By-and-by we came to a part when we had to ask him questions; and he wasso interested in Teuta's work--he is really bound up body and soul in hisbeautiful wife, and no wonder--that we had to take him into fullconfidence. He promised he would help us all he could by giving us theuse of his later journals, and such letters and papers as he had keptprivately. He said he would make one condition--I use his own words: "Asyou two dear women are to be my editors, you must promise to put ineverything exactly as I wrote it. It will not do to have any fake aboutthis. I do not wish anything foolish or egotistical toned down out ofaffection for me. It was all written in sincerity, and if I had faults,they must not be hidden. If it is to be history, it must be truehistory, even if it gives you and me or any of us away."
So we promised.
He also said that, as Sir Edward Bingham Trent, Bart.--as he is now--wassure to have some matter which we should like, he would write and ask himto send such to us. He also said that Mr. Ernest Roger Halbard Melton,of Humcroft, Salop (he always gives this name and address in full, whichis his way of showing contempt), would be sure to have some relevantmatter, and that he would have him written to on the subject. This hedid. The Chancellor wrote him in his most grandiloquent style. Mr. E.R. H. Melton, of H., S., replied by return post. His letter is adocument which speaks for itself:
HUMCROFT, SALOP, _May_ 30, 1908.
MY DEAR COUSIN KING RUPERT,
I am honoured by the request made on your behalf by the Lord High Chancellor of your kingdom that I should make a literary contribution to the volume which my cousin, Queen Teuta, is, with the help of your former governess, Miss MacKelpie, compiling. I am willing to do so, as you naturally wish to have in that work some contemporary record made by the Head of the House of Melton, with which you are connected, though only on the distaff side. It is a natural ambition enough, even on the part of a barbarian--or perhaps semi-barbarian--King, and far be it from me, as Head of the House, to deny you such a coveted privilege. Perhaps you may not know that I am now Head of the House; my father died three days ago. I offered my mother the use of the Dower House--to the incumbency of which, indeed, she is entitled by her marriage settlement. But she preferred to go to live at her seat, Carfax, in Kent. She went this morning after the funeral. In letting you have the use of my manuscript I make only one stipulation, but that I expect to be rigidly adhered to. It is that all that I have written be put in the book _in extenso_. I do not wish any record of mine to be garbled to suit other ends than those ostensible, or whatever may be to the honour of myself or my House to be burked. I dare say you have noticed, my dear Rupert, that the compilers of family histories often, through jealousy, alter matter that they are allowed to use so as to suit their own purpose or minister to their own vanity. I think it right to tell you that I have had a certified copy made by Petter and Galpin, the law stationers, so that I shall be able to verify whether my stipulation has been honourably observed. I am having the book, which is naturally valuable, carefully packed, and shall have it forwarded to Sir Edward Bingham Trent, Baronet (which he now is--Heaven save the mark!), the Attorney. Please see that he returns it to me, and in proper order. He is not to publish for himself anything in it about him. A man of that class is apt to advertise the fact of anyone of distinction taking any notice of him. I would bring out the MS. to you myself, and stay for a while with you for some sport, only your lot--subjects I suppose you call them!--are such bounders that a gentleman's life is hardly safe amongst them. I never met anyone who had so poor an appreciation of a joke as they have. By the way, how is Teuta? She is one of them. I heard all about the hatching business. I hope the kid is all right. This is only a word in your ear, so don't get cocky, old son. I am open to a godfathership. Think of that, Hedda! Of course, if the other godfather and the godmother are up to the mark; I don't want to have to boost up the whole lot! Savvy? Kiss Teuta and the kid for me. I must have the boy over here for a bit later on--when he is presentable, and has learned not to be a nuisance. It will be good for him to see something of a real first-class English country house like Humcroft. To a person only accustomed to rough ways and meagre living its luxury will make a memory which will serve in time as an example to be aimed at. I shall write again soon. Don't hesitate to ask any favour which I may be able to confer on you. So long!
