n to treason. What of the
oath of loyalty which you swore to me only a few months ago?"

"Your Majesty," Doxis answered, "I have not broken that oath. I am
here only to listen to what these proposals may be. That, I take it,
is the position also of my colleagues."

A murmur of assent. Gourdolis remained standing, his papers in his
hands.

"Your Majesty will forgive me if I assert that there is no treason
involved in the presence of any one here. I summoned those to meet me
whom I knew to be real and true patriots--who would not hesitate at a
small thing to secure their country's freedom."

The King faced him scornfully.

"We have heard, Monsieur Gourdolis," he said, "of the freedom of those
countries whom your beneficent master has taken under his wing.
Councillors, I think more highly of your intelligence than to imagine
that you are to be suborned by such clumsy intriguing as this. Freedom
is one thing, the yoke of Russia another. I will tell you some of the
considerations which Monsieur Gourdolis has presently to propose to
you. The custom-houses are to be controlled by Russia. The appointment
of all government officials is to be sanctioned by her. Our foreign
policy is to be her foreign policy. The army is to be officered by
Russians, and Russian is to be taught in the schools. These things are
amongst your conditions. Is it not so, Monsieur Gourdolis?"

Gourdolis hesitated, and his chance was gone.

"You have employed spies," he muttered.

"Not I!" the King answered. "Yet I know your terms as they were
proposed to Nicholas of Reist, and it amazes me only that you should
have expected men in whose hands remain the destinies of their country
to give you even a patient hearing. My Councillors, give this man the
answer his insolent mission deserves, and let him be shown across the
frontier. We will before long show Europe how we deal with our
enemies. The Turks are not yet at the gates of the city."

There was a murmur of respectful enthusiasm. Gourdolis smiled a very
evil smile.

"Not yet," he murmured, "but the end is not far off."

Baron Doxis rose up.

"Your Majesty," he announced, "our answer is unanimous. We have been
misled by Baron Domiloff, both as to the nature of Monsieur
Gourdolis's mission and the attitude of the Duke of Reist. We reject
his terms. We decline once and for all to treat with him. We trust to
God and to you to keep the enemy from our gates."

The King smiled upon them.

"I