第26章

OurdearTeutaisfulloftheforthcomingcelebrationoftheBalkanFederation，whichistotakeplacethisdaymonth，althoughImustsay，formyself，thattheceremonyisattainingtosuchdimensionsthatIambeginningtohaveasortofvaguefearofsomekind。Italmostseemsuncanny。Rupertisworkingunceasingly——hasbeenforsometime。Forweekspastheseemstohavebeenoutdayandnightonhisaeroplane，goingthroughandroundoverthecountryarrangingmatters，andseeingforhimselfthatwhathasbeenarrangedisbeingdone。UncleColinisalwaysabout，too，andsoisAdmiralRooke。

ButnowTeutaisbeginningtogowithRupert。Thatgirlissimplyfearless——justlikeRupert。AndtheybothseemanxiousthatlittleRupertshallbethesame。Indeed，heisthesame。AfewmorningsagoRupertandTeutawereabouttostartjustafterdawnfromthetopoftheCastle。LittleRupertwasthere——heisalwaysawakeearlyandasbrightasabee。Iwasholdinghiminmyarms，andwhenhismotherleantovertokisshimgood—bye，heheldouthisarmstoherinawaythatsaidasplainlyasifhehadspoken，"Takemewithyou。"

ShelookedappealinglyatRupert，whonodded，andsaid："Allright。

Takehim，darling。Hewillhavetolearnsomeday，andthesoonerthebetter。"Thebaby，lookingeagerlyfromonetotheotherwiththesamequestioninginhiseyesasthereissometimesintheeyesofakittenorapuppy——but，ofcourse，withaneagersoulbehindit——

sawthathewasgoing，andalmostleapedintohismother’sarms。I

thinkshehadexpectedhimtocome，forshetookalittleleatherdressfromMargareta，hisnurse，and，flushingwithpride，begantowraphiminit。WhenTeuta，holdinghiminherarms，steppedontheaeroplane，andtookherplaceinthecentrebehindRupert，theyoungmenoftheCrownPrince’sGuardraisedacheer，amidwhichRupertpulledthelevers，andtheyglidedoffintothedawn。

TheCrownPrince’sGuardwasestablishedbythemountaineersthemselvesthedayofhisbirth。Tenofthebiggestandmostpowerfulandcleverestyoungmenofthenationwerechosen，andweresworninwithaveryimpressiveceremonytoguardtheyoungPrince。

Theyweretosoarrangeandorderthemselvesandmattersgenerallythattwoatleastofthemshouldalwayshavehim，ortheplaceinwhichhewas，withintheirsight。Theyallvowedthatthelastoftheirlivesshouldgobeforeharmcametohim。Ofcourse，Teutaunderstood，andsodidRupert。AndtheseyoungmenarethepersonsmostprivilegedinthewholeCastle。Theyaredearboys，everyoneofthem，andweareallfondofthemandrespectthem。Theysimplyidolizethebaby。

EversincethatmorninglittleRuperthas，unlessitisatatimeappointedforhissleeping，goneinhismother’sarms。IthinkinanyotherplacetherewouldbesomeStateremonstranceatthewholeroyalfamilybeingatonceandtogetherinadangerousposition，butintheBlueMountainsdangerandfeararenotthoughtof——indeed，theycanhardlybeintheirterminology。AndIreallythinkthechildenjoysitevenmorethanhisparents。Heisjustlikealittlebirdthathasfoundtheuseofhiswings。Blesshim！

IfindthatevenIhavetostudyCourtritualalittle。Somanynationalitiesaretoberepresentedattheceremonyofthe"BalkanSettlement，"andsomanyKingsandPrincesandnotabilitiesofallkindsarecoming，thatwemustalltakecarenottomakeanymistakes。ThePressalonewoulddriveanyonesilly。RupertandTeutacomeandsitwithmesometimesintheeveningwhenwearealltootiredtowork，andtheyrestthemselvesbytalkingmattersover。

Rupertsaysthattherewillbeoverfivehundredreporters，andthattheapplicationsforpermissionarecominginsofastthattheremaybeathousandwhenthedaycomes。Lastnighthestoppedinthemiddleofspeakingofit，andsaid：

