otel
door. Vuko Vuletitch, the hotelier, in his green, red-embroidered
coat, was haranguing them from the doorstep with the latest telegram
in his hand. Loud and lively discussion filled the air.

Vuko waved his hand as I approached. "Here," he said, "is the
Gospodjitza who says Petar Karageorgevitch will be King." I repeated
my belief cheerfully: "Your man is elected!" cried Vuko, holding up
the telegram. The news had arrived. Mirko's hopes were hopelessly
dashed. The accuracy of my information caused a small sensation and
I acquired a great reputation for political knowledge. Vuko never
failed to ask me in future what I made of the situation.

It was the morning of the 12th when this news came in. Officially,
Petar was not elected till the 15th, and then not by a really legal
method. The military gang having chosen him, summoned a Parliament
which had already been legally dissolved and was therefore
non-existent, and caused it to ratify the choice. Whence it has been
maintained by many that King Petar never was legally elected.

The 12th, 13th, and 14th passed quietly, though there was a certain
air of disappointment. More details came in. Murder is bound to be
unlovely. This one was peculiarly so. One fact was prominent. And
that was that although many persons expressed horror of the methods
and condemned the treachery of officers who had sworn fealty, yet
Cetinje as a whole regarded the affair as a blessing. Not only was
the populace pleased, but, with childish ignorance of the Western
point of view (and at that time West Europe was really very fairly
civilized), actually expected Europe to rejoice with them. It was a
cleansing of the Temple; a casting out of abominations.

And so ready was every one with a candidate for the throne that it
was impossible not to suspect that there had been foreknowledge of
the event.

Subsequent enquiry through persons connected with the post office
revealed to me the fact that a most unusual amount of cypher
telegrams had been buzzing between Belgrade and Cetinje immediately
before the bloody climax.

Petar Karageorgevitch, we learnt by telegram, was dwelling in a
"modest apartment" in Geneva, and was quite unable to furnish
journalists with any information. The Paris Havas found Bozhidar
Karageorgevitch more communicative and published an interview in
which he pleasantly stated that the event had caused him no surprise
as he had foreseen it ever since the marriage with Drag