ents.
Ah, my dear young friend, she has given you a fair name. She tells us of
a miracle and we are convinced."

Truxton stammered his remonstrances, but glowed with joy and pride.

"Here is the situation in a nutshell," went on the Prime Minister. "We
are doomed unless succor reaches us from the outside. We have discussed
a hundred projects. While we are inactive, Count Marlanx is gaining
more power and a greater hold over the people of the city. We have no
means of communication with Prince Dantan of Dawsbergen, who is our
friend. We seem unable to get warning to John Tullis, who, if given
time, might succeed in collecting a sufficient force of loyal countrymen
to harass and eventually overthrow the Dictator. Unless he is reached
before long, John Tullis and his combined force of soldiers will be
ambushed and destroyed. I am loth to speak of another alternative that
has been discussed at length by the ministers and their friends. The
Duke of Perse, from a bed of pain and anguish, has counselled us to take
steps in the direction I am about to speak of. You see, we are taking
you into our confidence, Mr. King.

"We can appeal to Russia in this hour of stress. Moreover, we may expect
that help will be forthcoming. But we will have to make an unpleasant
sacrifice. Russia is eager to take over our new issue of railway bonds.
Hitherto, we have voted against disposing of the bonds in that country,
the reason being obvious. St. Petersburg wants a new connecting line
with her possessions in Afghanistan. Our line will provide a most direct
route--a cut-off, I believe they call it. Last year the Grand Duke
Paulus volunteered to provide the money for the construction of the line
from Edelweiss north to Balak on condition that Russia be given the
right to use the line in connection with her own roads to the Orient.
You may see the advantage in this to Russia. Mr. King, if I send word to
the Grand Duke Paulus, agreeing to his terms, which still remain open to
us, signing away a most valuable right in what we had hoped would be our
own individual property, we have every reason to believe that he will
send armed forces to our relief, on the pretext that Russia is defending
properties of her own. That is one way in which we may oust Count
Marlanx. The other lies in the ability of John Tullis to give battle to
him with our own people carrying the guns. I am confident that Count
Marlanx will not bombard the Castle except as a last res