if only I had been in Karena twenty
years ago, with just the troops I have here, history
would have been written differently, and Rudarlia
would have been another country, unless Merlin's
son had developed badly.  As it was, I, with many
more Loyalists, had been sent by a hound of a
Minister to the other end of the country; when we
got back it was all over.  The whole of the reigning
family, father, mother, and son, had been
assassinated; and the present man Ivan was King, he had
been waiting near the frontier for the word to come."

"Had they no one to defend them?"

"Those who did were shot without scruple.  You
know the miscreant fired the royal apartments,
burning the bodies of the Queen and the Crown
Prince; they were only recognised by the jewellery
found on the charred remains."

"What a terrible crime it was!" I said.

Colonel von Quarovitch sprang to his feet.

"Crime!" he cried, shaking his clenched fists
above his head.  "Crime!  God's curse on the
authors of it, it has ruined my country."

We stayed only a few minutes after this, finally
wishing him good night, and retired.

As we reached the inn, Mr. Neville and I looked
at each other.

"Thank God for such men as that," said my companion.

His eyes were misty as he shook my hand, and
turned away to his room.  I did likewise, but slept
little, I was too excited, I imagine; to-morrow I
was to enter Rudarlia, my own country.

My thoughts were extremely upsetting, the
conversation we had had with Colonel von Quarovitch
had made me think a great deal.

Here was an elderly man, devoting his whole life
to his country, without hope of recompense.

His was an example of quiet heroism that set my
blood on fire.  I compared his position with mine, I
blushed inwardly at the comparison; of course so
far I was not to blame, as I was not yet legally my
own master, but in a few months from now I should
be; what then would my course be?

Should I remain in England, with everything a
man could wish for, or come here to Rudarlia, and
exert myself to the utmost, in trying to cleanse the
country of abuse?

Although I was young, I was not idiotic in my
romanticism.  I fully realised the futility of starting
to wage war on a throne without a great deal of
assistance.  Could I obtain sufficient following, was
I capable of directing the campaign?  I would not
use force, it would have to be far more subtle; the
Press must be won over first, and the natural leaders
among the people.  Was it possible?

I turned and twisted in my most uncomfortable
bed, finding the greatest difficulty in concentrating
my thoughts.  There were so many conflicting lines
of argument to be considered; dreams, and
ambitions, rose-tinted, would confuse them.

I dreamed of a Rudarlia set high above the
neighbouring countries in everything, well governed,
possessing a magnificent army, thoroughly trained
and equipped, faithfully paid, fed and clothed,
returning for it all a loyal devotion--to whom?

There, my thoughts balked--to the present King
Ivan?  Impossible.  His heir, according to Quarovitch,
was little better.  Who then?  God knows the
misery I experienced in that *cul-de-sac*; I could see
no way out, except in the idea of a republic, and the
thought of Rudarlia as anything but a kingdom was
unthinkable.

The only foreign power to which we could turn in
safety for a monarch was England.  No German
princeling or Austrian Archduke would serve.
Russia?  As well ask a fox to take care of a chicken.
Fool that I was, here was I, a stranger, imagining
that I alone could save the country; there must be
hundreds of brave men, far more shrewd than I,
with influence and wealth, who had no doubt
thought and even tried to do the same thing, yet
they had failed.  That was my opinion when I
reached the blank wall in my mind, yet I could not
give in, some power seemed to be urging me to try
other ways.

Morning came, and found me still puzzling, still
without any loophole through which to squeeze to
the help of my beloved country.

I say "beloved," for now that I was on the
borders, only a few yards into Rudarlia, I felt surge
over me an almost mad exultation, a thrill of
passionate feeling, quite foreign to my nature; I
felt that that day had marked a change in my life.

Any help that I could give must be a matter of
time and the deepest consideration; I would see what
Mr. Neville and my parents said--and Mr. Smith
too.  I had forgotten him, had, I am ashamed to say,
forgotten the oldest of my friends, and one who would
doubtless be overjoyed to hear that I was in Rudarlia.

He would help me, perhaps, in any way that he
thought good.

Well, it would wait with many things until my
majority.

While dressing I thought of my stepfather; what
would he think, as an American, would he advise a
republic?

And then his advice flashed across me: "Spend
money when you think good will come of it."

I had never followed his advice to any large
extent, a hundred pounds or so at a time.

"I wonder," I said aloud, "whether this is an
opportunity?"

It was a fresh idea, and I dawdled over my toilet,
so as to have more time for consideration.

Could I in any way help Quarovitch and his men:
would he accept financial assistance, not for himself
but for the troops he commanded?

I must see him, I decided that there and then.  It
might be that I should have to divulge my
nationality to him, what did it matter?  He was an
honest and honourable man, on that I would have
wagered anything.  So now, I could finish my
dressing, and go down to my breakfast.

Mr. Neville was already in the room waiting for
me; he looked at me intently as I entered.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

"No, very badly, the conversation of last night
upset me, I think."

"H'm.  Well, do you know it did me too, but
for different reasons, no doubt.  Let us have
breakfast, and talk."  He seated himself and began.
"We had better stick to English, it's safer,"
he remarked.  "One never knows who can
overhear.  First of all, I propose to tell you
why you did not sleep, then, why I was likewise
kept awake; if I am wrong tell me.  You," he
began decapitating an egg, "were engaged in
thinking how you, as a Rudarlian, could help your
country.  You made and unmade many plans,
each one, however, was to your mind impracticable;
am I right?"

"Quite right," I said.

"It was this knowledge of your thoughts that
kept me awake," continued my companion.  "I felt
convinced that you would have glorious dreams,
which would break like glass before reason.  I knew
that you would finally decide to abandon any active
policy at present, meaning to return to it in the near
future.  Now I know something of these things; and
the anxiety for your future kept me from slumberland."

"How on earth did you know what I was thinking,
are you capable of thought reading, even when
the thinker is absent?"

He laughed.

"I wish I were.  No, it is only the result of logic,
first, and the knowledge I have of you, secondly.
When you put a young man like yourself before the
picture displaying the ruin of his country, it is
natural for him to feel obsessed by the desire to
reconstruct the crumbled edifice.  I fancy I could
also guess the chief obstacle in your various lines of
argument."

"I should not be surprised," I said, laughing.

"Was it not the choice of a ruler?"

"Yes."

"Well, I don't wonder that you were brought to a
halt, it has puzzled me, too, a great deal; but we
can discuss that on our journey.  You have quite
decided to go over the mountains?"

"Oh yes, if you are agreeable; it will be much
more interesting and exciting."

"Very well, but we shall want a guide."

"The innkeeper will know of one, I'm sure."

"I'll ask him."

Our sleek host, looking more evil by daylight than
I had anticipated, knew just the man for us, the
perfect guide: a mountaineer, strong, honest, and
intelligent, he would send for him at once.

"I wonder," I said, "whether our host is an
authority on honesty."

Mr. Neville laughed.

"The same thought struck me; but, as we are
armed, I don't think there is anything to fear."

"Well, he won't be here for some time yet; and
I want to ask your opinion on a serious matter."

"Fire ahead, Victor."

I then proceeded to lay bare my plan with regard
to Quarovitch; Mr. Neville listened in silence.

"It is rather an extraordinary proposal," he said.

I remember that we were both silent for a
considerable time after that and then he said suddenly:

"I agree with you about Quarovitch; he is, I
should say, a most honourable man, but would he
accept the trust?  You would have to tell him that
you were a Rudarlian, even then it remains to be
seen whether he will consent to receive, from a
civilian, the money that should come from his
government.  I cannot say, although personally, in
his place I should."

"Then," I cried joyfully, "you think I can do it,
you advise it?"

"I leave it to you, partner," said Mr. Neville,
smiling.

"Oh, bother bridge, I feel that I shall never play
again with any pleasure; can't you ever declare?"

"Not on this hand.  I should say, however, that
you might make it no trumps; you have the three
aces--health, wealth, and enthusiasm."

"But the kings are against us, with perhaps the
fourth ace."

"And that is?" asked my companion.

"Luck," said I, "but I'll risk it."

"How much do you propose offering him?"

"Five thousand; that should last until I come again."

"Always look ahead," said Mr. Neville, but he
would say nothing more about the sum I had named.

A few moments after this, the host returned;
with him was a man, a splendid looking fellow, with
the free bearing and controlled muscles of a mountaineer.

I spoke to him in Rudarlian, telling him that we
wished for a guide over the mountains; did he
know of a way other than the main road?  Yes, he did.

Was it possible to work down by that route into
the plains?  Yes, it was.  Would he be content
with so much?  Yes, he would.  What would be
necessary for the trip?  He informed us that we
must take food and drink; if we had luggage, a pony
to carry it.  That was all as far as he could suggest.

"What do you think, Mr. Neville?" I asked in English.

"H'm.  He looks like a brigand, but then they
mostly do to English eyes; I think I should engage
him."

I did.  He would, he assured us, see about a pony,
and all the necessary things we needed, if we cared;
also we must provide ourselves with rugs, for the
night.

"Indeed," said I, "why did you not mention
that before?"

"I did not know that your Excellencies proposed
starting at midday."

This had only been mentioned just before, so that
the answer seemed good; but I could not help
feeling a slight anxiety, as the host was so extremely
unprepossessing.  I almost wished that we had asked
Quarovitch.

I gave Piotr, as the man was called, the necessary
instructions, bidding him wait for us with his
purchases at the inn; then we walked along to the
low, whitewashed building, used as the barracks.

From Melanov, little could be seen of Rudarlia,
though the place was high up, as the main road
twisted round the side of an eminence, blocking the
view.  There was nothing therefore to look at, as
the one street was empty save for a stray dog or so.

My thoughts were in a turmoil, as we strolled
along.  How was I to broach the subject to the
Colonel?  Perhaps he would give me an opening.

He was seated at a table by the only window in
the room; as we entered, a subaltern saluted and
passed out.

"Ah, messieurs, I am glad indeed to see you,"
said the Colonel, rising from his chair, and warmly
shaking our hands.  "I hope my outburst last
evening did not alarm you, you must forgive an old
man, who finds it difficult to keep his temper
sometimes."

"You did not alarm us at all, it was most justifiable."

"In fact," chimed in Mr. Neville, "so much so
that it induced my friend here to come to you this
morning, to ask for a half-hour or so of your time."

"Delighted, delighted; but I do not see the
connection between the two."

"Then," said I, feeling desperately uneasy, "I
must explain, if you will give me permission."

"Please take a chair, and make yourselves as
comfortable as these quarters permit."

He pulled his own chair round as we seated
ourselves, and held out a box of cigarettes to us.

"I cannot offer you cigars like the ones I smoked
last night," he said apologetically.

"Now," he continued when we had lighted them,
"an hour, or two hours, as you will."

"I don't think it will take long, at least I hope
not.  You will remember saying last night that the
present government in Rudarlia left the army in an
almost necessitous state, almost without clothing
and food?"

"That is so," said Quarovitch, with a perplexed look.

"It struck me," I said, after a moment's
hesitation, "that a man like yourself, with a certain
sum of money, might do a great deal to alleviate
such conditions among the men under your command."

"So he might, but I thought I made it sufficiently
plain that I was without private means."

"You did; therefore, I have come to offer them
to you, or rather to ask you to accept for your troops
a sum of money from me."

He looked from me to Mr. Neville, with an
inquiring lift of his eyebrows.

"No," I said, smiling, "I am not mad, but I am
intensely interested in everything Rudarlian; and,
if you could see your way to be banker for your
troops, you would place me enormously in your debt."

"It is impossible, of course," he said quietly.
"Rudarlia is in a bad way, I admit, but her army
cannot be paid by an Englishman or any other
foreigner.  I thank you for your offer, but it is
impossible."

He rose from his seat as though to terminate our
conversation.  He was angered, hurt too, by what
he no doubt looked upon as an unwarrantable
intrusion on my part; I felt that he looked upon me
as one who had taken advantage of his outburst of
the previous evening.

"One moment, Colonel, before you decide," I
said.  "You feel, no doubt, that my offer is almost,
if not quite an impertinence; believe me, I
anticipated that view, I have therefore to confess to
misinforming you.  I am not an Englishman;
although brought up there, I, like yourself, am a
Rudarlian.  This is my first visit to my country
since my babyhood; now you see why your words
yesterday had so much effect upon me."

He looked at me a trifle suspiciously.

"Stevens is not a Rudarlian name," he said.

"No," broke in Mr. Neville, "but Stefan is, I
believe."

"So! you have astonished me, monsieur.  You
were taken away as a baby, you say?"

"I think so, I am not quite sure."

"If you will pardon my interrupting, Colonel,"
said my companion, "but Monsieur Stefan knows
little of his birth or childhood.  There are reasons,
grave reasons, why he should remain in ignorance
until his majority in a few months' time.  I,
however, give you my word that he is a Rudarlian by
birth."

"I did not doubt it, monsieur.  I was staggered
for the moment at the idea of anyone making such a
proposal; even now, that I know him to be my
countryman, I do not see my way to accept his offer."

"May I ask why?" I said despondently.  "I
had hoped so much to do something for our army."

"Think, Monsieur Stefan, how could it be
explained that I, a penniless man, had accepted money
to pay my troops?  They would say immediately
that my nest was feathered too, and what reason do
you suppose would be accredited to the gift?  Why,
to buy their loyalty."

"Who for?" I asked quickly.

Colonel von Quarovitch looked puzzled.

"H'm!  That is rather difficult to answer; they
would say, most likely, that you were the emissary
of Russia, Austria, or Bornia; most probably the
latter, since they are our neighbours."

His argument was certainly sound; and I searched
my brains for a solution.

"Don't you ever speculate, Colonel?" I asked.

"Eh?"

"I thought you had invested a certain sum, a
little while ago, in some rubber company."

"Eh?" he said again.

Mr. Neville chuckled.

I continued:

"So at least I understood; five hundred pounds,
I think it was, they rose ten points or so, giving
you the handsome profit of five thousand pounds."

He still looked at me inquiringly; but suddenly
he smiled grimly, and stared for a few minutes out
of the window.  Then, slowly, he drew a piece
of paper and a pen towards him, and looked up.

"What did you say the name of the rubber
company was, monsieur?"

I had won.  In a boyish impulse I seized his hand
and shook it violently.

"Hurrah!  I was so afraid that you would
continue in your refusal."

He laughed outright.

"I have never known anyone so anxious to part
with money before, and, monsieur, I was desperately
anxious that you should think of a way out; it
means so much to my men.  As it is, I shall become
almost too popular, thanks to you."

For the next hour we discussed ways and means.
I was to write home, and inform my stepfather of
what I had done; and he was to send a letter with a
draft to Quarovitch, purporting to come from a
banker.  The spending of the money, I would have
nothing to say about, and told him so.

"You know what the men require, I don't, I leave
it therefore entirely to you.  Do as you think best;
and mind you keep up your investments, for when I
come again, in a little while, God willing, you must
have had another lucky stroke of business."

"I will keep an account of every penny, to await
your return."

"Which will be waste of labour, Colonel, for I
shall put it in the fire unread; you have quite
enough to do, to spend the money, without clerking."

His stern old face twitched, and he said huskily:

"God bless you, until your return, Monsieur
Stefan."

Our interview had lasted longer than we had
expected; and we had to hurry, to get back to the
inn at the time appointed.

We found our guide to be, waiting, with a small
shaggy horse, laden with our properties; he saluted
as we hurried up.

"I have everything your Excellencies require,"
he said.

He would have proceeded to tell us how clever he
had been in his bargaining, but we cut him short;
and I went into the inn to settle our account.  I
sent a boy to find the host and then entered the
dining-room to wait for him.  I walked to the
window and looked out, deep in thought.

"A deliberate cut," said a voice behind me.

I swung round.

"Carruthers?  Well, I'm damned!"

"Judging by this inn, I should say you were; but
how goes it, old chap?"

"How in the world did you get here?"

"Boat, train, and horse; but I'm waiting for you
to say that you are pleased to see me."

"Pleased?  You bet I am; why, there is nothing
could have pleased me more; but how did you know
where to find us?"

"Your mother gave me your probable route, so I
chanced it.  I have three months' leave, and I'm
going to enjoy my little self."

"Good!  Now, look here, we are just going to start
on a tramp to the capital: are you game to come now,
or shall we postpone it?"

"I'll come right away.  I've only a bag, and I'll
leave that here to be forwarded."

"It can go on our transport animal--they call it
a horse--fetch it while I settle up; Mr. Neville is
outside."

It was the final touch to my happiness to have
Carruthers with us; Mr. Neville, too, was delighted.
There was such a tremendous lot to tell each other:
all the multitude of happenings of the last two
years.

The path along which we were travelling was only
a bridle track at most and led us by a zigzag route
up the mountain.  We had too much to do, in
seeing that we put our feet on firm ground, to talk,
and as there was little beside rock to look at we did
not make any great delay.  It was hard work,
though; how the horse managed some parts beats
me altogether.  Our guide Piotr kept ahead at a
steady pace.  Just as it was getting dusk, he
stopped.

"This will be a good place to halt, Excellency."

"Very good."

I walked a little farther and turned a corner,
Rudarlia lay in front of me.  I was glad that my
companions had stayed behind, for my heart was
beating ridiculously, and there was a mist in front
of my eyes.  I stood there alone, and drank in the
beauty of the vast panorama stretched before me,
the failing light made for mystery, and full of
exultation I stretched out my arms as though to
embrace it all, murmuring to myself:

"My country! my country!"





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`CHAPTER IV`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER IV

.. vspace:: 2

When I returned to the others, I found
a wood fire crackling merrily, and
preparations being made for a meal.

I am afraid that I did not contribute much to the
conversation for some time--I was thinking; but
after we had finished eating, and were sitting
smoking with the comfortable feeling one has when
healthily tired, I did my share.

Carruthers gave me a message from my people:
on no consideration was I to try and find Mr. Smith,
as any inquiries might be serious for him.  Of course
he had not been given any reasons for this; but I
could see he was curious, and I could not, and
Mr. Neville would not, enlighten him.

It was a perfect night, and there was no sound,
save the rippling of a brook, to mar the stillness,
that is, when we were not talking.  Little by little I
saw Mr. Neville and Carruthers growing more and
more drowsy, and presently, with contented grunts,
they rolled over and fell asleep.  Piotr had already
taken himself away from the fire and now lay, a dark
mass, wrapped in his blanket.

We had asked many questions of him, but I do
not remember receiving any enlightening answers;
he always appeared to be guarding his tongue, why,
I did not understand.

There was one thing which Carruthers had told
me that gave me considerable uneasiness; it was
that my stepfather did not seem as well as his wont.
This upset me, for I had never known him anything
but splendidly well.  I seemed to feel him near me
in the night; perhaps at that moment he was
talking of us, who knows?  The darkness made me
strangely fanciful, but presently I too was asleep.

The next morning I woke very early, and found
that we had an addition to our party, a man,
hump-backed, and rather evil looking.

Piotr explained that he had overtaken us at about
midnight, and, as he was tired, had asked permission
to use our fire.

I spoke a few words to the fellow, telling him that
he could have some food if he liked, and then woke
the others.

Our ablutions were performed in a small stream
that gurgled and spluttered a few yards away; then,
having had our breakfast, we once more started.

This time our order was reversed, the two men and
the horse being behind; while we three tramped
cheerfully on, glorying in the fresh morning air which
had the effect of champagne upon our spirits.

Two or three miles from our halting place of the
night, we came to a piece of road only some seven or
eight feet wide.

On one side the ground sloped steeply up, covered
with great masses of rock and stones; on the other
was a sheer drop of some hundreds of feet into a
thickly wooded valley.

Carruthers suddenly took it into his head that he
was a mountain goat, and went springing madly
down the path, disappearing in a few moments round
a curve.

Mr. Neville had just made some laughing remark
about his being almost inclined to follow, when
without any reason apparently, a stone came rushing
down from above us.

We both sprang forward instinctively, and heard
the rock strike the path, then an appalling yell
from behind us; we swung round.  Piotr had
disappeared.  The hunchback was cringing away from
the abyss, and could hardly summon sufficient
strength to point with a trembling hand.  It was
enough, however, and we understood that our guide
had gone over the edge; the suddenness of the
accident made it the more appalling.

We lay flat on our stomachs and peered over; then
I scrambled to my feet.

"He's stuck there, some way down.  Here you,
run after the gentleman and get him back as quickly
as possible; there is just a chance that we can save
your friend.  Quick, man, quick!"

He darted off; and Mr. Neville ran to undo the
rope which hung from the pack-saddle of the horse.

"Will it be long enough?" I said.

"I hope so, I judge him to be thirty to thirty-five
feet down."

I took the free end of the rope, and made a slip
noose.  The one idea in my head was that somehow
I must save this man.  He was as far as I could see
jammed in an angle of rock, and held in position
by the roots of a small tree, which had found
enough earth on the ledge to give it a stunted
existence.

I kept repeating to myself: "If only the tree
holds, if only the tree holds."  When the rope had
been arranged satisfactorily I placed a folded rug on
the edge of the precipice, to prevent the rock cutting,
then turned to see if Carruthers was in sight.

Mr. Neville was standing over me, with a terribly
drawn look on his face.

"Victor, you can't go," he muttered.

I said nothing, only smiled; and Carruthers turned
the corner at a run, followed closely by the hunch-back.

"Buck up, old man," he cried, throwing off his
coat, "and I'll get him up in a jiffy."

"No, I'm going."

They looked at me, Mr. Neville very white, and
Carruthers almost angrily.

"Don't talk rot, Splosh, of course I shall go."

"You will do nothing of the kind; he is my
servant, my countryman, and I'm going.  Quick,
don't waste time talking, lay on to the rope, you and
Mr. Neville, while you," I said to the hunchback,
"be ready to pull him over the edge."

I slipped my right foot into the noose.

"Now hold on, I'm going, I'll yell when you are
to pull him up; let me down slowly."

I did not look at them again, until I had lowered
myself over the edge, and then it was but a fleeting
glance, just long enough to smile to them, and notice
their set mouths.

They lowered away slowly, almost too slowly for
me, as it was a most unpleasant rock to look at, and
I did not care to glance down more than was
absolutely necessary.  It was also an unpleasant feeling
to swing in the air, with just a thin rope between you
and eternity; however, little by little I went down,
keeping myself away from the cliff with my left
hand, and untied foot.

When I judged that the ledge must be near, I
looked down.  I was about six feet from it; two
minutes, and I was level.  I yelled, and at once
my descent was arrested.

The ledge was infernally narrow, and at first I did
not see how to manage.  By cautiously edging
along, however, I was enabled to stand astride of
Piotr's body, although one foot had perforce to rest
upon the tree, which caused creaking sounds of a
most discomforting nature.  I removed my foot
from the noose.

Piotr's legs hung down, dangling over space, I
could see that one was broken; he was moaning
faintly, and trying to move his arm.  It was an
extremely difficult business, getting the rope
underneath him, but with patience and a great deal of
care it was done; and I drew it tight under his
arm-pits.  It seemed then that nothing remained
but to give them the signal to hoist; but just as I
was going to yell the thought flashed across me that,
if he struggled and threw up his arms, the rope
might slip, then it would be all up for both of us,
for it was certain that, in falling, he would drag or
knock me off the perch as well.

This required thought, as Mr. Neville so often
reminded me; and I wondered what could be done
to fasten his arms down.

Beneath his embroidered waistcoat he was wearing
the scarf or sash of the mountaineer.  Down again I
bent, and started to get it loose; an ugly looking
knife was still tucked into it, this, as I pulled, fell
out, and went glistening down into the trees
beneath.  I remember thinking it was lucky there was
nobody there for it to fall on, and I believe I grinned;
but an extra crack from the tree made me serious again.

By dint of pulling, I got the sash unwound; and
with it fastened his arms as I desired, above the
elbow, securely to his sides.  He was safe now, but
how was I to keep clear of his body as he rose?  I
looked up, Carruther's face was peering down at me.

"Are you all right, Splosh?"

"Yes, I'm all right.  Wait half a minute, and
then you can begin to haul."

I heard what seemed like a number of voices
talking, but avoided looking up again; instead, I
did the only thing which seemed to me possible; I
yelled, and felt the rope tighten, saw Piotr gradually
assume a sitting posture.  Then, while I still had
the rope to assist me, I slipped over, and hung by
my hands to the edge.  It was only for a little time,
for as soon as I saw our guide's body swing clear I
pulled myself up again; it was lucky I had gone in
for gymnastics.  I sat on the ledge sideways; it
was the only way to sit, and beastly uncomfortable.
By using the greatest caution, I was enabled to pull
a small flask, which I always carried, from my
pocket; a drink from this did me good as I had been
feeling rather dizzy.

"Hullo! hullo!  Splosh!"

I looked up again, there was a row of heads where
only Carruthers' had been before.

"Hullo!" I called back.  "Is the rope ready?"

"It is coming down now, old chap; be careful."

The heads were still there, swarthy, wild looking
faces peered down at me.  I grinned, and shouted
"Good day" in Rudarlian, and they laughed as
they answered me.  Cheerful chaps, but where the
devil had they come from?

The ascent was infinitely nicer than the descent,
the face of the cliff appeared almost rosy and kind.
I felt as brave as possible now, whereas before I had
had my heart in my boots.  Strong hands seized me
on the edge; and in a moment I was up on the
pathway again, with my companions each shaking a
hand, as though we had been parted for years.

I certainly was astonished to see the men who
surrounded us; the best that could be said of them
was that they were all smiling, but each man was a
walking arsenal.  They were not the sort of men I
should have chosen as companions for a pleasant
Sunday afternoon.

"Friends of yours?" I said to Mr. Neville, and
Carruthers roared.

"Not yet, but certainly I trust they will be;
they came from goodness knows where.  By appearances
they are brigands--not that I wish to judge
them harshly."

"Yes, by appearances they are, but how is Piotr?"

"I will look at him, if you will tell these fellows
to get out of the way."

I told the men that we would attend to Piotr, but
that they must give us room, and fetch wood for a
litter.  They obeyed like lambs.  Three went to
seek young trees for the purpose I had named, the
others stood round in silence, save one, who came
forward and offered his services; he was, I
understood, the bone-setter of the gang.  Mr. Neville
accepted his offer and set to work.  After an
examination lasting some little time, he said:

"It is marvellous, he has only broken a leg, and
has a slight concussion; bruised as well, of course,
but not another bone broken."

"What luck!  Can you set his leg between you?"

"I hope so, and before he regains his senses."

By the time the men had returned with the trees,
it was done: the broken limb had been set, and
carefully bandaged in splints.  A litter was formed
with the trees and sashes of some of the men and
rugs thrown over that.  Upon this clever piece of
work the injured man was placed carefully, and a
little brandy forced down his throat.

Then evidently a difficulty arose.  The fellows
began to converse among themselves with many
glances at us, shrugging of shoulders, and expressive
gestures of the hands.

There was one who was apparently the leader, and
upon his face was an expression of the utmost
perplexity.  He kept staring first at the litter then
at me, then at my companions and then at the litter.
It dawned upon me that their camp might be near,
but that they were anxious to avoid showing us the
way; on the other hand, they could not capture us
as they had evidently intended, since we had
befriended their chief.  I appreciated their dilemma
and laughed, beckoned to the fellow, and together
we walked a few paces away from the others.

"You are troubled," I said.  "Now which is it
to be, are you going to take us with you as enemies,
or shall we part in a friendly way?  For, of course,
my friends and I fully realise that the chief of a
party such as yours does not take the position
of guide, unless he has some good reason for it."

He saw that I was smiling, so he too grinned.

"Excellency, for your age you are as clear-sighted
as an eagle."

"I assure you, my friend, I felt like one a few
minutes ago; but tell me, was I right in my surmise
about your state of mind?"

"Your Excellency was right.  We could never,
however, part as enemies; and if we let you go
before our chief regains his senses----" he shrugged
his shoulders in a most expressive way.

"H'm! but we cannot remain here, can we?
And you evidently would not care to take us with
you as friends; of course, to these gentlemen and
myself, the word friend means that we should never
betray anything we might happen to learn.  I might
suggest, too, that men blindfolded would see nothing
if led to some place carefully."

A gleam of satisfaction lit up his face.

"And would your Excellencies submit to that?
It would be only for a few minutes."

"Oh yes, and I can answer for my friends."

I was desirous of following up this little adventure,
for these men were no doubt almost driven to
brigandage; and, if their demands could be
satisfied, they might become useful allies and good
citizens.  I was already planning for the future.

We walked back to the others, and I informed them
of what had been arranged.  Carruthers treated
it as a huge joke.  He knew but a few words of
Rudarlian, and proceeded to use them vigorously
as we followed the litter.

We continued our course down the path, which
after a little swerved into less close proximity to the
valley below.  Although still high up in the mountain,
we were beginning to be able to distinguish the
natural features of the panoramic landscape more
clearly.

What struck us most was the absence of human
habitations, for the valley looked as though it
would be fertile, being well watered.

I questioned the man whom I was walking beside.

"Ah, your Excellency, it is strange to you, but
has a different significance to us; we to whom that
land yielded a livelihood have been driven to other
ways of making one.  Our harvests--good or bad,
as the good God decided--were taken from us in
payment of taxes, which were so great that even the
whole year's profit would not pay them.  So--what
would you?  I, myself, worked ten years on
the land my father and grandfather had owned.
But every year the burden grew greater; and, as
on the last occasion I could not pay the collector, he
drove off my animals, such as they were, and would
have taken me to prison only I stuck my knife into
him and fled."

He told me this quite calmly.  He had most
probably killed the collector, but it evidently
struck him as a justifiable deed, and in my heart of
hearts I could not altogether blame him.  It gave
me an inkling of what the treatment of peasants was
like, under the rule of this man who starved his
soldiers and squandered their pay on courtesans.

A little farther on, we were informed that the
time had come for them to blindfold us; and there
being no opposition they proceeded to do so.  With
our eyes covered we were led forward again for a
while, and then the climb began.  Our hands were
placed in niches, or our feet guided to some rock or
projection, as, without mishap or inconvenience,
we clambered up and up, until once more our feet
were on a pathway.  Another longish walk, a sharp
turn, and then we were halted, and the bandages
which prevented our seeing taken away.

I stood absolutely amazed, blinking my eyes to
find out whether I was really awake or dreaming, for
we were in a place that no one could ever have
dreamed existed.  It was like an enormous cup
scooped out of the mountain, and its sides must
have been a couple of hundred feet high.  The
diameter of the cup seemed over a mile; a more
perfect hiding-place it would have been impossible
to conceive.  There was one part covered with fine
trees, another splendid pasture, upon which were
numerous cattle and sheep, while a small stream
wandered across the whole length of the place,
providing a good water supply.  On our right stood
some fifteen wooden houses, substantially built,
with patches of vegetable gardens in front of each.

This much I took in with my first bewildered glance.

"Well, I'm damned!" said Carruthers.

"So am I!" said I.

"In fact we all are!" said Mr. Neville sagely.

The litter had by now been carried down through
the narrow fissure through which we had entered,
and a host of people came running from the houses
and fields; people of all ages and both sexes.  They
surrounded us with looks far from amiable, until
the nominal leader explained our presence to their
satisfaction, and incidentally to ours.  I had a busy
time, for I believe they would all have embraced
me.  One did, but as she turned out to be the
betrothed wife of Piotr, she was forgiven; she was a
dashed fine looking girl too, so very attractive that
Carruthers grumbled, and murmured that he had
wanted to save Piotr himself.

For some days they feasted and made much of us;
nor was it dull, for Carruthers, as usual, had to try
to teach the male portion of the community how to
play games.  This was a source of continual delight
to him; and, as Mr. Neville was chiefly engaged in
looking after Piotr, I amused myself by enticing all
and sundry into conversation.  I say "amused," but
it really was not amusement to listen to some of the
tales of brutality of the tax gatherers with which
these people had put up, before breaking away to
the free life they then led.

Upon the day before the one upon which we had
decided to leave, Carruthers got up what he was
pleased to call "Athletic Sports."  It was a great
success, and some very fine performances took
place; it was astonishing, too, how these men took
to the idea, and allowed themselves to be bullied by
Carruthers and myself, who acted as "Officials."  The
event which was afterwards voted the greatest
success was the obstacle race for women; in this
Carruthers had surpassed himself in the ingenuity of
the obstacles.  Every one, both performers and
onlookers, was simply helpless with laughter before
the end of the race, which was won by a fine old
woman of over sixty.

Mr. Neville was attending Piotr, who sat propped
up at one of the windows.

Piotr's reception of me was rather funny.  He was
so deadly ashamed of his motive in coming to us as
guide, especially so, when I chaffed him about the
path he had expected us to follow, by air.
However, I understood that in him I had a friend, who
would sacrifice his life for me should occasion
arise.

We had numerous conversations about Rudarlia,
and I found that he was a man of ideals, as well as
being professionally a brigand; what is more, I
believed him when he told me that he had only taken
to it when there was no other way open.

Mr. Neville had asked him whether he would give
up his present career, if the laws were readjusted.

"Give us fair taxation, and justice, and we will
serve God and the King until the end," had been his
response.

"Ivan?" I asked.

"I said a 'King,'" was the stern reply.  "One
who puts his country before such things as his
mistresses; Ivan is no king, he is a vile, grasping
tyrant."

"Are there many who think as you do?"

"I never knew or heard of a man who wouldn't
rejoice at news of his death."

Decidedly the King was not beloved.

We started early the next morning, and were
almost sorry to go.  We had learned to like these
simple-hearted, fierce people; and they seemed to
reciprocate the feeling.

Piotr broke a coin in two, and presented me with
one-half.

"If you are in Rudarlia, and need me, send me
that piece; if I am alive I will come to you."

I put it carefully away, thanking him for the
promise.  As a parting gift, I made him accept my
revolver.  His eyes glistened at the sight of it; but
he swore that it should only be used in self-defence,
and I knew that he would keep his word.

Our eyes were left unbandaged as we made our
way out of the place: we had given our word not to
divulge the secret.

The second in command acted as our guide, and
before long we were out of the mountains, and
proceeding along the small, winding paths by
which we made our way to the main road from
Melanov to Karena.  Once we were upon that we
made better progress; and soon came to a small
village called Viritz, where we halted, for it was at
this place that our guide was to turn back.

We made many purchases there, however, and
fairly loaded up the horse; the things we bought
were to be divided among the men and women we
had just left.  With many assurances of goodwill on
both sides we parted, our guide setting his face
towards the mountains while we turned into the inn
for a meal.

It was only after a good deal of trouble that we
secured a cart to take us and our small belongings
towards Karena; but once the difficulty was
overcome we started gaily forward again.  As usual, we
entered into a discussion of military affairs, and it
struck us all that, from Melanov, there would be no
great obstacle in forcing a way through to the
capital, unless the fortifications of that city were
very strong.  That, of course, we did not know; nor
did the driver of our cart, a surly brute, who had
neither civility nor good looks to recommend him.

We dismissed the cart at Yuhban, a somewhat
larger village, where we had determined to spend
the night, under the vain illusion that we should
sleep.

Alas, from the moment that we entered that
wretched building we suffered!  And so it was until
we left in the early morning, after paying a bill
which would not have disgraced the *Ritz* in London.

I made a mental note to the effect that when I
returned to Rudarlia as a saviour, in which rôle I
had cast myself, the first, or one of the first
improvements I should inaugurate, would be the burning
down of all such inns, from one end of the country
to the other.  I believe that my companions would
have wanted to burn the innkeepers as well.

From this village of fleas and worse, we escaped
by a small motor-bus which connected it with
Karena, and allowed the driver to recommend the
*Carlton* as the best, and most up-to-date of the
Karenian hotels.  We were agreeably surprised to
find that he had not misled us; it was quite a credit
to Rudarlia, with every convenience and comfort
that could be desired, as well as excellent cooking.
I will confess that I do enjoy a good dinner.

We engaged a suite on the first floor; and from
that time were looked upon with favour by the
staff, in spite of our scanty baggage.

We spent two or three days in going round,
sightseeing; but we soon settled down to study the
conditions under which the people lived.  Daily we
took long walks or drives into the country, and
nightly we sat in cafés, entering into conversation
with anyone and every one, always, however, finding
the same fierce resentment against the King and his
Court.  There was a current of unrest among them
all, dull mutterings which betokened an approaching
storm; and it seemed to me that only a leader was
needed to raise the whole country, but always that
cursed *cul-de-sac*: who to put in Ivan's place?  We
had a glimpse of him one day, as we were returning
to our hotel: a fat, bibulous-looking man, with great
coarse lips, and crafty eyes.

Not a voice was raised as he drove through the
great gates of his palace, although there were many
people present.  His escort, who were the only smart
soldiers we had seen, looked as though disgusted
with their work of guarding him.  Soon afterwards
came another carriage in which a woman was
sitting, both young and beautiful.

I asked a gentleman who was near me who she was.

"I do not know, I have never seen that one
before; if she's new, it will mean fresh taxation, I
suppose."

"Why?  I am afraid I don't quite understand; who
is she?"

"Some French girl most probably; whenever a
new one appears, the taxes go up; some one must
pay for the jewels for the King's mistress."

"Good God! can it really be so?" I asked,
feigning surprise, for I was desirous of obtaining
more information.

"The good God has deserted Rudarlia, monsieur,
only the devil reigns here now.  But you are a
stranger evidently, or you would not be surprised.
We Rudarlians have experienced it before, but----"
he looked at me quickly for a moment, lifted his hat
and passed on.

"Is your blood on the boil?" asked Mr. Neville,
smiling.

I did not answer, it was coming home to me so
strongly that something must be done; there would
be bloodshed, insurrection, and red revolution before
long, if the present state of things continued.
From the ashes, what would arise?

No state can stand an upheaval such as I pictured,
without for many years feeling the effect of it, more
especially a race like the Rudarlians, who are
conservative by nature.

What I could not understand was, how the nobles
allowed it.  Surely there must be among them fine,
strong men, capable of grasping the reins and
stopping the headlong rush to destruction; and
then crept in the word, jealousy.

Jealousy, that accursed thing, which has wrecked
so many ideas, and brought misery to so many
individuals.  That would account for it.  Hating
the present monarch, hating equally the heir, they
would none of them combine to alter matters, for
fear that one of them should be exalted over the
others.

Since then I have discovered that I misjudged them.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`CHAPTER V`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER V

.. vspace:: 2

We had been in Karena for two weeks, and
what puzzled me most was that we had
neither seen nor heard of Mr. Smith, for
I felt sure my people would have let him know that
we were in the city.  It seemed so strange that one
of my oldest friends should take no notice.  I knew
of course that "Smith" was an assumed name, but
I had no idea of his real one, so even had I wished
to ignore my parents' wishes, and make inquiries, I
should have been at a loss how to do so.

It was this kind of thing which galled me, more
especially now, when I wished to include him in my
dreams, when working out schemes for Rudarlia's
welfare.  I never mentioned him to Mr. Neville, as I
thought it would be placing him in an awkward
position, he who knew.

If I had but known it, circumstances, even then,
were drawing us together; the wheels of chance
were turning slowly, and we were destined to meet in
a manner which opened my eyes to the extraordinary
laws of coincidence.

Carruthers and I had been out one evening on one
of our nocturnal wanderings in search of information,
and were returning to our hotel, when my companion
suggested a stroll to the top of the road
overlooking Yuhban.

I acquiesced, as this suggestion suited me perfectly.
I was glad of an excuse to breathe a little fresh air,
after the hot and rather smelly café, in which we had
spent the best part of the evening.

The route by which we were going would only take
us about half a mile out of our way.  We did not
speak much.  Carruthers, for him, was taciturn,
and I, as usual, was trying to find a suitable successor
to King Ivan.

It was a perfect night with a fine moon, so, having
reached the place we wanted, we stood for a few
moments looking over the valley below.  It was a
night for an artist or a poet, and little did we think,
as we stood there in peaceful silence, that a few
minutes would bring horrid strife.

A motor was approaching from Yuhban.  We
could see her headlights as she twisted and turned
with the winding road; a big silent car, and a
magnificent hill-climber too, for she came up the
steep bit at the top without changing gear.  When
only about ten yards from where we were standing,
she stopped suddenly.  We saw the chauffeur jump
out, while at the same time three men ran from the
shadow of a wall, where they had been hidden; they
came up behind the car.  Just as the chauffeur had
succeeded in opening one door, a man descended on
the other side of the car.

He gave one quick glance round, and started
running at top speed towards us; and I saw the
moonlight flash on a weapon he carried in his hand.
Hard after him came the three men and the chauffeur.

"Come on, Splosh!" cried Carruthers.

We sprang forward.  I saw him send one man
flying and jump at another, but at that moment the
pursued man stumbled, and his weapon flew out of
his hand, right at my feet.

I stooped and picked it up; it was a sword-stick.
The next moment, I found myself parrying fierce
and rapid sword-thrusts, almost without knowledge.
My astonishment gradually left me and I
grew cool; it was well I did, for I needed all my wits
about me, my opponent being a consummate swordsman.
At first it was as much as I could do to keep
clear of his point; but, as I grew more collected,
the better I fenced.  I had no idea what was
happening to the others, but I had seen one knocked
out by Carruthers, and hoped that he and the
pursued could account for the other two.  I
recollected that my chum had his revolver with him, and
called out to remind him of the fact; he answered
something, and then a shot rang out just behind me.
It startled me for the moment, in spite of my
being half-prepared for it, and my adversary
managed to touch my arm with his point, a mere
prick.  And then I lost all knowledge except of the
man I was fighting; only once did I remember that
there were others by me, and that was when
Carruthers said:

"You, Mr----?"

After that there was silence again, only broken
by the sound of our feet and the grating of our
sword-blades, as my opponent and I sprang
backwards and forwards.

I had tried various attacks, and also foiled them;
now I would try a special favourite of my
stepfather's.  It was risky, I knew, as it left rather an
opening for a thrust through the arm; but I had
to do something, as this prolonged bout was
beginning to make itself felt.

Thank God, it had succeeded, and I heaved a sigh
of relief, as my blade passed through my adversary's
shoulder.  He gave a gasp and fell.

I must say that the complete and sudden success
of my attack staggered me for a moment, so much so
that I remained staring at the prostrate man; then
I turned--and stood with my mouth open, for there
was Mr. Smith with both arms outstretched.

"You--was it you then?"

"Yes, I, Victor, alive, thanks to you two; but
come quickly, I will explain as soon as we are out of
this.  We will send help for these murderers, we can
do nothing ourselves."

"But I should like to do something for him," I
said, pointing to my opponent's body.

"Leave it to me, my boy, I will see that he is
taken care of.  Quick! quick! or we shall be in
trouble."

Together we ran to the car, passing three bodies,
one shot, one stunned, and one bound.

"Jump in, I will drive," said Mr. Smith.

He did drive, and the pace we went would have
scared anyone; but he had wonderful command
over the car, and we had no accident.  Somewhere
on the other side of the town he pulled up, outside a
fine mansion standing in a small park.  As we
stopped, the door of the house opened, and a man
hastened down the steps.

"Thank God, Count!  We were afraid something
had happened to you."

"So it did, Baron."

"Where's Peter?"

"In heaven, I hope; in hell, I am afraid."

"As bad as that, was it?"

"Worse: Goltz was in it."

"Goltz!"  He gave a little whistle.  "Come in
at once; but who are these?"  He indicated us
with a wave of his hand.

"Ah," said Mr. Smith, "who are they?  Let me
present to you Messieurs Stevens and Carruthers;
Baron von Sluben.  Now let us go in for one
minute.  By the way, Baron, will you 'phone to
Ducrot, to look after some bodies near his house?  He
will be pleased to find Goltz among them--oh no,
not dead.  Tell him to treat them with the greatest
kindness and attention, as a mark of his affection
to the man they did not kill."

We moved into the house, Baron Sluben leading
the way.  He threw open a door, and we entered a
very large room, which was packed with men and
a few ladies, all in evening dress.

I touched Mr. Smith's arm.

"We shall be awfully out of it, in these clothes,"
I said.

"I don't think you need worry, Victor, you will
always be conspicuous, whether you like it or not."

He knew my weakness.

Most of the occupants looked up as we entered,
and a general hum of welcome arose.

"May I present to you Monsieur Stevens, who has
just bested Goltz in the prettiest way imaginable;
and Monsieur Carruthers, who accounted for two of
our enemies," said Mr. Smith.

The hum of welcome changed to a cry of astonishment.

"Goltz? is he dead? how did it happen?"  And
a score of other questions were hurled at him.

"My friends," he said, "listen.  This evening I
was returning from you know where; I had just
reached Monsieur Ducrot's house, when my chauffeur
stopped the car and came to the door.

"'Hullo,' I said, 'what is wrong, what do you
want?'

"'You!' he replied.

"I had my sword-stick in the car with me, and
opening the other door I jumped out.  There were
three more assailants; so, not wishing to lose certain
papers which I carried, I ran away with all four of
them following.  I should certainly have been
killed, if these two gentlemen had not helped me; I
slipped, dropping my sword, Monsieur Stevens
picked it up.  Monsieur Carruthers stunned one man
and engaged with another.  When I regained my
wits and my feet, he was kneeling on the fellow, and
Peter, my trusted chauffeur, was trying to get at him
with a knife.  At that moment, Monsieur Stevens
yelled out to his friend to remember his revolver.
It reminded me that I also carried one.  Peter died.
Then we bound the other fellow, and turned to the
fencers; to my horror, I saw that it was Goltz who
was opposing my friend in need, but a moment later
I saw who that friend was, recognising him as
some one I had known since his birth, and had
myself assisted to teach the use of a sword.

"I was so confident of his skill, that I induced
Monsieur Carruthers not to interfere, and we stood
by and watched.  In a few moments, Goltz was on
the ground, with a very pretty hole in him.  Not
dead, oh dear no, but it will be some time before he is
upon his feet.  That is the story.  Now look at
Monsieur Stevens well; remember the face of the
man who overthrew the best swordsman in Rudarlia.
You shall see him again, I promise you, but now I
take him with me."

Before I could say anything, this astonishing man
had ushered us both out of the room, closing and
locking the door behind him.

Baron Sluben was outside too; but he was as
puzzled as ourselves, until Mr. Smith whispered
something in his ear which caused him to glance at us
keenly.

Mr. Smith turned to us.

"Victor, and you too, Rupert, you know you have
my thanks, you can understand what I have in my
heart.  Some day, perhaps, I shall be able to thank you
properly for more than you think, as I had papers
of vast importance with me; and few of these people
you have just seen would have been comfortable, had
I lost them.  However, you must leave Karena at
once.  My car is there; pick up Mr. Neville and
your belongings, then without wasting a minute get
out upon the Poiska road, from there to Orvlov,
and then on to Soctia.  Wait there at the Ivanoff
Hotel until you hear from me, and speak to no one
about this night.  You can trust me to give you
good advice.  Sluben agrees with me."

