y
next day. It was followed by a protest from Turkey on account of an
alleged disrespectful remark of mine about her position in the cosmogony
of Europe, and I have drawn a polite refusal from Austria to modify
passport regulations, which, by the way, I suggested should be
altogether done away with. Other Kings and Principalities have left me
severely alone."

"But it would be a grave error to drop the passport system," said
Beliani earnestly. "It is most important that your Majesty's police
should be acquainted with the identity of all strangers; otherwise you
would never know what secret agents of your enemies you might be
harboring here."

"I trouble my head very little about the secret agents of enemies that
do not exist," said Alec lightly. "You are probably thinking of the
revolt of the Seventh Regiment; but that is a domestic quarrel, a local
phase of the war waged by all criminals against representatives of law
and order. To be sure, I shall devote every effort to keeping Kosnovia
free of external troubles; yet passports are useless there. I find that
a stupid dream of a Slav Empire has drugged the best intellects of
Kosnovia for half a century. That sort of political hashish must cease
to control our actions. It has served only to cripple our commercial
expansion, and I have declined resolutely to countenance its continuance
either in public or private. Let us first develop the land we own.
Believe me, Monsieur Beliani, if our people are worthy of extending
their sway, no power on earth can stop them; but they must first learn
to till the field with implements other than swords or bayonets, which
are quite out of date, either as plows or as reaping-hooks."

Prince Michael, watching them furtively, and wondering much what topic
was engaging them so deeply, could no longer restrain his impatience. He
joined them, saying with his jaunty, self confident air: "What new
surprise are you two plotting? You ought to make a rare
combination,--Alec with his democratic pose of taking the wide world
into his confidence, and you, Beliani, burrowing underground like a mole
whose existence is suspected only when one sees the outcome of his
labors."

"Just what I was suggesting to his Majesty," laughed Beliani, cursing
Prince Michael under his breath for interfering at that moment. "I will
say, though, from what I have managed to glean of his projects, that the
humble role you have been good enough to assign to me will be