is constant going to and
fro amongst them, mostly at night and in the grey of the morning. I
spend many hours in my room in the eastern tower, from which I can watch
the woods, and gather from signs the passing to and fro. But with all
this activity no one has said to me a word on the subject. It is
undoubtedly a disappointment to me. I had hoped that the mountaineers
had come to trust me; that gathering at which they wanted to fire their
guns for me gave me strong hopes. But now it is apparent that they do
not trust me in full--as yet, at all events. Well, I must not complain.
It is all only right and just. As yet I have done nothing to prove to
them the love and devotion that I feel to the country. I know that such
individuals as I have met trust me, and I believe like me. But the trust
of a nation is different. That has to be won and tested; he who would
win it must justify, and in a way that only troublous times can allow.
No nation will--can--give full meed of honour to a stranger in times of
peace. Why should it? I must not forget that I am here a stranger in
the land, and that to the great mass of people even my name is unknown.
Perhaps they will know me better when Rooke comes back with that store of
arms and ammunition that he has bought, and the little warship he has got
from South America. When they see that I hand over the whole lot to the
nation without a string on them, they may begin to believe. In the
meantime all I can do is to wait. It will all come right in time, I have
no doubt. And if it doesn't come right, well, we can only die once!

Is that so? What about my Lady of the Shroud? I must not think of that
or of her in this gallery. Love and war are separate, and may not
mix--cannot mix, if it comes to that. I must be wise in the matter; and
if I have got the hump in any degree whatever, must not show it.

But one thing is certain: something is up, and it must be the Turks.
From what the Vladika said at that meeting they have some intention of an
attack on the Blue Mountains. If that be so, we must be ready; and
perhaps I can help there. The forces must be organized; we must have
some method of communication. In this country, where are neither roads
nor railways nor telegraphs, we must establish a signalling system of
some sort. _That_ I can begin at once. I can make a code, or adapt one
that I have used elsewhere already. I shall rig up a semaphore on the
top of the Castle