"Personally, I should advise getting the other
side of the frontier; his Majesty will be furious
now Goltz is out of it for a time," said Baron
Sluben.

"No, I have a reason for keeping them in the
country; besides, no harm will come to them in
Soctia.  Thank God we still have one place of
refuge.  There is a British Consul there, and British
ships in the harbour."

"But look here," said Carruthers, "I for one
don't care about tearing off as if in a funk, you
know."

"I hope it won't be for long; and, when I tell you
that your going will make matters easier for me, I'm
sure you won't object," said Mr. Smith soothingly.

"Oh, of course not."

"Thank you; will you remember that it is for the
best, and make as much speed as possible getting
out of Karena?  And now au revoir, my dear lads;
thank you for my life, and the lives of others."

Without saying anything more, we shook hands;
Carruthers and I jumped into the car, and we were
off.

I knew the town fairly well by this time, and had
no difficulty in finding my way to the hotel.
Carruthers went to see Mr. Neville and explain matters
to him, while I interviewed the manager and settled
our account.  The gratuities I gave were large
enough to make the recipients show their gratitude
by doing all within their power to expedite our
departure; to explain which, I informed the
manager that sickness had recalled us to Paris, and
that we should go through Bornia, by way of
Agrade, as we had to pick up a friend.  There was
no malice in these untruths; but I thought it
justifiable to mislead, under the circumstances.

An hour after reaching the hotel, we drove off;
Mr. Neville inside, Carruthers with me.

Remembering Mr. Smith's advice, we did not
waste time, so that soon after day-break we ran
through Poiska; where Mr. Neville took my place,
and we dozed off for a spell inside.

We had breakfast at a small inn, just off the high
road; and did not stop again until we reached
Orvlov, where we lunched, and procured a supply of
petrol for the motor.

From there, it was a pleasant run to the coast,
through beautiful country; we did not hurry, the
better to appreciate.

For a week or more, we stayed near the Hotel
Ivanoff, merely killing time with bathing and
boating; when, however, no message came from
Karena we commenced to go farther afield, and
explored the country and coast.

One day I found my conscience pricking me:
there were letters which should have been answered.
So I was left behind, while the others started for a
day's excursion.  Now, letter-writing never
possessed any great attraction for me; and, after
scribbling two or three, I thought the day was too
fine to be wasted, so I took a book, an ample supply
of smokables, also a luncheon basket, and, walking
to a little place a mile or two from the town, hired
a boat.

I worked off a good deal of superfluous energy;
and then paddled gently up a small tributary of the
Garude, which watered a beautiful part of Garace,
that fair province which had been Rudarlian until
some fifty years before, when the conquering
Bornians had taken it.

I tied up the boat, jumped ashore, and made
myself comfortable, with every prospect of enjoying
a quiet afternoon.  Having finished my lunch, and
lighted my pipe, I stretched myself luxuriously on
the soft grass, and began to read.  The first chapter
of the book held my attention, but the second and
third bored me; so I closed the volume, pitched it
into the boat, and settled myself down to think.

Acting on the advice of Mr. Neville, Carruthers
and I had not discussed our experiences with
Mr. Smith; we had agreed to wait until we heard from
him, but I had thought a great deal of the incident.
I knew now with certainty that he was a nobleman,
that he was working against the present monarch,
and the members of the party we had seen in the
house were in the plot with him.  I went over every
detail of the evening, and came to the conclusion
that he had had some ulterior motive in wishing me
to get the better of Goltz.  What it could be I could
not guess, unless it was that he hoped some day to
make me of use in his schemes; this struck me as
the most probable solution to his having taken
the trouble to introduce us to his
fellow-conspirators.  But why did he wish us to remain on
Rudarlian soil?  In Bornia we could have been
nearer to him, if he had wanted us.  Perhaps the
time was close for him to strike, and perhaps the
rebellion, if he intended to rebel, would start in
Soctia.

What a grand day it was, and how beautiful all
this country!  It reminded me somewhat of the
river at home: there was the same feeling of peace,
the same silence, only broken by the ripple of the
water, or the buzzing of insects.  I closed my eyes
for a second.

How many seconds passed before I opened them
again, I have no idea, but I must have slept very
soundly; and I awakened slowly from a dream, in
which Carruthers had fallen and hurt himself--he
was groaning.  So vivid had the illusion been, that
I looked round for him as I awoke; there was no
sign of him, of course, but the daintiest vision, in
white, was sitting where I had thought to see him.
The daintiest vision was nursing her ankle, with many
little "ohs!" and "ahs!"  For a second I did
not move, the picture was too fascinating.  Then I
raised my length from the grass, and took off my
hat.  It had been very much over my eyes; so in
courtesy I raised it, and put it back at a more
becoming angle.

"Can I be of any assistance, mademoiselle?"

"Oh, thank you so much.  I've hurt my ankle;
if you would be so kind as to dip my handkerchief
in the water----"

She looked up at me with a pair of eyes which she
ought to have kept veiled, and held out a small
wisp of white material.  It was entirely inadequate
for any purpose whatever, so I dipped my
handkerchief instead.

"Perhaps you will permit me to bind it for you,
it is so difficult to do it oneself."

"Thank you very much."

She removed her shoe and stocking, and a sweet
slim foot was placed hesitatingly out; there was
a very nasty scratch which must have been quite
painful.  I bound it up with great care, making my
handkerchief nice and tidy, with hers placed over it.

"There, I think you will find that comfortable."

"Indeed, yes; I am extremely grateful to you.
Are you a surgeon?"

"No, nothing so useful, I am afraid, merely a
passer-by."

"Yes.  Are you generally so successful?"

She laughed merrily; and I remembered the pose
in which she must have first caught sight of me.

"I was passing time," I said gravely.

She was an extremely beautiful girl--extremely
beautiful.  I have repeated that statement, in order
the better to explain why I forgot about everything,
save the fact that she was sitting on the grass near
me.  It is so; all thoughts of action to be, all
thoughts of things past, were as nothing compared to
the witchery of this young wood-nymph's company.

It seemed almost as if we had been acquainted for
years; there was no shyness, we simply talked and
argued like two friends.

As the afternoon sped on, I began to feel that I
had expected to meet her here, as if my whole being
had existed for nothing else.  Unquestionably she
filled a space which before had been empty.  There
was no reason on my part; I couldn't have argued
about my feelings at all, I had to accept them.

I flatter myself that the wounded ankle had been
forgotten as completely as I had failed to remember
that I had to get back to Soctia; until the lengthening
of the shadows drew our attention to the flight
of time.  Then, in haste, my companion must be
off; she would under no circumstances hear of my
accompanying her, as she lived but a few hundred
yards away.

"And would it be possible for me to find you here
to-morrow?" I asked as I bent over her hand in
saying good-bye.

"Why, yes."

"Then expect me, mademoiselle."

We said good-bye.  She gave me her hand for a
second, and then turned and hurried up the grassy
bank and disappeared; while with a light heart I
untied my boat, and taking a last look in the
direction the girl had gone, pushed off, and sculled
towards Soctia.

I was quite happy; my thoughts were in a whirl
certainly, but why trouble, what did anything
matter, had I not met this divine creature?

I would be in the same place to-morrow, I should
see her again, and learn her name.  Not that I cared
who she was; at that moment I would have
proposed marriage to her, had she been a serving
maid.  I knew she was not that, of course; only a
lady could have carried herself so perfectly, and
her voice was exquisite in its soft melody.

In my youthfulness, I presumed that she on her
side would be as ready as myself to meet again, and
learn to know me better.  I don't think that this
was conceit on my part; but it had all come about
so quickly and naturally that anything else would
have seemed inconceivable to me.

I do not know what coin it was that I gave the
man who took the boat from me; but it must
have been of considerable value, to judge by the
thanks he poured upon me.

Little did I dream, as I walked up to the hotel, of
the awful news that awaited me.

Mr. Neville met me as I raced up to the hotel;
and the look on his face checked any exuberance in
my greeting.

"My boy," he said as we entered my room, "I
have very bad news for you: your stepfather is, I
am afraid, very ill."

He handed me the telegram which had brought the
bad news, and I read:

"Your stepfather is dying come."

As if in a dream, I said good-bye to Carruthers,
who was to await Mr. Smith's message; got into the
car with Mr. Neville, and we were off.

Of the journey that followed, I have the vaguest
remembrance; I was too miserable.  My stepfather
had become so much to me; I loved him as
well as though he had been my own father.  I think
that I have known few men who could, with so much
right, say: "I have lived as a gentleman should."

Oh, the interminable waits, the stupidity of
porters and booking clerks, the slowness of that
short journey from Calais to Dover.  I felt as though
we had to travel round the world, and yet we
accomplished an awkward journey in remarkable time.

At our little station, I found Bauen waiting; but
he could give us no reassuring news, the best being
that he was still alive.

My mother was in the bedroom when I arrived;
and, after kissing her, we stood together, hand in
hand, gazing down upon what had been such a
magnificent specimen of manhood, but which was
now the mere husk of what had been.

He lay without movement, it seemed as though
even then he might be dead.  As we stood silently,
with all our nerves taut and overstrung, I prayed
that he might open his eyes once more, and speak
to me.  I think my prayer was heard, for, just as
Mr. Neville came in and stood by us, the dying
man's eyes opened, and, perfectly conscious, he tried
to smile at Mr. Neville.  Then to my mother he
murmured two words, full of love and pride, "My
wife."  When they rested on me, as I stood
swallowing down my tears, he said, "Why, Victor, my
boy."  His eyes closed for a moment, then opened
again.  "God save your Majesty!" he cried; the
next moment he was gone.

Stunned by the suddenness of his departure, I
turned to my mother, who was standing quite still,
with the tears streaming down her cheeks.  I put
my arms round her, but she broke away and flung
herself down with her arms around the dead man's
neck, and cried as though her heart were broken.

Her grief, or rather the greatness of it, surprised
me, for in all my life until then I had never seen my
mother give way.  I had had no idea that her
feelings for my stepfather had been so strong; she
had always appeared so calm and cold that I had
never given her credit for any deep feelings, much as
I loved her.  Her grief for some time was so
overpowering that I could do nothing; but presently,
as her sobs grew less racking I took her in my arms
and did my poor best to console her.  Then little
by little she seemed to regain control over herself,
and I persuaded her to go to her own room.

I returned to the bed-side, and all alone stood
there, indulging my sorrow.  I registered a vow, as
I gazed down at the now peaceful face, that I would
do all that I could to live a life as free from stain as
his had been, and to try and act in a way which
would have given him pride in me.

I think the three most miserable days of my life
were those that followed my stepfather's death.
He was buried on the third day.  How unhappy I
was then, both on account of the loss we had suffered
and other things which followed.

Mr. Smith attended the funeral.  I felt no surprise
at his appearing just before we left the house; it
had seemed part of the mystery of my life that he
should be there.  I did not think of our last meeting,
nor of how he could have come so quickly on our
tracks, nor did I wonder at the first words I heard
him speak to my mother: "It is time."

Usually I should have pondered deeply on such
things, but now I was too unhappy.

I was alone in my study, that room which had
been my nursery; and I sat by the window
wondering, for I had heard as though in a dream that my
stepfather had been an enormously wealthy man,
and had bequeathed me all.  How much it was the
solicitor could not tell me, but in England alone he
had invested something over ten millions of pounds,
and I understood that there was more than that
sum invested about the world.  It was stupendous,
and though I did not realise it, although I did not
understand what my power in the world would be, I
groaned at thought of the endless labour such a vast
inheritance would involve.

Heart-sick and weary, I looked out over the
sunlit river and recalled the events of the last few
days, sorrowing at the thought that I could never
discuss with my stepfather those things of which I
had been full: our meeting with Quarovitch, the
incident of the brigands, my fight with Goltz, and
finally my little friend of the riverside, the girl
whose name even I did not know.

My stepfather's last words came to my mind:
"God save your Majesty!"  What could they
mean?  I supposed that it was some memory of
the past, for I knew he had been in the diplomatic
service.

There was a tap at the door, and Mr. Neville
entered.  My stepfather's death had affected him
very much, for a great friendship existed between
the two.  He came to me and placed his hand upon
my shoulder.

"Victor, my dear boy, I hate to disturb you, but
your mother has asked me to fetch you; it appears
that the time has come when you are to be told all
those things which have so puzzled you.  It seems
hard that it should have come just now, but who
knows?  It may be for the best.  Your future may
offer many hard and hateful features; but when it
is a case of duty, you, I know, can be depended on.
Always remember that you will have people who
love you to help and direct you, and over them all is
our Maker."

We descended together; but, when we came to
the door of the room where my mother and
Mr. Smith were sitting, he turned and would not have
entered, had not my mother insisted upon his being
present.  I bent to kiss her as I passed, and her
arms went round my neck, as she returned the
caress, murmuring:

"My boy, my dear boy."

I sat down on a low settee by her side, and waited
for her to speak.

Inwardly, I was a mass of nerves.  I had waited
so long to hear all I was now to be told; I felt
strangely nervous, as though evil was coming.
How would the revelations affect my life?

"I think you had better speak, Count," said my
mother.

"One minute," I said.  "Tell me your name first,
please, Mr. Smith."

"Count von Zeula."

"Thank you."  I nodded, well satisfied, for the
name was well known to me.  Many things had been
done for Rudarlia, by men bearing that name,
during some hundreds of years.

"I shall want all your attention, Victor, as what
I have to tell you may come as a shock, and first I
must relate a little story, a story which at the time
of its happening was in everybody's mouth.  It is
a story of misery.

"Twenty years or so ago, a good King sat upon
the throne of Rudarlia; he was loved by the
greater part of his subjects, and in return he
dedicated his life to their welfare, whole-heartedly
and devotedly.

"Unfortunately, there were men, nobles, who
found that his rule was injurious to their interests,
these interests being the right to fill their
exchequers from the pockets of the lower classes.

"They conspired with the next heir to the throne,
who was more to their liking.

"Then the King married, and his wife gave birth
to a son, amid the joyful acclamations of the nation.

"The conspirators redoubled their activity.  They
bought over a few officers, and some hundreds of
the private soldiers.  They waited a favourable
opportunity, working secretly all the while; then
raised a scare of war.  The loyal officers in
immediate attendance on their Majesties were sent
away.  The King reviewed a regiment, an assassin
shot him dead."

Mr. Smith brushed a hand across his eyes, was
silent for a moment, and then continued:

"That night a cry was raised that justice had
been done, for they swore the dead King had meant
to betray them to their fancied enemies.

"The next step was to incite the lowest class of
the people, urging them to attack the King's Palace
where the Queen and her child lay.  Sweeping into
the Royal apartments, they shot them both,
presumably; then, frightened at their own atrocity,
they ran away.  The next day, Ivan was
proclaimed King; he had been waiting just over the
border.

"A rumour got abroad that some miscreant had
set fire to the bedchamber of the Queen, when she
had been murdered.  This was not so--it was I who
set the bed on fire to burn the bodies on it."

"My God!" I said.

"They, however, were not the remains of the
Queen and her child, the King, but those of a
groom's wife and offspring, whose lives were
unfortunately sacrificed to save the Royal Mother and
the baby King.  No one looked too closely into the
matter, a few of the royal jewels were there, and
the Queen's clothing, also the charred bodies; but
the Queen herself and her child were in safety."

"Is the child alive?" I cried breathlessly.

"He is," said Mr. Smith gravely.

"And you are working for him.  Oh, thank God,
I can see the way clearly now; let me do
something to help."

"Eh?"

"Ever since I first went to Rudarlia, I have been
trying to find some way out, and could discover no
plan to work on, for Ivan's heir, they say, is as bad
as he is--but now--a King of Merlin's blood.  Oh,
thank God!  Tell me the groom's name, is he
alive?"  In my excitement I had risen and was
bending over him.

I looked into his eyes as his face was raised to
mine; they were full of tears.

"His name, Victor, is Bauen."

"Bauen--Bauen!--our Bauen?"

"Your Bauen."

"Then why is he here, what does it mean?"  I
looked at my mother, her face was buried in her
hands.

"It means," said Mr. Smith, rising from his chair,
"that you are the King of Rudarlia; and I, your
very humble servant."

He seized my hand and kissed it.





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.. _`CHAPTER VI`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER VI

.. vspace:: 2

"'You are the King of Rudarlia,'" I repeated.

I looked at him blankly, he kept
his eyes fixed on mine; at my mother, her face was
buried in her hands, and I saw her shake with sobs;
lastly I turned to Mr. Neville, and to him I held out
my hand.

"Tell me that it is not true, tell me--  Oh, my
God!--can't you? won't you say he is joking?"  My
voice, which was hoarse, cracked with the strain
of keeping from screaming.

"It is true, Victor."

"Then nothing on God's earth shall make me take
the throne--nothing--I swear that I----"  I leaned
against the table for support.  "Mother--mother,
is this what you have kept from me, this awful
thing?  Can't one of you speak?--am I to be hurled
into a throne?--My God--I won't, I won't."

I collapsed into a chair, and buried my head in my
arms; that this should have come to me, that my
life should be suddenly cropped of its freedom, that
I should be bound hand and foot--  Oh, my God,
hadn't there been some other way to try me?

I looked up, and found that I was crying; damn
the tears!  I brushed them away, and caught
Mr. Smith's eye; he was looking at me sadly as though
ashamed of my behaviour.

I felt suddenly as though ice had been placed on
my spine, and shivered.  Was this the best I could
do?  My dead stepfather, what would he have
thought?  What did Mr. Neville think?

I remembered Colonel von Quarovitch, and his
ragged troops.  Those other brave men turned into
brigands by oppression.  The gathering of gentlefolk
in Mr. Smith's house.  Mr. Smith himself, who
had planned and plotted so many years for me.
And lastly my mother; what could she be thinking
of her son?  I felt Mr. Neville's hand on my
shoulder, and gave a weak little laugh.

"I'm a pretty spectacle for a King," I said
quietly, "a most noble and worthy specimen.
Mother dear, look up--it's all over, you shall never
hear another kick from me.  And you, Mr. Smith,
you acclaimed me as King.  Very well, I will be
King; such a King as you may wish--with God's
help--and--and--all of you might forgive me for
being such a rotter."

Mr. Smith seized my hand again and kissed it.
Tears were running down his cheeks; and they were
not unmanly.  My outbreak had unnerved him, for
he had no doubt seen the edifice of his building fall
in ruins before him; but it had been the sudden
relief at hearing my acceptance which had caused the
tears.

"May God bless your Majesty!" he said.

My dear old tutor's arm was round my shoulders,
and I heard him murmur:

"My boy, my boy, I am proud of you."

I bent over my mother.

"Mother dear, don't cry, or I shall think you
cannot forgive me.  I will be King, and will try to
rule as my father did."

She looked up then and smiled.

"I'm crying now because I am so happy."

None of us spoke for a few minutes; perhaps we
needed the time to pull ourselves together.  I did
for one, then I said:

"Now that I have settled that I am going to be
King, it might be advisable for Mr. Smith to give us
any information on the subject which he thinks fit;
but first I should like to know why he wished us to
remain in Rudarlia?"

He considered a little before saying:

"Because the time is at hand: Ivan is on his
deathbed.  You must be there to take his place when
he dies; I have everything arranged; they trusted
me to produce the King."

"And will no one think that I am an impostor?"

"I fancy not; several of us have known of your
identity, they have worked with me.  There are
thousands of people who will know your mother, and
there is Bauen; I do not think there are many who
will deny his testimony, once his part of the affair
is known; also, you have on your arm a mark,
which will be recognised by the doctor who attended
at your birth."

"When will it be necessary for us to depart?"

"To-morrow.  It was your wounding Goltz
which put the finishing touch to him; they say his
rage was terrible.  They told him the whole affair
had been arranged by me.  He was very ill before,
but that finished him."

"But to-morrow, is it absolutely essential that
we should go so soon?"

"Quite, you must meet the leaders of the party
as soon as possible; you may be assured that Ivan's
sycophants will not allow Prince Alexis to remain in
ignorance of his cousin's state.  In all probability
he will be in Karena before us."

"If he is, we must turn him out as quickly as he came."

"We will," said Mr. Smith with emphasis.

And there we left it for the time.  I took
Mr. Neville away for an hour, up to my room, where we
sat by the window in the chairs which I had left so
willingly, to hear those things which I now wished
unheard.  We looked out on the river, and the sight
of the sparkling water brought back to me the last
afternoon I had spent in Garace, and the girl; I
sighed, and turned to my companion.

"My dear old friend," I said, "you will understand
me when I tell you that the news this afternoon
has completely thrown me off my balance;
that all my plans have come down with a smash;
that the idea of kingly power has no charm for me;
that I would sooner be a subaltern in the Rudarlian
army, with a frayed cap, than wear all the kingly
regalia.  My life in England has taught me the joys
of freedom too well; I tell you candidly, that I fear
the future.  I dread it, the more so now, as in all
probability I shall have to make a marriage that will
be to the benefit of the state, and I had other
dreams."

He looked at me quickly.

"Is there anyone?" he asked.

I felt myself growing red.

"It may be only calf-love, but I don't think so,
yet I have only seen her once.  I don't even know
her name, but the moment I saw her I knew that I
loved her."

"Tell me about it," he said.

I had half feared that he would laugh at me, but
he only looked rather sad and decidedly sympathetic.
So emboldened, I blurted out in a shamed way the
story of my meeting with the girl.

He listened in silence until I had finished, then he
held out his hand to me.

"My boy," he said, "a very similar thing happened
to me when I was about your age.  I thought
that I had lost all interest in life when she married
some one else; unluckily, I had nothing in my life
to fill the gap; I let myself become a mere machine
in my work.  I was morose, refusing to look for
help to the quarter from which real assistance can
come; I mean from God.  And then one day, when
I was thinking of all my misery, the thought flashed
over me that perhaps it was a trial, perhaps I was
being tested; and that idea won the day.  I believed
then, as I do now, that, no matter what trials come
to us, there is thought and purpose behind them.

"Our finite minds cannot hope to understand the
workings of an infinite one, so my advice to you is
this: do with all your might those things that you
think it your duty to do, and leave the results to
God.  Man cannot be infallible.  You will make
mistakes; profit by them; try to forget your own
sorrows in healing those of your country.

"In time you will be able to look at everything
with a fresh sense of perspective.

"Love, if it should come to you with your
marriage, will, I daresay, be of inestimable value to
you.  What you feel now may be more the feelings
of sexual attraction than the fuller love of
comradeship and mental sympathy; love does enter Royal
marriages, in spite of the cynics."

"I will try to think as you suggest," I said.
"But there are other things of which I wish to talk
to you.  To begin with, will you come with me to
Rudarlia, will you continue to be my friend and
adviser as you have been up to now?  I know that
once I am on the throne I shall always have to have
Rudarlians about me; but my own private friends
they cannot object to.  As my private secretary, you
will always be near me to help and advise.  Will
you come?"

"It may cause jealousy."

"I can't help it if it does.  After Ivan and his
many mistresses, they will have to allow me one man
friend; and I believe they will be pleased to."

"Then I will come."

"Now one thing more, will you stay here and look
after my mother until she can come to Rudarlia?"

"Of course I will, if she wishes it."

We sat up until three in the morning discussing
ways and means; but made no attempt to listen
to more than a bare outline of what Mr. Smith had
arranged.  It would all have to come out gradually,
in time I should no doubt learn how he had
worked so successfully; he stuck to the principal
things and nothing could side-track him.  I slept
for two hours, and then went to see Bauen.

It was a great day for him; he was to come to
Karena with us.  He had been looking forward for
twenty years to seeing me upon my throne.

I believe that his soul was wrapped up in one idea,
that of doing his duty to my family.  I doubt if any
man, noble or commoner, had ever served a Royal
family with such self-sacrifice and devotion.

He had given his wife and only child, to save my
mother and myself; and had exiled himself for
twenty years from friends and country, to continue
in our service.  God bless him.

We, that is Mr. Smith and I, spent the day with my
solicitor, attending to some of the business entailed
by my inheritance.  Then, in the evening, we
embarked on the journey which would bring either a
crown or death to me.

I say "death" advisedly; for, should anything
have gone wrong with Mr. Smith's plans, it was
hardly likely that Alexis and his followers would
allow me to live.

I am glad to be able to feel that the thought of
danger rather pleased me than otherwise.

We had cabled to Carruthers to meet us at
Ruln, a frontier post, much farther south than
Melanov.

We did not waste a moment of the time our
journey consumed.  Mr. Smith was instructing me in
the education of a King.

At Ruln we had two hours to wait, according to
the time-table; but, by lavish bribery, Mr. Smith
secured a special to take us as far as the junction, at
Katalona.

Leaving Bauen in charge of the luggage--which
was light--we went in search of Carruthers.

We found him seated upon a bench, the picture of
glumness.

"Hullo, Splosh!" he cried, his face lighting up
at sight of us.  "What a forsaken place this is.
I've been here five hours, and only spoken to one
man, who thinks he came from 'the thigh of
Jupiter,' to judge by his side.  Look, there he is."

A dissipated looking young man, of about my own
age, had slouched out on to the platform, followed
by a couple of older men, both of whom were
muffled up in overcoats, in spite of the fact that it
was a warm evening.

I heard Mr. Smith draw in a hissing breath, and
turned to where he had been standing.

"Hist! don't look my way, I am just in the
doorway to your left; walk towards me, and stop
opposite.  I don't wish to be seen--that is Prince
Alexis."

"Who?" asked Carruthers.

"An enemy, old man, you shall know everything
in a little while."

I looked with interest at my rival, though I took
good care not to allow him to see it.

If ever a man of his age had vice written clearly
upon his face, he had; and I thought to myself that
it would go even worse with Rudarlia under his rule
than under Ivan's, should he ever come to the throne.
There was cruelty, craftiness, and gross sensuality
in his countenance.

Luckily, after walking up and down the platform
two or three times, in close conversation with his
companions, he disappeared once more into the
miserable room.  As he did so, an official approached
and, with many bows, informed us that our special
was waiting, a few yards down the track, with our
baggage on board.

Mr. Smith kept his face turned away, as we passed
the window of the room where Alexis was sitting.
In ten minutes, we were a mile or more away from
Ruln.

The pace at which we were travelling caused the
single coach to rock and rattle horribly; so much
so, that it was necessary for Carruthers to sit very
close to me to hear what I said, as I had to speak in a
low tone.

He was amazed and delighted that, as he expressed
it, his old Splosh was going to be a King.

Then the silly fellow insisted upon kissing my
hand and generally playing the fool; I think he did
it to keep my spirits up.

Mr. Smith looked on with a grim smile.  I fancy
he thought that stern realities would come soon
enough.

There was a basket of provisions in the carriage;
and, when we had finished our meal, he advised me
to try to sleep.  I took his advice, and slept like a
log until he awoke me with the news that we were
just getting into Katalona.

Two soldiers were lounging upon the platform as
we alighted.  I noticed that they saluted as we
passed them, and then followed us at a little
distance.


In less than an hour the car in which we had
driven from the junction pulled up at Mr. Smith's
house.

The driver followed us in.

Without speaking, Mr. Smith led the way into a
room fitted up as a library; it was still dark, so he
switched on the electric light.  At the same moment,
three other men entered the room.  Bauen had come
in with us.

He assisted me to remove my covert-coat; then,
bowing deeply, stood back.

Mr. Smith advanced a step towards me.

"Your Majesty," he said, "would you remove
your coat, and show your right arm to these gentlemen?"

Without a word I did so.

Just above my elbow, I have three small red
marks.  They are triangular in shape;
birthmarks, I think they are called.

The three men came nearer, and I held out my
arm for their inspection.

The first to examine it was a white-haired old
man, who trembled violently as he bent over.  He
seized my hand and kissed it.

"God bless your Majesty."

The other two did the same.

"Count Belen and Count von Maark will be
here to-day, if further testimony is needed; we
have here, as well, Bauen, the groom," said Mr. Smith.

"No further identification is necessary," declared
the old man, and bowing the three withdrew.

Mr. Smith had prepared me for this, so I was not
surprised, but I did not know who these three men
were, and asked him.

"The white-haired one was the doctor who
attended your Majesty's mother, at the time of your
birth; the other two are Prince von Venoff and
Baron von Casile."

He bowed as he spoke.  I glanced round, as I
was surprised at his ceremonious behaviour: the
driver of the car was still in the room.

"Surely, Count," I said, "there is some one here
whom I should know?"  And I smiled towards the man.

"May I present, to your Majesty, Colonel Woolgast,
who commands the body-guard?"

The Colonel bent to kiss my hand, but I
prevented him; seized his instead, and shook it.

"Until I am King," I said, "I will shake your
hand and call you 'Colonel'; when I am King,
you shall kiss my hand, but I will call you
'General.'"

He became red with pleasure; and, by the twinkle
in Mr. Smith's eye, I knew that I had done right to
make a friend of this man.

Colonel Woolgast having left the room, I turned to
Mr. Smith.

"Have you done anything about Prince Alexis?"
I asked.

"I am sending a man to watch him.  Woolgast
will see to it that he does not enter the Royal
apartments.  In a little time you will have to receive
a great number of people; I will be by your side to
tell you what I can of them, to give you a better idea
of what to say.  All are devoted to Rudarlia.  I am
glad you said what you did to Woolgast, he is not
titled, you know, and some rather snub him on that
account; but he is a good man, loyal to a degree to
his country."

"Are there any members of the government?"

"Not one; they cannot be trusted, all being Ivan's
parasites."

"How will that affect our plans, surely the
Minister of War will have something to say?"

"He is the worst hated man among them, the
soldiers execrate him."

"H'm!  I shall look to you for a New Cabinet."

"Your Majesty will need one, as all the present
members will be in our power by to-night, I trust.
General von Vorkovitch will give orders to the
troops for that."

"How is it that he has not been retired by Ivan?"

"Even Ivan did not dare to touch the man who
won the battle of Vortz.  He has been the idol of the
country for years, but had no chance of doing
anything to retrieve matters."

"Jealousy?" I asked.

"Chiefly, there was no one to be the head, that
was why we had to wait until you came to an age
fit for it."

We had no time for more conversation, as the
sound of motors approaching warned us that people
were arriving to pay me homage.

I stood at one end of the room--which was very
large--and waited.  Mr. Smith was at my right, a
little behind me; Carruthers and Bauen behind him
again.  My ordeal began.

The first few to arrive were soldiers, officers
commanding regiments now in Karena.

These I thanked for their loyalty, and asked a
few questions about their commands.

They looked at me with well-bred curiosity.  At
my request, Carruthers was made known to them by
Mr. Smith, and he stood chatting with them while I
devoted myself to the ever-flowing tide of fresh
arrivals.

They were not all men, some dozen ladies being
among them.  One of these, a grand old lady with
snow-white hair, had been a friend of my mother's.
So Mr. Smith whispered as she came towards me.

I kissed her hand and asked her to extend her
friendship to me for my mother's sake.

"Your Majesty should have more self-confidence,"
she replied.

And when I laughingly hinted that she should
teach me, she laughed in reply and told me that,
had she been forty years younger, she would have
been charmed.

I assured her, with an air of astonishment, that I
thought babies were useful to teach patience only.

This pleased her mightily, for she remarked that
her sex would be no better off by my replacing Ivan,
for whilst he ruled women with writing, I should do it
with speaking.

This delicately veiled gibe at Ivan, for his
predilection for paying vast sums of money to his
mistresses by cheque, pleased those who heard it
tremendously.

"Prince Kleber, he prides himself on his fencing,"
this from Mr. Smith.

I looked at the haughty, cold face before me.

"Ah, Prince," I said after the customary salutations,
"some day I hope that you will give me a
lesson or two with the foils."

The haughty look vanished in a second.

"Your Majesty is too kind; I am flattered."

"The kindness will be yours, Prince, if you will
give me the lessons."

"But what could I teach your Majesty, who gave
Goltz such a fine thrust?"

"A trick, Prince; but what I wish from you is
the sounder play, and the knowledge of some of
those thrusts of which, no doubt, you have the
secret."

I found out afterwards that Mr. Smith's words had
been of inestimable value, for this was his weak
point: no one could flatter him too much about his
sword-play.  In other things he was unapproachable;
but from that day to this Prince Kleber and I
have been very great friends.

The room was filling up now, and I saw Mr. Smith's
face wreathed in smiles, from which I
surmised that I was playing my part well.

There was a little commotion in the crowd, and
General von Vorkovitch was announced.

He was much older than I had anticipated, bowed,
and rather shaky.

He would have bent in homage, had I not anticipated
it by advancing a step or two and taking his
hand.

"Your Majesty," he said slowly, "I have waited
for this day, praying that I might be spared to see
my King upon the throne of Rudarlia."

"General, before I knew that I was to be a King,
even when a little boy at school, I thought of and
longed to see the victor of Vortz, so God has been
good to us both."  I turned to Bauen.  "A chair
for General von Vorkovitch."  Then turning to the
old man, I continued, "Sit, General, we shall want
all your strength, perhaps, to win us more battles."

The last to arrive was the editor of the most
influential paper in Rudarlia, a man of much
importance.  His articles on the abuse of power had
more than once caused the suppression of his paper,
and exile or imprisonment to himself.

I was talking to him, when Mr. Smith made me a
sign; I knew what it meant, and nodded.

He immediately commanded silence.  Instantly a
hush fell on the groups of excited men and women,
and they formed a circle round me.

My speech was an impromptu one, the first of
many, for I have found that, when one speaks
without preparation, one often gets home to the
hearts of one's hearers.

"To all of you here this morning, I have a few
words to say.  God made me, by birth, your
King; you, by the loyalty and devotion you have
shown, have brought me near the throne.  I thank
you in my murdered father's name and my own.
If it is willed that I shall fill the place you would
have me fill, I promise you that Rudarlia shall have
a monarch who thinks of his country first in all
things, and that unjust taxation, favouritism, and
wanton waste of public moneys shall be unknown
while I have the honour to be your King.  Once
again I thank you."

They were very simple words, but their effect
was extraordinary; carried away no doubt by their
excitement and joy, they cheered, and cheered again.
I heard Carruthers' voice as he hurrahed like one
possessed; and I felt that indeed I was a King come
into my own.

It was ten in the morning before the last of the
visitors drove off, and we were left alone.

I felt very tired, and I cannot truthfully say
happy.  Events had moved so quickly that I had
had no time for my private griefs; perhaps it was
lucky.

Soon after we breakfasted; and then I had to
receive church dignitaries, but their business did not
occupy much time.  I had been born into the
Catholic Church, and had a great love for it, so there
was nothing to upset the churchmen, once I had
given my word to uphold and cherish their faith.
Their power, which was considerable, had been
against Ivan from the first, for he had abused
and scoffed at all religion, being himself a gross
materialist.

The Archbishop blessed me, and assured me of
the support of his clergy.

When they had gone, Mr. Smith ran over again
the various factions who had been gained to our
side; and it appeared that the only enemies we
were likely to have were the newly created nobles
and useless officials, together with a small number of
idealists who held theories, always impracticable.

"I know," said Mr. Smith, "that nearly the
whole nation will rejoice to have your father's son
upon the throne.  You have made friends of every
one who came to-day, one and all went away
rejoicing.  I have done all I can now to make the
way smooth; but it rests in God's hands, Victor.
His will be done."

"Amen," I said.

We lapsed into silence for a few minutes, and then
he continued:

"The Press will have a scoop to-morrow.  I
thought it best to leave to them the writing of the
first news; it will be necessary, however, for you to
make a declaration, simple and short, as your speech
this morning.  I could never have believed those
people could have so far forgotten the Royal presence,
their feelings must have been very great."

"All the better, it shows how they love Rudarlia."

"Some day it will be their King as well," said Mr. Smith.

And inwardly I hoped that it might be so.

"How are we to know when to go?" I asked.

"They will let me know from the Palace; the
news of Ivan's death will not be told until we
choose.  Every one, save the doctors, nurses, and
Woolgast, will have been kept from the sick-room
all to-day.  One of the doctors is our man; the
other will be when he finds that he is practically a
prisoner."

"But the Queen?  I have never until now thought
of her."

"The Queen, poor lady, has confined herself
more and more these last few years to her own
suite.  She rarely goes out, never entertains; I
think Ivan broke her heart soon after they were
married."

"But what will become of her?"

"That will rest with your Majesty."

"Is she loved by anyone?"

"All those who know her intimately say that she
is grieved to the heart at the misery caused by Ivan
and his gang; all the little money that she has had
has gone in charity."

"Ah!" I said.

"I have had made," said my companion, to turn
the subject, I thought, "a number of uniforms, as
near as possible to your measure.  To-day I think
it would be as well if you put on that of the Guard,
not here, but at the Palace.  I think they will fit
you, as I had one of your suits to measure from."

There was something pathetic to me in all these
little preparations of Mr. Smith's.  I felt like a boy
leaving for school, when his father is adding some
little thing that might give him pleasure.

The thought of all the years spent by this elderly
man working and planning, so that I might some day
be seated on the throne, gave me a lump in the
throat, and I bent and kissed him.

"Victor, my dear boy, God knows I wish you
had been son of mine; I could not have loved you
more."

"In future," I said quietly, "you shall be as my
father; you guide and teach me kingcraft.  I only
wish I could do something to show my gratitude."

"Ah, my boy, be yourself, trust to your conscience
with regard to Rudarlia, and I shall be happy
in my pride--but who is this?"

It was Baron Sluben who knocked and entered.
He came up to me and bowed low.

"The usurper is dead; long live the King!"

I know that from that minute I felt one, I do not
know why.

Mr. Smith took a pair of revolvers from a desk,
handed one to me and put the other in his pocket.

"Come," he said, "it is time."

The three of us went out to the car.  I felt cool,
and made some cheerful remark to Carruthers.

"Good old Splosh, what is it to be, 150 not out?"

"Or a duck," I said.

Sluben, who understood a little English, looked at
Mr. Smith with a puzzled expression on his face.

"It is all right, Baron," he said, answering the
look, "his Majesty is talking of an English game."

"But the duck, Count, is it alive or for dinner?"

This was too much for us; and we laughed
heartily while explaining.

I think our high spirits must have been contagious,
for we were continually laughing all the way
to the Palace, where we entered by a back door.

Colonel Woolgast was waiting.  After assuring us
that all was well, he, at my request, led the way to a
room on the same floor as the Royal apartments.

Here, as Mr. Smith had stated, I found the
uniforms laid out, and Bauen waiting.

In twenty minutes I was dressed, and looked at
myself in a tall cheval glass.

I looked very nice indeed, the white and gold
uniform set off my figure to the utmost, while the
plumed helmet added to my height and general
impressiveness.  Even Carruthers admitted that I
looked like a King, and a fine one, too, which was
great praise from him, who was not given to paying
me compliments.

I wore across my chest the broad ribbon of the
"Star of Rudarlia" with its splendid insignia in
diamonds and gold, which Mr. Smith fastened to my
tunic.

At length, all was ready, and Woolgast slipped
from the room.

Ten minutes later, came the sullen boom of a
cannon; and the people who heard it knew that
King Ivan was dead.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`CHAPTER VII`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER VII

.. vspace:: 2

I walked to the window and looked out into
the square below.  As I did so, I noticed an
unusual stir among the people who were
passing.  Every one seemed to be flocking to the
Palace; the gates were wide open; and a continual
stream of motor-cars and carriages kept entering
and leaving.  This was evidently an unusual sight,
for the ordinary passers-by gathered at the
entrances to watch, and most probably wonder.  Then
I noticed newspapers being sold, and the hum of
many excited voices could be heard.  I turned to
Mr. Smith.

"Can they know already, do you think?"

"Undoubtedly, I have seen to that, and in all the
chief cities of your Majesty's kingdom; they will
know as fast as the telegrams can be sent."

Woolgast had left the room, but now returned and
came up to where I was standing.

"I have to report, your Majesty, that Prince
Alexis has just entered the Palace, and been
arrested."

"That is good news, Colonel; I was fearing that
he might be troublesome."

I think Mr. Smith had rather feared the same
thing, for I heard him heave a sigh of relief.

"That eases my mind," he said.  "It will be a
bloodless *coup d'état*, after all."

"Thanks to the excellence of your plans."

"And the loyal co-operation of all those people
who knew; a single word might have spoilt all.
As it is, there is nothing now to prevent your
Majesty entering the throne room."

"I am ready."

"Then let us go."

He threw open the door and I passed out.  My
body-guard were drawn up ready to attend me; I
saluted them as I came out of the room, and they fell
in behind me.  This affair was not to be marked by
much state, but Mr. Smith had seen to it that there
was enough.  That is to say, there were ushers
and heralds, with other functionaries, who
preceded me to clear the way, and throw wide the
great doors which led into the throne room.  I
felt that I would sooner have seen the spectacle
from the other end, or in one of the galleries; but
that was not to be, so I entered bravely, although
my heart did beat a trifle more rapidly than usual.

The place seemed packed from floor to roof;
whichever way I turned, there were smiling faces.
A deafening shout greeted me.  These good people
evidently could not restrain their joy at thoughts of
the restoration of the beloved dynasty of the
Stephanovitchs.

I stood on the edge of the dais, and smiled for
very joy at the acclamations; pride, too, had its
way, and I was pleased to think that I was King.
It was so much nicer than I had anticipated.
Mr. Smith, by my side, held up his hand, and almost
immediately there was silence.

A gorgeous figure, clad in robes which no King
could rival, stepped forward; there was a fanfare of
trumpets, and then:

"King Ivan is dead, God save King Victor!"

"Speak to them," said Mr. Smith.

"Rudarlians"--how funny my voice sounded, I
could hardly believe that I was speaking--"I am
the son of Merlin.  I am your King, Rudarlia is my
country.  Help me therefore to undo the errors of
my predecessor; give me your loyalty, and
together we will give new life to our beloved country,
and keep her clean from tyrannous injustice.  Help
me, and we will make it a proud boast when a man
can say: 'I am a Rudarlian.'"

For the second time that day, my words seemed
to meet with approval, for my stepping back was
the signal for another hurricane of cheers.  I
thought they would never stop, and that low fellow
Carruthers said, loud enough for me to hear, to
Mr. Smith:

"He ought to get in with a thumping majority."

Mr. Smith had told me that from time immemorial,
on such occasions, the King always walked straight
down the hall and up a broad stairway at the other
end, and so back to his own apartments.  As it
had been the custom, I saw no reason to break away
from it, so once more the heralds cleared the way for
me; and I passed through the long hall, between
two lines of bowing people, who laughed and cried
at the same time.

Under my father's rule there had been a golden
age for Rudarlia, and this must account for the
extraordinary enthusiasm with which I was greeted.
We went, some dozen in all, to a room overlooking
the main entrance to the Palace; and from there we
watched the people gathering in hundreds, to hear
from those who passed out--whatever they did hear.

They seemed pleased with the news, whatever it
was, for they turned their faces to the Palace and
shouted.  It was not only the people who appeared
gay, but presently the shops as well; flags and
coloured ribbons began to be displayed.  Then men
came with great placards: "God Save Victor II.,
Merlin's Son," in red letters on a yellow ground.
Some one had stage-managed the thing very well,
nothing had been forgotten.

As I looked down upon the heaving mass of men
and women, an irresistible longing came over me to
ride out among them, to go to the Cathedral, and
thank God that no blood had been shed in this, my
triumph.

"Count," I said, turning to Mr. Smith, "is there
any reason why I should not go now to the Cathedral?"

He looked at me hesitatingly for a moment.

"Not if your Majesty wills it," he said quickly.

"Then I will go, for there are a number of good
citizens in danger of being crushed, down there, in
their eagerness to catch sight of me."

"I will order your Majesty's carriage."

"No!  I will ride."

Colonel Woolgast had returned; and I told him of
my intention.

He looked anxious; and asked whether he should
call out troops to line the way.

"Troops?" I said, perhaps foolhardily.  "No,
Colonel, just my own body-guard, half to clear a
way, and the other half to follow.  I will begin,
as I intend to go on, by trusting the people.
Count Zeula, I should be pleased if you would
ride with me; and you, too, gentlemen, if so
inclined."

"Thank God we shall have a King," I heard some
one mutter, and then Mr. Smith and I were alone
again, waiting for our horses.

"Am I wise?" I asked.

"Yes, Victor, I think you are, only I am nervous
for your safety."

"I feel that nothing could hurt me to-day," I
said, laughing.  "But there is one thing I have
forgotten, I wish Bauen to ride with us, to let the
people see that loyalty such as his is not forgotten by
my family."

"God made you a King before ever you came to
Rudarlia, Victor."

And, at something in his voice, I felt myself
blushing.

I shall never forget that ride.  The great cry that
arose as the body-guard wheeled into the courtyard;
the instantaneous sundering of the crowd to
make a way as the gates were swung open.

Unaffectedly I rejoiced, as I rode through them,
some ten yards behind the last rank of the vanguard,
with Mr. Smith half a length behind me; Woolgast,
Carruthers, Bauen and the rest two lengths
behind him again.

I was almost deafened by the shouts of welcome
that arose from the crowd.

A child, escaping from his mother's restraining
hand, ran under my horse's feet.  In a moment I
was out of my saddle, and had the little thing in my
arms, sobbing, frightened, but unhurt.

A halt had been called; and the mother, a poor
ragged woman, approached, terrified, trembling.  I
gave the boy into her arms, with two or three pieces
of gold.

"Take him, my good woman," I said, "and keep
him, for one day Rudarlia may have need of him."

The crowd grew delirious; they burst through the
restraining arms, surrounded me, cheering and
blessing me.  For some little time they were
hysterical in their expressions of loyalty, until I had
to stand up in my stirrups and ask them to make way
for me.  At the sound of my voice they once again
surged back, and our cortège passed on.

Luckily, it was not a great way to the Cathedral, or
I doubt if we should have reached it before nightfall.
As it was, it was six o'clock before we started on our
homeward journey.

So dense was the crowd, that we went at a walk
the whole way; the more adventurous would press
forward, and touching my boot, bridle, anything,
were contented.

They were a good-natured mass of people; and,
although the jostling and discomfort must have been
appalling, I heard never a single oath or
bad-tempered remark, only blessings, and heart-felt
utterances of joy.

We were within sight of the Palace, when I saw
the escort which rode before me divide into two
parts, and down the middle came six beautiful girls,
carrying great bunches of flowers; some enthusiast
had organised the party, and ransacked a florist's
shop evidently.

The crowd swept back, and left a clear space
around them.

One little maid, who was in advance, came timidly
up to me, as I sat on my horse, laughing down at
them.

