he deposition of the tribal chiefs, the
imposition of terrific taxes, based on the number of cattle they
possessed, and occasional seduction of their wives. The Omladina knew
that Michael had been visiting the West, that he had frequented the
masters of science and politics in London, Paris and Berlin; but he
would probably forget their precepts and in any case he was much
duller than the splendid youth whom they affectionately called
Nikita.... Some historians have wondered why this young man did not
alienate the affection of his people by the slaughter of the Kadi['c]
clan, whereof a member had assassinated Prince Danilo. But it was the
Senate which punished the murderer by exiling him, with seven families
of his kindred, to Turkey. Danilo had been aware of his intention,
while the man was waiting--in obedience to Austria's orders--at Kotor.
And the Prince, acting on a local custom, sent word that if Kadi['c]
did not return to Montenegro he would bestow Mrs. Kadi['c] on some one
else. After two weeks she became the wife of a neighbour. The story
that Kadi['c] was avenging her seduction is an Austrian invention, for
Danilo seems never to have met her.

One day in 1862 the Turks, who still were in the Belgrade fortress,
started, for some foolish reason, to bombard the town. Prince Michael
in the subsequent negotiations showed that he had qualities one could
not but respect. Still he was unsuccessful (until 1867) in obtaining
the removal of the Turkish garrisons--Great Britain, fearing Russian
influence, and Austria, hostile to the total independence of the
Serbs, supported Turkey. And Michael governed with so firm a hand that
there were many who believed that the material improvement he was
introducing, schools of agriculture, schools of forestry and what not,
could be just as well inaugurated by the far more sympathetic Prince
Nikita. And when in 1866 Michael and Nikita made a grand convention
for the union of the Serbs in Serbia and in Montenegro, and Nikita
undertook to step aside, if necessary, so that all the independent
Serbs might be united under Michael's sceptre, then indeed the
Omladina talked of him with rapture. And Nikita made allusions to this
"grand refusal" all his life and with a face of honest pride. He
never mentioned anything about clause 3, which was not published. By
that clause Nikita was to be Prince Michael's heir, in case he had no
son. There was not much likelihood that he would have one, for