ter relating the sequence of political events which
have led to this cruel decision about our beloved King, begged us to
advise the people in his name to face the crisis with sang-froid, and
to assure it that the abdication of the King is but temporary, since,
according to M. Jonnart's declaration, it rests with the people to call
him back after the War; that all resistance on the part of the people
will result in the abolition of the dynasty and the establishment of a
Republic under Venizelos; that the Allies would not recoil from a
bombardment of the capital and a military occupation; but if the people
keep quiet, there will be no military occupation of Athens, only some
soldiers may land at the Piraeus to stretch their legs--and so on." [23]

Nothing, however, could allay the popular agony. As darkness fell,
Athens presented a strange sight--silent figures marching, one after
another, towards where King Constantine was spending his last night in
his capital. They made their forlorn pilgrimage without the least
noise, and as they went they passed other groups returning with equal
noiselessness. "It was," says an eye-witness, "as if the people of
Athens were visiting a tomb or a lying-in-state." [24]

A crowd remained on guard all night long. About 4.30 a.m. a motor car
was seen drawing up at a side entrance of the Palace. The crowd
recognized the King's chauffeur and guessed that he had come for the
King and the royal family, who presently appeared at the door. The
guardsmen threw themselves on the ground as much as to say that the
vehicle must pass over their bodies. The King and royal family
withdrew, and the car went away empty. Two other attempts to leave the
Palace proved equally unsuccessful. The crowd would not let any door
be opened. Compact and silent, it mounted guard.

{197}

So passed the night; and the morning (12 June) dawned on the faithful
men and women who watched by the Palace. The churches again began to
toll funeral peals, and again thousands began flowing in the same
direction: the whole town through all its streets--mournful groups,
soon waxing to mournful multitudes, and other multitudes, streamed on.
From an early hour the Palace was again entirely surrounded:

"We will not let you go," they shouted. "We want our King!"

This was the answer the people made to the farewell message which the
King had caused to be posted at the street corners: "Obeying necessity,
and performing m