She was too tongue-tied to say anything, so she
just held up a bunch of white roses for me to take.
She was so tiny, and looked so sweetly pretty, that I
could not resist dismounting; and, picking up the
little one, kissed her, at the same time taking the
roses, and fastening them somehow into my tunic.

Seeing this, some wit in the crowd called out:

"The others want payment too."

And this idea caught on to such an extent that
I was obliged to kiss all the other blushing five, to
the delight of the onlookers.  Mr. Smith laughed
heartily; and even the stern-faced troopers looked
away to hide their emotion.

That, however, was the last delay we had; and
shortly after we turned in through the Palace gates.

Jove! how hot and tired I was, I remember it to
this day, and the gorgeous relief when, in my own
apartments, I bathed and put on cool evening
dress.

In spite of fatigue, there was an immense amount
of work to be got through that night; I don't know
how many times I put my signature to papers handed
me by Mr. Smith, but it seemed millions.

I had sent a telegram to my mother, just a few
words, saying that all was well.

At Mr. Smith's suggestion, I had invited some
twenty or thirty people to take supper with me, and
at eleven o'clock I vowed that I would work no
more.  At which Mr. Smith and Baron Sluben
laughed, and said that they had been wondering
when I meant to stop; and only then did I realise
that it had been my place to call a halt, not theirs.

Twice, during these hours of writing, I had been
obliged to leave the room, and show myself to the
people who stood outside the Palace gates, cheering
continuously; but, as it grew towards midnight, the
crowd had dwindled, and I could feel more at rest.

I think my first supper-party was a success, the
late King's chef being one of the best in Europe.

Naturally enough, high spirits reigned supreme,
as one and all there, with the single exception of
myself, had worked for years for what had happened
this day.

The guests were all very great people in the
realm; and, when supper was finished, we withdrew
to another room to hold a Council of War, to decide
what should be done with Prince Alexis and his
following.

There were some whose advice was distinctly
Machiavellian, desiring to stamp out all of Ivan's
race.  They had forgotten, perhaps, that I was
related to him.  There were others, who thought
that imprisonment for life was the thing; while the
majority, of which I was one, held in favour of exile.

That was for Alexis and his chief advisers; the
minor characters would have to live on their estates,
under certain conditions, or leave the country, the
choice to be theirs.  And so, after a somewhat
lengthy debate, it was decided.

Perhaps we were too lenient, knowing as we did
the kind of men with whom we dealt; but severity
was abhorrent to me who had been so short a while
King.

It was long past midnight when I went to my
room to sleep; and even then I did not go direct,
for I was obliged to pass the door of the room where
Ivan's body lay.  A trooper of my body-guard had
been placed on guard there, and I stopped to say a
word to him; as I did so, the sound of weeping
reached my ears.

I looked inquiringly at Mr. Smith, who accompanied me.

"It is Ivan's wife, your Majesty."

"Alone," I asked, "and at this hour?"

The guard answered that she had been within for
some two hours, by herself.

"I would speak to her, Count; do not wait, you
need repose.  Goodnight."

He looked at me for a moment, and then bowed.

"Good night, your Majesty," he said and left me.

I do not know what impulse urged me to push the
door quietly open, and enter; not curiosity, God
knows.  I think it was just the desire to try and
comfort this poor lady.

She was kneeling beside the bed on which the body
lay, a fragile figure in black, her head buried in her
arms, sobbing as though indeed her heart was broken.

As I approached, she raised her tear-stained face
to mine; and I saw that it was still comely, though
haggard and weary.

"Who are you?" she said quietly.

"A friend of your Majesty's," I answered.

"'Majesty,' I never was that, since my husband
was never really the King."

"Nevertheless, madame, if you will permit, I will
address you so; for you, by your acts, have proved
yourself a Queen."

She had risen to her feet, and stood looking at me
intently.

"Are you the King?" she asked.

"So people have acclaimed me to-day, madame."

"Could you not leave me to my grief, in the midst
of your joy?"

"God forbid that I should intrude, madame, on
grief such as yours, were it not for the great desire
I have to aid, and if possible comfort you; but see,"
I drew a curtain on one side, making the light of
early dawn visible to her, "the night is nearly
spent."  I dropped the curtain again.  "Your
Majesty, will you not permit me to escort you to
your room, or call one of your ladies, for, next to
God, surely one of your own sex could best comfort you?"

"God," she said, "do you believe then in God?"

"Surely, madame."

"Is that why you came in to me here?"

"I had not thought of it, but probably it was His
doing, for I think that all kind thoughts are His, and
all the pity within me woke at the sound of your
weeping."

"Then may He be praised," she said, "that
Rudarlia will once more have a merciful King."

"You love Rudarlia, madame?"

"Ah yes, so much, perhaps my sorrow to-night is
more self-pity at thought of leaving than sorrow for
my dead husband, for I had wept all my tears for
him years ago."  She spoke with a little dry
huskiness that sounded strangely pathetic.

"Leave Rudarlia, that would be your wish, would
it not, to return to your own country, away from
sorrowful sights and remembrances?"

There was tragedy in her reply:

"My own country, where is it?  My father is
dead.  I had no friends before I married, I was too
young; and the few of my countryfolk who
accompanied, and remained with me, are gone."

"Then, madame, remain here, where you will be
always an honoured guest.  The people love you, I
know; and you can devote your time happily to
whatever you desire, without hindrance.  It shall
be my pleasure to see that everything you may wish
for shall be yours, and I shall hope to have gained
a friend."

"Your Majesty," she said, "what can I say, how
can I accept, how can I?"

"By saying, madame, that you will stay.  It will
be our part, after that, to show you that Rudarlia
remembers those who loved her, even in the midst
of their own unhappiness."

"Oh, how can I?" I heard her murmur, "how
can I, I, the wife of the usurper?"

"Madame, your husband's sins must be answered
for by himself; you, however, have never been
associated with him in the minds of the people.
Only by your goodness, kindness, and charity, are
you judged by them; even my mother, who has,
God knows, suffered greatly at Ivan's hands, will
never think of you except with loving thoughts, as
one who was sinned against.  I can answer for her, as
justice has been ever dear to her.  Come, madame,
decide as we wish it, and let me see you smile at
thoughts of happiness to be."

She looked up at me, and I saw her bravely
struggling with her tears.

"May God bless you, as you deserve; I will do as
you will."

"That is right, madame, and now permit me."

I raised her hand, and pressed it to my lips; and,
retaining it in mine, led her gently from the room,
back to her own apartments, where her ladies were
waiting.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`CHAPTER VIII`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER VIII

.. vspace:: 2

That night, for the first time in my life that
I can remember, I dreamt of my father.
Presumably, the excitement of the day
had affected my nerves; but this dream was so
vivid, that I can recall it even now: I seemed to be
in a vast, ruined cathedral, walking round and
round, seeking some means of egress; and, finding
none, sat down on the bottom step of the stairway
which led to the top of a frightfully high tower.

I felt unutterably despondent, for I knew that
outside everything I wanted was awaiting me, and
yet I could not name any one thing.

Then I saw some one near me, and I called to him
to ask his assistance in escaping; he did not answer,
but just pointed up the stairway.  So I started to
ascend; it was weary work, as the steps appeared
never to end, and I toiled laboriously up, up, ever
up.  Once I despaired and started to descend, but
there stood my father pointing and smiling, so I
turned again and resumed my interrupted ascent.
I was just about to relinquish it for good, when I woke.

It appears strange to me now, when thinking of it,
that my father never said a word to explain, and
that all my effort apparently led nowhere.

It was Bauen's entrance that had awakened me;
and in a very short time I had dressed, breakfasted,
and was once more ready for work.

I found Mr. Smith in the great study, where the
evening before I had signed so many papers; as we
were alone we chatted in a friendly way, for I don't
think ceremony was to the liking of either of us.

"Well, Prince," I said, "the first thing I wish is for
you to have the necessary papers made out
confirming you in that title."

"It can wait, Victor."

"Not a day, I wish it done at once."

"Very well," he replied, laughing.

"And now, I suppose, I have to incur danger of
writer's cramp, eh?"

"For a good many days to come, I am afraid."

"You know I saw Ivan's wife last night?"

"Yes."

"Well, she wanted, or rather she did not want to
leave Rudarlia, so I asked her to stay.  Of course,
her financial affairs will be my concern privately."

"I thought you would."

"Are you against it?"

"No.  I think she is a good woman, and her life
has been very miserable."

He smiled slightly.

"How have I amused you?"

"Because I knew last night, when you left me,
that it was to comfort her.  Victor, my boy, you
must not allow your pity to sway you always.  In
this case it is all right, but many times it is a fault,
in a king.  People attribute it to weakness,
unfortunately."

"Very well, I must remember, but I do so hate to
see misery."

"I know you do, Victor, but you must always
think of the cause and effect, especially the effect
your attitude towards it may have.  It is difficult
to be a good king and also follow the doctrines of
Christ, for His teaching was more for the individual
life than for the king of a nation, the people of which
do not themselves follow His doctrines strictly."

"True," I agreed.  "It seems to be almost
impracticable in the present state of the world."

"And the longer you live, the more convinced you
will be that the Gospel which has it that He said,
'I come not to bring peace, but a sword,' is nearer
the mark."

"Then must I be severe?"

"No, but just.  That is the greatest of all things,
and will lead to the greatest good of the people;
not the greatest good of the greatest number, for
that is a doctrine I do not hold with."

"How so?" I said, for this remark had surprised me.

"For this reason: the greatest good of the
greatest number necessitates the sacrifice of the
few; now it is my opinion that the minority are of
the most good to a state, for as a rule it is
comprised of the more intellectual, artistic, and finer
grades of mind.  These people are the natural
leaders; and, if by legislation you injure that
minority, you do harm in the long run to the
majority, for the great mass look to the few for
ideals.  Mind you, I do not deny that, in some cases,
injustice is done by, and for the few, but those cases
are, or ought to be, judged by a different scale of
values."

"Give me an instance."

"An instance?  Well, look at England.  By
taxing the upper classes, enough money is raised to
miseducate the masses.  The result is that those
professions which depend more or less upon education
are lowered, vulgarised, by the demand of vulgar
minds.

"Literature, which should be one of the great
uplifting influences, is becoming every day more and
more adapted to the commoner mind, under the
name of progress.  Progress it is, but in the wrong
direction, for it serves to bring all to a dead level of
mediocrity; and I maintain that a few lofty
minds, leaders in the world of thought, are infinitely
more prolific of true progress than smart mediocrity."

I had paused in my writing to listen to my
companion, for I had never heard him in this vein
before; but his arguments needed thought, and I told
him so.

"Thought! why, of course they do.  Think over
them whenever you can; and, in thinking, apply
the principle to all different cases."

"I will; but just now I could not think clearly,
for I fancy I hear sounds that indicate more cheering
crowds outside."

"A sound that Ivan never heard," said Mr. Smith.

"And which reminds me, that I wish to see
Prince Alexis before he leaves for the frontier."

"You will not, I hope, delay his departure," said
my companion slyly.

"On the contrary, I shall expedite it."

"You wish to see him alone?"

"If you please, when I have finished these," and
I touched the papers before me.  "But I wish to
know what you think of this scheme of mine.  There
are, I have heard, a number of poor wretches in
prison for non-payment of taxes.  I propose to
release them at once, and if possible to place them
back upon the land.  To do this, it will be necessary
to dispossess a number of people who bought the
various farms for little over the sum wanted to pay
the taxes.

"Now these people took advantage of Ivan's
overtaxation to invest their money in property,
which to my mind was not the State's to sell.
Therefore, they made a bad bargain; but, as I wish
to be just, I propose paying them the purchase
money, plus five per cent., plus a fair amount for
any improvements.  That is my idea.  What do
you think of it?"

Mr. Smith thought for some time.

"I see exactly what you wish, but there are
difficulties, very great difficulties.  To begin with,
you would have to create a number of officials to
deal with each claim separately, which is bad, for
anything that leads to a bureaucracy is pernicious
in a monarchy; besides which, you will make
enemies of the men you dispossess.  Again, it will
be necessary to sift to the bottom the reasons there
were for the taxes not having been paid.  It might
also encourage the recipients of your favour to
object to all taxation, whether just or not."

"Your reasons may be sound," I said, "but I
will try to upset them.  First, you object to the
creation of an army of officials.  Now that is an
extreme argument, I think, for there are records in
each district of sales of land, and these can be seen
with little trouble.  I proposed offering a little
extra payment to the permanent officials in each
district, and doing the business gradually.  To my
mind, it is necessary to know much more about the
land and its productive qualities than we do, for I
have read reports dealing with the subject; so a
few extra men would not be amiss to inquire into our
whole system of agriculture.

"Secondly, you contend that I shall make
enemies.  I do not agree; these people will get back
more than they paid, for something which was
distinctly in the nature of a gamble.  Those are the
two most important reasons against; the other
involves too much human nature for me to argue
about until I have more knowledge of Rudarlians."

"We are a Parliament in ourselves, Victor, and
your answers need leisure for contemplation.
However, I see you have finished, so I will give orders
for Prince Alexis to be brought to you."

"Thank you, Prince; don't forget about your
title.  I have just thought of a new rôle for you:
Prince von Zeula, Bear-leader to the King."

"It is a title that does me honour," he said, and
smilingly withdrew.

Colonel Woolgast ushered in Prince Alexis, and
stood as though he expected to have to re-escort the
prisoner.

"I will ring, Colonel," I said, touching a small silver
bell upon my desk, "if you will remain within hearing."

He cast an anxious glance at me; and the next
moment I was alone with the man to whom my
coming must have been a terrible blow.

"There is a chair behind you, Prince," I said.

With extreme sullenness he took the seat indicated.

My impression of the man did not improve with
further acquaintance.

For some little time we looked at each other in
silence, he with looks full of hatred and malicious
curiosity, while I was quite frankly interested in
him.  I wondered how anyone could, by vice, so
debase himself, until his very being radiated
nauseating vibrations; more especially as he had
thought one day to be a king, a person set on a
pinnacle for all to see, a leader and chief among men.

I found that, whenever his eyes met mine they
turned aside, cold and crafty.

"Prince," I said, "to you, no doubt, I am a very
pernicious being, most probably you loathe me with
all your heart.  You think that I have cheated you
out of a throne, yet consider a moment, and you must
see that it is not so.  Ivan was never King, since I
was alive; you were never the heir.  I presume you
will not deny that?"

"I do deny it.  You are an impostor, I know it."

"I am the King."

"By might, not right."

"By both, Prince: by right, on account of my
birth which has been proved without shadow of
doubt; by might, because the people of Rudarlia
loved my father as much as they detested Ivan."

"Your proofs, what proofs have you?"

"That is the business of those who have them in
their possession," I replied.

"They will not satisfy me, however."

"What would?  Rudarlia?  You would not be
King for a month; people do not talk kindly of you,
Prince, they liken you to Ivan, in your ways of
life."

"What are my ways of life to you?"

"Nothing, you have to answer for them yourself;
but, if you had succeeded in gaining the throne, they
would have meant much, not only to me but to all
Rudarlians."

"You mean?"

"That there is only a certain amount of juice to be
obtained from any orange; Ivan sucked this one dry."

"Dry? not so dry that I could not have
obtained more from it."

"I doubt if you could have obtained a penny.
The people are ruined, absolutely.  You would not
have dared to tax the nobles, for you would have
made enemies of Ivan's friends."

"Well, I am in your power, Impostor; what do
you intend?"

"You are in my power, you and your friends," I
repeated this slowly and emphatically, for I had seen
a look in his eyes that I did not like, the look of one
who stores up malice for the future.  "I do not think
you would be regretted, whatever I decided to
do, even by your friends in Bornia, for instance."

He leant forward in his chair, and lowered his
voice.

"See," he said, "let us understand each other.
I know that you are an impostor, just a pawn in
Zeula's game.  I know you for the Englishman who
wounded Goltz; so why keep up the farce?  You will
have to remain King, of course, but there will be
rare pickings.  Now, I can help you if you consent
to work with me.  This is what I propose: you
must insist on my having a good pension, and my
debts paid.  I, on my part, will keep mum about you,
and accept you as my sovereign; I never wanted to
be King, but I want the money badly.  Who the
devil would want to live in Karena?  Not I for one.

"Another thing, I will give you some ideas for
putting on the screw; a friend of mine and I have
worked out several ways, while awaiting Ivan's
death.  What do you say?"

I was too sick mentally to answer him, the
callousness of his proposition had almost numbed me.
I was an impostor to him, and yet he would sell what
he fancied to be his birthright, for a pension and
payment of his debts.

I groaned inwardly at what would have happened
to Rudarlia under his rule, and yet I was inclined to
let him unburden himself of these schemes of
taxation.  I fancy that my mind was fascinated by
the loathsomeness of his, almost like a rabbit in the
presence of a snake.  I wished, however, to hear
more, so, feigning an interest which disgusted me, I
pretended to think over what he had said; and then
I too leaned forward in my chair.

"You have interested me," I said, "in spite of
your affirming that I am an impostor; but you
must let me know more of your ideas.  That is
essential, for you will not wish me to speak to and
consult Zeula, will you?"

I saw his evil face light up, and I read his thought:
that I was willing to be his tool.

"Is it likely that I should tell you, without
security?" he asked, with a twisted kind of smile.

"Why not?  Your ideas would be no use to me
without your aid; if I played you false, you could
always expose me, couldn't you?  For, mind you,
it will be a dangerous game to play, Zeula is no
fool."

"Bah!" he snapped his fingers, "that for
Zeula.  He must do what we want; he dare not let
me expose the game, I have too much power."

"Of course," I said, and wondered what this
power could be.  "And yet, until I know how to
raise the money, I don't see how I can act."

He pondered a moment, and then with an oath,
burst out:

"Very well then, I will tell you, but, by God, if
you play me false!--but there, you dare not.  Now
listen.  You and I must make enough in ten years
to satisfy us, as after that things will be different, for
this reason: Bornia."

"What has Bornia to do with it?"

"Everything.  I am much in request at the
Court."  He chuckled.  "King George has four
daughters, and none of them married yet."  He
looked at me with a leer.

"Go on," I said, "tell me the plan."

"All in good time, Impostor, all in good time.
Bornia wishes very much to own Rudarlia."

"What?"

"Strange, isn't it?  Nevertheless a fact, and they
want it without fighting.  That is where we come
in.  Every time an official dies or vacates his post,
you will fill it with one of my friends--they will be
naturalised, of course, to avoid detection--for each
post so filled, Bornia will pay.  Do you see?"

"Yes, yes, go on."

"We will work it, so that in ten years' time
Rudarlia will be full of Bornians, even the army.
Then what I should have done, and what you will
have to do, is to abdicate.  Our officials will at
once invite King George to occupy the throne.
There, that is the big scheme.  Now for another.
You did not know, perhaps, that there were minerals
in this country?  There are, but not in paying
quantities, on Royal land too.  We will get some
expert to boom the thing up to the skies; the
nobles and shopkeepers will invest, unwisely but
well for us, eh?"

"Have you any more schemes?"

"That will do to commence with, Impostor;
when we have things fixed up, I'll tell you more."

"Have you more as good as the ones you have
told me?"

"Oh, plenty.  Well, what do you say?"

"What do I say?" cried I, my temper getting
the better of me.  "I say that you are the biggest
cur unhung, that you have the vilest mind that ever
man possessed, and that I feel disgusted with myself
for ever having even spoken to you.  You low
brute, listen to me.  I am not an impostor, whatever
you may think; I am the son of Merlin I.  Hold
your tongue, or I'll forget that I am the
King--silence, I say.  I had proposed to pay your debts, to
give you a pension, as you did no harm yesterday,
but now I tell you that not one penny do you get
from me, you cur."

I was standing over him; and he shrank back into
his chair, his coward lips quivering with fear.

"Your Majesty," he quavered.

"'Impostor' you called me a moment ago; you
have changed quickly."

"I did not mean it, your Majesty."

"Good God!  Haven't you one redeeming
feature, are you such a coward too?"

He did not answer but looked at me imploringly.

"You need not be afraid, I won't touch you.  I
hoped you would have one manly attribute, but it
appears you are absolutely despicable; you are so
low in all your thoughts that I almost pity you.  Is
there any way in which you could be helped to realise
what a vile thing you are, I wonder--I suppose not?"

He still sat white-faced and quivering, and made
no answer.  As I looked at him, I felt my loathing
and disgust turn almost to compassion--he was so
hopeless, so contemptible.  My anger, too, had
passed.

"How much do you owe?" I said.

"Eh?"

"How much do your debts amount to?"

The crafty look returned to his face, and with it a
faint expression of hope.

"My debts?"

"Yes, how much would cover them?"

"I don't quite know."

"You know perfectly, tell me at once."

"At least thirty thousand pounds.  It is the
Jews--it was fear of them that made me think of the
plans I suggested to your Majesty."

"You need not lie to me."

"It's true," he said eagerly.  "They were
pressing me hard, and I had to plot and scheme to
raise the money."

"And you thought that Rudarlia was yours to
barter?"

"I could think of no other way, and I knew that
Ivan had had his share."

"So you imagined you could finish her ruin.
My God! how low you are.  I suppose the thought
of trying to put her on her feet again never entered
your head."

"I was to marry one of George's daughters, and
then, of course, I should have done what I could."

"She is well out of it; for I presume that, now,
you will no longer be a desirable match?"

"I suppose not."

Again I caught a crafty gleam in his eye.

"Prince Alexis," I said, "listen to me, you have
a little, very little, of the same blood as mine; for
that reason alone, I intend to pay your debts to the
amount of thirty thousand, no more.  Had you
shown one spark of feeling for Rudarlia, I should
have given you a pension.  As it is, I shall not;
but, that you may have a clean start, I will give you
another thirty thousand in addition.  Take my
advice and invest it; try and live decently and
honourably."

He would have taken my hand in the extravagance
of his joy; but I avoided it.  It was one thing to
give alms to a blood relation, but another to take
the hand of a vile cur such as he was.

I wrote then and there a cheque for the promised
amount, and handed it to him.

"You may refer your Semitic friends to me.  The
sum of thirty thousand will not be increased by a
penny."

"And am I free to go when I will?" he asked.

"You will be escorted to the frontier, and will
remain on the other side.  Should you return under
any circumstances, you will meet with different
treatment."

I rang the bell, and Colonel Woolgast appeared.

"You will conduct Prince Alexis to his room,
Colonel, and return to me as soon as possible."

I sat staring from the window waiting for his
return.  I was uncertain, in my mind, about the
wisdom of the course I had adopted with Alexis.

He was capable of any villainy, any crime, but I
had given him the money with an object; I wished
to gain time.  It ought to last him for a year or
eighteen months; and much could be done between
now and then.

I had had suspicions before that Bornia had
covetous designs with regard to Rudarlia.

Well, we would see.  Thank God, my stepfather
had made it possible for me to do much, without
fresh taxation.

I was just thinking of the degraded spectacle
Prince Alexis was, almost ashamed of myself for
having allowed him even to suggest the things he
had, when I heard a woman's voice raised in
altercation with the guardsman outside the door.  To
my amazement she spoke in English.

"I want to see His Majesty, I tell you."

I heard the sentry explain, in Rudarlian, that it
was impossible for her to have audience with me.

The next moment the door was flung open and in
flew the owner of the voice.  The sentry had
evidently been fooled by a pretended retreat; and had
grasped a portion of her gown as she dashed past
him.  Zip! something had given way.

"Fancy treating a lady like that; it's a shame!"

It was as much as I could do to keep my face
straight, as I signed to the sentry to close the door.

The "lady" was examining the back part of her
skirt with an angry expression on her face, taking
no notice of me whatever; but having repaired the
damage--presumably with pins--she looked round
and saw me standing near her.

"Lord, your Majesty!" she cried, dropping on
her knees.

"You wished to speak to me, I believe."

"Yes, please your Majesty."

"Then supposing you take this seat, you will find
it more comfortable than the ground, I daresay."

"Thanks, your Majesty."

"Now tell me what it is I can do for you.  I only
have a very few minutes to spare."

She was a remarkably handsome woman, with a
splendid figure.  I was struck, too, by her pleasant
smile.

"It's like this, you know, the late King took a
fancy to me, and induced me to come here to
Karena."

"Wait a moment.  To begin with, who are you,
and where do you come from?"

"I was in the Polly-Doddy troupe; Eliza de Vere,
I call myself.  It isn't my real name, but it'll do.
His Majesty saw me dancin', and made my acquaintance.
After a bit, I came along here, but the first
thing I know is that I find myself in a Palace and
him lying dead, and I've lost my job with the
troupe, and gone dead broke except for the few
things I brought along with me.  Then I hear as
there's a new King, so I think I'll hop along and try
to hook him, but I see your Majesty isn't one of that
sort, so all I want now is to get away.  God knows
when I shall get another job, don't suppose I ever
shall, for I broke my contract to come here."

She stopped, for want of breath, I imagine.

"Is that all you want?" I asked.

"Yes, thank your Majesty, if you'll give me the
fare home I daresay I'll do.  I can always get a
livin'."

"What would you like best to do?" I asked, for
I was sorry for this frank, vulgar, beautiful creature.

"If I had my wish, I'd live in the country.  I
was born on a farm, and I'd love a little place with
chickens and a pig or two; that's what I thought I
could get out of the old man, but he's gone."

"And supposing some one gave you that, would
you be contented to live in a quiet, decent way
without longing to be in London or some big town?"

"Wouldn't I just?  It would be just heaven to
get out of it all.  You don't know what my life is,
or you wouldn't ask."

I suppose I was foolish, but I was heart-sick at the
thought of this woman going headlong to the devil,
as I have no doubt she would have done.  So once
more I wrote out a cheque; it was for a big enough
sum for her purpose, upon the interest of which she
could live, marry possibly, almost certainly, and
rear splendid children, for England.  I blotted the
slip of paper and handed it to her, with some few
pieces of gold.

"Now," I said, "when you get to England take
this to some bank and explain to them what you
want.  They will advise you and invest it for you.
Don't trust anyone else; personally, I should advise
you to keep silent about possessing it.  Marry some
good man, and be happy, and sometimes say a
prayer for the King of Rudarlia."

She took the cheque, and wide-eyed, looked at it.

"Is this for me?" she whispered.  "You aren't
kiddin' me, don't you want anythin' for it?"

"No; nothing beyond what I have mentioned, a
prayer, when you remember it, that is all; and now
I must say good-bye and good luck."

She seized my hand and wrung it.

"God bless your Majesty.  I'll pray for you night
and morning, I will."  And then the poor girl burst
into tears, sobbing as though her heart would break.

It was at this juncture that Mr. Smith returned.

Still sobbing, "Eliza de Vere" left the room,
taking no notice of the indignant sentry.

"Your Majesty has the knack of making friends,"
Mr. Smith said, with a smile.  "Her thanks and
blessings were most impressive."

"Poor devil!" I said.  "Some of Ivan's beastliness,
only with her the worst effect was a broken
contract, with the managers of some troupe of
dancers."

"And you put matters right immediately?"

"It was easily done."

"How much did it cost, Victor?"

"Nothing compared to a person's happiness."

He shrugged his shoulders, but humorously; and
then once more became the stern-faced man.

"And Prince Alexis?" he asked.

"Ah, in his case I have given him enough rope to
last him a year or so, at the end of which time I
shall be quite happy to hang him."

"Ah!"

"I also paid for knowledge that will be of great
value to us; we must take great care to know
everything about all the officials we appoint."

"Ah!"

"It is lucky that I am alive, or within ten years
Rudarlia would have been governed by George III
of Bornia."

"Ah! so that was the scheme, was it?"

Colonel Woolgast was announced.

"Colonel, I want one of your officers to conduct
Prince Alexis over the frontier.  He must be one who
can hear without hearing, and, speaking, say
nothing.  Above all he must be devoted to Rudarlia.
Have you such a man?"

"Captain von Essens, your Majesty."

"Very well, if you answer for him; I would
have asked you to have escorted the Prince, but it
would have done him too much honour, to send the
Colonel of my Guards, and a General in my army.
You will soon have the pleasure of kissing my hand
as I promised you."

"I would do it now, your Majesty."

"No, Colonel, we will stick to our arrangement."

"Shall I give Essens the order?"

"If you please, and, Colonel, there may be some
officers under you who deserve promotion.  Send
me in their names, and it shall be seen to, for I have
no doubt that there will be vacancies before long in
my Guards."

"It shall be done, your Majesty."





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`CHAPTER IX`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER IX

.. vspace:: 2

The next few weeks were terrible ones for
me; days full of anxiety, hard work, and
ceremonial.  I discovered that a King
needs the strength of two men, physically and
mentally, in the first few weeks of his reign.

I had dismissed a great number of officials
appointed by my predecessor, for they were
incompetent men, owing their positions to rank
favouritism; and for some time Rudarlia was governed
by a provisional Cabinet, composed of the great men
of the state.

The hopeless confusion into which Ivan had
plunged the finances of the country was appalling.

There had been complete destruction of many
valuable assets of wealth, but chiefly the mischief
had been done to agriculture, upon which a great
part of the population depended.  Taxes had been
heaped upon the people; first in the shape of a
land tax, which had grown into a ridiculous size;
secondly the market tax, a peculiar piece of villainy,
since it mulcted both the buyer and the seller.
Ivan, evidently, could not be just, even in his
injustice, for the poor man, with perhaps a goat for
sale, had to pay as much as the large farmer selling
whole herds of cattle.

One of my first acts was to abolish this iniquitous
imposition altogether; and a very small annual
payment for market dues was charged instead.

The money raised in this way was used locally,
so that those who paid received it back in the
improvements of their locality.

I merely mention this tax as an example of Ivan's
financial methods when dealing with agriculture.

Enormous sums, for Rudarlia, had been raised, of
which there was no record dealing with their
expenditure.  Presumably, therefore, they had
disappeared into the avaricious maw of Ivan.

When we examined the debit side of our accounts
it was almost more appalling.

The army had been paid, not regularly, but in
dribblets.  As for clothing, ammunition, etc., the
stores had been depleted, and nothing had been
replaced.  The other services had been run in the
same way, without method or supervision.  The
fraud and thieving practised by many of the officials
must have been terrific.

It is not my intention to give a long, detailed
account of such matters, although they are impressed
on my mind.

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   \*      \*      \*      \*      \*

.. vspace:: 1



After the first outbreak of popular enthusiasm,
there were recurrent bursts of joyful celebration, and
devotion to my family.

As was perhaps only natural, the restoration of
the direct line of the Stephanovitch dynasty caused
a considerable stir throughout Europe; and the
usual diplomatic correspondence took place.

In Sir George Curtiss and Monsieur Delacroit, the
British and French Ministers, I found friends.
These two men were ever ready to be of service to
me personally, and also to Rudarlia.  I fancy they
understood that my feelings were very strongly in
favour of the Triple Entente; and it was most
probably those same feelings of mine which caused
me to be slightly less friendly with the central
European powers, or rather their Ministers.

I had then--and so far have had no reason to
change my views--a very strong conviction that
Germany was the great danger to the world's
peace.

All of them expressed pleasure at having Merlin's
son upon the Rudarlian throne.  Even the Bornian
Minister pretended that he was overjoyed, and
expressed himself to that effect in beautiful, flowery
language; verbiage which I accepted smilingly, and
at my own idea of its worth.

To me, Bornia was our greatest menace, I had
imagined this always; and now, since my conversation
with Alexis, I was quite certain of it.  So
I gave all the time I could spare, from pressing home
affairs, to planning out how to get the better of our
neighbour in the conflict that I foresaw.

Nothing could be done, however, until some kind
of order had been established within the kingdom,
the chaotic state of which caused a complete change
of government to be necessary.

Up to now, Rudarlia had been an absolute
monarchy, the king's power being autocratic; a
curious survival of mediæval days, and which for
centuries had satisfied Rudarlians; but now a
more modern spirit was at work, and there were
indications that a representative form of
government was desirable.  But what kind of
constitution would best suit the country?  That was the
question, and I gave it a great deal of thought,
before asking some of the leading men to give me
their ideas in writing.  These, when I received them,
proved rather disappointing, for all of them suffered
from the same fault: that of not recognising the
whole, as a whole.

I had suggested to Mr. Smith that he should give
me his idea, but he requested me to allow him to
stand aside for the present.  He told me that he
would like to know what his King had thought of
doing.  He was interested to see what Merlin's son
would do.

I set to work vigorously, although, I confess, with
a great deal of trepidation.  A scheme to turn an
absolute monarchy into a constitutional one, without
injury to the various classes, and without upsetting
the national morale, was one from which anyone
might shrink.

I did not propose to work out details--that would
have taken too much time, as well as being
something that could be better done by others--but I did
wish to think out the main structure.  I therefore
compared the different systems of legislature known
to the civilised world.  I collected information from
all sources, in the course of conversations with men
of all classes, and I also thought deeply on the nature
of the Rudarlian people.  This was the most
difficult part of the whole problem; for, of all
things, national character is the most complex.
Along one road, a nation may be steered as easily as
a flock of sheep; along another, the first few yards
will split it into a hundred conflicting elements.

Rudarlia was mainly an agricultural country, and
it has always seemed to me that such are best
governed by a system akin to the patriarchal; yet,
as a European country, such a system was impossible.
Therefore I had to arrange that, although
not patriarchal, an element of it should be there,
combined with more up-to-date forms.

It was with this in my mind that I considered the
possibility of combining the municipal government
with the parliamentary, and to that end introduced
the Mayors, as the lowest class in the parliamentary
pyramid.

In the election of Mayors, every man, barring the
mentally deficient, and the habitual criminal, had a
vote.

Mayors, however, did not sit in Parliament, their
duty being the collection of facts relating to the
conditions of life and public affairs in their districts,
and the sending of them in to the class above them,
the Sheriffs.

Every man who possessed a house, or piece of
land, of an annual rental of five pounds, had the
right to vote for a Sheriff.  If a man possessed more
than one house or piece of land, he should be entitled
to an extra vote for each house, etc., with this
provision: no man should cast more than one vote in
any one borough.

For every four thousand votes, there should be
one Sheriff; but, in the case of a borough with more
than four thousand voters, the odd votes should be
cast still for one Sheriff, until such time as the
number of voters exceeded six thousand, when another
Sheriff should be voted for, in addition.

To these Sheriffs was allotted the power of
selecting the actual members of Parliament, the
Senators, in the proportion of one Senator to three
Sheriffs.

To the latter, fell the duty of condensing the
reports of the Mayors, and forwarding them to the
Senate; upon these reports, a committee of Senators
would frame bills, which would then be sent to the
Minister in whose department they were.  Of these
Ministers, those of Justice, Interior, Agriculture,
Education, Public Works and Arts, were elected by
the Senate, while the King would appoint the
Ministers of War, Finance, and Foreign Affairs; also
the Premier, who would be Chancellor, and President
of the Council.

The bills framed by the Senators would be duly
discussed, and then sent to the Ministers of the
different departments; and it was their duty to
introduce them to the Cabinet, who would discuss,
amend, and finally deliver to the King, for the Royal
Assent.

I made the possession of certain immovable
property the basis of suffrage; for, to my mind,
those men who value the power of voting will be
thrifty and hard-working, in order to purchase or
rent land, or a house of sufficient value.

Again, men who possess property are not so
prone to encourage loose legislation as the wastrels
and thriftless; it would therefore encourage those
qualities, which are the basis of all national welfare.
The possession of a vote should give a man
self-respect and dignity; the casting of a vote should be
a matter of serious thought, in order that men of
undoubted worth might be elected as Sheriffs.

With regard to the election of Mayors, that all
men, with the two exceptions I have named, should
have the right to vote, was necessary for the
pyramidical form of government; for, among those
without the qualifications of sufficient property,
there were, no doubt, many who, by their clear
reason, sound judgment, and patriotism, could be of
service to the state, through the Mayors.

Sheriffs and Mayors would be paid government
officials; Senators and Ministers would be unpaid,
except in cases of expense incurred in the state
service.

I believe that the soundest laws are made by men
who give their services to the state.

It has always seemed to me best, that the
portfolios of War, and Foreign Affairs, should be in the
hands of nobles chosen for their patriotism and
probity.  Finance, too, should not be a question to
be tampered with by lower-class men, for an intellect
of the finest understanding, unswerving loyalty to
high ideals, and a consummate knowledge of human
nature, are essential in one who would conduct
worthily the finances, which are undoubtedly the
heart's blood of a nation.  However great a man may
be who has risen from the lower class, it is generally
through being possessed of qualities which, admirable
though they are, do not lead to the delicate
sensitiveness, tact, and polished thought necessary.

Again, in every assembly of men, there are always
those in opposition; perhaps it is necessary, to
obtain the best legislation.  This being so, it were
only human nature to promise to the electors those
things which might forward their election, regardless
of expense, and, once finance becomes a party
question, unwise legislation is thrust upon the state,
accompanied by an enormous increase in taxation.
Personally, I would favour slow and steady
development in everything, always reserving, however,
sufficient energy to maintain, for some considerable
time, high pressure and rapid movement.  Therefore,
I would sooner see a government of sober-minded,
level-headed men than one led and directed
by more brilliant and erratic brains, nothing being,
to my mind, so injurious as the clever, plausible man,
who has the power of swaying an audience by
words; for, generally, their speech is mere verbiage,
used to conceal their real thoughts and confuse the
minds of their hearers.

In order that the finances of the country should
not be controlled by one man, the whole Cabinet
should discuss every tax suggested by the Minister;
and it should be the privilege of the King to call in
not more than five Senators to discuss with them.

The Army and Navy should be in the hands of
experts, with the same provisions as in dealing with
Finance.

Foreign Affairs should be in the hands of the
King and Minister; only in cases of serious import,
such as the sending of an Ultimatum, or great change
in foreign policy, should full debate be allowed in the
Cabinet.

That was the rough draft I drew up to show to
Mr. Smith.  I advised gradual alteration of existing
laws; never, however, until better ones were ready
to take their place.

In my scheme, the elections should take place
every five years.  The King, however, could retain
the Ministers appointed by himself for as long as he
thought fit.

It so happened that my ideas found favour at
once with Mr. Smith, and other nobles to whom I
showed the draft; and I am glad to say that they
have been in existence in Rudarlia now for some
years, and I think meet with general approval.

Naturally, they were altered here and there; but
the main idea is the same as that embodied in my
first rough draft.

I shall never forget the day when a deputation of
some of the leading men from all the provinces
waited upon me to deliver into my hands a petition,
couched in the humblest and most loyal terms,
begging me to grant Rudarlia an extremely limited
constitution.

We, that is Mr. Smith and the other nobles, had
kept to ourselves the plans we had been making, so
their petition was looked upon by them as a most
daring innovation to propose.

"Indeed!" said I, having glanced at the paper.
"Are you not content that I should govern you well,
and in accordance with past traditions?"

"It is not your rule, your Majesty, that we fear,
it is rather those who may come after you.  Your
Sacred Father ruled us well and yet Ivan came.
As it is, we, your humble servants, recognising in you
the true successor to your father's throne, would
wish to profit by your graciousness, to ask this
great boon, to ensure against possible ills in the
future."

"You believe, then, that it is wise to 'Make hay,
while the sun shines.'  But, tell me, have you plans
drawn out, for our consideration, of this proposed
constitution?"

"No, your Majesty, that is further than we dared
to go."

We had had copies made of the draft which I have
referred to, and Mr. Smith at this moment handed
one to me.  I took this as a sign that he would
consider it wise to divulge our secret now; so I
handed the draft to the leader of the deputation and
said:

"Gentlemen, although my reign has only just
begun, you have approached me with this petition.
If you will withdraw and read this paper, I shall be
pleased to hear your opinion upon it.  When you
have considered it, return to me here."

They withdrew, and I returned to my work with
Mr. Smith.

In less than an hour, they were back again, with
such expressions of delight on their faces that I was
well recompensed for any trouble I had taken.  I
had given them so much more than they had ever
dreamed of, that they stood confused and
stammering before me.

"Well, gentlemen, you see that, quick as you were
with your petition, we have been still quicker in
preparing our answer."

"God bless your Majesty.  It is so much more
than we dared hope for, that you find us dazed with
your generosity."

"Then you are satisfied?"

"Satisfied!  More than satisfied, and eternally
grateful to your Majesty.  Ah! all Rudarlians will
rejoice when this becomes known, and every man
and woman will be bound even more firmly in their
devoted loyalty to you."

"God grant it; but you must realise, and make
others understand, that such change takes time to
carry out.  Therefore try and curb impatience,
believing that our best endeavours will always be
for Rudarlia."

It took months of hard work by able-minded men
to work out the details of our scheme, and as many
more to perfect the machinery.

In the meantime, I set to work upon the army,
and other matters that were of great importance.

In order to expedite matters, I immediately
appointed those Ministers whom I should have the
power to appoint under the new constitution.

Mr. Smith, or Prince Zeula, as I shall now call him,
was Chancellor, and President of the Council.

On the plea of age, General von Vorkovitch begged
to be excused from the War Ministry.  He,
however, volunteered his services when required, to
help with the reorganisation of the entire force,
which I was determined to undertake.  It was
necessary on account of the slackness that had
crept in under Ivan's rule.

I appointed Count Belen to the office.  He,
although not in the army, had a profound acquaintance
with the military services of the great nations.
Prince Kleber, who was the greatest noble of our
maritime province, was given the navy to organise.

In Count von Maark I found a shrewd, able, and
consummate financier, yet a most honourable man.

Prince von Venoff was our first Minister of
Foreign Affairs.  He was a tactful and polished man,
with great understanding of foreign nations, and their
different characteristics.  He had travelled
extensively, and made many important friends among
the diplomatic bodies of most of the European
countries.

I also appointed men recommended by Zeula to
fill the posts which would be senatorial in selection:
Baron von Casile to the Interior, Count Storfar and
Baron von Klintor receiving the portfolios of Justice
and Agriculture, respectively.

They were all extremely able men, who were full
of eagerness and zeal in the public service.

The scheme I had mentioned to Zeula, with regard
to the farmers who had suffered through injustice,
was carried out successfully.

I issued an order, granting free pardon to those
who had taken to brigandage through the same
reason.

We established small land banks through the
country; a very important move, almost a necessity,
so dry had Ivan drained it.  I advanced the money,
and thanked God and my stepfather for the power to
do so.  Indeed, without my vast fortune, I do not
know how we should have managed except by a
crippling loan.

In order to encourage the farmers, a small bounty
was placed on various food-stuffs; for the quantity
of foreign corn imported would have made it
impossible for them to have grown it with any profit.

Upon all this imported food we placed a small duty
in order to accustom the people to the idea, for it was
our intention, once agriculture was on a footing in
any way commensurate with the needs of Rudarlia,
to increase the duty upon such foodstuffs imported,
chiefly for the sake of revenue.

I also encouraged breeding horses and cattle,
setting the example by starting stud farms on my
own lands.

Every day the Ministers would come to me, and
we would spend long hours in discussing ways and
means.

With regard to the taxation, Count von Maark
and the Cabinet settled the necessary changes; the
only tax that I interfered with being the income tax,
and that, I insisted, should be levied upon every one,
even if only to the extent of one penny in the pound.

There was so much to be done in the interests of
the army that at first I was staggered; but, as it
was futile to sit and weep, we very soon began to
make headway.

I will say one thing for my predecessor, he had kept
up the military college founded by my father, and the
officers were well trained; but the weapons and
stores, alas, were conspicuous by their badness or
their absence.

We rearmed the troops; and little by little
accumulated supplies of ammunition.  We reclothed
the men, we built barracks, we instituted government
factories for supplying the army and our small
navy with necessities.

The only branch that was apparently neglected
was the artillery, but that was with an object.
There, we only showed four batteries of modern
guns, two of field, and two of horse artillery.  In
reality, we had fifteen of horse, and twenty of field
artillery; they were kept secretly.

The four batteries mentioned were used for
practice, but we kept the old guns also.

I remember causing Count Belen considerable
astonishment when I insisted upon the out-of-date
artillery being kept, although we had such splendid
modern guns at our command.

"Count," I said, "you know as well as I do that
our enemy is Bornia, is it not so?"

"I am afraid she is."

"Personally, I am convinced that before long we
shall be forced to fight."

"That is so, your Majesty."

"I do not believe that anything would induce
her to stop her preparations, preparations that are
being conducted secretly."

"I am afraid that it is extremely unlikely."

"Very well, I am determined that Rudarlia shall
be victorious, and I consider it essential that they
shall underestimate our forces."

"But why retain the obsolete weapons, your Majesty?"

"Can the men fire with them?"

"Yes, and well, too, considering."

"They will shoot all the better with good guns;
as for the obsolete ones, why, I intend some day
to make a present of them to Bornia."

"A present?"

"Certainly, and in such a way that they will not
fear the gift."

He paused a little and then said:

"I must wait your Majesty's pleasure; I do
not understand.  But may I ask whether you
intend to fortify Karena, Soctia, and other places?"

"It is my intention."

"But your Majesty forgets, perhaps, the size of
heavy artillery; how can such pieces enter the
country without being detected?"

"Prince Alexis supplied me with the way; I
had the will before.  You have no doubt heard that
there are minerals to be found around Karena, and
other places of like importance."

"I have heard of them."

"Good!  I have surveyors seeking them now.
When they have found them it will be in places of
supreme importance from the military point of view."

"Aha!"

"You begin to understand?  Well, once these
surveyors--and you would doubtless find friends
among them--discover these very sensibly placed
minerals, mining and other work will be
commenced; of course they will not allow inquisitive
strangers in, but they will admit enormous pieces
of machinery.  Again, in order to deceive, we shall
make a show of some splendid weapons, I think on
the southern forts round Karena."

"And your Majesty's mines will be to the north
and west, with perhaps some near Poiska, and Orvlov."

"Exactly, Count!"

"God bless your Majesty," was all he said, but
I could see him grinning to himself in huge
content.

Apropos of the mines, I had a letter from Alexis
as soon as the public knew of them.  It ran
something like this:

.. vspace:: 2

MY COUSIN,

.. vspace:: 1

I hear on excellent authority that you have
taken advantage of our little conversation, in regard
to the mineral wealth of Rudarlia.  I am grateful
that one so virtuous as yourself should have profited
by my poor brains.  Pray remember me when the
dividends are paid.

.. vspace:: 1

ALEXIS REX.

.. vspace:: 2

I did not take the trouble to answer this piece of
impertinence, at which I was not surprised; rather,
in fact, was I gratified that my estimate of Alexis
was so correct.  I knew, too, that further letters
would come from him, as soon as his money was
spent.  I hoped that by then Rudarlia would be
in a condition that would enable me to give a
negative answer to his blackmailing; if not, well,
I could afford a few thousands more if it was
necessary.