Your affectionate cousin, ERNEST ROGER HALBARD MELTON.
_Extract from Letter from E. Bingham Trent to Queen Teuta of the BlueMountains_.
. . . So I thought the best way to serve that appalling cad would be to take him at his word, and put in his literary contribution in full. I have had made and attested a copy of his "Record," as he calls it, so as to save you trouble. But I send the book itself, because I am afraid that unless you see his words in his own writing, you will not believe that he or anyone else ever penned se
riously a document so incriminating. I am sure he must have forgotten what he had written, for even such a dull dog as he is could never have made public such a thing knowingly. . . Such a nature has its revenges on itself. In this case the officers of revenge are his _ipsissima verba_.
RUPERT'S JOURNAL--_Continued_.
_February_ 1, 1909.
All is now well in train. When the Czar of Russia, on being asked by theSclavs (as was meet) to be the referee in the "Balkan Settlement,"declined on the ground that he was himself by inference an interestedparty, it was unanimously agreed by the Balkan rulers that the WesternKing should be asked to arbitrate, as all concerned had perfectconfidence in his wisdom, as well as his justice. To their wish hegraciously assented. The matter has now been for more than six months inhis hands, and he has taken endless trouble to obtain full information.He has now informed us through his Chancellor that his decision is almostready, and will be communicated as soon as possible.
We have another hunting-party at Vissarion next week. Teuta is lookingforward to it with extraordinary interest. She hopes then to present toour brothers of the Balkans our little son, and she is eager to know ifthey endorse her mother-approval of him.
RUPERT'S JOURNAL--_Continued_.
_April_ 15, 1909.
The arbitrator's decision has been communicated to us through theChancellor of the Western King, who brought it to us himself as a specialact of friendliness. It met with the enthusiastic approval of all. ThePremier remained with us during the progress of the hunting-party, whichwas one of the most joyous occasions ever known. We are all of goodheart, for the future of the Balkan races is now assured. Thestrife--internal and external--of a thousand years has ceased, and welook with hope for a long and happy time. The Chancellor broughtmessages of grace and courtliness and friendliness to all. And when I,as spokesman of the party, asked him if we might convey a request of HisMajesty that he would honour us by attending the ceremony of making knownformally the Balkan Settlement, he answered that the King had authorizedhim to say that he would, if such were wished by us, gladly come; andthat if he should come, he would attend with a fleet as an escort. TheChancellor also told me from himself that it might be possible to haveother nationalities represented on such a great occasion by Ambassadorsand even fleets, though the monarchs themselves might not be able toattend. He hinted that it might be well if I put the matter in train.(He evidently took it for granted that, though I was only one of several,the matter rested with me--possibly he chose me as the one to whom tomake the confidence, as I was born a stranger.) As we talked it over, hegrew more enthusiastic, and finally said that, as the King was taking thelead, doubtless all the nations of the earth friendly to him would liketo take a part in the ceremony. So it is likely to turn out practicallyan international ceremony of a unique kind. Teuta will love it, and weshall all do what we can.
JANET MACKELPIE'S NOTES.
_June_ 1, 1909.
Our dear Teuta is full of the forthcoming celebration of the BalkanFederation, which is to take place this day month, although I must say,for myself, that the ceremony is attaining to such dimensions that I ambeginning to have a sort of vague fear of some kind. It almost seemsuncanny. Rupert is working unceasingly--has been for some time. Forweeks past he seems to have been out day and night on his aeroplane,going through and round over the country arranging matters, and seeingfor himself that what has been arranged is being done. Uncle Colin isalways about, too, and so is Admiral Rooke. But now Teuta is beginningto go with Rupert. That girl is simply fearless--just like Rupert. Andthey both seem anxious that little Rupert shall be the same. Indeed, heis the same. A few mornings ago Rupert and Teuta were about to startjust after dawn from the top of the Castle. Little Rupert was there--heis always awake early and as bright as a bee. I was holding him in myarms, and when his mother leant over to kiss him good-bye, he held outhis arms to her in a way that said as plainly as if he had spoken, "Takeme with you."
