_April_ 16, 1907.

The only relief I have had from the haunting anxiety regarding the Lady
of the Shroud has been in the troubled state of my adopted country.
There has evidently been something up which I have not been allowed to
know. The mountaineers are troubled and restless; are wandering about,
singly and in parties, and holding meetings in strange places. This is
what I gather used to be in old days when intrigues were on foot with
Turks, Greeks, Austrians, Italians, Russians. This concerns me vitally,
for my mind has long been made up to share the fortunes of the Land of
the Blue Mountains. For good or ill I mean to stay here: _J'y suis_,
_j'y reste_. I share henceforth the lot of the Blue Mountaineers; and
not Turkey, nor Greece, nor Austria, nor Italy, nor Russia--no, not
France nor Germany either; not man nor God nor Devil shall drive me from
my purpose. With these patriots I throw in my lot! My only difficulty
seemed at first to be with the men themselves. They are so proud that at
the beginning I feared they would not even accord me the honour of being
one of them! However, things always move on somehow, no matter what
difficulties there be at the beginning. Never mind! When one looks back
at an accomplished fact the beginning is not to be seen--and if it were
it would not matter. It is not of any account, anyhow.

I heard that there was going to be a great meeting near here yesterday
afternoon, and I attended it. I think it was a success. If such is any
proof, I felt elated as well as satisfied when I came away. Aunt Janet's
Second Sight on the subject was comforting, though grim, and in a measure
disconcerting. When I was saying good-night she asked me to bend down my
head. As I did so, she laid her hands on it and passed them all over it.
I heard her say to herself:

"Strange! There's nothing there; yet I could have sworn I saw it!" I
asked her to explain, but she would not. For once she was a little
obstinate, and refused point blank to even talk of the subject. She was
not worried nor unhappy; so I had no cause for concern. I said nothing,
but I shall wait and see. Most mysteries become plain or disappear
altogether in time. But about the meeting--lest I forget!

When I joined the mountaineers who had assembled, I really think they
were glad to see me; though some of them seemed adverse, and others did
not seem over well satis