So determined was I to perfect our fighting force,
that I engaged a retired English army surgeon to
superintend, and place on a proper footing, our
army medical corps.  This was a branch that had
been completely neglected, but now, run on British
lines, it became absolutely splendid and our doctors
were magnificent.

I laid in a large quantity of medical stores.

Great attention was paid to the transport and
commissariat departments; but quietly, so as not to
attract attention.

Little by little, our army was approaching along
the road to perfection.  The troops themselves had
always been good, so there was splendid material to
work on.  They used many cartridges, and their
shooting improved enormously, as did their
discipline.  They were loyal to a man, these Rudarlian
troops, always to their country, and gradually to
me.  I think the good fellows learnt to love me when
they saw that nothing was spared to render them
more comfortable, and that I, personally, was
always ready and anxious to assist them.

I made it a point to inspect one regiment each
week after lunching with the officers; that is, of
course, unless more urgent affairs detained me.
But, whenever I took a meal with the officers, I
insisted that no extra expense should be incurred.

Whenever possible we had manoeuvres on a small
scale, now in one province, now in another.  Upon
one occasion, wishing to test the non-coms., I
ordered different companies to act as they would if
left without officers.  The confusion was so great
that it was decided, in future, always to try this in
all regiments.  It was an order to which the troops
took very kindly; I fancy they looked upon it as
rather a joke.  They made great strides in
individuality, however.

I have omitted mention of machine guns, as I
never look upon them as artillery, but as adjuncts
to rifle fire, and in the case of pom-poms, as cavalry
supports.

Our supply of these weapons was in proportion to
our needs.

Ten picked officers were sent to France for
instruction in aviation.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`CHAPTER X`:

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   CHAPTER X

.. vspace:: 2

It was indeed a busy time in Rudarlia.  Ivan's
death seemed to have awakened her.  From
Melanov to Soctia, from Ruln to the farthest
western point of the kingdom, there was bustling
activity.  What had to be done, was done, and
thoroughly.  All classes seemed to vie with each
other in the efforts they made to bring order out of
chaos.  Everywhere could be seen the signs of
reviving desire to live, and live well.  No longer
were there dozens of farms unoccupied; instead,
they rang with the sounds of work, the voices of
children, of men and women, who with cheerful faces
went about their daily toil, thankful that the burden
had been lifted from their lives.

And in the towns it was the same story.

Now, besides the gigantic tasks of granting a
constitution and reorganising the army, the other
public services had to be overhauled, especially the
railways and roads.  By the aid of money, much was
done to improve both, and also extend them.  As if
by magic, roads were made connecting village to
village and village to town.

The Minister of War had a word to say about the
railways; and more than one military council was
called to decide upon the advisability of laying this
or that piece of line.

The railways in Rudarlia were state owned.  I am
not altogether in favour of this, but in our case, I
insisted upon all the employés being men who had
served their country in a military capacity, and the
railroads would thus be in the hands of men who
were used to the operations of military movements.

Another reason I had for complying with state
ownership was that, in such a country as Rudarlia,
depending as it did upon the agriculturists, to a very
large extent, the rate for carrying freight would be
controlled by the state; for to my mind such rates
should be kept low, and, if a loss is incurred by this,
it is better for the state to bear the burden than that
the producers should be handicapped, as farmers
have already, in most climates, to fight against nature.

It was fortunate for me that I was possessed
of a fine constitution, and was physically strong, for
the strain was great.  I was working from morning
until late at night.

My Ministers, older men than I by many years,
frankly confessed that they could not keep pace with
me.  Personally, I fancy that I must have been a
little mad, so eaten up was I with the desire to
improve Rudarlia, and then still improve.  I gloried
in the success which our efforts met with.

Mr. Neville, who had brought my mother back to
Karena, warned me time and again not to overdo it,
but in spite of all his good advice I persisted, and
luckily did not break down.

My old tutor was of the greatest service to me.  I
had given him a suite of rooms in the Palace, and
he was ever near me when I wanted him, which was
quite often, I am afraid.

Carruthers had returned to England soon after
my ascending the throne, but I had promised to send
him word before hostilities broke out with Bornia,
so that he could get leave and join us.  I knew that
he would have to dodge the authorities at home,
somehow; but I gave him my promise to cable the
one word "Now" when I was certain that war was
inevitable.

It was now nearly two years since I became King,
and so far we had managed to avoid any serious
rupture with our neighbour; but that it was near, I
was convinced.  We had added continually to our
stores of every kind.  We had a large reserve of
ammunition, small arms, and medical stores, as well
as a vast quantity of food in the fortified towns.

I think it is permissible to say, with a good deal of
pride, that Rudarlia was ready for whatever
happened; that is, as far as a nation can be prepared.
It depends so much upon what is willed--destiny,
or God's will, if it suits you better.  Perhaps the
terms are synonymous; they were to me.  But even
if a nation is destined to be overthrown, and swept
away, even if the national life must end, the
individual element remains, so that every man, be he
king or peasant, must profit by straining every
particle of energy for his nation and, in so doing,
the sacrifice he makes will strengthen himself.

I had heard again from Prince Alexis, a threatening
letter, full of cunning malice and blackmail.  I
sent him a few thousands, for I was not quite ready
to refuse him.

It was after this that I took a holiday--one
week.  Perhaps it was not the kind to appeal to
every one, but to me it was a needful change from
the routine of statecraft.  I went walking with
Mr. Neville.  I should think we averaged twenty miles
a day.

We walked among the peasants, the farmers, and
the workers in the towns.  Everywhere we found
contentment, and sometimes I blushed to hear the
praises heaped upon my head.  We were generally
taken for a pair of Englishmen on tour.  We talked
with every one, as on our first visit to Rudarlia.
One day we visited Melanov, with two objects:
to see Colonel von Quarovitch, and hear news of
Piotr.  I knew that the former would know me for
his King, for he must have seen pictures of me, and
heard enough to connect me as King with his
visitor, whom he no doubt had thought eccentric, to
say the least of it.

As I did not wish the soldiery to know of my
arrival, I asked Mr. Neville to prepare him for my
visit, so that I could see him alone.  I gave him two
or three minutes and then went in.

The news of my arrival had evidently come as a
great surprise, for he was still seated staring at
Mr. Neville when I entered.  He sprang to his feet in
a second and saluted.  I saw his grim old face
twitching.

"I have come again, Colonel, as I promised," I
said, and held out my hand.

His emotion was so great that for a moment or two
I turned away; for the sight of a strong man trying
to restrain his emotion is a terrible thing.

I do not think there was the proper ceremony
between us; in fact, on second thoughts, I am sure
there was not.  We were far more like two friends
than King and subject.  His delight over events
was extreme; and when I told him, as a secret, of
certain plans, certain fortifications, I really thought
he was becoming crazy with joy.  He swore like a
trooper, then apologised with the grace of a courtier,
and swore again.

He laughed gleefully at thoughts of war--I
believe fighting was like wine to him--and gave me
minute accounts of his expenditure of the money I
had left with him.  They met the fate I had
promised them.

We stayed two hours with him.
At the inn, we heard news of Piotr, from the oily
host who had introduced him to our notice.  It
appeared that he was back upon his farm, doing well.
So there for the present we left him, undisturbed;
but I retained the half of the broken coin which he
had given me, and did not forget his promises.

I enjoyed the first six days of that holiday
immensely; but, on the seventh, something happened,
which I only enjoyed afterwards.

From Melanov we had walked round to Ampletch,
from where we intended to return to Karena.  We
did not enter the town, but put up for the night in an
inn upon the outskirts, a very respectable place,
standing a little off the main road.

The landlord, who looked like a man who never
moved from his own yard, showed us our rooms and
the dining hall.  We took a table standing by itself
in one corner near a window.

I did not observe the other diners; but recollected
afterwards that one of them left the room
immediately we entered, and I observed that his dinner
was uneaten.  I thought no more about him.  He,
however, had remembered something I had almost
forgotten.

It was not long after that Mr. Neville and I sought
our beds, for we were both tired.

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I must be forgiven if I cannot describe my
awakening, but my mind refuses to recall my
thoughts.  I know, however, that I realised that my
head ached consumedly, that I was in a different
room from the one in which I had gone to sleep, and
that my hands and feet were tied.

There was light in the room, and after some little
time I turned my head towards it.  A man was busy
writing at a table.  The light fell upon his face, and
I began to puzzle myself as to where I had seen it
before.  Was it in England?  No, I could not
place it there.  In France?--Italy?--Russia?  No.
I pondered and worried, then like a flash it came
to me: Baron von Goltz!  My mind seemed to
clear, I understood the unpleasantness of my
position.  I felt the rope cut into my arms as I
tried to burst myself free.  Some noise I made must
have roused the man's attention, for he raised his
head and looked at me.

"Ah! awake, I see."

Then, as I made no answer, he carefully blotted
the letter he had written, and enclosing it in an
envelope placed it in his pocket.  He rose from his
chair, shook himself, and walked over to the bed on
which I was lying.  He was laughing to himself, as
he stood looking down at me.  I met his gaze
steadily, until he turned away.

"I trust your Majesty is comfortable," he said.

"Quite, thank you; but it is a devilish bad bed."  I
would not let the fellow see that I was at all
uneasy.

"Good!  Anyone can see that you are not of the
same breed as Alexis."

"Very distantly, I am glad to say; but you
should not sneer at the Prince, even a dog should
not snap at the hand that feeds him."  I saw him
wince at this, so I continued, "I suppose this is the
work of your master, isn't it?"

"No, it is entirely my own."

"H'm! it is pretty low, even for you; but may I
trouble you for some water?  I find my throat
rather parched."

"Gad! you are all right, even though you are an
Englishman."

He laughed again as he turned away and left the room.

The moment the door was shut, I commenced to
wriggle.  I thought I felt something loosen; but
I was once more rigid as he returned with the
desired drink.

"No poison in it, is there?" I asked.

He drank some of the water before putting it to
my lips, then with his arm round me he raised me
enough to drink.  He was quite tender, too, in his
movements; and I felt inclined to laugh--the
situation had its humours, in spite of its
unpleasantness.  I drank all the water there was and
felt better.

"Well, what do you intend to do with me?"

"Frankly, I don't know; it depends so much on
how reasonable you are, and what the plans of
Alexis are, and he is a bit uncertain."

"Of course, you know that you will be traced?"

"Not a chance of it, I assure you."

"You will certainly be hanged, Baron Goltz, that
is, unless you untie me and let me pass out."

"It is extremely probable, no doubt, after the
trouble I had in getting you here.  You ought to
be worth a great deal to me, for Alexis will not
forget who gave him the throne."

"No; I should be careful of knife-thrusts if I were you."

"Your Sacred Majesty does not care for the
Prince?  Well, I don't blame you, I don't think
much of him myself."

"Then why work for him?"

"Who would you have me work for?"

"For me."

"No, thanks, my friend, you have had your
pickings for eighteen months or more; now it is our
turn."

"You have tied me up rather too tightly for
comfort; if you would loosen the ropes a bit I should
be obliged."

"Could I lay hands on your Majesty?  Oh no!"

"Then go to the devil!" I said.

"After your Majesty."

He continued to look at me for some time, but
neither of us spoke.  Then again he left the room
and again I had a good struggle with the ropes and
felt them give a little more.

When, after a few minutes, he returned, he found
me in the same position as when he had left me.

"Your Majesty must forgive me, but I am compelled
to leave you for a little time; there is a
certain letter to be posted which is too valuable to
be let out of my hands.  My servant will attend you
while I am away; he is deaf and dumb, so I do not
think you will seduce him, and--oh, by the by,
you called me a dog just now, so I will tell you
something to console you during my absence.  I have
discovered a new source of income to be paid me by
Bornia; I have found out that there are minerals
in this country of a very valuable nature, and those
mines of yours--  Ah! that interests you, does it?
Clever chap you are, I suppose it was your idea.
It's almost a pity to spoil the scheme, but----"  He
shrugged his shoulders and turned away.  At the
door he paused.  "I shall not be long gone, be good
till I return."

I heard the key turn in the lock.  I was alone and
made good use of my time, which I knew would be
short.  I found a knot with my fingers, little by little
I worked my elbows free and then my hands; I
heaved a great sigh of relief, but I was only just in
time.  I do not to this day know how I did it, but I
could have shouted with joy when it was done.

There were footsteps outside.  I put my still
bound feet upon the floor and sat up.  Then I stood
up, holding the ropes which had bound my arms as
though they were still tied; my left hand, however,
was loose and ready behind my back.

The door opened and a man came in, some one
outside relocked the door, and I had a companion.
He was a very perfect scoundrel by his appearance.
He possessed other deformities, besides being deaf
and dumb, a cast in one eye, a vile mouth, and
inflamed nose.

We stared at each other for a moment, and then I
looked at my feet with an appealing glance.  He
chuckled, and coming closer bent to see that my
feet were still secured.

As he bent, my fist took him under the chin and he
went down.  The impetus of my blow took me
forward and I landed somewhat heavily on top of
him.  Fearing that the fall would have been heard,
I lay still listening; but no one came, so I pulled
him towards me and secured the knife in his sash.
With it, I cut the rope round my legs, and
commenced rubbing them to restore the circulation.
Then I searched the fellow and was rewarded by
finding a revolver fully loaded in his pocket.  It was
transferred to mine.

I did not know how long he would remain unconscious,
so I bound and gagged him.  Then I ran to
the window and looked out.

I was on the second floor of a two-storied house,
the grey light of dawn just enabling me to see the
projecting roof over my head, and the paved
courtyard beneath.

I refused to think of Goltz's last remark.  All I
thought of was how to escape.  I might be able to
prevent the damage which he threatened then.  I
gently pulled the bed to the window, stripped off the
sheets and tore them in two, lengthways, knotted
them together, and I had a rope.  I then dragged the
still unconscious man to the bed and thrust him
under; he was hidden by a blanket which I let
hang over the side of the bed.  I wished them to
suppose that he had aided me to escape.  I placed
a chair with its back to the door tilted beneath the
handle; and threw a hurried glance round and over
the desk.  All the papers save one seemed of little
importance, the exception was a list of our supposed
mines, with certain details of the artillery.  I
could have shouted with exultation as I placed it in
my pocket.  Then I fastened my improvised rope to
the head of the bed, throwing the other end out of the
window, and was just about to clamber over the
window-sill--in fact, one leg was already out--when
I heard the sound of a horse galloping.  I
slipped back into the room, and peeped from behind
the curtain down into the yard beneath.

The dawn was just breaking as Goltz rode in.

I heard him speaking to some one, a loud laugh
came up to me, then I heard him say:

"No, they don't know he is gone.  Keep him
walking up and down; I shall want him again in
twenty minutes or so."

Now this remark upset all my plans, for it meant
that my way of escape was cut off: I could not hope
to swing on that rope and get past an armed man
waiting below.  So, instead, I crept under the bed,
and lay there upon my back with every nerve on the
strain, and with the revolver ready for instant use.

Waiting there was extremely trying; it was lucky
that I did not have to wait for long.  I had do push
my stunned companion further under, as he was in
the way; I hoped sincerely that he would not start
groaning or struggling, and so give me away.

Some one turned the key in the lock, and tried the
handle; then I heard a creaking noise, an oath, the
sound of other voices and a crash--the door was open.
I could imagine the look of blank astonishment on
their faces when they saw the room apparently
empty; and for a second there was silence.  Then
Goltz gave hurried orders, they were to search the
roads and neighbourhood, I could not be far distant.
There was a clatter of feet descending the stairs.
Had they all gone?  I almost betrayed myself:
just as I was going to lift the blanket to peer out,
some one ran to the window and evidently looked out.

"Leave my horse, I will follow in a minute or two."

I saw two feet go past and heard Goltz speaking
to himself:

"Curse him, the cunning devil; but wait, my
fine fellow, you can't have gone far.  I wonder if
he searched the drawer----"

Cautiously I peeped out; his back was turned, so,
carefully keeping him covered with my revolver, I
wriggled from beneath the bed, and stood up.  I
had not made enough noise to disturb him, and when
I asked him quietly to raise his hands above his head
he spun round like a flash.

"My God!" he cried.

"No, only your King.  Quick, up with them!"

I have never seen a man more surprised; but he
recovered very quickly and held his hands up.  In
one of them was a package of papers.  His face had
gone white, and his eyes glistened.

"Baron Goltz, you are a very dirty traitor, and
as such I am going to shoot you.  Have you anything
to say?"

I had made up my mind, as he raised his hands,
that it was in the interests of Rudarlia that he
should die.  The knowledge he had gained was of too
great importance; and I alone could not hope to
keep him prisoner.

"It will be murder, and useless," he said.

"Hardly, but I will risk it, you are too big a
scoundrel to go free from here."

"It will be useless," he repeated, "as I have sent
to a friend the information you are afraid of my
repeating."

This staggered me, I confess, but I thought of the
paper in my pocket.

"What information?"

"I sent a list of your mines and artillery, within
the hour, to a man in Bornia.  I alone can stop them
being sent to the King; you have the upper hand of
me here, so I will bargain if you like."

"There is and can be no question of bargaining
with a traitor like yourself; besides, you never sent
the list."

"I sent it when I left you here."

"You sent no list, you forgot to enclose it, it is
now in my pocket."

"You lie!" he cried, but I saw an anxious look
creep into his eyes.

"I do not lie, look for yourself."

I pulled the paper out and opened it with one
hand, taking good care to keep him covered.

He snarled like a wild beast and flung himself
upon me.

I shot him through the brain, it was the only
thing to be done.

I often wonder whether I should have been able
to shoot him, had he not attacked me.

I took the package from his hands, slipped it into
my pocket, and walked out.

I confess that I was trembling, for I had killed a
man; and the experience was not to my liking,
although it was good work having killed a traitor.

I crept cautiously down the stairs, the house
seemed empty, but Goltz's horse was tied to the
door-knocker.  He shied a little as I approached to
unfasten him, perhaps it was the blood upon my
coat; and I remember that the knocker on the
door sounded horrible, for as far as I knew there was
only the dead man and his stunned accomplice in
the place.

I mounted, and rode to the door of the courtyard:
to right and left ran a broad road.  I did not know
which way to turn, until I remembered that Goltz
had come from the right, so Ampletch must lie in
that direction.  Accordingly, I rode hard for some
five minutes.  Then a shout made me look round;
two men were running towards me, they took me for
Goltz, perhaps.  I did not wait to undeceive them.

A mile or so farther on I began to feel a little
dizzy, and dismounted to get a drink of water from a
brook that gurgled by the side of the road.  Near by
the road curved, and as I knelt down a troop of
horsemen swept round the corner.  They were
cavalry, and at their head rode Woolgast.

I burst into a fit of laughter, it must have been
rather hysterical, and the next moment his arms
were round me and the taste of raw brandy between
my lips.

The troops were thunder-struck at sight of me,
and I saw some of them feeling their swords, as
though they hoped that they would soon be called
upon to use them.  The brandy worked wonders,
and I said to Woolgast:

"General, there is a house a little way in that
direction, with a light in the second story.  Search
the house, you will find a man dead there and one
stunned beneath a bed; secure him and all papers to
be found there.  A few minutes ago, there were
armed men searching for me, somewhere along the
road; capture them, dead or alive."

He gave the orders, and the troops trotted past
with many an anxious glance in my direction.

Woolgast, with two troopers, remained behind.
He looked at me inquiringly.

"Your Majesty can ride?"

"Of course; I am all right now, if you will give
me my horse."

The animal had strayed a little down the road.
The trooper went to bring him back, and it was at
that moment that Woolgast noticed blood upon his
glove.

"My God!"

"It is not mine," I said, and he heaved a sigh of
relief.

"What were you doing along this road, General?"

"It was reported that Goltz had been seen at
Ampletch last evening--he had been spying at
Zarlon--I thought that I might obtain news of
him."

"Goltz is dead, I shot him half an hour ago."

He gave a great cry of astonishment, and would
have asked me when, how, and where, had not the
etiquette of Court prevented him.  So I told him as
rapidly as possible what had occurred.

His wrath was wonderful.

"Now," I said when I had finished, "we will
ride back, or rather you will, for I wish you to take
charge of the papers yourself; there may be some
of importance, I do not know.  I shall ride on to the
*Golden Horn*, and you can report there."

"And these troopers, your Majesty will take them?"

"No, I will ride alone, let them keep silent about
this meeting."

There were few people in the streets as I rode
through them, and it was with considerable
difficulty that I procured an ostler to take my horse
at the inn.  He was too sleepy-headed to notice
anything awry with me, and I made my way to
Mr. Neville's room.

He was evidently still asleep, for I had to knock
three times before a drowsy voice asked what I
wanted; but, as soon as he recognised my voice,
he was wide awake, and the door was opened in a
twinkling.

"What is it, Victor?  My God, what has happened?"

I pushed him into the room and closed the door.
Then when he was in his bed again, I sat on the foot
of it, and related what had happened to me in those
few hours, since we had said good night.

I had barely finished, or rather Mr. Neville had
not ceased his fire of questions, when Woolgast rode
up to the inn with his escort.

Even now, when I recall the host's face as he
ushered the General in, I cannot help smiling.  It
was the picture of blank and despairing astonishment.
The thought that he had had the King under
his roof, and had not paid him special attention,
appalled him.  He did not know that afterwards,
when I had time to think, I blessed his thick head;
for had he kept watch and guard over me, as he
would have done, had he known me, I had never been
able to frustrate Goltz.

Luck had been mine all through my life, and it
had not deserted me when I needed it.  I was
grateful.

Woolgast's report was succinct: one man was
alive, the other two had shown fight.  Enough said.
The fellow under the bed was a prisoner.  All papers
were in his possession.  The house was in charge of
an officer and half a dozen men.

"You have said nothing to the host, General?"

"Nothing, your Majesty."

"Good!  Tell your men to say as little as
possible; I do not wish it to become widely known,
at any rate at present.  You will breakfast with me,
and we will ride to Karena afterwards, or, better
still, return by train.  Your prisoners must be taken
to Karena.  What officer is there below?"

"Captain von Riech, your Majesty."

"Tell him that I place the two in his charge, they
are not to be allowed to speak or see anyone except
the jailers.  We will breakfast in my room in
three-quarters of an hour."





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.. _`CHAPTER XI`:

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   CHAPTER XI

.. vspace:: 2

I bathed and dressed myself, constructing in
my mind the procedure of Goltz's daring raid
upon my person.

He must have gone straight to my bedroom when
he left the dining hall, and concealed himself
somewhere, most probably beneath the bed.  Then
having rendered me unconscious, let in his
accomplices, and lowered me from the window.  Once
outside, I could easily have been passed off as a
drunken man being taken home.  He had pulled
my day clothes over my pyjamas.

It was a pity that he was such a scoundrel; for,
had he been a decent member of society, he might
have risen high in the world--for he was clever and
undoubtedly brave.

I felt no qualms at having killed him: he was a
grave danger to Rudarlia, and also to myself, so my
action had been partly in self-defence.  It would have
been much more unpleasant if I had had to kill a
horse or dog.

Upon arriving at the Palace, I immediately sent
for Prince Zeula and Count Belen.

Prince Zeula was the first to enter and embraced
me affectionately.  I waited for Count Belen before
saying anything, as I did not wish to have to repeat
the tale oftener than I could help.

They were very greatly dismayed, and the Count
was almost purple with indignation, especially when
he heard that our forts were known.  He calmed
down a little, however, when I told him that I did
not believe much mischief had been done.

As soon as they had been told everything, we set
to work to peruse the documentary evidence.  At
first, we discovered nothing of any importance, for
most of the papers dealt with military matters that
were known to all people.  Then we found one that
caused us to squirm, as it contained much
information about our reserves of guns and ammunition.
Goltz had evidently been a most successful spy, and
we could only hope that he had not sent his report
to Bornia.  We had nearly come to an end of the
papers, when I came across a list of some twenty
names of men who had been Ivan's friends; against
seven of them had been made a cross and the word
"accepted."

"Accepted what?" I said, passing the paper to
the Prince.

The next sheet explained it, being a letter from
Alexis, giving a brief outline of a plot for my
dethronement; attached was a list of the same names
with a heading in Prince Alexis's writing: "Ivan's
friends, sound them."

The three of us looked at each other in silent
dismay.  That seven out of twenty should have
accepted the proposals, which I may justly call
infamous, was appalling; we did not know how many
had been approached.  It might have been that all
would have accepted, and they were men who had
been treated with absolute leniency and consideration.

"This is in your hands, Prince; it can be nothing
but imprisonment, exile would be inadvisable at
the present time."

"There is one thing preferable to imprisonment,
your Majesty."

"Perhaps; but we must remember that they
may not have been told of the assassination part of
the scheme.  They may have thought only to
overthrow me; perhaps, too, they would not sell
Rudarlia."

"It is giving them the benefit of a big doubt."

"I should not if there were any harm likely to
come of it; but, if you will give orders to arrest
these men simultaneously, I think their teeth will
be drawn, and we shall have nothing to fear.  In a
little time it will not matter."

"And the others on the list, will your Majesty
place them under surveillance?"

"No, I think not; for, if they have been approached,
they have refused to acquiesce, if not, they
will probably know nothing about it."

For a short time, few people knew that I had been
abducted, but after a while it became almost public
property.  It was known, too, that I had shot
Goltz, but it was not known that we had discovered
evidence of a plot; that was kept from the
knowledge of all save a chosen few.

Prince Alexis wrote to me, and ended his letter
with a request for five thousand pounds, as a salve
to his feelings at the reported death of his friend
Baron von Goltz.

He must have had a sense of humour after all,
although up to now I had discovered no trace of it.

I replied to this letter, sympathising with him over
the loss of his friend, and regretting my inability to
do more than pay for his funeral.

I was no longer anxious to fend off his attacks.
He could try to do us as much harm as he liked, and,
really, the sooner he showed his hand, the better I
should be pleased.  As far as it was possible to be
seen, we were ready; so we sat quietly, and waited.

It was about this time that Prince Zeula first
broached the subject of my marriage.

He had lunched or rather breakfasted with me,
and we were allowing ourselves an easy half-hour, to
digest our food and smoke a cigar.

I had noticed that he was slightly perturbed
about something, and that he was formulating some
thought in his head.  I knew he would only speak
when he had his idea firmly fixed, so I waited
patiently.

"Victor!"

"Yes?"

"Are you satisfied with your country and countrymen?"

"Intensely."

"Do you think that you have done everything
possible to prepare for all eventualities?

"I sincerely hope so.  There are many little
things that I do not interfere with, but the main
preparations are completed; that is, if you are
thinking of our preparations against any Bornian
attack.  You know that our aeroplanes have arrived
in Soctia?"

"I had heard of it."

"You hear of everything.  Is there anything that
I could tell you that would really surprise you?"

"There is one thing."

"And that is?"

He hesitated a moment and then said:

"I should be very much surprised to hear that
you had thought of making your greatest sacrifice
for Rudarlia."

Then, I knew what was in his mind, and unconsciously
I tried to gain time, so as to put off
hearing what I did not wish to hear; until I realised
that this was pure cowardice on my part, and said:

"What is that?"

"Marriage."

"Good Lord!"

"Your greatest sacrifice; I call it that because a
Royal marriage very often lacks love, and I know
that to you it will be a torture, and yet, my boy, it
is essential."

"I suppose it is," I said, "but is it imperative to
think of it yet?"

"Only in order to fix the idea firmly in your head,
to give you time to form your thoughts on the
subject, to prepare for what must come.  You see,
Victor, with your temperament, it is difficult to
think of married life run on lines of convenience.
You must forgo romance, and fill its place, as best
you may, with the knowledge that you are sacrificing
your personal feelings for the good of the state."

"I will think of it; I suppose it must be into
some reigning family?"

"If possible, but at least Royal."

I walked to the window and looked out; but I
don't think I saw much, my mind being occupied
with the recollection of a slim girlish figure with a
bandaged ankle.

I say recollection, for, to confess the truth, I had
forgotten that charming riverside idyll.  It was
strange; at the time, I could have sworn that I
loved that pretty little girl; and yet it was not more
than two years and she had gone, with the exception
of a pleasant memory.

I had excuses to offer to myself; I had been a boy
when it had occurred, and since I had become a
man and a King.  As such I had made a constitution,
reorganised an army, and killed a traitor;
all useful things in their way, as well as a thousand
other duties which make a king's lot a heavy one.

Ah well! and so I was to marry some one, I must
marry some one, for the sake of Rudarlia.  It was a
case of duty, duty which prevents a king enjoying
personal liberty.  Even in a matter such as marriage,
he must bow his head and do as some one else wills,
as cheerfully as his character will allow.

I wonder how many of my subjects realise just
what it means to be their King.  To live in a
beautiful palace, with beautiful food and clothes,
horses, motor-cars, an army of servants;
surrounded by Courtiers and Ministers.  It is a pretty
picture, an alluring prospect, to the poor man who
only hears that side of it.  But, if they knew the
infinite boredom to be derived from too many
servants, Courtiers, too much food and Palace, if
they understood the wearying routine, the
never-ending etiquette, the fettering of wish and will, I
fancy that their opinions would change.  A king,
however, should be king, and his example should be
that of the head of the state.  It is to him that
people should look, it is he who should be a light
for his people to follow along the roads of devotion,
loyalty, honour, and duty.

Yet what a position of difficulties it is, and how
much depends on the choice a king makes.  I had
made up my mind to regulate my life to moderation;
for that, it seems to me, is the safest course.
Let a king be over-powerful, it is almost certain that
he will injure his country by trying to do those things
which are more than any one man can attempt.
Let a king be weak, he will fail through being ruled
instead of ruling, so that the power which should be
his gets into the hands of men who are, perhaps,
guided chiefly by self-interest, and the result will be
anarchy, chaos, and perhaps the destruction of
monarchical rule.

I must have stood by the window for a good
twenty minutes, turning things over in my mind,
before I turned and looked at Zeula.

"Well," I said, "I am ready, or shall be when the
time comes; but remember that, when it does,
Rudarlia may have ceased to be a kingdom, who knows?"

"God knows, we are in His hands."

"Amen; but He has given us brains and arms,
strong men with brave hearts, and unless He fights
against us we will win, I know it."

"We will, but when that day comes, Victor,
where will the King be?"

"In his proper place, at the head of his army."

"Is that your proper place?  You have no heir."

"Would you have me sit here while my army is in
the field?"

"It would be better, much better."

"Then better be d--d!" said I.  At which my
companion smiled, for I seldom swear.  "I will
fight with my men, and if I am killed it will be so
much the worse for you; because Rudarlia will
become a republic, and you will be the first President."

"We will hope for the best then.  You have luck,
or Goltz might still be keeping you."

"The luck of having a hard fist and knowing how
to use it."

"And a quick brain," he added, "don't forget
that.  I should never have thought of looking for
you under the bed, if I had been Goltz, when I saw
the open window and the rope of sheets."

"No, I don't think I should have myself."

I presume that Prince Zeula thought that the
seed he had let fall, in regard to my marriage, was
sufficient, for he did not mention the subject again
for a considerable time.  That day, however, it did
its work well and quite upset any keen desire for
work which I may have had; so after a little while,
I went to see my mother, a thing I generally did
when perturbed.  It is wonderful to me how so
many mothers have the gift of being able to
understand and console, without allowing it to be seen.

Now, for the next three months or so nothing
occurred to disturb our peace, and Rudarlia showed
signs of awakening prosperity.  Nature had been
kind to the agriculturists for once, and money began
to circulate more freely; therefore we felt more at
ease in giving time to the improvement of existing
conditions of life.

At the end of that time I heard again from Prince
Alexis.  I answered him curtly to the effect that any
further communications would be returned
unopened, and almost immediately our relations with
Bornia altered; up to now they had been those of
smiling, courteous dislike.

I hastened my plans in one thing only: the
purchasing of an armoured cruiser just completed
by an English firm, for one of the South American
Republics, and a torpedo-boat destroyer.

These two vessels were a gift from me to Rudarlia;
and I thought Prince Kleber would burst with
delight when I told him of my intentions.  He had
made the most of our naval forces, which until then
had consisted of three coast defence vessels, an
obsolete ironclad, and three torpedo-boats.  When
he had these two additional ships, I believe he
would have cheerfully tried to tackle the British
fleet.

The cruiser was named the *Soctia*, much to the
gratification of that province.

Personally I did not fear an attack by sea, the
town of Soctia, our one port of any importance,
being too well fortified.

About now, was finished the installation of the
"Wireless" telegraph system, which linked up all
our garrison towns.

Then, one eventful day, came the tidings that
Bornia was mobilising, ostensibly for manoeuvres.
A reasonable enough thing; but there was no need
to send so many troops to our frontiers, there was
no need to keep matters so secret, and there was no
need to issue ball cartridges.  Our Secret Service
kept us well informed on most points.

I sent the promised word to Carruthers.

Mr. Neville took a broken coin to Piotr.

Quarovitch was commanded to Karena.

Carruthers answered immediately, in a manner at
once laconic and wanting in proper respect:

"Coming, good old Splosh."

Quarovitch was to hand.

Piotr accompanied Mr. Neville.  He had no idea
that the English lord was his King.

My old tutor told me, when he came to announce
his arrival, that Piotr had been in the middle of some
farm work, but upon catching sight of the broken
coin had run to his house, seized his revolver and a
few necessaries, and fairly tired his companion with
the haste of his movements.  Mr. Neville had not
explained anything, but had given him the token,
and told him that I was in need of him.

He chuckled as he told me that Piotr was all
impatience to kill some one for my sake.

Asking Mr. Neville to fetch him, I also sent word
for Colonel von Quarovitch to be admitted in half an
hour's time.  Then I slipped behind a curtain and
waited.

I saw Piotr enter the room with a puzzled
expression on his face, which grew more intense when he
discovered it to be apparently empty.  He toyed
with his revolver and the hilt of his dagger, stood
first on one leg, then on the other, and looked
generally uncomfortable.  So, to end it, I stepped
out into view.

"Well, Piotr, you see I have not forgotten your
promise to help me out of a difficulty."  I held out
my hand.

"I am grateful to your Excellency for remembering,
and am truly pleased to see you again."

"You are astonished, perhaps, to see me here?"

"I am, Excellency, but His Majesty was brought
up in your country, they say."

"So you think I have been favoured on that
account, perhaps."

"Indeed, no; only it may have made His Majesty
think of you."

"I am afraid that is not the case, indeed, cannot
be the case, for I am a Rudarlian as you are."

"No!"

"Indeed I am, Piotr, and I trust a good one."

"God bless your Excellency, that is good news indeed."

"Tell me, Piotr, are you glad that things have
changed in Rudarlia?"

"As is every honest man.  I own my farm again
now, and am not afraid of the days when the taxes
are paid."

"That is good, and those around you, your
family, your friends, are they as contented as
yourself?"

"Yes, Excellency."

"And what has become of the other members of
your band?"

"They live around my neighbourhood; most of
them have small farms, and the others who have not,
earn good wages now, and they will soon save enough
to buy a piece of land for themselves."

"Splendid!  I suppose you still keep the secret
of your hiding-place; the other men would not have
told of its position?"

"Not a word.  They took an oath never to do so,
unless I gave them permission, for the place was
mine by right of discovery."

"Supposing it was needed for the sake of Rudarlia
and that His Majesty said, 'Send for Piotr that I
may ask him for permission to use his hiding-place
for his country's good.'"

This appeared to tickle him immensely and he
roared with laughter.

"If His Majesty asked for it, he should have it for
his own sake, Excellency, and my life with it if he
wished."

I rang a bell.

"Has Colonel von Quarovitch arrived yet?"

"He awaits your Majesty."

"Tell him I wish to see him now."

Almost before the door had closed, Piotr was on
his knees before me.

"Your Majesty, how could I be so blind!  I did not
think--and yet I should have known.  Forgive me
my want of respect.  My life, everything I have is
yours."

"Thank you, Piotr.  I am your King, but I would
have your devotion, nothing more."

"Your Majesty has that, God knows, and not only
mine, but that of every man and woman that I know."

I believe that he would have liked to spend quite
a considerable time expatiating on my various
merits, had not Quarovitch entered.

"Ah, Colonel," I said, as he saluted, "I wish you
to become acquainted with a man you may have
heard of.  You may even have sought his company.
His name is Piotr, and under Ivan's beneficent rule
he lived in a way that might have incurred your
displeasure.  He is now, however, one of my
friends."

"I know him by sight, your Majesty, also
by reputation.  I believe we once exchanged slight
courtesies with one another."

Here Piotr grinned.

"I trust neither of you were hurt," I said.

"I don't know about Piotr, your Majesty, but I
had an inch of skin taken off my arm."

"And you, Piotr?" I asked.

For answer he lifted the thick hair from the side
of his face--part of an ear was missing.

"That I consider highly satisfactory, you both
need bear no grudge; neither of you owes the other
anything, and you must both have made excellent
shooting."

I laughed, and my two companions did likewise,
quite heartily.

"And now, Colonel, sit down, and you too,
Piotr.  I have something of the utmost importance
to say to you, and which must be kept absolutely to
yourselves.  It is this: in all probability we shall
be at war with Bornia before the month is out."

A gleam lit up Quarovitch's face.  Piotr sat silent.

"You have no doubt heard," I continued, "that
Bornia has mobilised for manoeuvres.  I have
information that they are extremely busy at their
arsenals, that ammunition is being hastened to the
frontiers--and it is not blank shell.  The time has
passed when due warning was given before going to
war.  It is therefore necessary to prepare in peace
time.  Of course the whole affair may be nothing,
or it may be as we surmise: that Bornia thinks that
she is strong enough to crush us, and place Prince
Alexis on the throne in my place.  If that indeed be
their plan, some small incident will serve as an
excuse for an ultimatum.  In any case, if it does not
come now, it will in the near future.  I think myself,
and the Ministers think with me, that they mean war now."

"It were better so, your Majesty, if we are ready
too," said Colonel von Quarovitch.

"And what say you, Piotr?"

"That we farmers do not want war, but if it
comes we shall know when to fight, and how to
fight, but not when to stop fighting, especially when
you say they wish to dethrone your Majesty."

"Piotr speaks well," said Quarovitch.

"Good!  You in the army will fight, because it
is your duty; you of the farms, in self-protection;
and both for Rudarlia."

"And the King," said Quarovitch.  "Don't
forget that, your Majesty; Piotr, here, would not
have raised a hand if Ivan had been still reigning;
and I should have hated doing so."

"It is lucky you are seldom at Court, Colonel,
because I can see that you would forget your
soldierly habits for those of the courtier."

"God forbid, your Majesty!" he cried, and then
we all three laughed again.

I took a map from my desk, spreading it out
before me.

"Come closer, and look.  Here is Melanov, Piotr.
I wish you to point out to the Colonel the exact spot
of which we were talking."

"It is there, your Majesty."

"You see, Colonel, there?"

"I see nothing except that small road which you
have traced in red ink."

"You know it?"

"Surely, as I know every inch of the country
round, with the exception of one place."

"And that?"

"Where Piotr used to hide himself, that I never
could discover."

"He will show it to you, Colonel."

"For a purpose, your Majesty?"

"For a purpose.  I wish you to go there, without
anyone knowing, and see how best it can be adapted
quickly to accommodate at least ten thousand
troops, for some days."

"Aha!"

"You will also determine the best way for the
said troops to arrive there, and whether it will be
possible to remove the traces of their progress.
When you have all the information required, return
to me here."

"It shall be done, your Majesty."

"You, Piotr, will accompany Colonel von Quarovitch.
If help is needed select from your friends the
necessary number of men.  They will work under
the Colonel's directions, and you will be in charge,
and will pay them for their time, at twice the
ordinary rates.  For your own trouble, I promise
that you shall be satisfied."

"I want nothing, your Majesty, my life is yours."

"Then return with Colonel von Quarovitch, we
shall perhaps need you."





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`CHAPTER XII`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER XII

.. vspace:: 2

It was three days before Quarovitch returned
with the details which I had desired him to
obtain.  He was in a state of mind bordering
upon dismay, that such a place should have existed
without his knowledge.  He was amazed, disgusted,
and yet pleased, for the report he brought back
showed that he had a fair inkling of what I intended
to do.

Silently we prepared for war, mobilising quietly
and quickly, without any undue haste, but with
careful attention to details.

I interviewed the Press.  Thank God they were
all loyal, and were only too pleased to fall in with
the scheme I proposed to them: which was to
refrain from mentioning any movements of troops,
or details of military import.  I promised them that,
whenever it was possible, news that they could print
should be given to them; they also agreed to write
articles, strongly advocating Peace.

As soon as I had Quarovitch's report, I called a
Council of War.  It was composed of Count von
Belen, Prince von Zeula, Prince von Venoff, General
von Vorkovitch, Prince Kleber, General Avilinoff,
General von Scutane, and Colonel von Quarovitch.
Mr. Neville was there to act as secretary, for we
wished to keep our plans known to as few people as
possible.

I am sure there was a strong current of excitement
running through us as we settled ourselves down to
examine the large maps of Rudarlia, which were
spread on the table.

"Gentlemen," I said, "we all know the strained
feeling now existing between this country and our
neighbour Bornia; their mobilisation points to
serious possibilities, I may say probabilities.  I have
therefore called this Council to deliberate upon the
steps we must take to prepare for war.

"I may tell those of you who are not in the
Ministry that we have received information that the
great Powers will not interfere in this war--if it
should come to war.  With this assurance, which as
you know is of vast importance, we can rest satisfied.
The main issue will therefore rest upon the skill with
which we meet the enemy.  If our strategy is
superior to that of the Bornians, all will be well.  I
refuse to allow for one moment the idea that it may
be inferior, therefore we will not waste time in
discussing that eventuality.

"In the Councils we have held in the past, it has
been generally concluded that any invasion by
Bornia would come from the west, as it did before;
and certainly the number of troops massed there
point to the probability of the suggestion.

"The military experts among us point out that
the Ruln, Agrade, and Karena line is the only
possible means of conveying heavy guns to attack
our fortified capital, which is most likely the correct
opinion; but it must be remembered that there are
other ways of reaching Karena.  Prince Kleber is
the only one who suggests that the attack may be
made through Soctia, but I am afraid that there the
wish is father to the thought."

"That is so," said the Prince, so glibly that we all
smiled.

"That being so, I think we can trust our troops in
Soctia to repulse any raid through Garace, which, on
account of the nature of the ground to the north,
would be of no real import to the general plan of the
Bornians, save as the means to create a panic, and
draw troops from more important places.

"Now, there is another way into Karena which has
not as yet been hinted at as a possible line of attack.
All of you, with courteous consideration for my
feelings, have refrained from any adverse criticism
regarding certain fortified places to the north of
Karena.  But I have no doubt that you have often
considered the money spent as so much waste; it
may be so, but it was spent with the idea of
preventing an attack in that direction.  The road from
Melanov to Karena is the shortest way from Bornian
frontiers to our capital."

"Does your Majesty know the road from Melanov
to Karena?" asked Vorkovitch.

"Very well, General.  I have walked it twice
with my eyes open."

"Would your Majesty consider that an attack
could be made from there?"

"I trust so, since I have counted upon such an
attack being attempted."

"But it would be madness to advance that way,
there are no roads to speak of; we could mass our
men, so that the enemy would not be able to advance
half a dozen miles.  The Bornians must know that
and they are not mad."

"And yet it is the shortest way to Karena from
the frontier."

"It would not be if we were in between."

"Perhaps not; but did you intend being in
between?  I have not heard the suggestion made."

"No, your Majesty, I did not mention it, as it
would be absurd to waste troops in that direction,
when the frontier guard would be sufficient."

"Very well, is that the general opinion?"

"It appears to be, your Majesty," said Prince Zeula.

"Are there no dissentients?"

"Three, your Majesty: Count Belen, Colonel
von Quarovitch, and myself."

"You agree with me then, Colonel von Quarovitch?"

"I do, your Majesty, and should like to mention
that some years ago I sent in a report to that effect.
At that time, I am convinced, they could have
marched through, that is, if they had taken us by
surprise."

"You think then they will try a surprise to the
north; on what grounds do you base your supposition?"

"The south and west have been fortified since the
last invasion.  They know that, therefore it must
strike them that they will meet with great
opposition in those quarters.  This opposition,
however, would be tremendously lessened, if not
completely upset, by a striking success to the north."

"Then what do you imagine would be their plan
of attack?"

"I think, your Majesty, that their main forces will
strike along the Ruln-Agrade line, and at the same
time they will throw a column through Melanov."

"Pshaw!" said Vorkovitch.

"What is your objection to Colonel von Quarovitch's
argument?"

"My chief objection is that he takes the Bornians
for fools, and argues on that premise.  I maintain
that no sane general would try to deliver a main
attack through such country as that between
Melanov and Karena."

"Colonel von Quarovitch did not suggest a main
attack by the north, but a flying column;
personally, I should be inclined to think that they
would send a larger force than that."

With the exception of Quarovitch, the military
element were against me.  It was easy to see that
their thoughts ran along preconceived lines of
strategy, which I think is rather a failing among
military men.  It seems to me that they go too much
to the great generals of past times, whereas no two
battles have ever been exactly similar.

On former occasions, when we had held a Council,
the soldiers had agreed most easily, but then we had
not discussed the prospect of immediate warfare.
Now, when we should all have been eager to find the
best possible defence, each of these same Generals
wanted his own plan to be adopted.

I listened to each proposition, carefully weighing
it; I did not criticise, there was no need, with the
other Generals there.

More than once I introduced the subject of
Melanov, but each time it met with almost unveiled
scorn.  So finally I said no more; but I had my own
ideas, and I intended to carry them out.

The advance from Ruln was the great topic of
discussion, it was there that the opinions differed:
one proposed this, another that, until I was weary
listening to their wrangling.

Quarovitch said little, being only a Colonel, and
I almost regretted not having raised him in rank
before this.

The result of this Council was nil.  We sat again
that evening, also the next morning; and still they
argued, and argued.

At this meeting General von Vorkovitch fell ill;
he was a very old man, and the strain had proved too
much for him.  He retired from the Council, and I
sent a car to take him to his home near Damretch.

When he had gone I decided to take matters into
my own hands, for time was flying, and we were
hardly any nearer the solution of our problem.  We
were receiving reports continually from the border of
fresh troops arriving in the neighbourhood of Ruln;
it was evident that their main attack would come
that way.  I had my spies, too, on the Melanov
border, but so far nothing was reported save a
certain restlessness at Nerane, and certain tracks
which could not be accounted for by ordinary
traffic.  I sent Piotr to try his luck, and see what he
could discover.

