tried vainly to unload a barge of sugar. And still Serbia,
Montenegro, and Austria showed their teeth on the frontier. The
Crown Prince George of Serbia was reported to be about to assume the
command of the army as a second Stefan Dushan. But his rush to
Petersburg and appeal to the Tsar met with rebuff and refusal.
Russia was not yet ready for another war, as Lobatcheff sadly
admitted.

We became used to reports several times a week that war had begun
somewhere or other. But the town was in a fever of excitement when,
towards the middle of November, we heard that the British fleet had
arrived in the Adriatic, and that the Admiral was about to visit
Scutari. "War for certain! Albania is saved!" cried folk. The hotel
reported that the Admiral and suite had engaged rooms, and were
coming via Cetinje. The British fleet must be in the Bocche di
Cattaro! The Vali decided to send a band and a guard of honour to
meet him. I suggested that Edward VII was coming in person, but
people were past seeing jokes. Our Vice-Consul had had no news at
all, and was agitated. All day the Admiral and British fleet were
expected. The Crimea would be repeated, and Turkey saved. Next day
brought forth--a British charge d'affaires and five ladies who had
merely come for fun to see the bazar, and were overpowered by
finding themselves officially received. All Scutari, perhaps all
Turkey, tense and tremulous, waited to see what steps Great Britain
would take. And its representative, all unaware of what political
fever in the Balkans is, saw the bazar, had tea at the Austrian
Consulate, and went back again to Cetinje, escorted to the boat by a
Turkish guard. Then the storm broke! What did Great Britain mean?
Scutari was amazed, perplexed, bewildered; wild rumours flew. An
Anglo-Austrian Alliance--a break with Russia--a slap in the face for
the Turks. Nothing was too crazy to be believed and repeated. A
knock came at my door. In came Lobatcheff in full uniform. He said
that his Tsar had been insulted in his person. Was fizzling with
excitement. Had I any information for him? Had the British
Government reversed its policy? What was the object of this mission
to Scutari? And so on--red hot. I told him there was nothing to be
excited about. "An English official had come for a holiday. That was
all. Did he suppose that a diplomat on business would bring a party
of ladies?" But the Russian had got all his bristles up. "That I
decline to believe," he