"Ihaveaninspiration！Fancyathousandjournalists，——eachwantingtogetaheadoftherest，andallwillingtoinvokethePowersofEvilforexclusiveinformation！TheonlymantolookafterthisdepartmentisRooke。Heknowshowtodealwithmen，andaswehavealreadyalargestafftolookafterthejournalisticguests，hecanbeatthehead，andappointhisowndeputiestoactforhim。

Somewhereandsometimethekeepingthepeacewillbeamatterofnerveandresolution，andRookeisthemanforthejob。"

Wewereallconcernedaboutonething，naturallyimportantintheeyesofawoman：WhatrobeswasTeutatowear？Intheolddays，whentherewereKingsandQueens，theydoubtlessworesomethinggorgeousorimpressive；butwhateveritwasthattheyworehasgonetodustcenturiesago，andtherewerenoillustratedpapersinthoseprimitivedays。Teutawastalkingtomeeagerly，withherdearbeautifulbrowsallwrinkled，whenRupertwhowasreadingabulkydocumentofsomekind，lookedupandsaid：

"Ofcourse，darling，youwillwearyourShroud？"

"Capital！"shesaid，clappingherhandslikeajoyouschild。"Theverything，andourpeoplewilllikeit。"

IownthatforamomentIwasdismayed。Itwasahorribletestofawoman’sloveanddevotion。AtatimewhenshewasentertainingKingsandnotabilitiesinherownhouse——andbesuretheywouldallbedeckedintheirfinery——tohavetoappearinsuchagarment！Aplainthingwithnothingevenpretty，letalonegorgeous，aboutit！I

expressedmyviewstoRupert，forIfearedthatTeutamightbedisappointed，thoughshemightnotcaretosayso；butbeforehecouldsayawordTeutaanswered：

"Oh，thankyousomuch，dear！Ishouldlovethataboveeverything，butIdidnotliketosuggestit，lestyoushouldthinkmearrogantorpresuming；for，indeed，Rupert，Iamveryproudofit，andofthewayourpeoplelookonit。"

"Whynot？"saidRupert，inhisdirectway。"Itisathingforusalltobeproudof；thenationhasalreadyadopteditasanationalemblem——ouremblemofcourageanddevotionandpatriotism，whichwillalways，Ihope，betreasuredbeyondpricebythemenandwomenofourDynasty，theNation，thatis——oftheNationthatistobe。"

Lateronintheeveningwehadastrangeendorsementofthenationalwill。A"People’sDeputation"ofmountaineers，withoutanyofficialnoticeorintroduction，arrivedattheCastlelateintheeveninginthemannerestablishedbyRupert’s"ProclamationofFreedom，"whereinallcitizenswereentitledtosendadeputationtotheKing，atwillandinprivate，onanysubjectofStateimportance。Thisdeputationwascomposedofseventeenmen，oneselectedfromeachpoliticalsection，sothatthebodyasawholerepresentedtheentirenation。

Theywereofallsortsofsocialrankandalldegreesoffortune，buttheyweremainly"ofthepeople。"Theyspokehesitatingly——possiblybecauseTeuta，orevenbecauseI，waspresent——butwithamanifestearnestness。Theymadebutonerequest——thattheQueenshould，onthegreatoccasionoftheBalkanFederation，wearasrobesofStatetheShroudthattheylovedtoseeherin。Thespokesman，addressingtheQueen，saidintonesofruggedeloquence：

"Thisisamatter，YourMajesty，thatthewomennaturallyhaveasayin，sowehave，ofcourse，consultedthem。Theyhavediscussedthematterbythemselves，andthenwithus，andtheyareagreedwithoutaflawthatitwillbegoodfortheNationandforWomankindthatyoudothisthing。Youhaveshowntothem，andtotheworldatlarge，whatwomenshoulddo，whattheycando，andtheywanttomake，inmemoryofyourgreatact，theShroudagarmentofprideandhonourforwomenwhohavedeservedwelloftheircountry。Inthefutureitcanbeagarmenttobewornonlybyprivilegedwomenwhohaveearnedtheright。Buttheyhope，andwehopewiththem，thatonthisoccasionofourNationtakingtheleadbeforetheeyesoftheworld，allourwomenmaywearitonthatdayasameansofshowingovertlytheirwillingnesstodotheirduty，eventothedeath。Andso"——hereheturnedtotheKing——"Rupert，wetrustthatHerMajestyQueenTeutawillunderstandthatindoingasthewomenoftheBlueMountainswish，shewillbindafreshtotheQueentheloyaldevotionwhichshewonfromthemasVoivodin。HenceforthandforalltimetheShroudshallbeadressofhonourinourLand。"