Now we had decided that the Ruln-Karena line
was where our chief fighting must be done, and upon
this point General Avilinoff and I agreed.  General
von Scutane had sided with General von Vorkovitch.
They wished to offer a tremendous defence at Ruln
itself, even to advance into Bornia, their reasons
being that in that way we should be fighting upon
the enemy's soil, which is always encouraging to the
soldiers.  This was not at all what I wished.  It was
too much like stalemate, that is, granting that we
could hold Ruln.  It seemed to me that, even if we
could, nothing decisive could result, for we were not
in a position to invade Bornia.  On the other hand,
if we allowed them to force a way slowly into
Rudarlia, there would be more chance of victory.
With our small army we could wage a defensive
campaign, where we could hope for nothing from the
offensive.  We should be fighting on our own
territory, of which we should know every inch; and,
as to the morale of our troops, well, I had always
understood that men would fight to the death
in defence of their own.

It was then decided that our policy should be a
slow strategic retreat to our own chosen positions.

We were just about to adjourn for an hour, when
an urgent message was brought to me by Woolgast;
it ran:

.. vspace:: 2

"I have news of the utmost importance to your
Majesty, and to the Council now sitting.  I await
your Majesty's orders.--RUPERT CARRUTHERS."

.. vspace:: 2

"Admit him, please," I said, and waited.

There must be something serious afoot, or he
would never have been so formal, nor would he have
interrupted our Council.  He had not wasted much
time in coming over, and, perhaps, on his way he had
gathered news.  I wondered whether he had come
through Nerane.

He entered the room and saluted.

I felt inclined to jump up and seize his hand, and
laugh with pleasure at sight of him, but of course I
could not, so had to content myself with a good look
at him.  He really was a splendid looking man, the
ideal soldier; and it was strange that at that
moment I wondered whether he was ever going to
be married, and whether there was no Rudarlian girl
to tempt him to matrimony.

"Ah, Monsieur Carruthers, you have news, you
say, of importance to us.  I shall be pleased to hear
you."

"I come from Nerane, sir"--it was almost
ludicrous to see the start which nearly every one gave,
the word "Nerane" seemed to act as a spur--"being
desirous of arriving here as soon as
possible, I hired a horse and, in trying a short
cut, lost my way; in seeking the road again I
blundered upon a body of Bornian troops not more
than seven miles from Melanov."

"What's that?" I cried, and I saw General von
Soutane's hands clench, as they rested on the table.
"Bornian troops, sir.  I estimated their number to
be about ten to fifteen thousand.  They are
bivouacked in a defile to the east of the road, well
hidden from any ordinary passer-by."

"Ah! did you observe any details, monsieur?
Had they guns?"

"Only horse artillery, but in Nerane I saw heavier
weapons."

"Openly displayed?"

"No, sir, they were hidden in a small farm to the
south of the town; observing heavy tracks, I walked
up to the house to ask for a drink of water.  The
guns were covered with masses of hay."

"And what made you suppose them to be guns?"

"At first it was a surmise on my part, as, in
England, haystacks are not guarded by armed
soldiers.  Afterwards I made sure, as one of them
was carelessly covered."

I smiled at this, knowing Rupert's inordinate
curiosity, and almost superhuman dexterity in
ferreting out what he wished to know.

"Was there not considerable risk in walking to
the house as you did?  Surely it would have been
better to have ridden up as any traveller would?"

"I had not my horse then, sir."

"I thought you said you had hired a horse."

"It was at the farm that I obtained my horse, sir."

Rupert allowed a grin to twist his lips, so I said no
more about the horse, but I knew there was a story
attached to the possession of it.  I turned to
Avilinoff.

"What do you say now, General?"

"Can Monsieur Carruthers give any reason for
supposing that the intentions of these troops were
other than pacific?"

"They were carrying ball cartridges, General."

"Then, your Majesty, I say that I was wrong
about the north."

"You mean that Colonel von Quarovitch may be right?"

"More than that, I say that he *is* right.  They
evidently propose a raid; how big, of course it is
impossible to say until we know more.  Could
Monsieur Carruthers give us more details?"

"I had not much time, General, but I saw an
aeroplane with the troops, and there were signs of
great activity in Nerane.  I only got through by
pretending to be the nephew of Sir George Curtiss."

We adjourned after this for an hour, Rupert
breakfasted with me, and told me the truth about
his horse.  It appeared that as he was leaving the
farm, he met an officer leading his horse; this
officer stopped him, and asked his business.
Carruthers had calmly knocked him down, placed a
thousand franc note in his pocket, and confiscated
his horse.  The money he had left was what he
described as payment for the hire of the animal.
He also described the payment as: "A d--d sight
more than the beast was worth."

That same day we worked out the full scheme of
our south-eastern defence, and I appointed Avilinoff
as Commander-in-Chief.  The north I reserved.  I
had made up my mind to conduct that campaign
myself.  It was perhaps conceited, idiotic, even
criminal, that I, a ridiculously young King, should
take into my own hands the leadership of an army,
but I had faith in myself, and in my soldiers.  I did
not presume to pose as a tactician, but the strategy
should be mine, for I felt it.  Perhaps it was some
spark inherited from a soldier ancestor, I do not
know.

We had, when fully mobilised, an army of one
hundred and thirty thousand men; this number did
not include the garrisons of such places as Soctia,
Poiska, or Orvlov.  It was the actual fighting force
that reached that number.  Of these I retained
forty thousand; the other ninety thousand were
under the command of Avilinoff.

Our railways were never idle, and in order to
confuse the enemy's spies very few people knew of
the ultimate destination of the troops, these being
moved backwards and forwards; but gradually
they were drafted off to the frontier, or as near to it
as Avilinoff wished.

I made Quarovitch a General, for I intended
giving him a large command in the north, and he and
I worked hard together concocting our plan, and
deciding on the composition of the forces necessary
to carry it out.

Forty thousand men may have seemed a large
proportion of our fighting force to have kept for the
north, and I believe it was greatly criticised, but my
reasons were these: we did not know how many of
the enemy would be opposed to us, I wished to have
the numerical superiority over any probable force.

I wanted to gain a victory, of a decisive kind,
quickly, and also I thought that, after a victory in
the north, the troops, when they did reach the
southern army, would leaven that in a most
satisfactory way, especially as Avilinoff's army would
have been retreating for some time.

For some days small bodies of troops left Karena,
after dark, for a destination known only to the
officer in charge, and Quarovitch.  Of course, I was
aware that they went, and where; but, then, I
was supposed to know everything.

A shooting affray in which a Bornian officer was
wounded, a fishing boat seized by our coast guard,
were the two excuses our enemy needed; these two
things happened simultaneously, and within
twenty-four hours they had presented an ultimatum.

That same night Piotr returned.  He had ample
information, and of such a nature that I blessed the
thought that had induced me to retain so many
troops in the north.  He left again some hours later
with Quarovitch.

Between Prince Venoff and the Bornian Minister,
there was a great deal of going to and fro.  Our
Foreign Minister, full of wiles, played his part to
perfection.  He asked for more time, appeared to
meditate compliance with the terms of the
ultimatum, suggested compromises with every sign of
nervousness; but all to no avail, the Bornian was
relentless.

I cannot remember meeting a man so born to be
duped.  He was enormously conceited, overbearing,
and haughty.  He only possessed a modicum of
those qualities a Minister needs.

Had he been a wiser man, our course of procedure
would have been very different, but as it was he was
fooled completely, and the more fooled he was the
more pressing he became in his demands.

At last we could hold him off no longer, even if
we had wished to; and he was recalled upon war
being declared.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`CHAPTER XIII`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER XIII

.. vspace:: 2

So war had come, and I, for one, thanked God
that it had not found us unprepared.

The first shot of the war was fired at Ruln.
It took the enemy three days, and cost them many
lives, to drive our small force out of that place.  It
was on that day that they made their first move from
the north, and it is with this attack that I will deal
first.

A thousand men seized Melanov, driving out a
small force of ill-equipped Rudarlians.  These
retired with every appearance of panic and surprise.
It was Captain von Essens who was responsible for
this move, and he had chosen his men for their
intelligence; they must have acted their part
extremely well.

The enemy advanced rapidly, their cavalry reached
Nardal and occupied that place without resistance.
On the other flank they reached half-way
to Villatov.  The ground, however, in that direction
was eminently unsuited for cavalry work, and a small
body of Rudarlians held them there successfully.

At Viritz, their main force met with considerable
resistance, as we determined to make them bring
up as large a number of troops as possible.  Our old
guns were conspicuous, and in spite of their age did
considerable damage.  Again we lost ground, retiring,
before an overwhelming force, some seven miles,
to a range of hills where we were heavily entrenched.
We left Viritz in a hurry, leaving behind us a number
of obsolete guns carefully rendered useless; I had
given them to the Bornians as I had promised.

They occupied Viritz, and I heard with great
satisfaction that they were congratulating
themselves on the easiness with which they were
progressing.  They made the fatal blunder of
under-estimating an adversary.  It was what I had wished
and schemed for.  The concentration of their
troops at Viritz, preparatory to a final rush through
to Karena, gave us time to complete our defences
on the hills, and there we sat and waited.

The three roads which led from Viritz to Karena,
Romlitz, and Kelbna ran through the hills at places
where, strangely enough, minerals had been found;
between these roads, linking them up, were our
troops.  The roads were also joined by a military
road, on the side nearest to Karena.  This had been
built especially for the movements of troops.

So far they had made no use of the aeroplane
which had been seen by Carruthers, and we did not
wish them to know of ours, until necessary.  Then
an accident took place which might have upset our
plans considerably: my two trained aeronauts were
standing together talking, when a shell burst near
them; killing one, wounding the other, and
completely smashing one of the aircraft.  It was the
first shell, from a battery that had taken up a
position to try and force us from our entrenchments.
As soon as this was reported to me, I rode over to see
whether something could be done, but, alas, the
damaged machine was beyond repair, even if we
had had anyone to fly in it.  I must confess that
the sight of the other standing there all ready for
use made me feel despondent, especially as a few
minutes later we saw the Bornian machine rise in
the air from behind their line.

I sat there impotent, and watched the accursed
thing come flying towards, and then over us.  She
could make her observations and we could do
nothing to prevent her.  I rode a little way back
still looking at the machine, and then from behind
me I heard a cheer, a wild exhilarating sound which
caused me to turn again quickly.  Our own aeroplane
was just rising from the ground.  I stared in
astonishment.  I had no idea that anyone could fly
amongst my officers, whoever it was should reap a
rich reward.  Then one of my aides-de-camp came
towards me at a gallop.

"Who is on that?" I asked with a wave of my
hand to the ascending machine.

"Monsieur Carruthers, your Majesty."

Rupert! and I never knew that he could fly.
It did not surprise me, however, it was just the kind
of thing which he would enjoy.

My heart beat rapidly as I watched his machine
ascending higher and higher; what did he intend to
do?  I was not left long in doubt, for he soon started
in pursuit of the Bornian.  They disappeared into
the clouds which rolled low over the hills behind us.
The Bornian evidently knew that he was being
pursued, for in a little while they reappeared again,
like birds at first, but every minute growing bigger.
It was a race, in which the Bornian was leading.  I
think that nearly every man was watching with
open-mouthed astonishment.  I turned my head
for an instant and lost touch with them; I no
longer knew which was which.  My agitation must
have passed to my horse, for he began to plunge,
tearing at the bit.

A great cry from the soldiery, and I looked up.
My God! one of them was falling horribly--like a
great wounded eagle--the other kept on its way
towards the enemy's lines.

I almost broke down then, I know that I covered
my face with my hands and groaned; my old friend,
my dear old pal, had gone.  Those around me kept
silent in sympathy, for they knew how strong had
been the bond between their King and the English lord.

I did not look any more, but motioned to some one
to find out all he could of the catastrophe.  This
was no time for private grief.  Carruthers had given
his life for me, and now we must fight to preserve our own.

There was a depressed feeling among the troops,
the failure of our aeroplanes had dampened them, I
think they regarded it as a bad omen.  I turned
to give an order, and saw on my aide's face a look
of supreme astonishment.

"Look, your Majesty, he's coming back."

I looked.  What an extraordinary thing, for what
reason would he return?  And then the men began
to shout, wildly, and I knew the reason: it was our
machine that was returning; it had been the
Bornian who had come to the ground.

It was as if the sun had suddenly shone out, on
every face there was a smile, and gone, for ever, the
feeling of depression.

It was one of the happiest moments of my life
when Carruthers came to report on his trip over
Viritz.  I felt inclined literally to hug him, but had
to be content with his salute.

His report was satisfactory.

All that day the artillery fire was kept up with but
small loss to us, and night fell.

I had instructed the gunners to cease firing, to
make it appear as though some of them had been put
out of action, and so little by little our fire had
slackened.  So far the forts had not spoken.

Anyone on the look out that night would have seen
three rockets soar into the sky over Karena; they
were very important, but the enemy did not know
that such was the case.  As it was, they conveyed
a message to General von Quarovitch.

And then morning came, and with it the attack.
A tremendous bombardment for some two hours,
which did little damage, as our men had literally
dug themselves in, and then the infantry advanced;
a feeble fire met them until within a few hundred
yards, and then they were simply swept away.  No
human beings could have withstood that rain of fire,
and they fled back, while all the time our cavalry
hung upon their flanks creating further panic among
them.

Again their artillery opened fire, and this time our
forts came into action; the roar of their big guns
must have awakened the Bornians to the terrible
position, especially as they must have heard, about
that time, that Quarovitch had cut right across their
communications with some fifteen thousand men.
He had carried out his part with consummate skill,
and was then entrenched in a strong position south
of Melanov.

I think General von Brote, realising his position,
thought that his only chance lay in breaking through
on the Karena road.  Perhaps he imagined that we
were in less force than we were.  I don't know, but
anyhow he tried the impossible.

A few miles east of the Karena road, there was a
break in the hills, and it was this way that General
von Brote thought to turn our flank.  I cannot
understand his reasoning, for he must have known
that it was extremely unlikely that we should have
left such a way open, especially as it was cavalry
country; but I can only suppose that he still did
not realise that we were thoroughly prepared.

I have said it was cavalry country, so it was,
right up to the break, and on the other side towards
Yungben, but the break itself was rather an
extraordinary piece of ground.

Right across the whole width, which at the
greatest was some three miles, were strewn immense
boulders, some singly, others arranged in heaps for
some hundred yards, only in the centre was there a
space of about half a mile free from them.  Instead
of the boulders a narrow stream ran across.  It was
a stream which watered the plains round Yungben,
twisting and winding in a most weird fashion.  In
time of rain, it sometimes flooded the fields around,
but now it ran steadily and calmly, little dreaming,
if streams can dream, of the horrible sights it was to
see before many hours had passed, or of the dead
bodies of man and beast with which its clear waters
were to be choked.

In order to make this break as impregnable as I
could, without showing any great signs, I had
constructed a low, barbed wire entanglement on
the Yungben side of the stream; this entanglement,
although low, was fifty yards wide; behind that
again, I had rifle pits dug, but instead of banking up
the earth it was scattered over the ground.  Besides
this I had placed a battery of horse artillery on
either flank, while the line of boulders was also
guarded with entanglements and maxims; altogether
we had some three thousand troops guarding
that spot.  The guns, and the men, were concealed
behind bushes and small trees, as well as the masses
of rock, some hundred men only being on view.

Against this defence, there were some five thousand
of the enemy.  Relying upon the reports of their
scouts, who had been misled by the small number
of our men to be seen, their cavalry swept forward.
They were too far from their supports, their artillery
was unable to come into action, on account of their
forward movement.  They swept on blindly, trusting
to sweep away the little force opposed to them.
Our men opened fire at two thousand yards, they
did some damage but not enough even to make
them think; they rode on and on, the nearer they
got, the more men they lost.

They were within one hundred yards of the
stream, when the rest of our infantry came into
action.  It must have been appalling, although even
then they struggled to get to close quarters, but the
stream held them, the entanglements held them, and
all the while death was poured from the barrels of
our rifles and maxim guns; what was left of them
turned and fled.  Their artillery opened, but, before
they could get the range, our batteries replied, and
we had our ranges marked.  They retired.  It will
never be known how many men they lost, for the
remnant of that force was engulfed in the ruin that
had overtaken the main bodies.

Our right wing advanced, joining the two thousand
men who had been posted on the Villatov road.
General von Brote massed his guns and men on
the Karena road; our left advanced.  He hurled
regiment after regiment at our front, they were
mown down by the hundred.  As night fell he
retreated to Viritz, and our whole line advanced.
His cavalry on the left wing, at Nardal, were called
in.  There they rested for the night, but with
earliest dawn our attack commenced.  Hemmed in
on all sides, they fought like lions, but it was
unavailing.  Then they tried to retreat still farther,
and Quarovitch held them.  It was the end.  Without
a single chance of success, they fought on,
although three times I sent a white flag with a
message to Brote, asking him to refrain from further
useless bloodshed.  He was resolved to die rather
than surrender.  He did die, and then what was left
of his army threw down their weapons.

Of the thirty-five thousand men who had entered
Rudarlia through Melanov, only seventeen thousand
surrendered, the rest had been killed, wounded, or
were already prisoners.

Their surprise, to which they had evidently looked
to end the war quickly, had failed utterly.  Our
northern frontier was now safe, and I could throw
most of our men to the relief of Avilinoff.  We had
lost altogether some four thousand men in killed
and wounded.  I left eleven thousand to clear up
the scattered Bornians, and guard the frontier and
prisoners, the other twenty-five thousand I hurried
south.  Many of them had not been in the firing
line at all, so they were perfectly fresh, and brim-full
of enthusiasm and eagerness to come to grips with
the foe.

In order to avoid any delay--which would have
been almost inevitable had we returned through
Karena--I, with my aides, motored through
Romlitz to Agrade.  There I stayed for only one day.
Scutane was delighted to hear that the extra troops
were on the way down, as he said that Avilinoff had
been rather hard pressed at Milova, but that now he
was in a good position to defend that place.  Accordingly,
I left for Avilinoff's head-quarters immediately.

It was evident that the enemy had counted on the
success of their northern attack, as they had not
hastened, rather luckily for us, for Avilinoff's army
was sadly outnumbered, both in men and guns.

He had done grand work, his retreats were as
orderly as parades, which spoke well for the troops
under his command.  I found that his army had
occupied a strong position extending from Nadir on
the left, to Pinofska on the right.  So far, not a
single Bornian had managed to cross the Loina.
Now, however, when the news from the north
became known, there was new vigour put into both
armies.  The Bornians at once realised that their
dawdling methods would not succeed, and, also,
they were spurred to try and blot out the disaster
at Viritz.

The Rudarlians, in their turn, were more resolved
than ever to beat back their enemy; success
dispelled all the bad effects of a tedious retreat.

Success was an excellent tonic, yet it could not
equalise the opposing forces, although every day
saw that inequality grow less, as trainload after
trainload of fresh troops poured into Agrade and
Milova; but the greatest thing for us was the fact
that the artillery became more of a strength.

For four days the position underwent no change,
in spite of some vigorous attacks, both by night and
day.  On the fifth day we lost Nadir, through a
brilliant flanking attack of the enemy's cavalry.
There is no doubt that we were completely surprised,
as we had never believed for one minute that
they would have attempted the road from Alzar
to Drenda, with any considerable force.  Our
troops, guarding the narrow road through the hills
south-east of Nadir, were easily disposed of and taken
in the rear; Nadir became untenable.  We fell
back to Lortrun, a move which considerably
weakened our left wing, by lengthening it.
However, it now rested safely at the extreme end, for
our rear was guarded by the Drenda marshes,
across which I knew it was impossible to move troops.

Our position was not satisfactory, so I sent word
to Quarovitch to bring every available man to
Agrade.  By this time the north was quiet and he
brought six thousand with him.  Two thousand of
these were cavalry.  The same night that he arrived,
he came to meet me, and, with Avilinoff, we worked
for some hours on a scheme which I had thought of.

We strengthened our left wing with some twenty
thousand men, some straight from Agrade to Vilt,
the others, by way of Roltov across the Loina to
Lortrun.  Five thousand men were sent to hold
Butrem and the road to Milova; while another five
thousand were dispatched to strengthen the right
flank, and entrench from Trun to Atar, and from
Trun to the mountains on the west of Pinofska.

While these movements were being carried out, the
Bornians were by no means idle, but pushed their
attacks strongly.  More than once it seemed that our
line would be pierced, but, thanks to our artillery,
which prevented them from crossing the Loina, we
managed to hold our ground.

The fierceness of their attack really stood us in
good stead, for it enabled us to carry out our plans
without showing our hand.

Under the guise of a forced retirement, we drew
back to the new lines we had prepared.  From the
mountains by Pinofska our line ran in a double
curve to Butrem; there it stopped, and both sides of
the Loina were left undefended as far as Vilt, from
whence our line ran to Lortrun.

Imagining that we were in retreat, and seeking to
cut in behind Milova, they hurled their forces across
and straddled the Loina; in this way, they, in their
turn split their line, but not to their advantage, for
in order to advance on the northern bank they were
obliged to mass their troops in a narrow strip of land,
not wide enough for them to manoeuvre in properly.

When they had crossed, and were engaged in a
fierce attack on Vilt, our forces moved out from
Lortrun.  By sheer weight of numbers we regained
Nadir and the Drenda road.

We entrenched ourselves well along the Nadir-Vilt
road, and for two days repulsed every attack
made by the Bornians.  Then, when they had
exhausted themselves in vain, we in our turn
advanced, doubling their right wing back upon itself,
by a series of brilliant bayonet charges, which drove
them headlong from their trenches.  Then, while
they were in disorder, our cavalry got to work.  I
had collected a large force in Nadir, and fresh, with
high spirits, they were irresistible, sweeping all
before them.  At the same time, we allowed Pinofska
to go, retiring eastward to defend Agrade and leaving
open the road to Kelbna.

It was apparently too tempting a bait to be
refused, and they weakened their centre to reinforce
their left.  It was only owing to this that we dared
to drive their right in the way we did, and that was
eminently satisfactory; for, driven back on
themselves in hopeless confusion, they united with their
other forces south of Butrem, not in a strong line
capable of defence, but in an indescribable state of
tangle.  In many places along the Loina, their
forces would be trying to cross the river at the same
time, but in different directions.  We drove them
from Farnov, and then the remnant of their right
wing fell back to try and defend their communications
with Lorif.

We captured a tremendous mass of war material,
guns and prisoners, as it was impossible, owing to the
rapidity of our movements, for the forces on the
northern bank of the Loina to recross and get away
in time.

The crumpling of their right wing necessitated
the drawing in of their left, so they did not progress
far beyond Pinofska; and little by little we drove
them back from there until we reoccupied our old
lines across the Kelbna road.

We now had an undoubted superiority in all
arms, as well as a greater number of men; but, try
how we would, for some days we could not make any
real progress beyond the Pinofska-Trun-Farnov line.

Each day I rode or motored along this line to hold
conversations with the different generals, and to
encourage the wounded; the actual fighting men did
not need encouragement, they were brim-full of
zeal and confidence.

It was during this period that I was delivered
from that enemy of mine, Prince Alexis.

Between Trun and Atar the road is of an intensely
beautiful nature, presenting many different kinds
of scenery, well wooded in places, with gentle slopes
running down to small streams which feed the
Loina, while always to the north rose the mountains.
The road itself rises and falls with delightful
frequency, from an artistic point of view, although I
doubt if the farmers who live in the vicinity, or their
horses, really appreciate it.  On the top of one of
these inclines the road was bisected by a cart track,
and in order to obtain a view over the surrounding
country I had turned off along this track,
accompanied by Woolgast, Scutane, and some
dozen troopers.

It was soon after daybreak, and we were returning
from Pinofska, where I had slept the night before.
I do not know quite how it happened, but, on
attempting to retrace our steps, we discovered that
our way was blocked by some fifty of the enemy's
cavalry.  It was extremely lucky for us that we
saw them before they saw us, for it gave us time to
get speed on our horses.  To charge was the only
thing for us to do, and we struck them hard; in a few
seconds we were through them, all save two of the
troopers who had been shot down.  We raced for
the road, with the Bornians hard at our heels.  We
could hear from their cries, that they knew I was of
the party and it made them redouble their efforts
to overtake us; they kept up a fusillade of revolver
shots, but fortunately without effect.

Our horses fairly flew along that muddy track,
but, quickly as we went, the Bornians were as
quick, and as we turned into the Trun road they
were a very little way behind.  In their eagerness to
capture me, they must have forgotten that all the
time we were approaching our lines, for they never
slackened their pace, and in consequence ran into
the arms of a regiment of Rudarlian cavalry at the
foot of the hill.

It was over very quickly, they had the discretion
to surrender at once, with one exception.  This one
had, either through his horse, or for other reasons,
ridden well behind his comrades, but he could not
hope to escape by turning back up the hill, so
instead, he made a dash for liberty, by jumping the
bank which bordered the road towards the enemy's
lines.  I heard Woolgast give a grunt, and the next
moment he had followed.

I sprang from my horse and stood on the higher
ground looking after him.  The ground over which
he was riding sloped gently down to a stream below,
on the other side of which the ground rose again and
was well wooded, not with big trees, but small
brushwood.  Woolgast was at full charge after the
flying Bornian, it was a magnificent sight to see the
two horses stretching out, the one flying, the other in
pursuit.  The pursued turned in his saddle and
fired, Woolgast swerved a little but kept on, ever
drawing nearer.  Some three lengths from the
stream, he overtook the Bornian; we saw his sword
flash once, and the enemy dropped from his horse.
Then Woolgast, unable to stop his, urged him to the
jump, and, slowly returning, jumped the stream
again, and alighted.  He walked up to the Bornian's
body--which made a light blue patch among the
stubble--and then reeled suddenly over on to the
top of him.

He was not seriously hurt, thank God, but simply
in a faint.  When we turned the dead Bornian, so
that we could see his face--it was Prince Alexis.

I confess that I felt relief at his death, he was so
degraded that there was nothing he would not have
stooped to do.  I might have felt sorrow at the death
of an ordinary enemy, but in the case of Alexis,
no--simply relief.

Woolgast was evidently disturbed in his mind as
to the consequence of his action, for he sent me word
that he craved an audience.

He was in a state of feverish excitement, for
the wound, although not severe, was a painful one.

"Well, General?" I said.

"There is something I wish to tell your Majesty.
It is this: I called to the Prince to surrender, before
and after he shot me."

"Quite so, General, and you did right; you also
did right in cutting him down when he refused.  You
did both Rudarlia and myself a good service in
killing him."

He heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thank God, your Majesty, I did not know----"

"What I should feel about it?  Well, you know
now, and can sleep in peace; but be quick in
recovering, for I need you."

I had become genuinely fond of Woolgast.  He
was a man whom I had a great admiration for; and,
seeing that he was generally near me, I had a good
many opportunities of discovering his worth.  I
know that he was devoted to me.

To return to the main battle.  For a week or
more the fighting continued without advantage to
either side, at least, neither the Bornians nor
ourselves were able to say that we had definitely
advanced our lines.  There could be no doubt,
however, that our artillery did much damage, although
not sufficient to allow us to assault their positions.

It was necessary that we should break through
their line somewhere, but the difficult question was
where and how to do it.

We had smashed their right flank by stratagem;
we had split our force in two to do this.  We would
now do the same thing on our right, that is to say we
would give up the bridge of Atar.

I had explained thus far to the generals, when
General von Scutane said:

"But, your Majesty, they will not bite twice at
the same bait."

"I should be sorry if they did, General, for it
would not be what I wish.  I believe that they will
think that we intend to advance our flanks.  I am
trusting to them weakening their centre, for I
intend to strike hard for Villet."

"Then you propose to hold the Kelbna road from
Trun through Pinofska, and then from Blanne to
Farnov?"

"That is my idea; and, in order to confirm them
in the opinion that we intend flanking movements,
we will move troops from Milova to Trun and
Farnov by day, and move them back again at night.
We must do everything we can to strengthen their
belief that we wish to repeat the plan which
succeeded so well on our left.  If necessary, our flanks
must fall back."

"It is a scheme full of danger, your Majesty."

"And also full of possibilities."

"Yes, your Majesty, of defeat as well as of success."

"That I refuse to consider, although we will take
all precautions against such a thing.  However, I
do not press my scheme if anyone can suggest a
better.  You must remember that time is flying and
the Bornians can bring two recruits to our one,
while their line of communications from Ruln is not
long, and so they have not very great difficulties in
regard to transport."

That was the stratagem adopted, and the movements
of our troops for the next two days puzzled
even our own men.  There is no doubt that the
enemy were puzzled too, but they took the situation
in the way that we wished.

We decided not to evacuate Atar, which--as I
had foreseen--they did not bite at.

When both our flanks were hotly engaged, our
forward movement in the centre began.  It was a
costly effort, but it succeeded.

We got them on the run and kept them so, driving
a wedge right through the centre of their line
towards Villet.  It was their left wing which suffered
this time from the Loina--that was a fateful river
for them.  We drove them out of Villet itself, and
then began the most terrible struggle of the war, for
that small town was life or death to them.  Three
times they took it, and as many times we drove them
out again, each time with greater ease, for every
hour saw our position improve, as we concentrated
our artillery.  Then they found that Villet was lost
to them for ever; it was a fact that they realised with
difficulty.

But, once they did so, the end came quickly.  Cut
off from Lorif, their only way of escape back to
Bornia, they surrendered in masses.  The remainder
of their army withdrew sullenly towards their
frontier.  They conducted their retreat in fairly good order.

Had we liked, we could have utterly crushed
them, but we refrained from pressing too closely
upon their rearguard for two reasons: we did not
wish to sacrifice the lives of our troops needlessly,
and the Bornians were hopelessly beaten.  I daresay
it was wrong not to drive them with all our might,
I'm sure that the military text-books would say so,
but I was only a civilian after all.

I had sent, as soon as we could spare the troops, a
column into Garace, that province which had been
lost to us for so long.

They met with little opposition, for the Bornian
forces there were very scanty and quite without
enterprise, or enthusiasm.

Before we had finished there, almost before the
beaten remnant had left Lorif, Bornia sued for peace.





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.. _`CHAPTER XIV`:

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   CHAPTER XIV

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Bornia sued for peace; they could do
nothing else, for they were hopelessly
beaten both by land and sea.

Prince Kleber had been busy with the Bornians
on the water, and the *Soctia* had made a great name
for herself; a large number of prizes were now in
the harbour of Soctia, and she had successfully
carried on a vigorous warfare with the Bornian Navy.

Prince Kleber had done much to facilitate our
progress in Garace, especially at Bustelov, where the
Bornians were well fortified; it was largely owing to
the clever co-operation of the navy that our troops
occupied that place without a prolonged siege.

The only time that Rudarlian troops entered
Bornia, was the day when peace was declared; then
a small number escorted the signatories, for a mile,
to their side of the frontier.

So completely were the Bornians beaten that, in
spite of the moral support of certain great powers,
they accepted our terms at once; well they might,
for they were, considering, very moderate: the
evacuation of Garace, and a certain sum as war
indemnity were the two chief items.

We had no wish to exasperate a badly beaten
enemy; nor did we wish to claim territorial
aggrandisement beyond the recovery of our
one-time province of Garace.

It has always seemed to me to be bad policy to
demand too much from a beaten adversary, excepting
when that enemy is dangerous to the peace of the
world, or, indeed, of your nation; for, unless the
necessity is great, a beaten opponent should be
treated with consideration.  But there are cases, no
doubt, when it is expedient to destroy completely a
nation's power to do harm in the future.

It seemed that, with the end of the war, a better
understanding at once began between the two
countries; perhaps the fighting was like the
old-fashioned remedy of blood-letting.

It is impossible to describe the feelings of joy and
pride with which I thought of Rudarlia and the
Rudarlians; they had proved themselves so
splendid, and now that the war had been carried to a
successful conclusion I hoped that economic
conditions would begin to improve and the prosperity of
the country be assured.

I will confess to certain day-dreams in that
respect, and obtained quite a lot of pleasure from them.

As soon as peace was declared, the inhabitants
of Rudarlia began to show their joy; and it was
overwhelming, even in the most out-of-the-way
villages the poorest of the people held marvellous
celebrations.

I think the most trying time of my whole life was
during my visits to all parts of Rudarlia.  I thought
that I should never have any pleasure in speaking
again, for in every corner of my country it was
thought necessary to hand me addresses.

In Garace, the people were almost crazy with joy
at having thrown off the Bornian bonds, and being
under the Rudarlian flag again.

Although this time was, as I have said, most
trying, yet it was inspiring and certainly
satisfactory; I defy even the most cold-blooded person
to listen to a nation's cheers, without feeling a deep
glow of pleasure.  I, personally, do not attempt to
deny that it pleased me, for it meant that I had made
good.

A great number of months passed before the
nation settled down to their normal lives; and the
time of the officials, from King to Mayor, was taken
up in the many duties that fell upon them.

Perhaps the most hard-worked people of all
were the doctors and nurses, for the hospitals were
full, and I would not have any man turned away
without being absolutely cured of his wounds, if
such a thing were possible.  Those whose wounds
rendered them unfit for further military service
received a plot of land, or, if they chose, a sum of
money.

Then there were the honours and rewards to be
settled, the various recompenses for farms and
homesteads destroyed in the war, and a thousand
and one things beside.

Upon Carruthers, who had been of incalculable
value to us through his airwork, I bestowed the
Cross of Rudarlia, an honour of which he was
intensely proud, in spite of his assurances to the
contrary.  Much as I should have liked him to stop
in Rudarlia, I did not press him when he came to bid
me good-bye, for I knew that he would have his
work cut out to explain matters to the authorities in
England.  I was convinced, however, that he would
do it quite successfully, for he had a most engaging
way of getting himself out of scrapes.

General von Quarovitch had received a substantial
grant from the Government to enable him
to uphold his new rank, for I had made him Count.
He was also given a command of more importance
than the frontier, and so he was often in Karena.
In fact, he was now as much sought after as before
he had been neglected; but he took his sudden
popularity very grimly, which caused me huge
enjoyment.  His treatment of the fair sex was a
never failing source of delight; they called him
bearish, but devoted themselves to him.

I had also made Woolgast a Count, and I do not
think that there were many to sneer at his new rank.
He had quite recovered from the wound given him
by Alexis; and was now, as usual, always at my side.

He was a man who never asked for any favour,
either for himself or his family; he was as devoted
to me as anyone could be, and it was his delight to
accompany me in command of the escort wherever
I went.  I always made a point of taking an escort
of my regiment of guards, for I believed the people
loved to see the white and gold of their uniforms,
and to know that their King rode or drove among
them with regal pomp and glory.  The Rudarlians,
in that respect, were rather barbaric in their tastes;
and yet, I am not sure that it is not a good thing to
keep alive the love of show, I believe it really
brightens the lives of the people, who so often live
in dull monotony.  I myself confess to a certain
quickening of the pulses at sight of martial pomp,
and also when I hear the jingling music of a cavalry
regiment.  There is something fine and inspiring
in the sight of a number of men splendidly upright
and strong, moving together as though one man, and
to realise that they are prepared to give their lives
for an ideal--for the love of country is nothing else.
I have heard it said that an ideal will move men to
acts of greater heroism than any fact; it may be so,
but I always look upon an ideal as a mental fact in
itself, so I can hardly argue the point.

I shall never forget the first time I dined privately
after the war.  There were just four of us, my
mother, Prince Zeula, Mr. Neville, and myself, and
we had old Bauen up to wait upon us.  I wanted to
feel absolutely free to say what I would without
feeling that there might be one of the servants
listening.

It was quite like old times, yet not so very old,
only a few years, but years so full of incident that
each seemed to have multiplied itself by ten.  In
those few years I had changed from a boy into a
man, from a commoner into a king; and it may
safely be surmised that such changes must have a
considerable effect on anyone.

They were rich years for me to look back upon and
so full of mental, and perhaps moral wealth, that
I was almost fearful of their effect upon me.  I was
afraid that I should lose my youth before the time,
that manhood's cares would sap the joy of life within
me, and, by so doing, injure the power I had to feel
and sympathise with the many defects in human
nature.

My mother, to whom I had spoken of this, agreed
that it might be so with some people, but not in my
case.  A remark which was so intensely human in its
mother feeling, that I laughed and said no more.

This dinner *à quatre* was very enjoyable.  We
seemed to forget for a while that we were really
people of importance in our world, and we laughed
and joked with all the old-time zest, and perhaps
more; never since my accession had we been so
gay and cheerful.  Zeula, who seemed to grow
younger each month, had a wonderful collection of
anecdotes, and his wit was great.

We might have been a party on the stage playing
some clever farce, for the conversation never flagged,
and even I was witty, which was unusual, since I have
never possessed real gifts in that line, although I
have, thank God, a sense of humour.

It did me good to look at the three faces I loved
so well, and listen to the conversation, noting the
difference in their trends of thought.

Zeula, brilliant, polished.

Mr. Neville, dry, rather caustic.

My mother, intensely feminine.

They made, however, a very good combination,
and a subject was dissected very thoroughly by the
three.

Towards the end of the meal, the topics of
conversation became more personal, bearing more
directly on the future of Rudarlia.

It was at this point that I began to feel a rather
comic uneasiness, for my instinct told me that before
long some remark would lead up to the subject of
my marriage, and I knew that Zeula would be
responsible for it, as he was wrapped up in the
subject.

I was not mistaken, for he made a remark about
a King without heirs.  My mother glanced at me
quickly.  I deliberately winked at Mr. Neville, who
laughed outright.

"So, Prince," said I, "you have thrown your bomb."

"I awaited a fitting opportunity, your Majesty."

"Pray forget ceremony," murmured my mother.

"Then, Mr. Smith," said I, with a grimace, "you
have given me indigestion."

"I did not ask you to bolt your food, Victor."

"Meaning?"

"That there is no particular hurry."

"For a week or two," chimed in Mr. Neville, and
set us all laughing.

Although we laughed at first, it was only at first,
for the question was an extremely important one,
both for myself and Rudarlia.  I knew that it was
imperative that I should marry, and I also realised
that the time had come to think seriously about it,
and incidentally to find the wife.

"I understand that my position is one of some
uncertainty, that you wish me to marry and have
heirs, but the question which puzzles me is, who
am I to marry?"

"There will not be any difficulty in that, Victor."

"And yet I do not see in which direction to look,
for I can hardly hope, as King of a small kingdom
like Rudarlia, to ally myself with any of the great
powers."

"Perhaps you have already thought of some one;
I confess that I find it difficult myself."

"Yes, I have thought of one.  It will most
probably come as a great surprise when you hear
where I propose to look for a wife, but I have looked
at the question from every point of view, and it
seems to me that I had better marry a Princess
of--Bornia."

As I had surmised, the suggestion surprised them;
I do not think the possibility of it had once struck
them.  They were silent for some little time as
though pondering on what I had said, only
Mr. Neville looked at me quizzically, my mother and
Zeula keeping their eyes turned from mine.  The
latter was the first to speak:

"I had not thought of that, Victor; will you tell
us your reasons?"

"Oh yes, I have thought a great deal about our
relations with our late foe, and it seems to me that
such a marriage as I suggest would do much to
remove the bitterness that there undoubtedly is
between the two nations.  That is my first reason.
The second is, that if all the Bornian Princesses
married Germans or Austrians, as the odds are they
would, there would be endless friction between our
nations, whereas, if I marry one of them, the
influence will not be so one-sided.  My third reason
is not so realisable, but it may come true.  It is an
imaginary condition which circumstances may
bring about, therefore it can hardly be looked upon
as a real reason, and I was wrong to so describe it;
I will, however, tell you that it was a dream which
united the two kingdoms under one monarch.
There is little real difference between the two
races, and who knows what the future may bring forth?"

"Two of your reasons are excellent, Victor, and
the third is within the range of possibilities."

"Have you seen photographs of the Bornian
Princesses?" asked Mr. Neville.

"Very indifferent ones, and without knowing one
from the other."

"And which do you propose offering your hand to?"

"I do not know yet, I therefore suggest that a
trip to Bornia would be an admirable thing, so that
I may see them first."

"Eh?"

"Yes, the week after next I propose going for a
walking tour through Garace, and will visit Sonale.
I shall not be known in Bornia's capital--I will
shave off my moustache.  I shall have a good time,
ascertain the public feeling towards the said
Princesses, also I shall see them."

"That sounds quite an attractive programme,"
said Mr. Neville, smiling.  "May I ask whether it is
your intention to go alone?"

"Not if I can induce you to accompany me.  If
you will, my mother's mind will be made easy, Prince
Zeula will not insist upon a regiment in mufti
accompanying me, and I--well, you know that I
shall be pleased."

"I will go with the greatest pleasure."

"Then we will call it settled."

"Do you think it wise, Victor?" asked my mother.

"It may not be the essence of wisdom, yet it will
give me a little feeling of romance."

Zeula laughed.

"Will you carry a lute with you to serenade the
Princesses, and a shield with a flaming heart as
device?"

"Make the musical instrument a lyre, it would
most probably serve a fuller purpose," said I, "but
I daresay you all realise and understand what I
mean, and if you don't I am ashamed of you."

"Of course we do; but never forget to go out
without your revolver, there is more than one Goltz
in the world."

"That was a lesson I have not forgotten, nor do I
wish it repeated; and, to get away from unpleasant
topics, would you all like a game of bridge?"

We played two rubbers; my partner and I did
not score a game.

"Remembering the old saying, you ought to be
very lucky in love," said Mr. Neville.





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.. _`CHAPTER XV`:

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   CHAPTER XV

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Mr. Neville and I were enjoying
ourselves immensely.  We were both glad
to be relieved from the cares and worries
of Court ceremonies; both glad of a holiday;
pleased to be able to tramp through the dusty lanes,
free to sleep where we would, eat and drink what
and when we felt inclined.

We talked of everything while tramping, or
resting, as the case might be, with the sky blue
above us, or heavy with great masses of cloud;
and breathed in the fresh buoyant air of the
Garacian mountains, or the warmer, milder air of the
valleys; and forgot, or pretended to, for a little
while, that we were people who mattered.

I daresay we both talked too much; perhaps
all we said was not of the wisest; but, unfettered,
we chatted like schoolboys.  I doubt if there was
ever so perfect a companion as Mr. Neville: he
seemed to know exactly the mood you were in, and
to be able to broach a subject of conversation suited
to it.

Of my marriage, or rather the idea of it, we
spoke but little.  From what I told him, he gathered
that my mind was made up on the point that I must
marry, and the sooner the better.

Garace was a magnificent province; and visiting
it as we did gave us a very clear idea of why the
Rudarlians had been so pleased at its recovery.

Wherever we went, the fields and pastures gave
evidence of great fertility; they were well watered,
too; but the roads were terribly bad, and one could
well understand that the farmers found great
difficulty in handling their produce.  It struck us
that the Bornians had no particular reason to boast
of the way they had governed the province.

It had not been my intention to waste all the
time we were on our holiday, and so Mr. Neville and
I made many notes, and discussed many plans
dealing with the country through which we passed.
Then at night we went carefully over these, and
gave them fuller discussion before finally sending
them to Karena.

The Minister to whom they were sent was thankful
enough for any assistance in what was rather an
arduous task.

We had been ten days on our wanderings before we
reached Bornia, and then by a terribly bad road over
the mountains.  We slept out that night, and the
next day dined at Stranz, a little town two or three
miles from the frontier.  I should say we ate there,
since the only food available was castradina--the
smoked mutton which the peasants love--a coarse
white cheese, and cakes or loaves of maize.  Plain,
very plain; food, but not a dinner.

Had we walked any distance that morning, we
should no doubt have been ready to declare the
eatables fit for a king; but, as it was, we had only
progressed two or three miles.  A delightfully mossy
bank by the side of a little mountain stream had
enticed us to sit and sit, and keep on sitting, or
rather sprawling; hour after hour we had sat there
talking and smoking, until we decided that we had
lazed long enough, and sauntered down to the
so-called inn.  I remember we chaffed each other about
want of appetite.

Having paid an exorbitant sum for a practically
uneaten meal, we refilled our pipes, and went out
again into the sunshine.

Stranz boasted of one street, with some two
hundred houses in all; the sun, blazing down on
the white walls of these, tired the eyes, especially as
every movement of one's feet caused a cloud of
dust to ascend.  At the end of the street farthest
from the inn stood the church, and I went in to say
a few words to the priest and leave a small sum with
him to be spent in charity.

The worthy man would, I know, have liked me to
stay a while with him, to discuss everyday affairs;
but it was time for us to be moving on, so I said
good-bye and stepped out to Mr. Neville.

I found him staring down the road at two figures
on horseback who were approaching at a good pace.

"Shall we stay and see them go past, Victor?"

"Yes, they may be interesting."

In a few minutes they passed, a lady and her
groom; that was all I had time to notice, for I was
more interested in the horses than their riders.  They
could not have been more than two lengths away
from where we were standing, when from the other
end of the street came a crowd of people yelling
terribly.  The hurricane of cries frightened the
lady's horse, which reared, slipped, and came
down; the groom's horse became unmanageable, got
the bit between its teeth and bolted.

Through the dust we could see the crowd of men,
women, and children flying towards us, and after
them a single man foaming at the mouth.

"My God, he's mad!" said Mr. Neville.

The crowd scattered in every direction, some
through open doorways, some even through
windows, all scrambling and pushing to get out of the
way of this terrible being.  As he came nearer, I
could see that he was dressed as a gentleman, and
that he carried a rapier in his hand.  A moment
later he used it, for a child, terrified, ran across the
road, the madman lunged in passing, and the poor
little thing fell into the gutter.

We had been so amazed at the suddenness of this
scene that we had remained standing where we
were.  The street was empty now, save for the lady
who was standing horrified in the middle of the road,
the fallen horse, the still, small body in the gutter,
the madman, and ourselves.

Perhaps the wounding of the child had caused the
madman to pause in his mad rush, for now, bent
almost double, he was creeping towards the still
motionless figure of the lady, who suddenly turned,
and with a little scream of fear ran towards us.

Her face was white, and her two dark eyes were
turned imploringly to us, as though she knew that
we could save her from this awful man.

At the same moment both Mr. Neville and I
jumped forward to bar his way.  I carried a stout
stick, Mr. Neville had none; luckily the man lunged
at me, for I was enabled to turn his point with my
stick.  Over the madman's face there stole a look of
really malevolent cunning.  I believe, then, he
fancied in his poor, disordered mind that he was
fighting a duel.

"Careful, Victor!" I heard Mr. Neville say.

"All right, I am going to try to disarm him; be
ready to seize him if I succeed."

I spoke in English, so that the man, even if he had
any glimmering of reason, would in all probability
not understand.

