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my sister-in-law a piece of news. Anton Gregorievitch is exiled." "Hyperborea?" gasped the three ladies at once.

"No, merely exiled from the empire. I suppose this will make a good deal of difference to you?"

"If God means His work to go on, He will supply the labourers," said the Princess.

"But it will make no change in your plans?"

"I think not. Why should it?" The Princess was on good terms with her brother-in-law, although they differed in their religious views. Some years before, when her own family, fearing that she would bestow all her property in charity, had applied that it should be placed under legal guardianship, he had been appointed her trustee, and had dealt out her money to her ever since honestly, if with a good deal of mockery, and she was grateful to him for continuing to supply her with a perennial stream of cash which she might give away, whereas if left to her own guardianship she would have deprived herself in a single year of all power to give.

"Oh, nothing," he answered, lightly. "I am afraid that this will not be the last of the banishments, that is all. But we all know that ladies will have their way, though empires fall. I only wish you good people would keep out of the way of the Holy Synod. You ought to know that we are determined to drive out all our most industrious subjects because they are Jews, and exile all our best because they are heretics. We mean to be orthodox if we can't be either prosperous or pious. Adieu, my sister."

He was gone, and the three ladies gathered round the table to discuss the situation.

"We shall be obliged to make

new arrangements about some of the work to-morrow," said the Princess. "I fear that we cannot carry on all Count and Countess Wratisloff's classes, but we will do what we can to-day. I will do my best to take the Count's navvy Bible-class this evening. The police will have prevented him from making any arrangement for it. Then there is the Countess's Biblereading at the house of blind Dmitri Nicolaievitch. We must think of some one for that."

"I will try, if you like, Marraine," said Nadia, timidly. "If I find I am too nervous, blind Dmitri will read, I know, and at any rate I can tell the people what has happened to Anton Gregorievitch."

"Very well, my child. The carriage shall take you on after leaving me at the Mission-room, and I will call for you afterwards."

In pursuance of this arrangement, Nadia found herself that evening a member of the little gathering of poor people who met to hear the Bible read and explained by Countess Wratisloff, and of whom the host was the only one that could read. None of them had heard what had befallen the Count and Countess, and several burst into loud lamentations when Nadia told her story. But above the tumult the voice of blind Dmitri was heard.

"Let us lay before God the case of our father, who is taken from us, brothers, and of the work which he must leave undone."

They knelt down, and Dmitri prayed long and earnestly. Before he had ended his prayer, the cottage door opened. The blind man heard the sound, but took no notice, thinking that one of the members of the class had come in late; but Nadia, looking up involuntarily, saw the glint of uniform-buttons in the lamplight. She recognised the

state of affairs immediately. M. Tourquemadischeff had sent a body of police to break up the meeting. That they remained silent so long was due to the unconsciousness of the blind man, who continued his prayer without perceiving their presence. The moment he had finished, an officer stepped forward and arrested Nadia in the Emperor's name. Others were taking the names and addresses of those present, and searching the cottage for forbidden books, one carrying off the huge volumes of the Bible in Moon's type which Princess Soudaroff had provided for Dmitri. This done, her captors ordered Nadia to accompany them; and she obeyed as though in a dream, while the poor people pressed round her weeping, and trying to kiss her hands or the hem of her dress. Outside the cottage a covered sledge was waiting, which she was desired to enter, two of the officials following. After a drive lasting for some time the sledge stopped, and she was conducted into a small stuffy office, in which two officers were sitting writing. They looked up with some surprise on seeing her, but proceeded to ask her name, age, abode, religious views, and what she was doing in Dmitri's house. They made no attempt to entrap her into any admissions, for this was evidently a strictly preliminary inquiry; but when it was over she found herself relegated to a bare stone cell for the night. This fact brought home to her the reality of her position. The way she was treading led to Caucasia, to Hyperborea, to separation from friends, to association with the vilest criminals, the stigma of a felon. But she put the thought from her resolutely, and tried to dwell on the remembrance of Dmitri's prayer. "I will trust and not be afraid," were the words

with which he had concluded; and with these on her lips she lay down without undressing on the rough bench and fell asleep.

