earning the lesson of caution.

"The history of Theos," he said, "is doubtless unknown to you.
Turkey is our old and historic enemy, and her attitude towards us
just now is, to say the least of it, threatening. We trust to our
inoffensiveness and the good-will of the Powers to preserve our
independence, but we judge it best to be prepared so far as possible
to fight our own battles. Well, Crasten, what are you bringing us?"

The hotel proprietor bowed low, and filled some finely-cut glasses
with liqueur from a dusty and carefully cradled bottle.

"The fin champagne, your Majesty, was brought from the cellars of
Louis Philippe by my father. I trust your Majesty will approve."

Ughtred sipped it, and did approve. He accepted some coffee also, and
broke a roll in his fingers.

"This is my longest fast," he explained, laughing. "We ride out at six
to escape the heat. Part of my afternoon I spend at the barracks and
part at the House of Laws."

"It appears to me, sir, that you find pretty considerable to do," Mr.
Van Decht remarked. "I'd an idea that royalty had an easier time of
it."

"A good many people share that idea, Mr. Van Decht," Ughtred answered,
good-humouredly. "For myself, I never worked half so hard in all my
life. But then, it is work I love, and for my country, which is very
dear to me. Some day I hope, when things are more settled, to be able
to drop the military part of my labours, and give all my attention to
the development of my country."

Mr. Van Decht nodded. He was greatly enjoying the fin champagne.

"You're right there, sir," he declared. "Make a nation strong
commercially, and she'll hold her own in time against the world. I
guess you're a travelled man, sir, and you won't mind a stranger
remarking that in some ways you're a little behind the times here."

Sara's eyes twinkled with amusement. The young officer, who understood
a little English, glanced at Reist, and was speechless.

"You mustn't mind father," Sara exclaimed. "You know he's a terrible
democrat, and utilitarian to the backbone. He's dying to introduce
electric cars here and electric light."

"Why, you want them bad enough," her father admitted. "I don't suppose
we've a town of half the size in the States where we haven't both, and
this a capital city too."

"Mr. Van Decht is quite right," Ughtred said, gravely, "only one has
always to remember that this is a very poor country, and we can't
afford to pay for luxuries."