It was quite extraordinary to me that any man as
mad as he could fight with so much skill; perhaps
the madness lent him additional craftiness, but he
must have been a fine swordsman when sane.  As
it was, he gave me more to do than any man I have
ever fought with, and more than once came near
wounding me; but I got him into the position I
wanted and disarmed him, his sword flying through
the window of a house near by.

As the weapon left his hand, Mr. Neville's arms
were round him, and in a few seconds he was bound
and helpless.

My first thought was for the child; he was not
dead, but the rapier had inflicted a nasty wound in
his shoulder.  However, as he was in the capable
hands of his mother, who evidently possessed the
knowledge of how to treat wounds of the less serious
nature, I turned away relieved.

I found the lady by my side, and one of the most
musical voices that I have ever heard gave me
thanks.

"Ah, monsieur, how can I ever thank you and
your friend enough?"

I felt that I was blushing furiously--quite
ridiculously--why, I have no idea, as it was not
common to me.  My companion told me afterwards
that I stammered like a schoolboy and looked as
awkward.

"Madame--mademoiselle----"

"Not both, monsieur, only the latter."

"Mademoiselle, it was nothing, there was little
danger to me."

"It was the bravest deed I have ever seen, in
spite of your desire to belittle it, and I thank you
again."

Until now I had not really looked at her, but my
mind seemed to clear suddenly, and I knew her
rather than saw her.  I find it hard to recall my
first impressions, I realised that strictly speaking she
was not beautiful, yet she was beautiful.  Whether
it was the expression, or subtle emanations from a
beautiful soul, I cannot say, but that is what I think.
I was absorbed, confused by the strength of her
personality.  I do not suppose it would affect all
people in the same way, perhaps it answered to
similar strata in my own.

It was with an effort that I returned to what had
occurred, and to what she had said.

"Mademoiselle, I belittled it, as I have the
advantage of being a good swordsman.  My
companion, who stood by unarmed, was far more
worthy of commendation."

"I have already tried to thank him."  She
smiled, and I noticed that her teeth were adorable.
"He is English, I think, and it is so difficult to thank
Englishmen properly--they always seem ashamed
of doing anything brave."

"That is so; but your horse, mademoiselle, is,
I am afraid, in rather a bad way."

We walked over to where the animal now stood.
I bent to examine the strained fetlock, while his
mistress stroked his nose and talked to him
encouragingly.

"It is quite impossible to ride him," I said,
looking up.

"Oh dear! and it is most unlikely that there will
be another horse in this place."

"But your groom, surely he will return soon?"

"I doubt it, and even if he were to, I could not
ride his horse, as it is practically unbroken."

"Then," said Mr. Neville, who had rejoined us,
"we must get you some kind of conveyance, unless
you live within walking distance."

"The walking would be less painful, monsieur,
from what I know of the carriages in this part of the
country."

"You could rest here at the inn," I said.

"Could they give me something to eat, do you
think?"  She looked at our faces and laughed
gaily.  "No, that were too much to expect; then
I must walk, if only for the sake of the work these
good people neglect while we remain here."

There were certainly more people interested in us
than the occasion merited, and there was a curious
open-mouthed look about most of them.

"Mademoiselle will accept our escort?"

"Gladly, monsieur, if I do not take you out of
your way."

"All ways are the same to us, save the one we
shall travel in your company."

"And that will be atrocious."

"Impossible," said Mr. Neville.

"Then come; but first let me give orders about
my horse, and for my groom when he returns."

It only took a few minutes to arrange these
things and to gather up our belongings; and we
started.  I stopped for a few minutes at the house
where the wounded child lay and gave his mother a
coin or two to pay for necessities, as I had seen the
poverty of the place.  I also stopped for a moment to
say a word to the priest, and ask him to look after
the child.  Then I rejoined the others, who had
walked slowly on.

"Monsieur loves children?"

"Indeed, yes."

"Perhaps you have some of your own?"

"I am unmarried, mademoiselle."

We walked a little way in silence, I could feel my
companion taking stock of me.

"Might I know the names of those to whom I am
so indebted?"

"Why, of course, how stupid of me to
forget--Mr. Neville, and I am Victor Stevens."

"But not English, too, surely?"

"No, I am a Rudarlian."

"Then I ought to hate you."

"Not so, since we are no longer enemies."

"Nor are we friends.  Ah, I wonder whether you
know to what extent this country suffers."

"In what way, mademoiselle?  I thought the
terms of peace were not ungenerous."

"No, indeed, they were far from that, but even so
the people suffer, by the extra taxation entailed.
Oh, I know that Bornia declared war, but it was
the fault of a corrupt Court, not the wish of the
people."

"That may be so, but still I do not see why there
should be enmity between the two nations; rather
should the leniency of the terms of peace augment
the friendship that brave foes should have for one
another.  It is not as though we had demanded part
of Bornia's territory, we merely regained our own
province."

"I know, I know!  Please don't think that we
are ungrateful, but it hurts me so to think of many
precious lives being lost, and so much treasure wasted
to satisfy the venom of one man."

"You mean?"

"Why, Prince Alexis; it is common property
that he and his clique engineered the war.  He is
dead, so we must speak no ill of him, but he was at
the bottom of everything.  I believe it was his
personal hatred to King Victor which made him go
to the lengths he did.  But there, do not let us
spoil our walk, tell me of your King; you know him,
perhaps?"

"Mr. Neville has spoken to him many times," I said.

"Oh, please tell me of him; I am afraid that he is
too perfect from all accounts."

"You have set me a hard task, to describe him
would take too much thought for an old man,
mademoiselle; but I may tell you that he is not
ugly, and possesses certain good qualities."

"He is a good King, and--messieurs, you have
told me your names, and courteously refrained from
asking me for mine.  I am Princess Irma, eldest
daughter of the King of Bornia."

"Your Royal Highness has our homage and
thanks," said Mr. Neville, bowing.

"Ah, please no ceremony, forget my rank, and
just think of me as the girl you so bravely saved.
But I had to tell you."

As for myself, I was too astonished to say a word,
my longing for romance had indeed been answered
with a vengeance; but it had placed me in rather a
queer position, for I could not now retain my
incognito with any feelings of satisfaction: it would
hardly be honourable.  I must tell her, of course, but
it was not the thought of that which made my blood
course so strongly through my veins, it was a gust of
sheer delight that I had at last met one whom I
could treat as an equal, who could be my companion
and whom, if it was so willed, I could learn to love.
My eyes swept over her perfect figure as she turned
from Mr. Neville to me.  Her carriage was magnificent,
with the grace and dignity which became a
Princess, and the womanly charm and sweetness
which became her sex; her whole expression was
radiant with youth and the joy of living.

"Princess, I must crave forgiveness for having
deceived you.  I told you my name was Victor
Stevens, I am----"

"King Victor II. of Rudarlia.  Your Majesty
must think me strangely obtuse, to have imagined
that a shaven moustache could hide his identity."

And this delightful girl went off into a peal of
laughter, in which after a moment Mr. Neville and
myself joined.

"Your eyes are too keen, Princess," I said.

"I knew your Majesty's face so well that I
recognised you almost immediately."

"But surely we have never met before?"

"No, but I have seen your photograph many times."

"And I yours, but I did not know you."

"That is hardly to be wondered at, as the Court
photographers are notorious flatterers."

"And yet you knew me?"

"Your Majesty is a much more important person
than I, and therefore more easily to be remembered."

"May I ask where you are staying, Princess?
There is no Royal residence near here, is there?"

"No, I am visiting the family of one of the
ladies-in-waiting."

"I was wondering how far we might accompany
you; for, although you have been so kind with
regard to my nationality, others might be less so."

"Prince de Sagresse is one of your Majesty's
admirers; he does not belong to the Court."

"Then, Princess, you have no objection to our
walking as far as his gates with you?"

"It will be a pleasure to me," she said shyly.
"But will not your Majesty come farther than the
gates?  The Prince would be highly honoured."

"I shall be delighted."

"And Mr. Neville?"

"Mr. Neville has given a great deal of his life to
me, Princess, he would not now interfere with my
happiness."

This sounded so like a compliment that our
companion blushed slightly.  I, however, did not
mean it to be such, for to me it was a great delight
to have some one of my own age, to whom I could
talk naturally without the necessary thought that
I was the King.  It was an experience that was
absolutely novel, and I knew that I should enjoy
myself immensely.  Besides which, there was the
reason for my tour to be considered, and I confess to
feeling very much interested in Princess Irma.

I fancy we all felt rather sorry when the turreted
wall of the old château came in sight; the two miles
had proved very short ones, and almost before we
knew it we were standing near the gate.

The situation, from my point of view, was not
uninteresting, for I had not the least idea as to how
the old Bornian noble would receive the King of a
country which such a short while before had been
hostile.  We had not long to wait, however; for,
as we came in sight of the terraces in front of the
house, an old white-haired gentleman came down
them to greet the Princess, his face betraying a
slight, well-bred surprise upon seeing her on foot,
and accompanied by two gentlemen, both of whom
were strangers to him.

We fell a little behind, as the Princess explained
to her host the incident which had brought about
our acquaintance.  She then evidently explained
who we were, for he came towards us with every
mark of pleasure and diffidence.

I stepped forward and held out my hand.

"Prince, Her Royal Highness has perhaps told
you, that, having accompanied her to your gate, we
pressed for the pleasure of an introduction to her
host."

"Your Majesty honours me by expressing such a
desire.  As it is, my house and household are at your
service; the longer your Majesty will make use of it,
the greater our delight."

"For an hour or two, Prince, if we may; so that
we can become better acquainted."

We did not carry a great deal of unnecessary
clothing with us; so, after making ourselves as
presentable as we could, we were conducted to a
delightful room gay with flowers, and which gave
evidence of feminine occupation.  One of those
comfortable rooms in which you feel at home
immediately, with no stiff chairs to make you think
of ceremony.  From a big divan, smothered in
cushions, a girl uncoiled herself as we entered;
uncoiled is rather an unkind word to use, but it was
gracefully done, and swiftly.  Her face looked
familiar to me, and for a little while I could not
recollect where I had seen it; she was an extremely
beautiful girl--suddenly it flashed across my mind.
I looked again and remembered.

"I would ask your Majesty's permission to
present my daughter Sonia."

"We have already met, Prince; have we not,
mademoiselle?"

"Oh!" she cried, after looking at me intently.

"How is the ankle?" I asked gravely.

"Oh!" and then to her father, who looked
slightly puzzled, she said, "You remember that I
hurt myself when staying on the Garude, father?
It was His Majesty who helped me and was so kind."

"I lost a handkerchief, I remember," I said,
laughing.

"I have it yet.  I kept it as a souvenir."

"I only had the memory of a delightful afternoon
to keep, mademoiselle."

"Then I had the best of it, as I had the
handkerchief as well."

I was just going to make some laughing reply to
this when I caught Mr. Neville's eye.  There was a
distinctly quizzical look in it, and it flashed across
me that I had spoken to him about a girl on a
mossy river bank, in terms which I could not now
recall without reflecting on the folly of extreme youth.
I remembered how, at that time, I seemed to be
absolutely wrapped up in Sonia, how I imagined
that without her my whole life must inevitably be
wrecked: and now?  Well, she was a charming,
beautiful girl, but I did not even fancy that I was in
love with her.

At this moment the Princess returned.  She had
made a rapid change in her toilette, and clad in
some light-coloured gown she looked radiant, even
beside Sonia, whom many, or rather most people,
would have called the more beautiful.

The hour that I had intended to stay passed all
too quickly, it ran into two, three, four, without my
being aware of the lapse of time.  Tea had been
brought out to the terrace where we were sitting;
and, after the days we had spent in not over-clean
inns, the delicate linen and china and perfect service
were very acceptable; but it was the charming
company which was the greatest delight.

The Princess and I had worked out to the satisfaction
of both of us, or nearly so, our exact degree
of relationship.  We differed, I remember, on the
point of whether it was tenth or eleventh cousinship,
three times removed; Mr. Neville finally solving
it in his quiet, dry way, when we appealed to him.

"It is simplicity itself; you are undoubtedly
Uncle and Aunt."

Some little while after this, Sonia made a remark
about the beauty of the sky; and I realised, then,
how long we had been sitting there--it was past six
o'clock.  Upon rising to take my leave of them, I
felt genuinely sorry, so much so that when the
Prince remarked that the roads were very bad, that
it was a good twelve miles to the next town, and
that they would consider it the highest honour if I
would spend the night there, I only hesitated for a
moment before accepting their offer.

I did not hesitate longer, because I knew that, even
if I wanted to, I should find it very difficult to tear
myself away from an atmosphere that was so happy
and delightful.

As I resumed the seat that I had vacated, I was
ridiculously glad to see the pleased smile with which
Princess Irma greeted my decision.

After a dinner which was only ceremonious by the
attendance, for our costumes were not those of full
evening dress, we strolled out to enjoy the
perfection of the moonlit garden.

I do not remember ever having felt so extraordinarily
happy before, I am almost sure that the moon
must have had an effect upon me, for I went to my
room that night in a state of mind bordering upon
the hilarious.  I had a few minutes' conversation
with Mr. Neville before turning in; I fancy he was
as pleased to see me happy as nothing else could
have made him.

"My dear old tutor, isn't she splendid?"

He looked at me gravely, and without twitching
a muscle answered:

"She is one of the most beautiful girls I have ever
seen, I no longer wonder that the idea of kingship
was abhorrent to you."

"Eh?"

"It must have been a terrible wrench to give up
all thought of her; and to think that she retains
your handkerchief, it is really romantic, but rather
pathetic."

"I don't mean Sonia."

"No?"

There was infinite surprise in his voice.  I looked
at him quickly--a twinkle had crept into his eyes.

"You knew that I did not mean Sonia quite
well, but don't you think the Princess is simply
ripping?"

"Yes, I do, my dear boy, Her Royal Highness
seems to be a very noble type of womanhood."

"I say, do you think it is worth while going to
Sonale?"

"There are three other sisters."

"I don't care if there are forty.  I don't want to
see them now; but I do want to stay on here for a
few days, and I know the Prince would be very
pleased.  Suppose we do."

"It would be most agreeable, Victor."

"Then we will," I said.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`CHAPTER XVI`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER XVI

.. vspace:: 2

The next morning was so fine and sunny
that I was out of bed before five o'clock.
I dressed quickly and walked over to the
village of Stranz.

Early as my visit was, the inhabitants were astir,
the wounded boy better.  His bandages were tied in
so professional a manner that I asked the mother
where she had learnt.

"It was not I, Excellency, but the surgeon.  He
came last evening and is to come again.  The lady
whose horse fell down had him sent for, may the
good God bless her!"

This was good news to me, for it proved that the
Princess had not been so unconcerned as I had
imagined her to be, and I love to see women fond of
children.  Her apparent coolness had been rather a
disappointment.  Now, however, when I thought it
over, I saw how much wiser she had been to send for
some one whose duty it was to attend to such cases
rather than attempt anything herself.  Also, there
had been so many women about to offer their
sympathy and advice that hers would have been
little appreciated.

Thinking over this, and other things, I walked
back to the château.

It was eight o'clock when I came down for the
second time that morning.  I went out on to the
terrace, and found the Princess and her host deep in
conversation.

"Your Majesty is an early riser," he said, after
we had shaken hands.

"Generally, and this morning was so lovely that
I could not waste it, and so went for a walk in the
cool hours."

"Has your Majesty been out before, then?"

"Yes, I walked over to Stranz, where I found the
wounded boy progressing well with every hope of a
speedy recovery, thanks to Her Royal Highness's
kindly thought."

The Princess blushed, then she gave a little laugh.

"I could do nothing myself, you know."

"Except think of the very best thing to be done,"
I said.

"You are kind, but then I think you must be
always so."

"It is not always possible, Princess."

"But you are generally, and so I am going to ask
a favour for my host: it is that your Majesty will
stay for a few days here if you can spare the time."

"This is my holiday, Prince, and I am for once
my own master, so I will accept your invitation with
great pleasure, but only on condition that you do
not alter your accustomed routine of life.  Let me
remain Mr. Stevens as hitherto, for I think it would
be unwise to publish the fact that I am staying
here.  Of course I must let my Ministers know.
Mr. Neville will see to that, and also secure some more
suitable apparel, if you will lend him the means to
reach Askoff."

"Your Majesty does me much honour," said the
old gentleman, who was evidently greatly pleased
with the alacrity with which I had accepted his
invitation.  I have often wondered since whether he
had seen how much I enjoyed the company of the
Princess, and whether she had hinted that we
might stay if invited.

For two days we lived the ordinary life of the
château, and I was as happy as I have ever been.
It was all so new to me, for, although there had
been my own home-life in England, this was far
more intimate than mine had ever been; or perhaps
it was simply that now I thought about it, and before
I had not.  Whatever it was, it made me wish to
have a home-life of my own.

I am afraid that I victimised the Princess, for I
demanded a great deal of her time.  I was greedy
for her company, I revelled in the presence of so fair
a companion; but all the time, happy though I was,
there lurked the question: am I to leave her behind
and retain but a memory?  I debated this point
with myself over and over again: how could I be
sure after so short an acquaintance that I really
cared for her in the way which to my mind was
absolutely necessary?  I, myself, was as certain in
my heart that I had met my match as I could be of
anything, but my brain bade me beware of jumping
to a conclusion before deep meditation.  I knew
that she attracted me physically, that there was a
quality in her personality which answered to a
similar quality in mine, but I did not know whether
I was intoxicated with love or really in love.  Was
I, with youthful inexperience, mistaking the abstract
desire for the reality?

I would try to argue with myself as to my own
feelings, and failed dismally more often than not,
but I know that I invariably ended my mental
researches with the rather naïve question: and
what are her feelings in the matter?  That would
send me down into the depths of despair, and make
me wish that I had gone to Sonale, but the next
moment I regretted such thoughts, and looked upon
them with a feeling of disgust, almost of disloyalty,
for how could I surmise the worst before putting the
question to the person most concerned?

The third day of our visit dawned, and I do not
think it will ever slip from my memory.  To begin
with, the weather was brilliant, gorgeous warm
sunshine even early in the morning, but possessing,
thanks to the altitude, just sufficient snap in the air
to make one feel that it was good to be alive.  I can
recall the pleasant, friendly, good-tempered feeling
at breakfast that morning, how every one there was
as if affected by the sunshine outside, and sparkled
naturally, I think most especially this was the case
with Sonia, who had evidently had news which
delighted her.  The Prince gently chaffed her
about a letter, and then explained to me that his
daughter's fiancé was to be with them for a little
while.

I naturally turned to say something appropriate,
and noticed that her face wore rather a perturbed
expression.

"What is troubling you, Mademoiselle Sonia?"

She blushed faintly, and it was the Princess who
answered for her.

"The young officer in question is one of your
Majesty's subjects; perhaps, in respect of your
incognito, it were as well that he should be stopped."

"One of my officers, is he?  That explains the
kindness shown to me.  Love me, love my
king! eh?"  I looked at the Princess and noticed a
twinkle in her eye.  "Perhaps," I continued, "if it
will not disturb your plans too much--er--this
young officer had better not--had better----"  I
waited again as though in perplexity.

The Princess smiled, there was a pitiful look on
Sonia's face.

"I was only going to suggest that he should see
you before he sees me, it will make him less nervous."

Had I been other than a king I firmly believe that
Sonia would have called me "Pig," or something
equally endearing, especially as her father and the
Princess laughed heartily.

I never knew where Mr. Neville vanished to that
morning, but soon after breakfast he disappeared,
and we did not see him again until lunch.  I fancy
he wished me to have the opportunity to spend the
morning once more alone with the Princess, he knew
that I always insisted upon the Prince attending to
his affairs as though I was not there as a guest, and
he also knew that Sonia would not be likely to be in
the way.

It seemed perfectly natural to me when I found
myself alone with the Princess, seated beneath a
great tree in the garden with nothing to do but
enjoy myself; and yet up to these last few days I
had had little time in my life for idleness.  As a
matter of fact, I don't as a rule like to be lazy, but
this morning I felt that I should have slain anyone
who proposed doing anything.  I wanted to be
quite slack, with nothing to do but delight in my
companion, a frame of mind which I found ridiculously
easy to fall into.  So there we sat, I am afraid
without thought, on my part, of any desire to move
that my companion might have had.  I was for the
time absolutely selfish, and, what is more, I felt as
though I exulted in it.  I sat and watched the
Princess's face; it was well worth it, it was so
fascinating with its constant change of expression.
Our conversation was for the most part trivial, light
and yet interesting, for to know people well, the
lighter side of their natures must be studied as well
as the more serious, and I was desirous to know all I
could about the Princess.  Presently I said:

"Tell me about Sonia's fiancé, Princess, do you
like him?"

"Very much indeed, he seems to be a splendid
fellow and absolutely devoted to Sonia."

"Which is quite understandable."

"What do you wish to know about him?"

"Well, I should like to know his name, and what
regiment he belongs to, and anything else which you
think might interest me."

"His name is Boris von Landsberg, and he is a
lieutenant in a dragoon regiment now quartered in
Garace; he is very good-looking."

"So is Sonia, they will make a handsome couple.
Is it to be soon?"

"I am afraid not very soon."

"That's a pity; may I ask why?"

"Simply lack of fortune, I believe."

"That's a pity."

"Yes, but you see, although Landsberg is of a
very old and distinguished family, it has never been
a wealthy one; and Sonia's father has told me quite
frankly that his means will not permit of his doing
more than help at present."

"I can understand that, as he seems to have a
great number of people dependent upon his bounty."

"So they will have to wait, I am afraid."

"It's a pity," I said again.

"I think so, but there are so many cases which
seem pitiable to me.  However, I have a very finite
mind, and so perhaps look at them in the wrong way."

"I fancy we are all inclined to limit our vision, and
not seek to discover the lessons to be learnt by
adversity."

"That is quite true, but I am afraid it is not
the philosophy likely to appeal to lovers, and the two
we are speaking of are very fond of each other."

"Something might be done in their case, I hope;
at least I will see if it is possible."

"Oh, will you help them?"

"Would you be pleased, Princess?"

"Indeed, yes; for, next to my sisters, I love Sonia."

"Then I must do what I can."

"You *are* good.  I don't wonder that you are beloved."

"Blatant flattery, Princess, which makes me
blush, a thing which I assure you is extremely bad
for me."

"Do you often suffer in that way?"

"Not very; Mr. Neville sees to that."

"What a nice man he is."

"One of the finest characters I have ever met;
one of the staunchest friends a man ever had."

"He is devoted to you."

"He must be to have put up with my whims for
so many years."

"Have you many?"

"Quite a number."

"Then, be really interesting and tell me some."

"You must be prepared for terrible shocks, now
listen: I am romantic, a fatal mishap in a king, one
liable to lead him into all sorts of trouble."

"In what way?"

"Well, you know how a king is bound by rules
and regulations, some dating from the stone age.  I
want to break them all, I want to establish
precedents for royalty, such as the right to sneeze
without a chamberlain to assist.  And then, think of
how much might be done to lighten the lives of those
royalties who are not in the highest positions; the
really worthy members who devote their lives to
opening things, I don't mean boxes of sardines or
anything like that, but hospitals, exhibitions, etc."

"There is, I am afraid, a certain flippancy in the
air this morning; I shall catch it soon, if you
continue."

"That would be terrible, Princess.  Just imagine,
if you can, the feelings of the staid members among
my people, how shocked they would be to think that
their monarch was ever natural.  You see what
cause there is for my whims."

"They would write long letters to the papers
entitled 'Should Kings be Flippant?' or 'Should
Kings Smile?'" chimed in my companion.

"And the editor would invite his readers to discuss
the matter in his columns, thus supplying himself
with copy free of charge; one can see in that the
work of an immutable providence, decreeing that
nothing in the way of effort shall be wasted."

"And what else would you do to lighten the lot
of royalty, besides allowing them to sneeze unaided?"

"There are three heads to my next thought, which
I will place in the following order--Life, Death, and
Love."  I am afraid that I paused a little longer
than was absolutely necessary after the last word,
then I continued, "To be a really good royal
person, it is required that Life should be lived
according to the rules and regulations appertaining
to that station in life.  Now, supposing that three
great nobles have the right to pull off your stocking
when you retire; that is quite excellent in its way,
but there are drawbacks, for instance: for three
men to pull at one stocking necessitates the
possession of big feet by the king, then----"

"Oh, stop, stop, please!  These terrible pictures
which you conjure up are most upsetting."

"Very well, let us discuss the next head--Death.
Again, there, we see the power of the Press; a royal
person must always say something suitable as 'Last
Words.'  That is the only way in which Grand
Opera resembles real life, for, in operatic death
scenes, the dying person always sings the most
difficult note just as the breath leaves the body."

"You are becoming morbid."

"Then I had better close the discourse, for if I
become morbid over death, I--but there, I will not
bore you."

"Oh, please, do, I am really interested in your
views on life."

"You are not a society reporter by any chance,
in disguise, are you?"

"No, but it must be rather a fascinating life, they
see so much more beauty in the world than ever
exists."

"How unkind to the ladies."

"Very, but I am waiting for your last--what
shall I call it?"

"Well, I described it as 'Head,' but perhaps we
might call it 'Heart.'"

"And what have you to say about that?"

"Only that it always seems such a pity that
royalty must love to order."

"It would be better, I think, if you said marry to
order, for surely love is one of those things which
we cannot really control."

"Mr. Neville might know, Princess, he is a
walking encyclopædia, but I cannot say, having had
no experience."

"How sad, poor King!  Has there been no one
to touch your heart?"

"Well, once I thought I was really in love, but I
was not."

"Dear me, you said that very emphatically."

"Did I?  It must be because I am so certain about it."

"Do tell me about it, or would it awaken fond
memories best forgotten?"

"I fear that I should become morbid--but there,
I might as well tell you, in spite of the fact that I
no longer love her; yet the recollection of our last
parting makes me always sad.  Perhaps you have
noticed the streak of melancholy in my nature."

"Of course I have, especially to-day."

"We were torn asunder, a woman came between us----"

"Poor King!" said the Princess, shaking her
head sadly.  "And what did you do?"

"I rebelled, I fought, I lost my temper, refused to
take my food, sobbed in my agony, cried
imploringly to those who parted us.  Alas, it was of
no avail, I was torn by force from her loving arms
and deposited in my cot; for I was only three, and
my love was the nurse, who had in some way
offended my mother."

"I really did not know you could be so facetious,
and I think it a shame to work my feelings up to such
a pitch, make me ready to weep tears of pity, and
then let me down with such a jar; you really might
be a modern novelist."

"Well, well, well! what a lot of nonsense we are
talking; you will observe that my innate modesty
prevents me from taking all the credit."

We interlarded our frivolity with spasms of
sensible conversation, and I learnt many things
which I had wanted to know, some of which surprised
me; one of them was that the Princess had been
about to become engaged to that hound Alexis.  I
thanked God that he was dead, for the mere
contemplation of such a thing was insulting to her.  She
told me that she had not been asked about the
matter, that she had been brought up with the idea of
marrying him, and that really she had never given
the matter serious consideration, as from earliest
girlhood she had been told that all marriages were
for the good of the State, that is, all royal marriages.
I asked her whether she had any idea whom her
father now wished her to marry, and she told me
that she did not know, but supposed it would be
some grand duke or German princeling.  I vowed
in my heart that such an appalling fate should not
be hers if I could help it, for I knew something of the
terrible and stupid etiquette of such Courts:
soul-grinding rules and regulations which stamp out
individuality and forbid happiness.

I have never been able to discover the use of
out-of-date etiquette, and I have always striven to
abolish it in my own Court, whenever the reason for
its existence was lost in the mist of ages.

To return, however, to my companion and myself.
We were enjoying the morning immensely; I make
it a plural statement for the simple reason that the
Princess told me she was.  We were like two
children on a holiday, and when I suggested that
titles were formal, and that we each knew the other's
Christian name, and that cousinship, however
remote, allowed the use of them, she agreed, and
from then we were "Irma" and "Victor" to each other.

"Irma is a pretty name," I said.

"Victor is a pretty name," mimicking me.

At which we both laughed, for my disgust at
having anything pretty about me was apparent.

Presently our host and Sonia joined us, and the
conversation grew more serious, and widened
considerably.  The Prince was interested in a series
of experiments he was making with regard to
agriculture, and I found his theories more than
worthy of being listened to.  Mr. Neville joined us,
and as usual added his sound views to our
discussion; his remarks were always apt, reaching to
the core of the question, and his vast store of
knowledge almost invariably threw light on some
knotty point.

The sound of a galloping horse drew our attention,
and I saw that Sonia showed signs of agitation, so
surmised correctly that Boris von Landsberg had
arrived.  Presently the Prince brought him up and
presented him to me, and I found that the report
I had received did not belie him, for he was a
strikingly handsome man, about my own age.  He
was a trifle confused when presented, and his face
seemed vaguely familiar, but it was only later in the
day that I recalled where I had met him.

For an hour or two after lunch, we amused
ourselves with some rare old books and manuscripts
which the Prince had collected.  I need hardly say
that we had excused Landsberg from such arduous duty.

I took the opportunity, when Mr. Neville had left
the room for some reason, to speak to the Prince
about Landsberg.

"Prince," I said, "Her Royal Highness has told
me something of the facts regarding your daughter's
engagement to Landsberg, and I should like, if I
knew that it was your wish, to do what I could to
make the union possible."

"It has always been my dearest wish that they
should marry, your Majesty, but unfortunately I am
so placed, that it is impossible for me to give
financial assistance, that is, of course, enough.
When matters are settled down, I hope, however, to
be able to do so.  Landsberg is himself practically
dependent upon his pay, with, perhaps, a couple of
hundred pounds private income; now, although I
am not a snob, I do not wish my only daughter to
live in a state of genteel poverty.  It may be simply
false pride upon my part, but we are an old family,
and----"

"Say no more, Prince, I understand perfectly and
have only deep respect for such pride; now will you
let me confide in you?  What I wish to say is this:
I myself am bound for state reasons to marry soon;
and, with that thought in my head, I would like
above all things to have your daughter in my wife's
entourage."

"Your Majesty honours me too greatly; my
daughter could not be at any Court more noble than
yours will be, and I thank your Majesty most
sincerely."

"Then you will allow me to make it possible for
them to marry?"

"I shall take pride in the fact that my daughter
is your Majesty's subject."

"Thank you, Prince, then I must see what I can do."

When we joined the others in the garden, I took
Landsberg aside to a quiet corner, where we could
talk without interruption, and said:

"I congratulate you, your betrothed is a most
charming girl."

"I have the honour to share your Majesty's
opinion," he answered.

"It seems to me, though, that as you are only at
present a lieutenant your marriage must be
postponed for some time."

"Unfortunately that is the case, your Majesty."

"You know I don't approve of officers marrying
until they have reached the rank of captain, the
majority of them have no time to do anything but
learn."

"Yes, your Majesty."

"Now from what I have learned of you, I gather
that you love your profession.  Am I right?"

"With all my heart."

"H'm! what would Mademoiselle say to that?"

"She is already jealous of my profession, your Majesty."

"Well, well!  Now listen to me, Landsberg.
You know I am against favouritism in my army, but
in my Guards I appoint my own officers; that being
so, I intend to offer you a captaincy in that regiment
as soon as you have passed the examination for that rank."

He gave a cry of joy, but before he could say
anything I continued:

"One minute more before you thank me.  A
captaincy in the Guards carries with it a certain
increase in pay; there are also posts which are
generally filled from the Guards, I mean those of
military secretaries, they also have the good side of
extra pay to them.  I shall appoint you to one which
is now vacant, and I think with a little economy you
can then marry; I think, too, that you will still
have time to do your duty to your wife."

A sob broke from him, and for a moment I feared
he would break down, but he recovered himself.

"How can I thank your Majesty?  You save my
life first, and then add to that by giving me so much."

"Save your life?" I was frankly puzzled.

"I was the officer whom your Majesty carried out
of fire near the bridge of Atar."

"I thought your face was familiar, Landsberg,
and I am pleased that my efforts were so successful.
No, no, don't try to say any more, say all that to
Mademoiselle."

He stayed where he was, for I promised to send
Sonia to him; so when I regained the others I said
to her:

"There is some one at the end of the shrubbery
who has something terribly important to say to you,
mademoiselle; I think he has found a four-leaved
clover or something."

I sat down next to my host.

"Prince, I have lost no time in doing what I
promised, as I do not know when I shall be recalled;
I have therefore done my best to upset your
household arrangements by making Landsberg a captain
in my Guards, and one of my military secretaries.
This will be confirmed as soon as he has passed his
examination, and then, of course, the matter rests
with you.  Let us walk a little, shall we?"

He was very affected by what he considered the
honour and kindness I had shown him, and I thought
that out of sight of the others he might recover
himself more quickly.  I do not think that he had
ever had much consideration from his own countrymen,
although he had done a great deal for them.
He was a splendid nobleman, both by rank and nature.

Having played the part of good fairy to the best
of my ability, I once again turned my thoughts to
my own affairs, which, strange to say, centred upon
the Princess, and I was thinking of her when I
rejoined the group in the garden.

I found an extraordinary amount of agitation
where I had left the Princess and Mr. Neville talking
quietly.  Sonia, radiant and tearful, Boris von
Landsberg beside himself with joy, Mr. Neville
smiling broadly, with his eternal quizzical
expression, and the Princess--I don't know how to
describe the expression upon her face, it was
indefinable, there was joy in it at the others' happiness,
yet there was a tinge of sadness there too.  She
glanced at me as I came up, but I could not read the
mystery of that look, I had no skill in reading a
woman's thoughts in her eyes.

"I know exactly what you want to say, mademoiselle,
but there is no time before tea, and after
that we have to dress for dinner, so let us forget
about it.  No, I mean it--well, there, if you must.
Now the other hand is jealous, so you must kiss
that, too."

We were a merry party at tea that afternoon, for
the joy of the engaged couple was contagious, and
none of us were really sober-minded until it was
time to dress; then I received a shock, for
Mr. Neville came into my room with me.

"Have you enjoyed your day, Victor?" he asked,
smiling.

"Immensely, thanks."

"Good! and when did you propose leaving?"

"The day after to-morrow; why?"

"Because there was this from Zeula.  I did not
give it to you before, not wishing to spoil your day,
but he seems to think you are really needed."

I read the letter he handed to me; it was of
importance.

"We must leave to-morrow early," I said.

"How shall we travel?"

"We will ride to Ruln, it will be the quickest way."

"Horses?"

"The Prince will lend us some."

"We can do it in a day if we start early and catch
the night train.  I am sorry, my boy, that your
holiday has been spoilt."

"Spoilt?  Not a bit, I have enjoyed it tremendously."

"We have not been to Sonale."

"Damn Sonale!"

At which he smiled and left me.

I began my preparations.  As a rule, I dress very
quickly, but to-night nothing went right; my studs
slipped on to the floor in the maddening way which
studs have, and could only be discovered after a long
and temper-trying search, but the worst offender
amongst my garments was my tie; with that I
wrestled for a quarter of an hour at least, then I
looked at myself in the glass and said out loud,
"She may not care for me," which explains my want
of success--my mind was concentrated on something else.

Did she care for me? could she care for me? would
she care for me? was it possible to make her
care for me as I did for her?  I knew by then that I
was in love.  I also knew that I wanted to ask Irma
to marry me, and there I stuck and realised that I
was afraid.

I tried to tie a neat bow, and failed; again, with
the same result; then I tore the offending strip of
material off and threw it away from me.  I remember
feeling grieved that it did not travel far through the
air, and, as soon as I realised I felt that about it,
my sense of humour came to my rescue, and I
roared with laughter at my own stupidity.  Picking
up the tie, I tried again with immediate success, so
the strip of fabric did grace my royal neck after all.

I asked the Prince whether he could let us have
horses early next morning, as I had been recalled,
and after having promised them he expressed his
sorrow at our departure:

"Loyal Bornian as I am, your Majesty, I have
grieved sometimes lately that I was not born a
Rudarlian."

"I wish well that it had been so, Prince; but,
now that your daughter will be living in Karena,
you must look upon it as your second home."

Dinner was not as satisfactory a meal as tea had
been; for the life of me I could not frivol as I had
done, and Sonia and Landsberg, I fancy, were too
happy; the other three did nobly, however.  When
the Prince asked me how far we expected to get the
next day, I said as far as Ruln, and looked
instinctively at the Princess.  I don't know what I
hoped, perhaps that she would give some sign of her
feelings, but she only looked up swiftly and said:

"Are you leaving us then?"

"Yes," I answered cheerfully, although my heart
had sunk to my boots.  "You see I am not allowed
too long a holiday, for fear that I should get lost."

"I am sorry, I was going to propose a ride to
Shesaks Towers to-morrow."

"I'm afraid that must be a pleasure deferred, Princess."

"For how long, until you are too old to climb properly?"

She smiled her question, and my heart went
right through the floor; but I managed to answer
her smile and say lightly:

"I hope before then, in fact I am thinking of
asking Landsberg to take my place and let me have his."

"God forbid, your Majesty," said that young
man, looking at Sonia.

"Oh, I don't mean now, Landsberg."

A remark which caused laughter and enabled me
to recover; it also changed the subject.

I own to being small-minded and ridiculous, but
I felt piqued at the apparent indifference with which
Irma greeted the news of our departure, and so, to
add to my folly, instead of going into the garden after
dinner, I proposed a game of billiards to the Prince,
and he, thinking no doubt that I meant it, fell in
with the suggestion, so that instead of spending my
last evening in the company of Irma, a good deal of
it was spent knocking silly ivory or bonzoline balls
about with a silly piece of wood.

Mr. Neville came in after we had played for some
time, and remarked that it was a most lovely night,
that it was as fine a moon as we had had that year,
or something like that.  Every remark was a hint
that we had played long enough, but I refused to see,
or pay any attention, until at last he said:

"We shall have to say good-bye to-night, as we are
starting so early."

Only then did I realise what an ill-tempered cub
I was; and, when the game ended, proposed we
should join the others.

However, the Prince excused himself, as it was
later than usual, so I went out by myself.  I saw
no one on the terrace where we generally sat, so
concluded that they had gone down the garden, and
was about to follow and try to find them, when a
voice said:

"Well, Victor, who won?"

I turned quickly, and there was the Princess
seated in a big arm-chair, in the shadow of a trailing
mass of jasmine and roses which hung over the
terrace.

She was alone, so I drew up another chair beside hers.

"You see I have come to bore you again, Irma,"
I said lightly.

"I wonder?" she answered, and then continued,
"Did you have some good games?"

"Very."  I added "Liar" under my breath.

"Isn't it a perfectly gorgeous night?  Even I feel
less prosaic under such a moon."

"You are not prosaic, are you?"

"Good gracious me, yes, I have no chance of being
anything else, and am not sure that I could be if I
tried ever so hard."

"Nonsense."

"I assure you it isn't.  I wish it were, for then I
could dream all kinds of lovely things, instead of
thinking about my meals and clothes."

I felt suddenly chilled, without any reason that I
knew of, save the fact that I could not seem to get
into touch with this mood of hers.  It was a few
minutes before I essayed another remark.

"I wonder when we shall meet again."

"Oh, we are sure to meet somewhere some day,
people always do, it is such a small world really.  I
wish you could come to Sonale, I'm sure you would
find a great deal to interest you, and I know you
would like my sisters."

"I'm sure I should."

I did not put much fervour into my voice; and
Irma evidently noticed it, for she turned the subject.

"What time do you leave to-morrow, Victor?"

"We are starting about four, it will be light by
then, and I hate riding a horse hard."

Another pause, and then:

"You are very brave, aren't you, Victor?"

"Good Lord, no!  Why?"

"Landsberg told us how you saved his life."

"The deuce he did! well, I must warn him not to
tell anyone else, and I hope you will keep it dark."

"Of course if you wish it, but why so modest?"

"I'm not particularly so, but what I did was
nothing much really, and it was in the heat of
action."

"According to Boris, it was something very brave."

"Dangerous perhaps; but, as I did not realise the
danger at the time, there is so much the less credit."

"Well, I think it was very brave."

"That is kind of you, Irma."

"I want to thank you for what you are doing for
Sonia and Boris von Landsberg; she has confided
to me that she will have to live in Karena."

"I hope she will be happy there, when I am
married the Court will be gayer."

"Oh, I do congratulate you, I had heard nothing
of your engagement."

She held out her hand, and laughed merrily.

"Oh, it isn't settled yet," said I lamely, and
subsided into silence.

I felt terribly unhappy and cold, all my joy of the
day had vanished and I sat among the ruins of the
edifice of love which I had built up; it was as if
something had blotted out the moon and plunged
me into darkness.  Her delight at the thought of my
being engaged had done it; now I knew that she did
not care, and I was miserable.

The laughter of Sonia and Landsberg, as they
walked up the path towards the house, drew our
attention and put a stop to any chance there might
have been for me to get back to a normal condition.
As it was, we soon parted for the night, nay more, for
we should not see them on the morrow.

As I shook hands with the Princess, I reddened
underneath my skin with the effort that I had to
make to prevent myself taking her in my arms
before them all, and proclaiming aloud that I loved
her better than all the world.  Poor little King,
with all your power, with all your pride, you were a
pitiable coward before the bright eyes of the girl
you loved; and deserved to be miserable.

What a terrible night I spent; hours of restless
tossing in a comfortable bed, hours of self-reproach,
and despair, until at last I fell asleep.

Mr. Neville and I, after a hasty breakfast and an
almost affectionate good-bye to our host, who had
turned out to bid us farewell, rode away from the
château.  As we passed the wing in which the
Princess had her apartments, I looked up at the
windows, and hugged myself with joy to see a hand
wave us a last greeting, and hear a sweet voice call
out:

"*Bon voyage!*"





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.. _`CHAPTER XVII`:

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   CHAPTER XVII

.. vspace:: 2

My joy, however, was transitory.  That
Irma should have taken the trouble to
wave to us at that hour in the morning,
was little more than a friendly act, although at first
I had thought differently.  My companion and I
rode in silence; he never asked questions of a
personal nature, although he was as curious as the
best of us.  At any rate we rode along without
exchanging a word.

I left the route to him as I knew he would have
worked it out before starting.  Ideal companion, he
let me ride along quietly, never disturbing my train
of thoughts, except to say "right," or "left," as
the case might be.  At first, after the faint flush of
joy at Irma's friendly adieu, I grew more and
more despondent, and held to my villainous bad
temper for a long time, but presently I began to look
at things with a clearer vision, perhaps on account
of the beauty of the day and the exercise.  I began
to see what an ass I had been and was, to have come
away without giving the Princess an inkling of my
feelings towards her.

I went over the conversations we had had together,
and realised that nothing I had said could
have conveyed in the slightest degree the fact that I
was head over ears in love with her.  What had I
expected?  Evidently that she would read my
unspoken thoughts, and immediately throw herself
at me, and say, "Victor, I love you."  The
absurdity of the idea caused me suddenly to roar with
laughter, much to Mr. Neville's relief, for he turned
to me with his quizzical smile and said:

"You are a nice, cheerful companion, Victor."

"I am a particular kind of damned fool."

"In this instance, yes, but we are more to blame
than you are, for it ought to have been part of your
education to have had numerous experiences of a
similar nature.  But still, I don't think there is
anything to worry about, you will do better with the
next one."

"There isn't going to be a next one," I said,
almost fiercely.

"I did not suppose there was," he replied, smiling
to himself.

Once more I was cheerful, and we talked of many
things, laughing and jesting as we had all through
our tour.  In my heart, however, there ran a refrain
which filled me with contentment: "I shall see her
again, I shall see her again," it even seemed to adapt
itself to the sound of our horses' feet.

I shall see her again, ran the refrain; but I did not
know then how soon it would be.

It was good to be back in Karena again, there was
such a friendly feeling there; even the early hour of
our arrival did not prevent a small crowd assembling
to do me honour.  I think to be loved is the nearest
approach to divine happiness that a man can
experience in this funny old world of ours, especially
when he is capable of returning the affection.  This
was so in my case; I really loved all my people, down
to the dirtiest ragged urchin.

It made me feel very proud to think of these good
citizens being so ready to wait and wait, just for the
sake of seeing me flash by in my car, and I hope that
I shall never lose the feeling, for it seems to me that
such pride can do no man any harm, unless he is
untrue to himself, in order to retain the outward
show of his peoples' affection.

Apart, too, from the consideration that I have
mentioned, Karena itself was such a pleasant city;
it was unexpected, full of surprising bits of
architecture, quaint mediæval roofs full of colour, the
slabs of stone seemed to retain the sunshine, and
glowed merrily as one went by.  I do not believe
that I ever felt this more vividly than I did that day,
but then perhaps there was sunshine in my heart,
for had I not come to the conclusion that I was an
unmitigated ass?  I can imagine circumstances
when to arrive at such a conclusion might not give
satisfaction, but, as it was, I was happy about it.

My behaviour that day, I was told, was distinctly
unkinglike.  It was Prince Zeula who imparted this
information, and the reason for it was that I
persisted in calling him "Mr. Smith," and playing little
jokes upon him, childish fun, such as hiding his
pen, and purloining his glasses.  My mother, too,
declared that I was absolutely boisterous, on account
of the heartiness of my kisses, but, as all her dear
face was beaming with delight at my return, I did
not worry about it.

That evening Prince Zeula took Mr. Neville off to
dine with him; I knew what that meant.  I
remained with my mother at her request; I knew
what that meant, too.

We sat out on a balcony overlooking the gardens,
beautifully peaceful and quiet save for the faint
hum of the traffic passing the Palace.  My mother
sat without saying a word, and I wondered how long
her patience would last, as I knew that she was
terribly anxious to know about our trip, that is, the
really interesting part.  It was in keeping with the
mischievous mood I had been in all day that I
religiously refrained from mentioning Irma, until at
last she said:

"And how did you like the Princess?"

"Oh, she is a charming girl," I said lightly.

"So I have heard; it is a pity that your proposed
visit to Sonale was interfered with."

"It was; but Zeula had good reasons for recalling us."

"He generally has good reasons for everything,
hasn't he?"

This astonishing mother of mine then began to
talk of other things, a proceeding which upset my
calculations, for I had intended to make her more
and more curious.  It was disturbing to find that
she did not appear to take any more interest in the
Princess, especially as I was dying to tell her all
about my feelings in the matter.  In vain I tried to
reopen the subject, but no, it was unavailing, and
at length I was obliged to capitulate, and say:

"The Princess is an awfully nice girl."  Which
afterwards I thought particularly tame.

"Yes?"

Oh, the dampening effect of that monosyllable.
I seemed to shrivel up inside, and then I chanced to
glance at my mother's face.  There was a faint,
quizzical smile upon her lips, as she bent forward to
look into the lighted room at her side.