Teutalookedallablazewithloveandprideanddevotion。Starsinhereyesshonelikewhitefireassheassuredthemofthegrantingoftheirrequest。Shefinishedherlittlespeech：

"IfearedthatifIcarriedoutmyownwish，itmightlookarrogant，butRuperthasexpressedthesamewish，andnowIfeelthatIamfreetowearthatdresswhichbroughtmetoyouandtoRupert"——hereshebeamedonhim，andtookhishand——"fortifiedasIambyyourwishesandthecommandofmylordtheKing。"

Ruperttookherinhisarmsandkissedherfondlybeforethemall，saying：

"Tellyourwives，mybrothers，andtherestoftheBlueMountainwomen，thatthatistheanswerofthehusbandwholovesandhonourshiswife。AlltheworldshallseeattheceremonyoftheFederationofBalkathatwemenloveandhonourthewomenwhoareloyalandcandieforduty。And，menoftheBlueMountains，somedaybeforelongweshallorganizethatgreatidea，andmakeitapermanentthing——

thattheOrderoftheShroudisthehighestguerdonthatanoble—

heartedwomancanwear。"

Teutadisappearedforafewmoments，andcamebackwiththeCrownPrinceinherarms。Everyonepresentaskedtobeallowedtokisshim，whichtheydidkneeling。

THEFEDERATIONBALKA。

BytheCorrespondentsof"FreeAmerica。"

TheEditorsofFreeAmericahavethoughtitwelltoputinconsecutiveorderthereportsanddescriptionsoftheirSpecialCorrespondents，ofwhomtherewerepresentnolessthaneight。Notawordtheywroteisomitted，butthevariouspartsoftheirreportsareplacedindifferentorder，sothat，whilstnothingwhichanyofthemrecordedisleftout，thereadermaybeabletofollowtheproceedingsfromthevariouspointsofviewofthewriterswhohadthemostfavourableopportunityofmoment。Insolargeanassemblageofjournalists——therewerepresentoverathousand——theycouldnotallbepresentinoneplace；soourmen，inconsultationamongstthemselves，arrangedtoscatter，soastocoverthewholeproceedingfromthevarious"coignsofvantage，"usingtheirskillandexperienceinselectingthesepoints。Onewassituatedonthesummitofthesteel—cladtowerintheentrancetotheBlueMouth；anotheronthe"Press—boat，"whichwasmooredalongsideKingRupert’sarmouredyacht，TheLady，whereonweregatheredthevariousKingsandrulersoftheBalkanStates，allofwhomwereintheFederation；anotherwasinaswifttorpedo—boat，witharovingcommissiontocruiseroundtheharbourasdesired；anothertookhisplaceonthetopofthegreatmountainwhichoverlooksPlazac，andsohadabird’s—eyeviewofthewholesceneofoperations；twootherswereonthefortstorightandleftoftheBlueMouth；anotherwaspostedattheentrancetotheGreatTunnelwhichrunsfromthewaterlevelrightupthroughthemountainstotheplateau，wheretheminesandfactoriesaresituate；

anotherhadtheprivilegeofaplaceonanaeroplane，whichwenteverywhereandsaweverything。ThisaeroplanewasdrivenbyanoldSpecialCorrespondentofFreeAmerica，whohadbeenachumofourSpecialintheJapaneseandRussianWar，andwhohastakenserviceontheBlueMountainOfficialGazette。

PLAZAC，June30，1909。

Twodaysbeforethetimeappointedfortheceremonytheguestso

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