s proposing to offer?

And so as Max has ended his declaration abruptly let us also end the
chapter abruptly, and wonder what the next, or the next but one may have
to bring forth.

CHAPTER XII

AN ARRIVAL AND A DEPARTURE

I

Bad-as-Bad was a hardy annual which grew high up among the hills and
pine-forests on the borders of Schafs-Kleider and Schnapps-Wasser. With
its roots extending into both States it flourished exceedingly for three
months of each year. During the winter it was bottled up in its native
passes by snow, and for at least five months no visitors ventured
thither to expose their constitutions to the rigors of its climate or of
its waters. But in another bottled-up form, of a more portable
character, it made a great trade and reputation for itself throughout
Europe; and during the three summer months crowned heads visited it in
turn (often by careful diplomatic arrangement when they or their
countries happened not to be on good speaking terms), and drew after
them a steady influx from that class of their communities on which a
town composed almost entirely of hotels can most safely flourish.

The medicated springs, to which so many came but for which nobody
thirsted, rose in Schnapps-Wasser territory; and being the property of
the reigning house brought to it a huge revenue. Every red-stamped label
broken so carelessly in the restaurants and sanatoria of Europe meant
twopence halfpenny to the princely pocket of its highly descended ruler.
And it was upon these proceeds that the young heir had absented himself
for three years and fitted out an expensive expedition of a
semi-military character to the unexplored wilds of South America.

Behind his back local warfare had gone on. Not for nothing had he said
"crocodiles" to those orchestral scramblings in the bass of an
imperially inspired oratorio; and Schafs-Kleider, receiving certain
mysterious grants in aid (for its own funds were nil), had started to
sink shafts at a lower level on the outskirts of the town; and after
many failures had secured at one point a trickle of water which tasted
suspiciously like the real article, and was declared by interested
experts to be chemically the same.

News had gone out to the Prince in the wilderness that by this
earth-stroke his revenues from the retail business might presently be
very seriously affected.

His remedy had been simple; he had directed the town authorities to lay
out a new cemeter