"Well, of all the artful women!"  I shook my
finger at her severely.

"What is the matter, Victor?"

"I do believe that you have been fooling me."

"Did you take me for a stupid woman?"

I went across and knelt at her side; she ran her
fingers through my hair.

"Mother dear, she is the sweetest girl in all the world."

"And?"

"I love her so much."

"And she?"

"I don't know."

"What?"

"I don't know, I did not ask her."

"Why not?"

"I don't know, I think I was too scared."

"Of what?"

"That she might say 'no.'"

My mother gave a little laugh.

"I don't think you need have been afraid, my boy."

"But mother dear, she seemed so pleased to hear
that I was engaged; of course she misunderstood me."

"Tell me about it."

I related what had happened, for every word was
engraved upon my memory, and when I had finished
I said:

"So you see, mother, that I couldn't say anything
then, could I?"

"Of course not, my boy; but I am quite sure
now that you need not have been afraid."

"Do you really think so, mother, or are you
saying that to soothe me?"

"I really mean it, dear."

"I was an ass, wasn't I?"

"No, my boy, for how should you have known
the workings of a woman's mind?"

And, when I thought of it, how could I?

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   \*      \*      \*      \*      \*

.. vspace:: 1



Some two weeks after our return, when the
business I had been recalled for was completed, I
spoke to Woolgast concerning Landsberg's appointment
to the Guards.

"I am thinking--no, in fact I have promised a
young officer of my acquaintance the vacant
captaincy in the Guards.  His name is Landsberg, do
you know him?"

"Is his Christian name Boris, your Majesty?"

"Yes."

"I have known him since childhood; my sister
married his cousin."

"Did you know of his engagement?"

"Yes, your Majesty."

"And the obstacles in their way?"

"Yes, your Majesty."

"Do you like the young man?"

"He is a great favourite of mine, your Majesty."

"Then why did you not mention his name to me
when I asked your opinion the other day about the
appointment?"

"Your Majesty has done so much for me that I
could not ask favours."

I looked at him for a minute; he had astonished
me, that a man could and yet did not.  I fear there
are few in the world like him.

"Very well, General, I shall not forget.  Landsberg
has the appointment, also the secretaryship
which is vacant."

He thanked me gravely and was about to depart,
when I called him back.

"I was going to tell you something, General, but
I think I had better wait a little while yet.  I hope
you will be properly curious."

"If your Majesty finds that I fail in my duty, it
will be through curiosity."

It was some two or three weeks after Captain von
Landsberg first took duty at the Palace that, when
returning to my study one afternoon, I met him
hurrying towards me.  His face showed plainly
that he was extremely upset, and angry.  I stopped
him, and asked whether there was anything the
matter.

"I have just been seeking an audience with your
Majesty."

"Then come with me now."

He followed me in silence, and I could almost feel
his wrath as a physical body.  I felt that something
really serious must have occurred to upset him so
completely, so once we were in my room I bade him
sit down in order to recover himself better, whilst I
turned away to sort some papers.

"Well, Landsberg, what has upset you, and in
what way can I assist you?"

"I came to ask your Majesty for leave of absence."

I raised my eyebrows.  This was quick work,
considering that he had only joined such a short
while.

"I feel sure you have good reasons for your demand;
are they of such a nature that you can confide in me?"

"Yes, your Majesty, I wish for leave of absence
to punish a man who has grossly insulted a lady who
cannot retaliate."

"I can have no duels in Rudarlia."

"Your Majesty, the man I would punish is a
Bornian, or rather he lives in that country."

"No officer in my Guards must be mixed up in
any scandal, Landsberg."

"I assure your Majesty there shall be no scandal,
no one will know my name or anything about me,
and----"

"There is only one lady whose wrongs you have a
right to redress.  Is Mademoiselle Sonia the lady
in question?"

"No, your Majesty."

"No member of your family?"

"No, your Majesty, but it is a lady whom I
revere, and too highly placed to take notice of the
insult."

I frowned, what he had said puzzled me.  Too
highly placed?  Of no one less than Royalty could
that be said.  I began to get cold, how many Royal
persons in Bornia did Landsberg know?

"You must tell me the name of the lady, for she is
evidently Royal, and surely you do not know many
of the Royalty of Bornia."

"No, your Majesty."

"How many do you know?"

"One, your Majesty."

I grew colder, and then hot in a quick flush of
burning rage: some one had insulted my Princess.

"You may tell me about it, Landsberg."

Something in my voice must have startled him,
for he looked up sharply, and hesitated.

"Tell me," I said again.

"It is Princess Irma, your Majesty."

"How was she insulted and by whom?"

"In an article in a paper, may I give it to your
Majesty to read?"

"Have you it with you?"

"It is here, your Majesty."

He pulled a paper from the front of his tunic and
handed it to me.

I turned aside to one of the windows and read.
It was just one of those filthy articles which hint at
scandalous behaviour; articles that are far more
injurious than outspoken libel.  There was nothing
which could be shown up as untrue, but a number
of vague hints at scandal which so many people
gloat over, and remember to regale their friends
with.  The kind of article that causes the sales
manager of a paper to rub his hands gleefully.

I read the thing twice; and, by that time, I was
in such a rage that had the writer been in the room I
should have tried to kill him.

I thought rapidly of the best course to pursue, but
I cannot say whether I decided upon it or not;
however, I was determined that the swine who
wrote it should not escape scot free.  I turned to
Landsberg, and I think my face must have scared
him, for he stammered out something about being
sorry to have distressed me.

"Distressed me?  Why, Landsberg, if you had
not taken notice of this, I think I should have
cancelled your commission.  Now listen to me: the
writer of this is going to be punished, you understand."

"Your Majesty then gives me leave."

"No, not for the purpose you think, but to
accompany me."

"Your Majesty?"

"You will come to Sonale with me."

"Yes, your Majesty."

I saw his eyes gleam.

"It is I who am going to chastise this fellow, not
you, but I must be disguised; you will see to that,
just a beard and a few lines to add to my age.  You
will give orders to have a powerful car ready
to-night, at the side entrance.  Tell no one of what you
know.  I will inform the necessary people."

"And the chauffeur, your Majesty?"

"I will drive, and Bauen will accompany us.
You will, of course, be in mufti, without any mark
by which you could be recognised."

"Yes; at what hour shall I await your Majesty?"

"You may come here at a quarter-past ten, the
car must be ready at the half-hour."

I sent for Zeula.  He noticed my agitation the
moment he entered, and I told him as quietly as I
could of my proposed trip.  He was amazed,
horrified, pleading; and then, as he saw that my
mind was absolutely made up, he gave in.  I believe
in his heart of hearts he would have liked to
accompany me himself.  He put no more obstacles in my
way, and even thought of things which I had
forgotten.  He reminded me that I had better take
my passport made out in the name of Stevens,
supplied me with a good sum of money, in case of
necessity, and finally left me.  I think he saw I
wished to be alone.

I read the article for the third time, and then
locked it in my desk, I was in a mood quite
dangerous enough, without adding fuel to it.  I could
have cried with rage that anyone should even hint
at such things.  I must be careful; the world must
never know that the King of Rudarlia had done
what I proposed to do.  This was not for my own
sake but for Irma's.  Irma must never know, at
least until we were engaged.  I could not let her
suppose that I had chastised this man in order to
gain her gratitude.

Should I make an effort to see her when once in
Sonale?  I had not made up my mind, and yet, if
possible, it would be a good opportunity for me to ask
the question, the answer to which I was longing to
hear.  Since my interview with my mother I had
lost the fear of a refusal, for I had determined to win
her, even though at first it should appear against her
will.

I do not know how the time passed until the
evening came, but somehow it did.  I had desired
that Mr. Neville should come to me, but he could not
be found, which annoyed me, for I wished to confide
in him.

A small parcel had been given to me, which
contained the necessary disguise, and at the time
appointed Captain von Landsberg appeared.

"Help me with this," I said, holding out a stick
of paint.

He dexterously made a few lines on my face,
which, though hardly noticeable, added years to my
age; he also assisted me to fix on the beard, which
was small and pointed.  I looked at myself in a
mirror: the effect was all that I desired.

In ten minutes we were on our way.  At six
o'clock we drew up in front of a small hotel in
Sonale.

We engaged a room in which to breakfast, and wait
until the morning was more advanced.  I doubt if I
had exchanged more than three remarks with my
companion; now, however, I said:

"I want you to go and find out just where the
office of the paper is, and any other information
you care to gather, such as the name of the editor,
and what time he generally arrives, then return
here."

I sat down by the open window to await his
return, and my thoughts were pretty busy.  I
recalled the drive through the night, hour after
hour; the great headlight of the motor, shining first
on one thing then on another, the straying cows
which had so nearly caused a mishap, the luck of
finding an intelligent peasant when we lost our
way; he was well rewarded for being hauled out in
the middle of the night, and I daresay wished that
more people would lose their way.  The amazement
of the frontier guard at the mad English motorist,
the puncture which caused delay, and finally the
hotel where I now sat and waited.  Then my
thoughts switched on to Sonale; it seemed so
strange that I should be here in the Bornian capital,
in the same place where Irma lived.  I wished that I
had asked Landsberg to find out the way to the
Palace, and the next moment was pleased that I
hadn't.  I wondered whether it would be possible to
obtain audience with the Princess without allowing
my identity to become known.  I might do it
through Sonia, I had no doubt that she could get the
Princess to her rooms under some pretext, that is, if
Irma did not wish to see me in her own, for of course
I did not want to hide my identity from her, only
from strangers.  Then I became impatient with
waiting, and walked up and down the room, glancing
every few minutes at my watch.  Half-past nine,
ten, and still he had not returned.  I sincerely hoped
that nothing had happened to Landsberg.  At
about a quarter-past be came in, with a strange
expression on his face.

"Well, I have been all impatience for your arrival."

"I have found out what your Majesty wishes
to know, and more."

"More?"

"Yes, your Majesty, the man who wrote the
article will not be at work for some time."

"What, isn't he in Sonale?"

"He is, your Majesty, but we are too late, some
one has already done what we came to do."

"Damnation!  But who?"

"No one knows, your Majesty, but the fellow
received a most unmerciful thrashing, and will
certainly write no more articles of a similar kind;
he had to be carried home, they told me."

"I must know who did it, so that I can thank
him, although I envy him the doing of it; but you
and I, Landsberg, are not wanted, we had better get
back to Karena."

"Yes, your Majesty."

He looked as though he did not agree with me,
and it flashed across me that he had hoped to catch
a glimpse of his betrothed, but I was in no mood to
be unselfish; since I could not do what I had come
to do, and since I could not think of any way to see
the Princess, I wished to get away from Sonale as
quickly as possible.  I looked at him, he stared
straight in front, without moving a muscle of his
face, bearing his disappointment like the very
gallant gentleman he was, and incidentally setting
an example to me, his King.

"I shall leave here at one o'clock," I said.
"Until then, you had better do some shopping, and
obtain what no other city in the world can give you
at the present time.  Go, don't waste time, and try
to be back punctually; tell them to send me up the
papers."

"I thank your Majesty most gratefully."

His face was all smiles, and I felt pleased that
some one should benefit by our trip.

I tried very hard to make myself believe that I
was pleased that the fellow had been punished, but
I could not get over the desire I had had to send my
fist smashing into his face.  However, I realised that
the chivalry of some man had taken the matter out
of my hands, and that I must wait patiently, reading
the newspapers, until that lucky young devil of a
Guardsman had finished making love and returned to
his King.

Having read the papers, I set about for some
method of amusing, or rather boring myself, and
commenced to whistle somewhat mournfully all the
airs I could recollect; when I hit upon one more than
usually lugubrious, I repeated it several times, much
to my satisfaction.  I remember that the English
song, entitled "Three fishers went sailing out into
the west," was the one which I finally selected as the
most suitable to fit my mood, and gloried in making
it as miserable as possible.

With no hope in my heart that the time would
pass quickly, I smoked and yawned, yawned and
smoked, until twelve o'clock.

The door opened and Landsberg appeared.

"There is a lady who wishes to speak to your Majesty."

"The devil!"

I meant to say this under my breath, but I must
have spoken louder than I intended, for the lady of
whom Landsberg had spoken heard it, and laughed
merrily.

"No, Victor, only me."

She threw back the veil which covered her face.
I sprang to my feet, and tossed my cigar, as I
thought, into the fire-place, but it fell short on the
carpet, and smoked merrily, a fact which I did not
notice, for I had eyes for nothing but the face of my
darling.

Landsberg had decently left the room.

I was so surprised that I could only hold her
hands and look at her, and at length her eyes fell
before the light in mine.  I did not know that I still
held her hands.

"Princess, oh, Princess."

"Victor, oh, Victor."  The little witch had hypnotised
me, and then was graceless enough to mock at me.

"Irma, I love you, I love you."

She gave a little start and I felt her hands tremble;
I saw a new look come into her eyes, rather startled,
and shy.

"Victor, what are you saying?"

"Oh, I know what I say, have known it for all the
time that has passed since I saw you last.  I love
you, and I want you to say that you will try to love
me.  Irma, my beautiful Irma, will you try?"

"Are you sure you want me, are you sure it is not
mere liking, are you sure, oh, Victor, are you
sure?"  There was a little break in her voice.

"Am I sure?  Yes, I am, I love you so much
that the mere thought of you makes me happy.
Irma, I never thought it possible until I met you
that God could be so kind, and yet He has been very
good to me, everything has prospered with me, but
I would sooner be a peasant, with you, than reign
where I do without you.  I can't live without you, I
love you so."

"What do you want me to say?" she said, so softly
that only my lover's ears could have caught the words.

"Say you love me a little, my darling."

"It would hardly be true, Victor, for I love you
with my whole heart."

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It would seem like sacrilege to write of the next
quarter of an hour, even if I could remember what
was said, which I cannot; there remains to me but
a confused memory, yet one of the gladdest of all
that I possess.  All that I can say is, that I knew I
had received a priceless gift in her love, and gloried
that mine for her was as deep and passionate.

"You are rather astonishing, Victor."

Her words brought me back to everyday existence,
and I began to laugh, lightly at first and rather
uncertainly, until she joined in, and we sat like two
foolish people, and laughed until we cried.  But an
end must come to even the heartiest laughter, and
when I had wiped the tears from my eyes, I answered
her remark:

"Why am I astonishing?"

"Isn't it rather unusual--your mode of procedure,
I mean?"

"It is none the worse for that, but I suppose it
might strike a casual observer as rather strange."

"I think it would," she said.

She began to laugh again, but so tremulously that I
put my arm round her and held her tight; her head
went down on to my shoulder and she cried.  For a
moment I thought to ask her what was the matter,
but my innate prudence made me keep silent, and
after a minute or two she looked up, smiling through
her tears.

"I am so silly, but I am so happy."

"So am I."

I should imagine that I looked it, for my face was
one big smile.  It was so very extraordinary, I had
been absolutely afraid at the château, whereas now
I felt as brave as a lion.

"How did you know I was here?"  It had only
just struck me that I had not told Landsberg not
to mention the fact.

"Sonia told me, of course."

"I must make Landsberg a General."

"You know Sonia is outside?"

"No, I didn't, but it is an excellent place for a
little while yet.  Now tell me why you came, was it
because you thought I should feel lonely?"

"No, dear, it was not for that, but to thank you."

"Whatever for?"

"For what you were here for.  No, you must not
blame Landsberg, Sonia got it out of him.  She
made him tell her, and I am so glad she did, for I
could never have come unless I had had that as a
reason."

"Couldn't you have thought of one for yourself?"

"Oh, yes," she said teasingly, "I could have come
and asked you to marry me."

"I have not asked you yet, now I come to think
of it, so will repair the fault, if you please."

"Go down properly on your knees then."

I did as she bade me, and she put her hands one
on each side of my face, and held me fast.

"Didn't you know I loved you, Victor?"

"No, my darling, how could I?  Why, when I
left you the other day, I thought you were absolutely
indifferent."

"Then why did you carry me off my feet to-day?"

"Because I felt braver, and wanted you so much,
that the sight of you made me forget all
considerations, made me forget everything except the
one fact, that I loved you."

"I never thought that I should be proposed to in
a scrubby little hotel by a King.  My imagination
could not carry me as far as that, but I shouldn't
have minded if it had been a pigsty."

I daresay the wonder of it all would have given us
food for conversation for a week, only Landsberg and
Sonia were outside.  Perhaps they were impatient
at our long interview, and thought that, as I
happened to be a reigning monarch, I had better get
back to my own country, so one of them--I never
discovered who--gave a discreet knock at the door.
The next moment Irma and I were far apart.  A
monarch has no right to feel foolish before one of his
subjects--it is a bad precedent to establish--but I
found it extremely difficult to keep a stern expression
when the two entered; that is the worst of
kingship, you can never be natural except with your
equals.  I should have liked to tell all the world
that Irma loved me, it was the supreme and only
important thing in the world.  As it was, after a
few commonplaces, I sent Landsberg to see if the car
was ready; and when he had vanished said to Sonia:

"Mademoiselle, I wish for your congratulations.
Her Royal Highness has consented to be my wife.
I do not think there is any necessity to mention the
fact to Landsberg, although I should not be
astonished to hear that the rascal would not be
surprised, if told."

"Your Majesty has my most humble congratulations,
and I am sure Landsberg would be
surprised, if he knew that your Majesty wished it."

While the would-be surprised Captain was still out
of the room, I said good-bye to the Princess, my Irma.





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   VICTOR VICTORIOUS

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CHAPTER XVIII

Captain von Landsberg and I set off
on our return journey.  His face was as
solemn as that of a judge, or as that of a
judge should be, for most of the judges I have known
are generally more than willing to see humour in
situations.

Of course it was quite right of him not to show any
amusement at the fact that his King was only a
mortal, with the ordinary tendencies of mankind,
and I have no doubt that writers of books on
etiquette would commend him most highly; but I
wished that he had been Mr. Neville or Prince
Zeula, for then I could have poured out my soul, and
incidentally bored them horribly.

I wished to speak of my Princess, to rave over her
perfections, to force them to see her as I saw her, to
feel indignant if they did not.  I wished them to be
there and agree with every wild statement I made,
although all the time I should have known they were
laughing at me, and probably saying to themselves,
"Lord, how funny the boy is! does he imagine that
he is the only one who has been in love?"

I daresay, if the truth could be known, Landsberg
regarded me as the staidest lover of his experience,
for I sat staring straight in front of me, hardly
smiling, and only addressing a few remarks to him,
and those about such things as crops, cows, or
cabbages.  He would have changed his opinion had
he but known the wild exhilaration that I felt surge
over me from time to time, and the rose-tinted veil
which hung over those very ordinary subjects of
conversation.

We had gone a considerable way before I broached
the subject of the punishment meted out to the
writer of the scurrilous article.

I asked him whether he had any idea of the
executioner; but he assured me that all his questions
had given him no hint, and he supposed that among
the Bornians there had been some man who had had
the necessary vigour to carry out the chastisement.

As this was the most probable theory, I let the
matter stay there without any wild surmises; but
I felt that I should very much have liked to know
who had done it, so that I could in some way reward him.

As soon as we had got a few miles into Rudarlia,
I removed the beard which I had been wearing, and
was glad to get rid of it.

It was dark when we reached the Palace; and,
after warning my companion not to mention our
trip, I slipped up to my own quarters, where I
delivered myself into my valet's hands.  In about
an hour I was closeted with my mother.

First I told her of the article, then about my idea
of punishing the writer, at which she implored me
not to, and was only relieved by my promising to
take no steps in the matter.  Then I told her that I
was engaged to be married to Irma.  Her
astonishment was so great that I had to tell her everything,
much to my amusement, for she had not known that
I had left the Palace.

After my mother, I had to send for Prince Zeula,
and have it all out with him.  He was so delighted
that I feared evil consequences to his health, and
told him so; I believe if he had had his way he
would have ordered bonfires and fireworks.

Lastly I went to Mr. Neville's room, where I knew
I should find him engrossed in the work of some
mighty brain.  As I expected, he was there, seated
in his favourite chair, sucking at a favourite briar,
and reading hard.  I noticed that his hand was
slightly bandaged, so after our usual salutations I said:

"What is the matter with your hand?"

"Nothing much, I knocked some skin off it, and
slightly strained one of my fingers."

"How did you do that?"

"I hit it against something."

"I'm sorry; but look here, can you spare me a
few minutes?  You will have to whether you like it
or not, so put that beastly, musty old book down."

He did as I wished, and I sat down near him, filled
my own pipe, and remained silent.

He went on puffing, waiting for me to tell him what
I wished to; he knew that it was no good trying to
hurry me, and that I should speak as soon as I was
ready, I do not know why, but it took me some
little time to formulate my sentences; and, when I
had, I did not use them, but blurted out instead:

"I saw Princess Irma to-day.  We are going to
be married."

"I'm glad, and congratulate you, Victor.  Now
tell me about it."

Then I began to be eloquent, and poured out all
those things I had wished to say while returning
from Sonale.  Dear old fellow, he listened intently
just as I had imagined him doing, but his face
showed how pleased he was.  I explained for the
third time that evening just how it had occurred,
and he said that he had only disgust for the offence,
dismay at my proposed punishment of it, and
satisfaction at the ultimate result.  I believe, had
he given me the slightest opening, that I should have
gone all over my feelings again; but luckily for
him he did not, only suggesting that as I had had a
strenuous day, I had better get some sleep before
morning.  His congratulations were so genuine that,
as I said good night, I could not refrain from saying:

"Don't you think I am an infernally lucky chap?"

"I do, every man is who secures a really charming
and good woman as a wife, but I think Her Royal
Highness is rather lucky too."

A remark which I deprecated, although it was
comforting, especially as it came from Mr. Neville,
for he did not as a rule pay me compliments.
Honestly, however, I think my pleasure was more for
Irma's sake than for any personal pride I may have had.

So I went away from my old tutor quite pleased
with everything.  All the three people who had
given me so much were delighted; and I was to
become the husband of the sweetest woman in the
world.  It was hardly wonderful therefore that I
slept like an angel, by which I mean that I was blest.

I think I was nearer becoming chronically
bad-tempered during the next few months than at any
other time in my life.  It was so ridiculous that I
should be kept waiting for my bride for so long.  I
cursed etiquette of every description, and regretted
that I was not living in the middle ages, when I
could have carried her off immediately, or as
immediately as the force I had at my disposal would
allow.  I made myself objectionable to nearly
everybody, although they did not tell me so.
However, as the time went on, I began to get a bit
calmer, and turned my thoughts to a state of
things which should have received attention before;
I thoroughly overhauled the Palace, and was almost
dismayed to find how much there was that required
immediate alteration.

There were whole suites of rooms that I could not
bear the thought of Irma ever seeing, they were so
badly decorated.  I do not know whether Ivan had
been responsible for the mural atrocities, the terrible
colour schemes, but I do know that some one without
any taste at all had really desecrated the Palace.
Perhaps it was one of Ivan's lady friends.  Having
come to the conclusion that this state of things
must be altered just as rapidly as possible, I sought
the most capable architect in Karena, and entrusted
the job to him; but I made it plain that all plans
must be submitted to me before any work was done.

To avoid the danger of having everything too
masculine in taste, I organised a committee, which
consisted of my mother and Ivan's wife, who, I am
glad to say, was at last happy, and with whom my
mother had become very friendly.  Sometimes, as a
great honour, Zeula was allowed to suggest some
decorative scheme.  All this was really quite
unnecessary, but it was an amusement, and rather
out of the ordinary Royal pursuits.

Some two months after my return from Sonale--that
wonderful trip with Landsberg--I was present
at the wedding of Sonia.  It was a function of some
magnitude, for all the nobility of Rudarlia who were
not in some way related to Landsberg knew that I
was interested in the wedding, and that it would be
rather a cheerful and sumptuous gathering.  Therefore
they came, nor, I understand, were they
disappointed.  In fact, so large was the crowd that
I began to wonder whether my own marriage, when
it took place, would attract as much notice.  I
believe that I mentioned my thoughts to Woolgast.
He looked astonished, until I suggested that I should
have to take a commission in my own regiment of
Guards, and then, of course, he perceived that I had
been jesting.  He was a serious man, whom I often
teased.

My mother took a great liking to the bride; and,
when the couple returned from their honeymoon, she
often had her to her room.

I therefore, myself, saw a good deal of the young
wife, who was always ready to talk about Irma, and
from her I learnt much regarding the tastes of my
future wife.

There was one room in the apartments set aside
for Irma which I determined to have decorated
entirely according to my own fancy; and once this
was decided upon I set to work to gather together
those things which might best carry out my idea.
From Sonia I learnt that a very favourite period of
art, with Irma, was the eighteenth century French
school, so I set about obtaining as many rare and
beautiful specimens of that period as possible.  I
was fortunate enough to secure some gems, although
I had to pay very heavily for them; but, when I
saw them in the spaces and places allotted to them,
I thought they were worth it.  The room, when
finished, surpassed my expectations, and I used to
dream of the day when Irma would sit there and
admire some beautiful painting, or fondle some
charming bit of china.

I am afraid that I might have neglected my
customary routine, had I been left to myself, but
in Zeula and Mr. Neville I possessed two guardians
who were quite capable of standing me in a corner if
I did not do my kingly duty.  I used to wonder
sometimes whether love was changing me into a
slothful person, I so often felt averse to doing many
things which before I had accepted without
murmuring.  Mr. Neville used to gibe at me without
mercy, but his crowning insult was when he called
me "Romeo"; that caused a most unkingly
tussle, in which I am loath to say Victor II. of
Rudarlia won by very little: my old tutor was
astonishingly tough.

Zeula, who was present, laughed like a schoolboy;
and I am convinced, had anyone seen us, every single
subject of mine would have heard the rumour that
their King had gone mad.

But even waiting comes to an end, and the day
dawned when Irma and I became one.  I do not
believe that two souls have ever fused more
completely into one than hers and mine.

My wife and I rarely mention the day of our
marriage, for the reason that, although it was the
beginning of our married life, something happened
which was so tragic, so unlooked for, that even the
retrospect is disquieting and leading to melancholy.

With all the pomp which attends the public
marriage of Royalty, Irma and I had said those
words which made us man and wife, and in front of
us stretched all-alluring vistas of life.

We were driving away from the Cathedral, where
the ceremony had been held, in an open carriage--for
neither of us wished to cheat the cheering
multitudes of their lawful rights--and as we passed
along the gaily decorated streets, under wonderful
flag and flower effects, through the dense masses
of people, who were almost crazy with loyalty and
delight, I remember pressing Irma's hand in
encouragement.  This was no mean ordeal which we
were going through, especially for her, as after all
she was an alien, of a race which so shortly before
had been hostile.

Those splendid people of mine, they did not allow
her to perceive that she was a stranger to them, but
shouted, "God save the Queen!" with all their
might, which was certainly great.

Once she turned to me and said:

"Oh, Victor, what dears they are, I know I shall
love them all."

And there was I, laughing and bowing, and feeling,
if it can be believed, extremely wise, and not a bit
of a fool.

I felt pleased that the marriage had been delayed
by etiquette, for it had given my subjects time to
become used to the idea of having a Bornian
Princess for their Queen.  It is quite safe to say that
we were both supremely happy, a feeling which
seemed to be universal.  And yet there was one man
in the crowd to whom my kingship was hateful,
that is the only reason I can assign for his action.

We had reached a street narrower than the others
which we had passed through, for we had extended
our return from the Cathedral so that as many people
as possible might see us, and when for one moment
we slackened our pace on account of the terrific
crowd--which was almost more than the police and
troops could manage to restrain--a man suddenly
raised his arm and hurled a bomb at us.  I did not
see the movement myself, as I was looking the other
way; but Irma did, and threw herself in front of me
to offer her body as a shield for me.  Luckily it
missed us both, for it was ill-aimed, and, passing
right over the carriage, struck and burst.

There was a terrible explosion, and for a moment
I could not think what had happened, for the wheels
of our carriage were smashed, and this caused us to
bump heavily on the ground, a motion that shook us
both considerably.  I clambered to my feet stricken
suddenly with appalling rage; had the man who was
responsible been near, I am convinced that I should
have choked him to death.  Perhaps, poor brute, it
would have been better for him; for, as I glared
round, the crowd fell on the would-be assassin, and
literally tore him to pieces.

The soldiers and police were powerless, but I am
glad to say the cries of anger drowned those more
ghastly to listen to.  As it was, I did my best to
prevent Irma hearing, or seeing; and in this I was
successful.

My escort had been pressed away from the carriage,
and the people surged around, yelling and
screaming in their dismay; only for a minute, as the
horses of the Guards thrust them heavily aside, and
once more took their places round the carriage.  I
heard Woolgast's voice:

"Your Majesties are safe, unhurt?  Ah, God be
praised!"

"Both quite unhurt, but get one of the other
carriages here quickly."

I clambered on to the box seat of the carriage, and
shouted at the top of my voice that we were unhurt,
and that those who heard must pass the news on,
and also let us through.  My voice must have been
heard by many, for a very little time elapsed before
my mother's coach was at our side.  For one
instant her arms were round my neck, and then they
were assisting Irma in beside her.

My darling's face was white, but she smiled
bravely at me as they drove off.  Then I took one of
the trooper's horses, and was just about to mount
when it struck me that some one might have been
injured.  I asked Woolgast, and his face was grave
as he told me that two of the people had been killed,
and three Guardsmen injured.  I gave what orders
were necessary, and, sad with a sadness the like of
which I had never felt before, I mounted and rode on.

What a terrible change had come over the day!
From the most joyous mirth, it had turned to the
most gloomy despair.  All those cheering multitudes
how had only sorrowful looks to bestow upon their
King.  I rode therefore in almost complete silence,
and I am afraid that I myself was as dejected a
monarch as anyone could see, for the horror of the
tragedy had struck me hard, and I could not forget
that blood had been spilt almost on the bridal robe
of my Queen.  During that slow journey through the
serried ranks of my subjects, who stood uncovered
in mute sympathy, I tried to find some reason for
the awful action; I knew of no one who could bear me
personally any grudge.  The nobles whom I had
exiled had returned to their estates long before,
without any confiscations, and I did not believe that
any of them could be guilty.

Those of my subjects who had suffered under
Ivan had had their wrongs righted with far more
celerity than they could have expected.  These, too,
I judged were guiltless; and, as I could think of no
one whom I had injured, I put the crime down as
the work of an anarchical fanatic with a loathing
for monarchical government.

The only thought which brightened me was that
my wife had given proofs of her love, by trying to
screen me.

I had seen many terrible sights during the late
war, but had never been so affected as I was now, it
seemed so useless and unnecessary.  I feared, too,
that Irma would be quite stricken down by the
shock, for it must have been a terrible strain on her
nervous system, to be so quiet and brave through
the whole affair.

My mother's carriage had reached the Palace some
time before I did, so that the confusion, which no
doubt existed, had had time to quieten down.  This
was largely due to the efforts of Zeula, who had
forced his way through the crowds, and arrived at
the Palace by side streets.

He was terribly upset, but he had the presence of
mind to order for me the thing which I badly
needed, a stiff brandy and soda.  With all the haste
that I could make, I went to see my wife, whom I
found in my mother's care, and that meeting was a
revelation to me; I had had no idea of the extent
of her love.  I think that the tears she shed were
probably the most beneficial way of relieving her
pent-up emotion, at any rate she recovered
sufficiently to take her place by my side to show
ourselves to the crowds which stood anxiously outside.
I am not a believer in the adage that "out of evil
cometh good," but in this case it certainly did, for
the people had been struck by her demeanour, and
were proud of their new Queen, a feeling which soon
turned to love, as they got to know her better.

I shall never forget the graciousness of her manner
to the Head of the Police when he came to tender his
resignation.  Many people were blaming him for the
occurrence, even some of the Ministers.  The poor
fellow broke down completely, when Irma, having
asked my permission to deal with his case, refused
absolutely to hear of his resignation, and declared
that there should be no one made scapegoat for an
incident which could not have been foreseen.
She made a point, too, of letting others see her
friendly attitude towards the official, with so much
grace and tact, that he went away happy, and quite
devoted to his new Queen.

I had caused inquiries to be made concerning the
two murdered men, one a baker of Karena, the
other a peasant from near Bavla; the latter case
was extremely sad, for he had walked, with his newly-wed
wife, all the way from his village to the capital,
to see us; it was their bridal treat, their honeymoon,
and what an ending!  The only thing I could do,
was to provide handsomely for their dependents.

The three Guardsmen, who luckily were only
slightly injured, received promotion and a sum of
money.  As for the criminal, it was never discovered
who he was, although everything was done to find
out his name, and to know whether he had accomplices.
I believe myself that the whole affair was
the work of his own disordered brain, and that he
planned and executed his project entirely by himself.
Mr. Neville, however, advanced a theory, which may
have had some foundation, and which led to a
confession from him.

It was the same day, only very much later, when,
having dined *en famille*, I went with Prince Zeula
and Mr. Neville into my study to talk the affair
over.  I had given orders that it should not be
mentioned before my wife, as the sooner it was
forgotten by her the better, a course of conduct
which my mother emphatically endorsed, and it was
into her care that I had given Irma.

I had waited behind to kiss a last good night to
my wife, so that Zeula and Mr. Neville had time to
reach my study, where they waited.  It was then
that I heard Mr. Neville say:

"I think it would be wise to tell him."

"What is that?" I asked.

"Neville has a theory," said Zeula.

"But only a theory, there is absolutely nothing to
connect the two things."

"Which two things, what are you talking about?"

"Well, Victor, I will tell you.  I hope, however,
that you will not take it amiss.  It is this: you
remember the writer of a certain article in a Sonale
paper; I was wondering whether he had had
anything to do with the affair of to-day."

"I don't follow you."

"Well, you see, it was I who thrashed him, and I
was wondering whether he had found out who I
was and so implicated you.  Perhaps he thought
that I was acting for you."

"I'm damned!  So it was you who forestalled
me, was it?  That's where you had gone when I
could get no trace of you that day, I'm glad it was
you and nobody else, but how did you know about it
at all?"

"I told him, Victor; and, as I myself could not
go, he was only too happy to volunteer."

"But why go at all?"

They did not answer me; and after a minute I
smiled, and held out my hands to the two of them.

"I don't mind confessing now that you were
right, and I am glad that I did not have to do it."

There was evident relief in their voices when
they spoke again, asking me what I thought of the
theory.

"I don't think that he is responsible.  Of course
he may be, but I think it unlikely; still, if you think
proper, you could have some discreet inquiries made
by the police."

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The next day my wife and I departed on our
honeymoon, and for ten days we forgot everything.
We had elected to spend our time, hidden from the
world, in a castle in Soctia near the sea-coast.  It
was one of the Royal residences, which had not been
used for years, and which before then had served
more as a hunting-lodge than as a Palace.  It was an
old château, with many towers and turrets, delightfully
picturesque, and undoubtedly uncomfortable.
I had had this place put into thorough repair, and
thither we went with just as small a retinue as we
could well take.

I did not think it was possible for a human being
to feel so happy, at times it seemed to choke me.
Irma was all that my mind could conceive, or my
heart desire; there was between us the most perfect
understanding, as though our lives had been lived
together through countless centuries.  Each seemed
to know instinctively the wishes and thoughts of the
other, and our minds intermingled smoothly and
perfectly.  There were, apparently, no rough edges
to be worn off.

We refused to think of state matters, during that
short period; and, when the courier arrived each
day with letters from Prince Zeula, it was only as if I
had dreamt of such things, and they were forgotten
before he had gone from our sight with the replies.

The country around the château was some of the
most beautiful to be found in Rudarlia, and some
days we spent the sunny hours in riding out exploring,
as free from care as two children.  Then, in the
evenings, we would sit on the terrace which we liked
most and watch the night.

I wonder how many people know the charm and
understand the mystery of a warm summer's evening.
I daresay a great number, but it seemed to us
that nobody but ourselves could properly appreciate
it, as, sitting side by side on a stone bench, we would
watch the last lights die out in the sky, and the
mantle of night descend on nature.

The sounds, too, fascinated us, those mysterious
murmurings for all the world like those of a slumbering
child.  We spoke seldom, preferring to sit hand
in hand, in silence, until the moon crept into view,
showing us, as it were, another world--quiet,
peaceful, silvery, and almost more enchantingly
beautiful than the day.

We were, no doubt, absurd, but I am glad to
think that we were, that in spite of strenuous lives
before us--and in my case behind as well--we could
still forget everything in each other's love, and look
out on the world with the pleased, expectant eyes of
children; I believe we could imagine fairies in the
depths of the forest, or nymphs playing in the
streams.

It was on the eleventh day of our stay in this
place, that we received notification that the outside
world did really exist; we were brought back
abruptly to our everyday senses, by the sight of a
number of men toiling up a somewhat steep hill
which led to the château.  We were on the top of one
of the towers, and from there had an extensive view
of the surrounding country.

"Oh, Victor, look at those people!  Do you think
they want to see us? because if so I must go and
arrange my hair."

A remark which might lead people to imagine that
the King of Rudarlia was a very ordinary young
husband after all.

The men in question did wish to see us, for
presently we were informed that a deputation from a
neighbouring village desired to pay us their
respectful homage.

"This is the beginning of the end, my Queen, and
how little do those honest fellows know with what
thoughts we watched their approach.  Of course, I
might order their heads to be cut off; but, if I did,
no one would do it, so you see how impotent your
husband really is."

"Poor fellows, they must be very hot and thirsty,
and I think it is charming of them to come all this
way to see us."

"So do I, but I did not wish to be disturbed."

"Nor did I, there are such beautiful views from
up here."

As we had spent most of the time looking at each
other, hers was a remark which made me laugh,
which she had probably intended.

Some twenty minutes later, Irma and I appeared
on the terrace where the men had assembled.  They
were to my mind very brave, and tried manfully to
hide their nervousness.  One of them, who wore the
sash of Mayor, advanced towards us with many bows.

He was, he informed us, the Mayor of the village,
and had been begged by a number of citizens to head
a deputation, which desired to express their joy at
our escape, and to thank us for the honour we did
them by choosing their province, and their part of
the province to stay in, etc., etc.

He ended a speech, which must have taken him a
long time to learn by heart, by very gracefully
begging us to accept a trifling token of their loyalty,
in the shape of two small silver articles made by the
village metal worker.

He handed me two boxes, in one of which was a
really beautiful brooch of silver and turquoise
matrix, and in the other a box, almost equally
beautiful, of the same materials.

Both Irma and myself were absolutely amazed at
the artistic merit of these things, as well as at the
cleverness of the workmanship.

I turned to the Mayor, who stood by seeking to
read in our faces our opinion of the gift; he could
not have found much difficulty, for both of us were
literally astounded.

"Did you say these were made in your village?"

"Yes, your Majesty, by my nephew, a young man
who does nothing else."

"I should like to see him, these works of his are
very good indeed."

"He is here, may it please your Majesty."

"Present him to me."

A young fellow, assisted by sundry nudges,
detached himself from the group behind the Mayor,
and stood respectfully hat in hand.

"Are you the metal worker responsible for these?"

"Yes, your Majesty."

"Then let me tell you that you have a great gift,
and that the Queen and I accept them with very
much pleasure.  When you go, leave your name and
address, so that I may send for you."

Irma had pinned on the brooch, and was talking
to the Mayor; so I moved over to the other men and
shook hands with all, thanking them for their kind
thoughts of us, complimenting them on possessing
so skilful a craftsman in their village, and assuring
them that we should never forget their visit.

One of them--an old man--told me that he had
seen the marriage procession of my parents, but that
ill-health had prevented him seeing mine.  However,
he thanked God for allowing him to see me and my
beautiful Queen before he died; and he hoped that
his sons would see my sons married.  The good
man was slightly previous, and wonderfully loyal.





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.. _`CHAPTER XIX`:

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   CHAPTER XIX

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When the deputation had seen enough of
us, and refreshed themselves mightily,
they went away much pleased with the
result of their visit.  I am sure that some of them
would remember all their lives that they had spoken
to their King and Queen; it would give them
something to talk about in their old age, as well as a
feeling of importance amongst their less fortunate fellows.

It is a wonderful thing that rarity should add so
much to the value of anything.

When we were alone again, Irma and I began to
re-examine the two gifts, but, strangely enough,
both of us were silent as though in thought.  It
may have been the art shown in the work, or it may
have been something which I can never hope to
explain, at any rate from that silent scrutiny sprang
an idea, which in its maturity was a source of many
emotions.  From a little thing, like the visit of that
day, a great thing sprang forth, and incidentally my
life was expanded.

I had a nebulous scheme, a thought hardly
formed, somewhere in my brain, as I stood and
looked at the brooch and box; and it required the
feminine quickness to supply the concrete
expression of it.  My wife said:

"The art of Rudarlia, what might it become?"

"You had better tell me what you are thinking,"
I said.

"I am thinking that Rudarlia may be famous for
its art life, if you care to make it so."

"But I know so little of art.  The only knowledge
I have of the subject is entirely superficial; I've
never had time to study it as it should be studied."

"Grey-haired Monarch."

"Is my wisdom so great?"

"No, oh King! that was not my thought."

"But do you think that I shall ever have time to
study the question?  You must remember that
here in Rudarlia we have none of the great collections
that other countries have.  One small gallery is all
that Karena boasts of."

"Can you give me a reason why she should not
have more?"

"Not if you say that she is to have."

"Oh, Victor, let us spend this evening planning
out what we might do, or rather what we can."

So that evening we sat on the terrace as usual, and
instead of wasting the time--if it can be so harshly
described--we tried to work out some way of
encouraging art in Rudarlia.  It was a most puzzling
question, for there was always the danger of
overdoing the assistance we could give to artists, as well
as the chance of offending their susceptibilities by
what they might look upon as charity; they are so
very difficult to tackle, these people with artistic
temperaments.

It was, however, a most interesting conversation,
during which I discovered that my wife had much
more knowledge of the subject under discussion than
I had; and later I found that she herself was very
fond of dabbling in various mediums, with a
considerable amount of success.

We practically decided that night to found a
colony devoted to the arts in Karena, and I knew just
whereabouts that colony would have its quarters.

There was considerable risk, to my mind, in this
idea of ours.  Art to a nation is, I suppose, almost
a necessity in some shape or other, but it must be
controlled, either by the artists themselves or by
the force of public opinion.  Now in Karena, which
we proposed to make the heart of our art world,
public opinion was practically *non est*.  The reasons
for this being the want of wealth, and the want of
artists.  I should have felt much more secure with
regard to our scheme, if I had been certain that the
people really needed the fine arts to assist them in
living.

I was quite well aware that the growth of proper
appreciation must be very gradual, and it seemed to
us that the chief point was how to lay the foundations
well.  It was no good thinking of taking the few
Rudarlians who called themselves artists, and giving
them unlimited paint, or clay, or pianos, to work
their own sweet will upon, for that must lead to
either rank imitation, or work of the crudest kind.
We should thus be obtaining no benefit, for there
were many worthless daubs to be seen, although not
all by Rudarlians.

Our honeymoon drew to a close, two weeks of the
most perfect joy that I have ever known; it was so,
because I had nothing to do except devote myself to
Irma, afterwards it was never quite the same, as I
had other things to attend to.

For a little time after our return nothing was done
about our scheme, that is, nothing definite, but all
the while we were both working out, to the best of
our ability, the details.

I had known just whereabouts I wished the art
settlement to be, but it was only owing to the death of
the man who owned the place that I was able to buy it.

The property I speak of was at the back of the
Palace, and consisted of the most ancient houses in
the city.  These houses were practically cut off
from the rest of Karena; on one side by the Palace
walls, or rather those of the grounds, on another by
an extraordinary outcropping of rock, while on the
third--for the whole was in the form of a
triangle--ran a small canal.

The only way of getting to this place was by
means of a bridge over the canal, unless one
climbed the walls of my gardens, or was lowered
from the top of the rock.  This place therefore was
a perfect nest, and really ideal for our settlement.

How it had remained so, untouched by the spirit
of modernity, was always a puzzle to me.  The
moment the bridge over the canal was crossed, I felt
as though I had stepped from the twentieth into the
fifteenth century.  I do not believe there was a single
modern building in the place; everywhere one
looked, it was mediæval.

I remember the first time that we went there
after having purchased it, just Irma, my mother,
Mr. Neville, and myself, and we enjoyed it
thoroughly.  There had been few people living in the
houses, which had not been cared for, and these
few were only too pleased to turn out of their
quarters for a consideration.

We therefore found the place absolutely deserted,
save for a few pigeons, and cats who would not desert
their old haunts.

The doors of most of the houses had been left
unlocked, so we went round the narrow cobbled
streets, entering those buildings which seemed most
desirable; some were really fine houses, with large
rooms containing great carved beams, leaded lights,
and other delightful things.  Naturally, the outsides
were in keeping, and no matter where we looked we
could see old door-ways, queer gargoyles, and little
courtyards, the walls of which would in all
probability be covered with lichen.  In some parts,
we seemed to be walking in a tunnel, so close were
the houses to one another, and occasionally, at the
end of these streets, we caught sight of the sunlit
canal.  I was very, very pleased with my purchase.

As we walked and examined, we explained to my
mother and Mr. Neville what we proposed doing.

I think that at first she, or rather they, thought
that marriage had made me a little mad; but as
my explanation grew, both in length and conciseness,
they began to think that after all something might
be said for our idea.  I told them that the houses
should remain as they were, but with modern
improvements, and that when the necessary alterations
had been effected I proposed inviting artists
of all kinds to come and live there: painters,
sculptors, composers, engravers, writers, and metal
workers.  I then went on to draw most alluring
visions of what I hoped would be the result.  I
pictured all these various artists living here much as
they did in towns in the middle ages, working with
the certainty that any really meritorious piece of
art would be more thought of than a dozen inferior
works, and that appreciation, consideration, and
understanding would go hand in hand with profit.

Then I went on to tell them how I proposed having
a gatehouse erected at the canal bridge, and instal
some old pensioner and family in it.

"And how about feeding your colony?" asked
Mr. Neville.

"I intend having just a few shops, and shall have
one inn; that old place with the big hall, I think it
will do as the dining-hall for unmarried artists."

"Where do you propose obtaining the artists you
speak of?"

"I don't know yet, but I do not think there will
be much difficulty in getting them to come here.  I
shall try the great art centres first, and then the
smaller ones; I shall invite the famous men to stay
for as long as they wish, and execute some splendid
piece of work for Rudarlia."

"Yes, Victor is going to have his portrait painted
in the uniform of each of his regiments; all the
paintings will be collected in one building, which
will be called The Hall of the King, and I shall be
expected to spend so many hours a day there as a
dutiful wife."  A remark strangely flippant for a
newly-married Queen to make.