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Nadia, my dear child!" were the words that awakened her in the morning. Forgive me. I thought it would be the navvies' class which they would raid, and I never dreamt of their arresting you. My child, I have been driving about all night from policestation to police station, and from Minister to Minister, first to find you and then to release you. I went first to Vladimir Alexandrovitch, and he accompanied me everywhere. He said that it would never do to send you to Hyperborea, for we should have King Carlino invading Scythia with an AngloThracian army to release you. Of course that was only his jest; but we left no stone unturned. I threatened to force my way into the Emperor's presence, and lay the matter before him; I threatened to put it into the hands of the British Embassy-although I really don't know whether you are a British subject or not; I threatened to stir up English public opinion through the Evangelical Alliance. At last I obtained the order for your release, and for myself-this."

Nadia took the paper. It was a permission to Pauline Vassilievna Soudarova to travel outside the Scythian dominions, until the Em peror should revoke the leave thus granted.

"Oh, Marraine !" cried Nadia, sadly, "and this is on my account. Exile!"

"Oh no, dear child. This is merely permissive, you see. Now, what shall we do? Shall we accept the permission, and place Dr Schmidt and Marie Karlovna in charge of the work, leaving the house as it is, and directing opera

tions by letter? Or shall we disregard it, and wait until we are arrested, and conducted to the frontier by the police, while the institutions are all closed, and our poor people sent to Caucasia? I want your opinion."

"I don't like beating a retreat, Marraine," said Nadia, frankly, "but if we can ensure the continuance of the work better by going, perhaps we ought to go."

visited the Holy Land years ago, but I should like to see Malta and Asia Minor and the Egean. It would be most interesting; and, from the Bosphorus, one might even visit the Black Sea, and perhaps meet some old friends. I have a strong conviction that we are not driven out of Scythia in this way for nothing."

"Yes, Marraine," said Nadia, sedately, as the Princess ended in some confusion; but, in her heart, she knew that her godmother was anxious to see whether there was not a possibility of bringing her

"That was just what I thought," said the Princess. "Now, my child, I have a scheme. I wish to follow the footsteps of St Paul." A pilgrimage, Marraine?" asked and Caerleon together again. Her Nadia.

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"Not quite. A friend of mine has a yacht, which is lying at Cadiz, and which he is anxious to let for the winter. I have

heart leaped at the thought, but calmer considerations succeeded. Was it likely that Caerleon would try his fortune again after two refusals? It was scarcely probable.

CHAPTER XX.-TAKEN BY SURPRISE.

At Bellaviste preparations were now being made a second time for the King's coronation. The chapel of St Peter had risen from its ashes in the courtyard of the palace, and the decoration of the interior was almost complete; while the regalia had also been renovated, and was ready for service, though somewhat shorn of its original splendour. All the circumstances seemed to combine to enable the event to be celebrated under the happiest auspices. Cyril had been duly presented to the Legislative Assembly as Caerleon's heir, and the announcement was received with acclamation. income was voted him from the public funds, and the title of prince, already conferred on him by the people in their talk, granted him by a royal proclamation. Even M. Drakovics was content that the succession should be secured in this way, now that he was convinced that the King's marrying was out

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of the question. The first steps had been taken towards putting the new liquor laws into operation; and, although there had been a good deal of discontent in the capital, in most places the people had grumbled and submitted. Most important of all, the Roumi Government had at length given way before the representations of Pannonia, and had agreed to recognise Caerleon's election, safe-guarding the Grand Signior's suzerain rights by stipulating that he should nominate a special commissioner to attend the coronation and invest the new ruler.

"We are getting on swimmingly," said Cyril, dropping into the Premier's office one afternoon, three or four days before the date fixed for the ceremony. "One almost wishes things wouldn't all go quite so smoothly. It makes one think of chucking one's watch into the river, or making some other sacrifice to avert misfortune, like the

ancients, you know. I believe my brain would give way under the pressure if it went on much longer. When Caerleon is safely crowned and off my hands I shall breathe freely."

"I have reason to believe," said M. Drakovics, "that the proScythian party intend to try to strike some blow during the coronation itself. All the indications seem to point to that, although we cannot succeed in discovering what means they intend to use. They will scarcely try to burn the chapel again, but they may use dynamite, or make a last attempt at a constitutional protest, or try to get up a coup d'état."

"And these three things we must provide against by rigorously excluding strangers from the ceremony, associating the Carlino regiment with the city troops as guards, and dispersing any attempt at a public meeting," said Cyril. "Well, we have three days left for making preparations. I'm glad I just looked in. I thought you would very likely have something to say to me."