She looked appealingly at Rupert, who nodded, and said: "All right. Takehim, darling. He will have to learn some day, and the sooner thebetter." The baby, looking eagerly from one to the other with the samequestioning in his eyes as there is sometimes in the eyes of a kitten ora puppy--but, of course, with an eager soul behind it--saw that he wasgoing, and almost leaped into his mother's arms. I think she hadexpected him to come, for she took a little leather dress from Margareta,his nurse, and, flushing with pride, began to wrap him in it. WhenTeuta, holding him in her arms, stepped on the aeroplane, and took herplace in the centre behind Rupert, the young men of the Crown Prince'sGuard raised a cheer, amid which Rupert pulled the levers, and theyglided off into the dawn.
The Crown Prince's Guard was established by the mountaineers themselvesthe day of his birth. Ten of the biggest and most powerful and cleverestyoung men of the nation were chosen, and were sworn in with a veryimpressive ceremony to guard the young Prince. They were to so arrangeand order themselves and matters generally that two at least of themshould always have him, or the place in which he was, within their sight.They all vowed that the last of their lives should go before harm came tohim. Of course, Teuta understood, and so did Rupert. And these youngmen are the persons most privileged in the whole Castle. They are dearboys, every one of them, and we are all fond of them and respect them.They simply idolize the baby.
Ever since that morning little Rupert has, unless it is at a timeappointed for his sleeping, gone in his mother's arms. I think in anyother place there would be some State remonstrance at the whole royalfamily being at once and together in a dangerous position, but in theBlue Mountains danger and fear are not thought of--indeed, they canhardly be in their terminology. And I really think the child enjoys iteven more than his parents. He is just like a little bird that has foundthe use of his wings. Bless him!
I find that even I have to study Court ritual a little. So manynationalities are to be represented at the ceremony of the "BalkanSettlement," and so many Kings and Princes and notabilities of all kindsare coming, that we must all take care not to make any mistakes. ThePress alone would drive anyone silly. Rupert and Teuta come and sit withme sometimes in the evening when we are all too tired to work, and theyrest themselves by talking matters over. Rupert says that there will beover five hundred reporters, and that the applications for permission arecoming in so fast that there may be a thousand when the day comes. Lastnight he stopped in the middle of speaking of it, and said:
"I have an inspiration! Fancy a thousand journalists,--each wanting toget ahead of the rest, and all willing to invoke the Powers of Evil forexclusive information! The only man to look after this department isRooke. He knows how to deal with men, and as we have already a largestaff to look after the journalistic guests, he can be at the head, andappoint his own deputies to act for him. Somewhere and sometime thekeeping the peace will be a matter of nerve and resolution, and Rooke isthe man for the job."
We were all concerned about one thing, naturally important in the eyes ofa woman: What robes was Teuta to wear? In the old days, when there wereKings and Queens, they doubtless wore something gorgeous or impressive;but whatever it was that they wore has gone to dust centuries ago, andthere were no illustrated papers in those primitive days. Teuta wastalking to me eagerly, with her dear beautiful brows all wrinkled, whenRupert who was reading a bulky document of some kind, looked up and said:
"Of course, darling, you will wear your Shroud?"
"Capital!" she said, clapping her hands like a joyous child. "The verything, and our people will like it."
I own that for a moment I was dismayed. It was a horrible test of awoman's love and devotion. At a time when she was entertaining Kings andnotabilities in her own house--and be sure they would all be decked intheir finery--to have to appear in such a garment! A plain thing withnothing even pretty, let alone gorgeous, about it! I expressed my viewsto Rupert, for I feared that Teuta might be disappointed, though shemight not care to say so; but before he could say a word Teuta answered:
"Oh, thank you so much, dear! I should love that above everything, but Idid not like to suggest it, lest you should think me arrogant orpresuming; for, indeed, Rupert, I am very proud of it, and of the way ourpeople look on it."