My mother laughed, which was wrong of her, and
said quietly:

"From what I know of the portraits of Royalty,
all the works would be so much unlike each other
that they would have to bear an identification
tablet."

"How nice!  I can imagine that I have ever so
many different husbands, and so need not get tired
of one."

"I can see that this will lead to a family quarrel,
so will turn the subject," said Mr. Neville.

"You need not trouble," laughed my fond parent.
"Victor will do that himself, by letting loose a herd
of wild artists in this peaceful community."

"Another thing that I shall do," I said, "is this:
no Royal person shall be allowed to come here
without a special permit."

"He would keep us out of Eden," murmured Irma.

"Zeula with a brush full of paint shall keep the
entrance."

That was from Mr. Neville, so as I had them all
against me I surrendered.

Now that we had possession of this place, it was
not many weeks before the workmen were in, for
we did not want to lose time, being both young
enough to feel excited about our plans.  I think it
must be one of the most terrible things in life, to lose
the power of feeling excited.  My respect for
architects grew enormously during the next few weeks,
they knew so much that I did not; for instance, it
seemed to me the simplest thing in the world to put
pipes and things into a house to conduct water from
the main, but it appeared to be more difficult than I
imagined, and much discussion was necessary.  I
could not understand why, when there was a blank
wall, I could not have a window knocked through it,
and I finally came to the conclusion that a statesman
of one of the great powers--the Foreign Minister of
England, for example--does not have to be more
careful than an architect knocking a window in a
blank wall, so as not to disturb the balance of power.

Unless we had seen it ourselves we should never
have believed that there was so much to be done in
the place.  It was almost staggering, and yet all the
repairs and alterations were absolutely necessary;
there were rooms to be converted into studios, and
workshops and a hundred smaller alterations.  It
was a most wonderful hobby for both of us, not to
speak of many others who were interested in a lesser
degree.  I think Zeula was almost as keen as we
were, he spent hours in the vicinity; he had liked
the idea the moment he had heard of it, and had
immediately offered his services in any way we could
use them.  Another person who spent much of his
spare time there was Bauen, he could generally be
found keeping a watchful eye upon the workmen,
and no doubt yarning with them, and telling those
who wished, wonderful tales of their King.

I had had a gate made in the wall of the Palace
gardens, and Irma and I used to go down when the
workmen had finished for the day, to see what
progress had been made, and what new arrangements
we could suggest.  Then the day came when there
was enough done to allow us to begin filling our nest
with birds.

This we did slowly, with much deliberation, and
with the assistance of some of the great artists of the
world, who most kindly offered to help us.  From
reports which I received indirectly from the large
centres, I caused a list to be made of those artists to
whom should be sent an invitation to come to
Karena.  They were not all famous--in fact, there
were only a few to whom that term might be applied--but
they were all of an artistic calibre which made
it possible for them to become so.

From Rudarlia I had a goodly few, who were
eager to profit by the wonderful chance which this
scheme of ours offered them, and the great men were
ever ready to take them into their studios, to instruct
and assist them.  I had never realised how much
goodness there was among artists until then, I
had always looked upon them as essentially selfish
people; but then I had known very few, and those,
perhaps, bad examples.  It was a lesson to me
not to misjudge a class by a few specimens.  I fear
one is rather given to so doing.

It was wonderful to watch the beginning of a
settlement, the incoming, the furnishing, and the
gradual fall in the excitement; each new-comer
took his own time to get used to the place, and
artists might be seen all about Karena, gazing and
exploring, but soon the first batch had settled down,
and work was commenced.

From that time my education advanced along
artistic lines, and I began to understand something
of the innermost strivings of those men who were
adding to the beauty of the world.

Most days, I managed to visit the place for half an
hour or so, and when possible Irma accompanied
me.  Without any fuss or preparation we went to
this studio, or that workshop, and were greeted
everywhere with smiles, for these good people learnt
to look upon us as friends, and were always pleased
to show us anything which they thought might
interest us; occasionally we made some little
purchase, occasionally we gave some bigger commission.

There was one building reserved for exhibitions of
paintings and drawings, another for the crafts,
while a large hall was generally full of sculpture.
These formed a permanent exhibition, although the
work exhibited was not always the same, as each
month the artists had the right to change their works
there for others, and replace any that had been sold.

This exhibition was a source of great interest to
Karenians, and others; indeed, most visitors who
came to the city were anxious to see the work
accomplished by my artists, as both Irma and
myself called them, and many of these visitors went
away with purchases and few of them apparently
regretted the money spent.

We set the fashion of giving works of art as
presents, and I am glad to be able to state that the
fashion remains in full favour.

The other artistic professions were not neglected,
there being studios set aside for musicians of all
kinds, but I found it more difficult to arrange a plan
whereby the pecuniary side of their work might
benefit.  I therefore arranged that each week a
concert should be given, and also that there should
be a certain season when any of the masters might
give grand opera, the players, of course, being the
students.  Karena boasted of an opera house; and,
although I do not pose as an authority, I believe the
musical side of the Rudarlian life was rather highly
developed before this settlement came into being.

Some six months after the place was in full working
order, one of the famous European artists, who
happened to be staying as my guest, and who was full
of enthusiasm for the scheme, suggested that the
lack of old masters in Karena was a serious handicap
for the students.  I questioned him closely on the
subject, heard all he had to say, and then
interrogated others; the greater number agreed that a
collection of the works of the famous masters would
be of incalculable value to the artists generally.

This was a new idea, and I must confess that it
appealed to me; I think that I wanted Karena to
be able to boast also of a National Gallery, but there
were many things to be thought of before this could
be undertaken.  The greatest difficulty was
procuring the works themselves, how was that possible
even though I should desire it; many pictures
are sold as old masters, but there must be many
fakes among them.  Another thing was the expense;
I had no wish to invest a large sum of money
in pictures, for in a newly developing country like
mine there were countless other ways of spending
money, with infinitely more advantage to the nation.
What I finally did was this: I let it be known all
over Rudarlia that I would provide a gallery, if the
Rudarlians themselves would provide the pictures,
either as gifts to the nation or as loans.

The result surprised me, I had had no idea that
the artistic scheme which Irma and I had originated
had so taken the public fancy; but it appeared that
it had, and almost immediately I received notification
that there were a large number of nobles and others
who would consider it an honour to have their old
pictures hung in the National Gallery in Karena.
It must have astonished many people to know that
Rudarlia had many authentic works of the great
masters, men like Rubens, Rembrandt, and Titian,
stowed away in various old castles and châteaux.
These were offered generously by their owners, some
as gifts, others as loans, so I perforce had to keep to
my promise and provide a suitable building for the
housing.  This expense I looked upon as a most
legitimate one, for it gave work to a number of men,
thus circulating money among the working class,
added to the beauty of Karena, and incidentally
added to the value of the city as an art centre.

In building this gallery, I was determined to
employ only Rudarlian brains, labour, and materials,
and so the first thing I did was to open a competition
among Rudarlian architects, all over the country, for
the best design for the proposed gallery.

I did not judge these myself, but left the decision
to a famous French architect who was staying in
Karena.  I found that his choice was much the
same as Irma's and mine, so that design was decided
upon, and the architect who had submitted it was
awarded the prize.  Strange to say, he was an
absolutely unknown man from a small town in
Garace.  The next thing, was to decide upon the
builder, but this I left to others to think about.

We had chosen a site in an excellent position, near
the Palace, and therefore close to the settlement;
and it was with a feeling almost akin to awe that
Irma laid the foundation stone.  She told me of this
feeling and asked me to explain it, which was more
than I could do, but I did suggest that she was fearful
of the effect the gallery might have on the Rudarlians.

At last the building was completed.  What a day
that was, it is simply burnt upon my memory with
ineffaceable delight, not because we were going to
open a National Gallery of Art, not because we
had accomplished something for Rudarlia, but
because upon that day Irma told me something;
told me shyly, yet with a deep, wonderful pride, that
I was to be a father.

We had then been married for three years, and I
think that all the nation worried that no child had
been born to us.  In my heart, I, too, had been
rather despondent, for so much hung upon our
having a family, and more powerful still was my
desire to hold my own child in my arms.

I believe that all those who came in contact with
me that day thought that I was a little too
exhilarated at thoughts of opening a gallery; they put it
down to that, poor dears, not knowing what the real
reason was.  In all probability, a thousand husbands
feel just the same every time such news is broken to
them, but then I would not have allowed that; I
was bursting with pride, and an insane desire to take
every one into my confidence.

What an absurd thing young human nature is,
that is, when it is natural and nice--and I was both.

I remember nothing of the opening ceremony,
except that various speeches were made and a great
number of people cheered themselves hoarse when
Irma and I appeared.  Irma told me afterwards, so
did Mr. Neville, so did Zeula, so did my mother, that
my speech convulsed every one who heard it;
that I had appeared in a new rôle: that of a wit.
I should never have believed them, had they not
made me read the report of what I had said, which
appeared in the newspaper.  It certainly was
humorous, but I have never attempted to repeat it,
rather luckily, too, in my opinion.

It was in connection with this gallery, that I
instituted a new Order in Rudarlia: the Order of Merit.

Ever since my accession, I had been thinking
in a half-hearted fashion of doing so, but now I made
up my mind that such an Order would be most useful
to reward those Rudarlians who served the state in
either a direct or indirect manner.  I wished if
possible to widen the area of such a distinction, not
only to confine it to the professions.  Any man
who by his labour served Rudarlia might be entitled
to receive the Order, but the different labours must
be kept apart from one another; I mean, by that,
that a soldier wearing the Order must be
distinguishable from the great lawyer, and so on.  This I
did by using different coloured ribbons.  All men
with the right to wear the distinction were to be
known as Chevalier.  They and their wives had
also the right to appear at Court.

For this I received some abuse, no doubt, but I
shall always maintain that class distinction, based
on birth alone, is a mistake, and calculated to work
a tremendous amount of mischief.  That a man who
employs thousands of other men to make articles, or
raise food, for the nation, should be looked down
upon by those whose ancestors fought for their
country and were ennobled is wrong.

So many people do not realise that national service
is not necessarily performed only by fighting.  And
those same people do not realise that times have
changed; they do not wish to advance with the
civilisation of their country, never thinking that the
rich man of to-day may be the founder of a noble
family which shall do much for the honour and
advancement of their land.  I do not deny, however,
that the said noble family may, in a hundred years
or so, look down and sneer at their less highly placed
neighbours; but then human nature is very funny
if you think about it, and extremely illogical.

There must be expansion in everything, and in
such a country as Rudarlia, where classes exist, I
hold that the noble class is all the stronger and better
for the introduction into its ranks of all types of
brains, that is, of course, the finer types; I do not
suggest criminal types, or fools, or even
sentimentalists, for as a rule such types are not unknown
among the denizens of the aristocracy in all countries.
It was my wish, therefore, to obtain this fresh blood
in the titled families by choosing recruits from the
ranks of those who had achieved.

For the first few months that followed the opening
of the gallery, I do not believe there ever was a
happier monarch than myself.  It became almost a
disease, and, strange to say, nearly all those who
surrounded me caught the complaint.  My mother at
thought of possessing a grandchild was almost
delirious with joy.  Zeula was worse; he began to
talk to me upon every occasion when we were alone
about my heir, and to wonder about his education,
his names, every conceivable thing which could be
imagined.  And I liked it, and encouraged him.
At first we were both prone to talk as though the sex
of the child were known; we always spoke of it as
masculine, until Mr. Neville put us right by suggesting
mildly that it might happen to be a girl, he had
heard of such cases, he said.  I will own that at his
remark both Zeula and myself were rather taken
aback, but after the first few minutes we went on
quite calmly making our plans for a girl.  Oh, the
castles in the air we all built, and what a fascinating
pastime it was.

About this time I had a letter from Carruthers.
I have it still, occasionally I read it as an antidote,
for it brings back something which I might with
reason wish to forget.  I used to take--and do still,
for that matter--great pride in being beloved by
my people, and I used to flatter myself that there
was no one who could come and say to me, with
truth, "Look at my misery, the result of this or that
action of yours."  Once before, on the day of my
marriage, I had experienced a severe shock to this
pride of mine, but now I was as bad as ever.  The
second shock, however, opened my eyes to the fact that
a king can always find some one who believes that
the monarch has used him ill.  So it was in my case.

Carruthers' letter ran:

.. vspace:: 2

"MY DEAR OLD SPLOSH,

.. vspace:: 1

"A very curious thing has happened, which
has caused me a lot of worry.

"Last week I received a letter from a woman
whose name is unknown to me, asking for an
interview.  She informed me that what she wanted to
tell me was serious, and might affect you.  I saw
her.  The interview was interesting; as she appears
to look upon you as some one divine, I did not
disabuse her mind.  She told me that you had assisted
her to return home to England after Ivan's death,
and other things, one of which was, that having
heard my name used in connection with yours, she
imagined that I could tell you her tale more easily
than she could herself.  It was this: A man had
been to her farm for work, and had in the course of
his stay uttered many threats against you as the
cause of his downfall.  From what he said the
woman seemed to think that he was an illegitimate
son of the late Ivan, and who had been left destitute
on his father's death.  She described him as being
a very powerful man, dark, with a fierce wild
expression.  The details are meagre enough, but look
out for such a man, see if your Ministers know of
him.  Don't take risks by ignoring this, for I am
convinced that the woman was absolutely genuine.
I've a jolly good mind to chuck the army, and come
and look after you myself."

.. vspace:: 2

I did not ignore this warning, I spoke to Zeula,
Woolgast, and the head of the police about it, but I
fettered them by binding them to secrecy, as I did
not wish the slightest rumour to reach Irma's ears.
Having spoken to these men, I must confess that the
warning faded from my memory; luckily, the others
did not forget so easily.  They, it seemed, had an
anxious time.  Zeula told me that before Ivan had
usurped the throne he had had a son by a peasant
woman, but this child had disappeared.





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.. _`CHAPTER XX`:

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   CHAPTER XX

.. vspace:: 2

Herr Bjornston, the eminent Swedish
sculptor, to this day blames himself
mightily for what happened; so do
Woolgast, the Chief of Police, Prince Zeula,
Mr. Neville, and others, whereas the only person to
blame is myself, and I don't blame myself
over-much.  Perhaps I was negligent, since I had been
warned; it may have been conceit on my part not
to take precautions, but, as I have already stated, I
knew of no one who bore me a grudge with reason.

On this occasion I had, as was my habit, gone alone
to the settlement to pass an hour before settling
down to a bout of work with Zeula.  I did not know
then that, every time I did this, my dear old servant
Bauen kept me under surveillance.  He always
shadowed me from the Palace to the settlement,
watched where I entered and waited patiently until I
reappeared; so often had he done this that he knew I
never stayed more than fifteen minutes in any studio.
It is to this knowledge of his that I owe my life.

It was a glorious evening, and I wandered down to
the house in which Herr Bjornston had his studio.
How wonderful it is that everything seems mapped
out in life; I remember hesitating on the door-step,
undecided whether to go in there or to some other
studio.  I was in two minds whether I should not
go to a young Englishman's place to order a small
picture which I wanted to give away, but I decided
that the morrow would do for that, as the artist might
be out; I therefore rapped at Bjornston's door.

It was flung open, and I stepped in.  The door
was closed behind me.  I was in what was perhaps
the finest studio in the place, a really magnificent
room, but it was empty save for the man who had
admitted me and myself.

"Is not Herr Bjornston in, then?" I asked.

"I expect him every minute, your Majesty.  He
had a message which called him away an hour ago;
he told me that he would return at half-past nine."

I looked at my watch, it was already past the quarter.

"You think he will return then?"

"Undoubtedly, your Majesty; Herr Bjornston is
never late."

"Then I will wait."

There was a wooden chair placed near a table
upon which was a lamp and various sketch-books,
so I sat down and commenced to turn some pages at
random.  I had not given any particular attention
to the man who had admitted me, but glancing at
him casually I noticed that his eyes were covered or
rather veiled by a green shade; he was a bearded,
thick-set fellow.  He advanced towards me with a
portfolio in his hands.

"Perhaps your Majesty might be interested in
these sketches?"

"Thank you," I said, smiling.  "You suffer
with your eyes?"

"Nothing serious, your Majesty, a trifle weak,
that is all."

"I have not seen you before, have I?"

"I only came here last week, your Majesty."

"You assist Herr Bjornston perhaps?"

"He was kind enough to give me employment
when one of his regular men fell sick."

"Oh, indeed, you are not a student then?"

"I was once, your Majesty; but fortune deserted
me, and I became through necessity a labourer."

"That is sad, perhaps your luck may improve in
the future."

"I hope so, your Majesty."

"What made you come to Karena?"

"I had heard of your Majesty's generosity to all
artists, and thought that there might be work for
me.  I always like to be at work in some studio."

"Have you any of your own efforts with you?"

"Unfortunately, no, your Majesty."

"Well, we must see what you can do; there is
always room for talent here."

"I thank your Majesty most sincerely."

I opened the portfolio, and the man withdrew.
The sketches were of absorbing interest, most of
them being the slight personal things an artist
sometimes values more than his finished pictures.
All were good; evidently Herr Bjornston had
spent a great many years getting them together, as
some of them were dated ten or twelve years
previously.  Most of them bore signatures famous
throughout the world.  I was so interested that I
forgot all about the time, and it was only when I
had looked at the last sketch, that I remembered,
and pulled out my watch--good heavens, it was a
quarter to ten!  I closed the portfolio, and sat
back in the chair to push it away from the table.
Herr Bjornston was very late in spite of his man's
assurances; still, it did not matter, I had had a
pleasant visit, and there was nothing of importance
that I wished to say to him.

Something seemed to be entwining my feet.  I
bent forward to see what it was, and immediately
was pulled violently back into the chair.  My
surprise was so great that for a moment I could do
nothing, and that moment was the finishing touch
to my undoing, for the noose which had been slipped
over my shoulders was pulled tight and fresh coils
made round me; then I felt my feet being drawn
together and realised that I was helpless.

I turned my head round and glared at my
assailant, but the sight of his eyes--which he had
now uncovered--caused Carruthers' warning to recur
to me, and I understood without any further assault
that I was in a devil of a fix.

"Untie these ropes at once."

"Your Majesty is pleased to jest."

"You will find it no jesting matter."

"You speak of the future; perhaps your Majesty
will have a clearer vision to appreciate this position."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't quite know, never having been to the
place to which your Majesty is going."

"Don't be foolish, my man; untie this rope and
I will be lenient with you."

He drew up another chair in front of me and sat
gazing into my eyes.  I returned stare for stare, but
I will confess to feeling very much afraid.  The
situation was so very unpleasant.  What a fool I
had been not to take precautions, I should have
known that all of Ivan's breed were dangerous.  I
was flabbergasted, I did not know what to say to the
fellow, what argument can one use to a madman?
More important still was how to get away, how to
be rescued, for it was quite impossible for me to
loosen the ropes that bound me.  I could call for
help, but no one would hear me.  Still, there was
always a chance that some one would; so I let out
a yell that ought to have awakened the settlement.

Unfortunately it did not; and the only good I got
from it was a gag, which effectively put an end to my
making sufficient noise to attract attention.  Luck
was against me, for only a few minutes after the gag
had been applied some one rapped at the door.  I
tried hard to make some kind of appeal for assistance,
but it was futile, and I had to sit there and
listen to the knocking.  Presently the person,
whoever it was, gave up, and with a sinking heart I
heard the sound of his footsteps dying away.

The man still sat facing me, with a beastly smile
on his lips; no doubt he was overjoyed to see my
struggles.  Presently, however, he began to speak
in a low voice hardly above a whisper; and
somehow that added to the horror of my position.

"I am glad I stopped your mouth in time; it
would have hurt me to have finished everything
before you have realised things more fully.  And if
my time had been cut short by any interruption from
outside, your Majesty would naturally never have
known all that I intend telling you, all those details
which will make your journey to Paradise so
pleasant.

"Have you any preference as to where I should
begin?  Perhaps you would like to know who I am.
Well, that is soon told; I am the son of the man you
had murdered, you did not know that Ivan the King
had a son, did you?  He had, perhaps more than
one, for he was rather given to promiscuous love
affairs; but only one need worry you--I shall be
quite sufficient.

"I know how my father died, Prince Alexis told
me; I know he was always a liar, but he told the
truth about this.  When I heard, I swore that you
should pay for it.  Since then your debt has been
mounting up, for I was left destitute, and think how
long that was ago, and imagine my misery all those
years, having to do any manual labour that I could
obtain, in order to keep from starving.  You have
to pay for all that.

"The most difficult thing I ever had to do was to
keep my face from portraying my delight when you
walked in so sweetly this evening.  I have been
trying to get near you for years, and at last luck
has been kind to me; nothing could have worked out
so well if it had been planned.  To begin with, that
old fool Bjornston is out for the night, out of Karena
even, and the other two assistants are after their
lady-loves.  It is hardly likely that the two fair
Karenians will allow them to return, or at any rate
until our little business is over."

He stood up and moved away behind my chair, so
that I could not see what he was doing; but I heard
him moving about.  Then he came back again, in
his hands a rope, and at the end of the rope a heavy
mass of stone.

"Do you see this, your Majesty, can you guess
what it is for?"

I looked at it, then at him, and raising my
eyebrows turned my head aside, then quickly back
again.  God! how lucky that he was examining
the knot in the rope, for had he been looking at me
he must have noticed my nervous start, a movement
that I could not control, for I could have sworn that
I had seen a face at the window.  I shook my head
from side to side, and caught another glimpse of the
window, but there was no face there, and my spirits,
which had gone bounding up, dropped like a stone.
So, then, there was really no hope for me, there was
no way out, and I was doomed to die just when life
was at its fullest, just when the greatest of all my
hopes was to be fulfilled.  I turned sick with
despair at the thought of the effect my disappearance
would have upon my wife.  The man was talking again:

"It will serve a good purpose, and keep you down
nicely."

His cursed calmness caused the most beastly
twinges of an unpleasant nature, which I can only
call fear, I do not think there is anything to be
ashamed of in confessing it.  I was young and did
not wish to die, and yet I must give no sign which
would add to his delight, he must not perceive that I
was frightened.  I had strained at the rope which
held me until I found that all my efforts seemed to
make it tighter, and so I gave up and sat still to
wait for death.

"I hope you have confessed yourself lately.
Personally, I do not believe in a God; but your
Majesty has the reputation of being devout.  Perhaps
you have some little message you would like to leave;
if that is the case you must give me your promise not
to call out, and I will remove the gag; is it to be so?"

I nodded, there might be a chance if I could talk.
I could at least try to bribe him, try to ransom
myself.  If he were not too mad, there might be a
chance.  His fingers were busy and a moment later
I was free to talk.

He looked at his watch.  By this time Prince
Zeula must be awaiting me.  I wondered what he
would do--and Mr. Neville?  They would never
give up the search for me, my body would doubtless
be discovered, but what good would that do me?
None whatever.

"You will observe, your Majesty, that I have given
you ample time to make your peace with your God.
Would it please you to give me any message to deliver?
I assure you that I will be a faithful messenger."

"You are determined then to murder me?"

"A rough word, surely your Majesty means execute."

"I give you my word that your father died a
natural death."

"He naturally died, you mean."

"I mean what I said."

"Then, for the first time in my life, I call a King
a liar to his face; it is quite an amusing sensation."

"I am not a liar; but no matter, now listen to
me.  You are going to murder me----"

"Execute."

"Execute, then, if you will.  What I wish to
know is--how will it benefit you, will you be any the
less destitute?  No! whereas if you allow me to
ransom myself----"

"Ransom yourself?  Well, I should have to
dictate the terms."

"Of course, what are they?"

"The remaining years of your life."  He laughed.
"Now I think that is enough; what message do you
wish to send?"

"A hundred thousand pounds would make you
very comfortable for the rest of your life."

"But not as comfortable as your death."

"Two hundred thousand and no questions asked,
with absolute freedom."

"No terms except the ones I mentioned.  Come
now, the message for the Queen; it is for her, eh?
Not that it is much good, because you will be able to
give it to her yourself in a little while."

"What do you mean?"

"Softly, softly!  That was very like a shout,
and remember you gave your word; my kind
thought of sending your wife to you seems to have
upset you somewhat."

"You cursed devil!"

This was the final stroke, and I strained like a
madman at my bonds.  My head was turned away
with the effort, and the window again came within
my range of vision; but this time I closed my eyes,
so that he could not read the hope which must have
been in them.  I could have shouted with the terrible
exertion I had to make to avoid giving any sign, for
the window, which before had been closed, was now
wide open, and my old Bauen creeping through it.
To this day, I cannot imagine how he had managed
to open the window without betraying his presence.
Another struggle, and through my half-opened
eyes I saw Bauen come creeping slowly up behind.
I realised that I must make as much noise as I could
to hide any sound he might make, as he had only a
knife, and the other his revolver.

"I will give you one minute more," I heard him
say, and he began to count.

Ten--twenty--thirty--at ninety I toppled the
chair over sideways, coming down with a crash, and
losing sight of him.  There was the sound of a
terrific struggle on the other side of the table; the
revolver barked three times, I felt a stinging in my
leg and heard curses, the sound of blows, and
moans.  Then there was silence.

"Bauen, Bauen," I called.

"Your Majesty?" came the answer, to my joy.

"Are you hurt, Bauen, can you come and cut me
free?"

"No, your Majesty, I cann----"  There was a
little sigh and then silence again.

A loud, insistent knocking at the door now drew
my attention, and I raised my voice:

"Break down the door."

I lay quiet after that, and presently round the
table crawled Bauen.  He dragged his leg painfully,
and his face was covered with blood; but he kept
on until he reached my side, when he put his lips to
my hand and rolled over motionless.

There was a tremendous crash, another, and the
door flew open.  For a moment those outside hesitated
to enter, but when I called to them to cut me
loose they swarmed in.  Very carefully they lifted
Bauen, and placed him on a settee in a corner
of the studio.

The moment that I was free I gave orders for a
surgeon to be sent for, also I gave orders that no
one was to leave the settlement, for I did not wish
any false rumour to reach the Palace.

The surgeon came almost before I could turn to
see how Bauen was.  A few minutes sufficed to allay
my anxiety; his wounds were serious but not
dangerous, and under the skilful treatment he
received he recovered sufficiently to recognise me,
and seeing me safe would, I knew, go a long way
towards effecting his speedy recovery.

Ivan's son was dead, Bauen's knife had reached his
heart.  I cannot bring myself to feel the least pity
for the man, he must have been bad to the core.  His
crime would have been carried out to a successful
conclusion, had he not overlooked or forgotten one
small incident.  A barge had been moored up
against the house to unload a big block of marble,
otherwise Bauen could never have reached the
window.  As it was, upon obtaining no reply to
his knocking, he had run along the bank of the canal
and swum across to the barge, from where he could
look into the room.  Upon seeing my predicament,
for a moment he had intended to raise the alarm, but,
fearing that by doing so he might cause my instant
death, he had resolved instead to try and rescue me
himself, single-handed.  His great fear had been
that some noise would betray him; luckily for
both of us it didn't, and he sprang, just as the man's
finger was about to pull the trigger.

As soon as the surgeon had made Bauen comfortable,
I got him to look at my own leg, and found
that the ball had gone through the calf, a clean flesh
wound which would heal without trouble.  It had
been a random shot, for the table-cloth had
prevented my being seen, but it shows the terrible
hatred that the man had borne me, for him to have
wasted a shot on the off-chance of causing my death,
and only a moment before Bauen's knife had done
its work.

Directly I was bandaged, leaning on the arm
of a student, I hobbled into the Palace gardens.  I
shall never forget the enthusiasm of the crowd--of
every nationality--who had gathered in the
settlement, to evince their joy at my escape; it
was very nice to have the affection of all those good
fellows.  Luckily, I met Woolgast coming to seek
me, Zeula having thought it necessary; into his
hands I put the affair, but first I sent him back to
the Palace to warn Zeula and others not to make a
fuss when I appeared.  I did not wish even the
faintest hint of alarm to reach Irma's ears.  This
done, I fainted.  It was perhaps unnecessary, but
the strain of the evening had been great enough to try
the nerves of a bull; I had also lost a quantity of blood.

And so it ended; the last adventure of a career
which had not been an empty one.  That is up to
the present, for it only happened within the year in
which I am writing.  I think Bauen was the most
honoured man in my realm for some time; before a
stranger came to overthrow him, a little fellow with
a lusty voice, and as Bauen never spoke much the
new-comer naturally won.  I may say that there
were other reasons as well, one of which was that, God
being willing, he would one day rule over Rudarlia.

Carruthers came to Karena for his christening;
and I can remember that upon that occasion, when
we all were dining together--my mother,
Mr. Neville, Prince Zeula, all those whom I
love--Carruthers proposed a toast:

"Victor II., the finest King Rudarlia ever had,
Her Majesty Queen Irma, the finest Queen,
and--er--I forget his name, but that jolly baby, the
finest baby in the world."

Then Irma said quietly:

"And Bauen, who saved them all."

Now, as this was a private dinner, there was a
great deal of fun at the quiet way Irma had accepted
Carruthers' compliments, only Zeula and Mr. Neville
refusing to be consoled, because they had not been
included as the finest Prime Minister and the finest
Tutor.

That I should remember this incident is in no way
strange, for it was only to-day that it happened.

Now I am seated in my study, I have said good
night to every one, except Woolgast, who, as usual,
is on duty.  Presently I shall summon him and tell
him to get to his bed; it is our regular custom, every
night.  I say a few words to him, and then dismiss
him with:

"Well, good night, General."

And he always gives the same reply:

"Good night, God bless your Majesty!"

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   \*      \*      \*      \*      \*      \*      \*      \*

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   JOHN LANE'S LIST OF FICTION

.. container:: plainpage noindent white-space-pre-line

   BY ARTHUR H. ADAMS
      A TOUCH OF FANTASY
      GALAHAD JONES--A TRAGIC FARCE
      GROCER GREATHEART


   BY W. M. ARDAGH
      THE KNIGHTLY YEARS
      THE MAGADA


   BY WILLIAM ARKWRIGHT
      THE TREND


   BY H. F. PREVOST BATTERSBY
      THE LAST RESORT
      THE LURE OF ROMANCE
      THE SILENCE OF MEN


   BY PETER BLUNDELL
      LOVE-BIRDS IN THE COCO-NUTS
      OH, MR. BIDGOOD
      THE FINGER OF MR. BLEE


   BY GERARD BENDALL
      THE ILLUSIONS OF MR. & MRS. BRESSINGHAM
      THE PROGRESS OF MRS. CRIPPS-MIDDLEMORE


   BY PAUL BERTRAM
      THE FIFTH TRUMPET
      THE SHADOW OF POWER


   BY ALICE BIRKHEAD
      SHIFTING SANDS


   BY WALTER BLOEM
      THE IRON YEAR.  Translated from the German by STELLA BLOCH


   BY FRANCIS ADAMS
      A CHILD OF THE AGE


   BY SHELLAND BRADLEY
      ADVENTURES OF AN A.D.C.
      AN AMERICAN GIRL AT THE DURBAR
      MORE ADVENTURES OF AN A.D.C.


   BY GERTRUDE ATHERTON
      A WHIRL ASUNDER
      SENATOR NORTH
      THE ARISTOCRATS
      THE DOOMSWOMAN


   BY EX-LIEUT. BILSE
      LIFE IN A GARRISON TOWN


   BY MRS. CHARLES BRYCE
      MRS. VANDERSTEIN'S JEWELS
      THE ASHIEL MYSTERY


   BY JAMES BRYCE
      THE STORY OF A PLOUGHBOY


   BY WILLIAM CAINE
      BILDAD THE QUILL-DRIVER
      BUT SHE MEANT WELL
      HOFFMAN'S CHANCE
      THE IRRESISTIBLE INTRUDER


   BY DANIEL CHAUCER
      THE NEW HUMPTY-DUMPTY
      THE SIMPLE LIFE LIMITED


   BY MAUD CRUTTWELL
      FIRE AND FROST


   BY SIDNEY DARK
      THE MAN WHO WOULD NOT BE KING


   BY THEODORE DREISER
      THE GENIUS
      THE TITAN


   BY MARION FOX
      APE'S FACE
      THE BOUNTIFUL HOUR


   BY WILLEM DE VEER
      AN EMPEROR IN THE DOCK
      BATTLE ROYAL


   BY CARLTON DAWE
      THE REDEMPTION OF GRACE MILROY
      THE SUPER-BARBARIANS



   THE WORKS OF ANATOLE FRANCE IN ENGLISH

   Edited by FREDERIC CHAPMAN DEMY

   AT THE SIGN OF THE REINE PEDAUQUE
        A Translation by Mrs. WILFRID JACKSON

   BALTHASAR
        A Translation by Mrs. JOHN LANE

   CRAINQUEBILLE
        A Translation by WINIFRED STEPHENS

   JOCASTA AND THE FAMISHED CAT
        A Translation by Mrs. FARLEY

   MOTHER OF PEARL
        A Translation by the EDITOR

   MY FRIEND'S BOOK
        A Translation by J. LEWIS MAY

   ON LIFE AND LETTERS
        A Translation by A. W. EVANS.  Series I and II

   PENGUIN ISLAND
        A Translation by A. W. EVANS

   PIERRE NOZIERE
        A Translation by J. LEWIS MAY

   THAÏS
        A Translation by ROBERT B. DOUGLAS

   THE AMETHYST RING
        A Translation by BERENGERE DRILLIEN

   THE ASPIRATIONS OF JEAN SERVIEN
        A Translation by ALFRED ALLINSON

   THE CRIME OF SYLVESTRE BONNARD
        A Translation by LAFCADIO HEARN

   THE ELM TREE ON THE MALL
        A Translation by M. P. WILLCOCKS

   THE GARDEN OF EPICURUS
        A Translation by ALFRED ALLINSON

   THE GODS ARE ATHIRST
        A Translation by ALFRED ALLINSON

   THE MERRIE TALES OF JACQUES TOURNEBROCHE.
        A Translation by ALFRED ALLINSON

   THE OPINIONS OF JEROME COIGNARD
        A Translation by Mrs. WILFRID JACKSON

   THE PATH OF GLORY
        A Translation by A. R. ALLINSON

   THE RED LILY
        A Translation by WINIFRED STEPHENS

   THE REVOLT OF THE ANGELS
        A Translation by Mrs. WILFRID JACKSON

   THE WELL OF ST. CLARE
        A Translation by ALFRED ALLINSON

   THE WHITE STONE
        A Translation by C. E. ROCHE

   THE WICKER-WORK WOMAN
        A Translation by M. P. WILLCOCKS



   BY EVELYN BRENTWOOD
      HECTOR GRAEME
      HENRY KEMPTON


   BY JOHN BUCHAN
      JOHN BURNET OF BARNS
      SCHOLAR GIPSIES


   BY G. K. CHESTERTON
      THE NAPOLEON OF NOTTING HILL


   BY A. R. GORING THOMAS
      MRS. GRAMERCY PARK
      THE LASS WITH THE DELICATE HAIR
      THE STRONG HEART
      WAYWARD FEET


   BY GERALD GROGAN
      A DROP IN INFINITY


   BY GERALD CAMPBELL
      THE JONESES AND THE ASTERISKS


   BY FREDERICK BARON CORVO
      IN HIS OWN IMAGE


   BY VICTORIA CROSS
      THE WOMAN WHO DIDN'T


   BY GEORGE EGERTON
      DISCORDS
      KEYNOTES
      SYMPHONIES


   BY CYRIL HARCOURT
      FIRST COUSIN TO A DREAM
      THE WORLD'S DAUGHTER


   BY HENRY HARLAND
      COMEDIES AND ERRORS
      GREY ROSES
      MADEMOISELLE MISS
      MY FRIEND PROSPERO
      THE CARDINAL'S SNUFF BOX
      THE LADY PARAMOUNT


   BY FRANK HARRIS
      ELDER CONKLIN
      GREAT DAYS
      MONTES THE MATADOR
      UNPATH'D WATERS


   BY E. CROSBY HEATH
      HENRIETTA TAKING NOTES


   BY A. C. FOX-DAVIES
      THE FINANCES OF SIR JOHN KYNNERSLEY
      THE MAULEVERER MURDERS


   BY ELIZABETH GODFREY
      THE CRADLE OF A POET


   BY JOHN GORE
      THE BARMECIDE'S FEAST
      THE SILLY SEASON


   BY HANDASYDE
      FOR THE WEEK-END


   BY ALICE HERBERT
      GARDEN OATS
      THE MEASURE OF OUR YOUTH


   BY MURIEL HINE
      APRIL PANHASARD
      EARTH
      HALF IN EARNEST
      THE INDIVIDUAL
      THE MAN WITH THE DOUBLE HEART


   BY ADELAIDE HOLT
      OUTSIDE THE ARK


   BY FORD MADOX HUEFFER
      THE GOOD SOLDIER


   BY VIOLET HUNT and FORD MADOX HUEFFER
      ZEPPELIN NIGHTS


   BY KEBLE HOWARD
      MERRY-ANDREW
      THE GREEN FLAG


   BY WILLIAM BERTAL HEENEY
      PICKANOCK


   BY WILFRID SCARBOROUGH JACKSON
      TRIAL BY MARRIAGE


   BY CECIL STARR JOHNS
      VICTOR VICTORIOUS


   BY MRS. JOHN LANE
      ACCORDING TO MARIA
      BALTHASAR AND OTHER STORIES
      KITWYK
      MARIA AGAIN
      THE CHAMPAGNE STANDARD
      TALK OF THE TOWN


   BY STEPHEN LEACOCK
      ARCADIAN ADVENTURES WITH THE IDLE RICH
      BEHIND THE BEYOND
      LITERARY LAPSES
      MOONBEAMS FROM THE LARGER LUNACY
      NONSENSE NOVELS
      SUNSHINE SKETCHES OF A LITTLE TOWN


   BY VERNON LEE
      LOUIS NORBERT


   BY RICHARD LE GALLIENNE
      THE QUEST OF THE GOLDEN GIRL
      THE ROMANCE OF ZION CHAPEL
      LITTLE DINNERS WITH THE SPHINX
      PAINTED SHADOWS
      PROSE FANCIES
      SLEEPING BEAUTY AND THE PROSE FANCIES
      THE BOOK BILLS OF NARCISSUS
      THE WORSHIPPER OF THE IMAGE


   BY AGNES GORDON LENNOX
      A GIRL'S MARRIAGE


   BY WILLIAM J. LOCKE
      A STUDY IN SHADOWS
      AT THE GATE OF SAMARIA
      DERELICTS
      IDOLS
      JAFFERY
      SIMON THE JESTER
      STELLA MARIS
      THE BELOVED VAGABOND
      THE DEMAGOGUE AND LADY PHAYRE
      THE GLORY OF CLEMENTINA WING
      THE FORTUNATE YOUTH
      THE JOYOUS ADVENTURES OF ARISTIDE PUJOL
      THE MORALS OF MARCUS ORDEYNE
      THE WHITE DOVE
      THE USURPER
      WHERE LOVE IS


   BY INGRAHAM LOVELL
      MARGARITA'S SOUL


   BY CECIL CHAMPAIN LOWIS
      FASCINATION


   BY LAURA BOGUE LUFFMAN
      A QUESTION OF LATITUDE


   BY A. NEIL LYONS
      ARTHUR'S
      CLARA; SOME CHAPTERS IN THE LIFE OF A HUSSY
      COTTAGE PIE
      KITCHENER CHAPS
      MOBY LANE AND THEREABOUTS
      SIMPLE SIMON
      SIXPENNY PIECES


   BY FREDERICK NIVEN
      THE LOST CABIN MINE


   BY ALLAN McAULAY
      BEGGARS AND SORNERS


   BY KARIN MICHAELIS
      ELSIE LINDTNER A SEQUEL
      THE DANGEROUS AGE
      THE GOVERNOR


   BY IRENE MILLER
      SEKHET


   BY HECTOR H. MUNRO (Saki)
      BEASTS AND SUPER-BEASTS
      THE CHRONICLES OF CLOVIS
      THE UNBEARABLE BASSINGTON
      WHEN WILLIAM CAME


   BY MADGE MEARS
      THE JEALOUS GODDESS


   BY PIERRE MILLE
      BARNAVAUX
      JOFFRE CHAPS
      LOUISE AND BARNAVAUX
      TWO LITTLE PARISIANS
      UNDER THE TRICOLOUR


   BY LOUIS N. PARKER
      POMANDER WALK


   BY JOHN PARKINSON
      OTHER LAWS


   BY MRS. C. S. PEEL
      MRS. BARNET-ROBES
      THE HAT SHOP


   BY F. INGLIS POWELL
      THE SNAKE


   BY F. J. RANDALL
      SOMEBODY'S LUGGAGE
      THE BERMONDSEY TWIN


   BY SIDNEY SCHIFF
      CONCESSIONS


   BY HUGH DE SÉLINCOURT
      A FAIR HOUSE


   BY VERE SHORTT
      LOST SHEEP


   BY GERTRUDE STEIN
      THREE LIVES


   BY DORIS SOMERVILLE
      GREEN CHALK


   BY GEORGE STEVENSON
      JENNY CARTWRIGHT
      TOPHAM'S FOLLY


   BY HERMANN SUDERMANN
      THE SONG OF SONGS (Das Hohe Lied)
      THE INDIAN LILY AND OTHER STORIES
      REGINA; or THE SINS OF THE FATHERS


   BY SIR FRANK SWETTENHAM
      ALSO AND PERHAPS


   BY MARCELLE TINAYRE
      MADELEINE AT HER MIRROR


   BY MRS. HORACE TREMLETT
      CURING CHRISTOPHER
      LOOKING FOR GRACE


   BY GEORGE VANE
      THE LIFTED LATCH
      THE LOVE DREAM
      THE SNARE


   BY SYDNEY TREMAYNE
      THE AUCTION MART


   BY L. VAIL
      THE HOUSE IN LITTLE ITALY


   BY DUDLEY STURROCK
      THE DISTANT DRUM


   BY CLARA VIEBIG
      ABSOLUTION
      THE SON OF HIS MOTHER


   BY H. B. MARRIOTT WATSON
      THE TOMBOY AND OTHERS


   BY H. G. WELLS
      THE NEW MACHIAVELLI
      SELECT CONVERSATIONS WITH AN UNCLE


   BY MARGARET WESTRUP
      ELIZABETH'S CHILDREN
      ELIZABETH IN RETREAT
      HELEN ALLISTON
      PHYLLIS IN MIDDLEWYCH
      THE YOUNG O'BRIENS


   BY EDITH WHARTON
      THE GREATER INCLINATION


   BY DEMETRA VAKA
      A CHILD OF THE ORIENT


   BY EDITH WHERRY
      THE RED LANTERN


   BY M. P. WILLCOCKS
      A MAN OF GENIUS
      THE WAY UP
      THE WINGLESS VICTORY
      WIDDICOMBE
      WINGS OF DESIRE


   BY F. E. MILLS YOUNG
      ATONEMENT
      A MISTAKEN MARRIAGE
      CHIP
      GRIT LAWLESS
      MYLES CALTHORPE, I.D.B.
      SAM'S KID
      THE GREAT UNREST
      THE PURPLE MISTS
      VALLEY OF A THOUSAND HILLS


   BY FRANCES FENWICK WILLIAMS
      A SOUL ON FIRE



   POPULAR CHEAP EDITIONS


   BY H. G. WELLS
      THE NEW MACHIAVELLI


   BY GERTRUDE ATHERTON
      THE ARISTOCRATS


   BY MRS. JOHN LANE
      ACCORDING TO MARIA


   BY WILLIAM J. LOCKE
      A STUDY IN SHADOWS
      AT THE GATE OF SAMARIA
      DERELICTS
      IDOLS
      SIMON THE JESTER
      THE BELOVED VAGABOND
      THE GLORY OF CLEMENTINA WING
      THE MORALS OF MARCUS ORDEYNE
      THE USURPER
      THE WHITE DOVE
      WHERE LOVE IS


   BY A. NEIL LYONS
      ARTHURS
      KITCHENER CHAPS


   BY M. P. WILLCOCKS
      THE WINGLESS VICTORY


   BY F. E. MILLS YOUNG
      CHIP


   BY ANATOLE FRANCE
      THE CRIME OF SYLVESTRE BONNARD
      THE RED LILY


   BY HANDASYDE
      FOR THE WEEK-END


   BY PIERRE MILLE
      JOFFRE CHAPS


   BY CAPTAIN BLACKALL
      SONGS FROM THE TRENCHES


   BY THOMAS O'TOOLE
      THE WAY THEY HAVE IN THE ARMY


   BY G. K. CHESTERTON
      GEORGE BERNARD SHAW



   THE NEW
   POCKET LIBRARY

   Printed from a clear type, upon a specially thin
   and opaque paper manufactured for the Series

   Pott (6 X 3-3/4 in.)

   Bound in Cloth Price 1s net

   Bound in Leather Price 2s net


   BY THE EARL OF BEACONSFIELD
      ALROY, ETC.
      CONINGSBY
      CONTARINI FLEMING
      HENRIETTA TEMPLE
      SYBIL
      TANCRED
      THE YOUNG DUKE, ETC.
      VENETIA
      VIVIAN GREY


   BY HENRY BROOKE
      THE FOOL OF QUALITY (2 vols.)


   BY GEORGE BORROW
      LAVENGRO
      THE BIBLE IN SPAIN
      THE ROMANY RYE
      THE ZINCALI
      WILD WALES


   BY GEORGE ELIOT
      ADAM BEDE
      SCENES OF CLERICAL LIFE
      SILAS MARNER
      THE MILL ON THE FLOSS


   BY EDWARD FITZGERALD
      EUPHRANOR


   BY NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE
      THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES
      THE SCARLET LETTER


   BY HERMAN MELVILLE
      TYPEE
      OMOO


   BY CAPTAIN MARRYAT
      MR. MIDSHIPMAN EASY
      PETER SIMPLE
      THE KING'S OWN
      THE PHANTOM SHIP


   BY ANTHONY TROLLOPE
      BARCHESTER TOWERS
      CASTLE RICHMOND
      DR. THORNE
      FRAMLEY PARSONAGE
      ORLEY FARM (2 vols.)
      RACHEL RAY
      THE BERTRAMS
      THE KELLYS AND THE O'KELLYS
      THE MACDERMOTS OF BALLYCLORAN
      THE SMALL HOUSE AT ALLINGTON (2 vols.)
      THE THREE CLERKS
      THE WARDEN

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      LONDON: JOHN LANE, THE BODLEY HEAD

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