"What is the King doing? asked M. Drakovics.

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other had helped her to deceive him, but they made common cause against her.

"You would not think, looking at Prince Otto Georg," said M. Drakovics, "that at the time of the Franco-Prussian war his name was in every one's mouth, would you? He was a dashing young cavalry officer-very young-and I remember distinctly the incident which. brought him into special notice. Our friend General Sertchaieff was, I believe, at the German headquarters at the time, and it was he who suggested, from his recollection of the matter, that the crown should be offered to Prince Otto Georg when we were first seeking a king. The Prince was carrying despatches -for Moltke, I think-and was taken prisoner by a small body of French cavalry. He managed to destroy the despatches, but he had been made acquainted with the contents. His captors were too far from their headquarters to take him there that night, so they halted in a stable, put their prisoner in the empty loft, took away the ladder, and sat down round a fire underneath. They must have got hold of some wine at any rate, they went to sleep one by one, and the fire burned low. Prince Otto Georg watched his opportunity, and let himself drop. He fell among the embers of the fire, and burnt his hands badly, but he crept past the Frenchmen to the spot where their horses were tied, unfastened them all, and led them across the grass. He mounted one, driving the rest before him for a short distance, and then turned them loose, and rode for his life, reaching his point safely and delivering his message."

"You are quite right in saying that no one would imagine it from looking at him now," said Cyril, as M. Drakovics rose to escort him to the door. "By the bye, you have

rather a good view of the river here. What steamer is that, flying Pannonian colours?"

"A Scythian trader, I fancy," returned the Premier. "A good many of them hoist the Pannonian flag while they are here. It prevents unpleasantness, and we don't ask too many questions. This particular ship has just unloaded her cargo, and leaves to-morrow."

"Brought wheat, I suppose?" "No, machinery for use in the arsenal. Sertchaieff has had two clerks on the wharf checking all the cases as they were unloaded. When everything is in working order we shall be far more independent of other nations than we are. This is another piece of good news for your Highness."

"Yes, I think that on the whole Caerleon has about as pleasant a berth as he could wish," responded Cyril as he went out.

It is generally recognised that our good fortune is much more clearly visible to others than to ourselves, and the fact that Caerleon himself was totally unconvinced of the advantages of his position need not, therefore, excite any astonishment. If Cyril had broached in his presence his theory of the advisability of making some sacrifice to fortune in order to avert the perils arising from unbroken prosperity, Caerleon would have reminded him bitterly that his separation from Nadia effectually prevented him, at any rate, from growing intoxicated with success. His face was gloomy enough now, as he rode up to the palace with his royal guest after the review, General Sertchaieff and a group of officers following them at some little distance. It was a wretched wintry afternoon, and only a German prince would have appreciated the compliment paid him in holding a review in his honour on such a day;

but the courteous gentleman who rode beside the taciturn King was overflowing with contentment and good-humour. Prince Otto Georg of Schwarzwald-Molzau was a gay young man of forty-five or so, a younger son of the reigning GrandDuke, and said by his detractors to live on the reputation he had gained in the Franco-Prussian war, and on anticipations of a guerre de revanche. This was unkind, although it is undeniable that he was now much better known in Paris or at Monte Carlo than on the parade-ground or the manoeuvre-field; but there was some truth in it, for he was one of the men who are content to vegetate indefinitely unless aroused by some great stimulus. He had come to Bellaviste to represent his father at Caerleon's coronation, ostensibly as a kind of amende honorable for Princess Ottilie's conduct; but as he was the brother of the Empress of Pannonia, it was generally believed that political considerations were not wholly unconnected with his visit. It was not, however, of politics that he was speaking as he rode up the street at the side of his host.

"You have the makings of a fine army here," he said; "but you want drill, drill, organisation, organisation. Your men are too much inclined to be independent, to act individually or in small bodies, without definite orders. Here we are in Europe-we do not, as in semi-savage warfare, need scouts, men of initiative. The ideal European army is absolutely a machine, without any thought or volition except what is communicated to it by its head. If the different portions of that army once begin to try and think for themselves, whether in seeking cover or in making an advance, all is lost. Their only concern is to obey orders, and their commander's is to obtain the vic

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