mitted to offer them a
welcome.

Their suspense was temporarily ended, however. The door opened, and
Baron Doxis entered, followed by a foreigner, whom most of them
recognized. They rose to their feet. Baron Doxis presented the guest.

"My colleagues," he announced, "this is Monsieur Gourdolis, the
accredited envoy of the Czar to us. He has certain proposals to submit
upon which we will at once debate."

A Counsellor rose up.

"Has the Countess of Reist any message to us from her brother?"

"The Countess of Reist," Baron Doxis answered, "is unaccountably
absent."

"And Domiloff?" another asked. "It is chiefly owing to his
representations that we are assembled here to-day. Is he too absent?"

There was a moment's silence. Then Gourdolis spoke.

"Gentlemen," he said, "my friend Domiloff will be with us doubtless
before this meeting is dissolved. In the meantime, I will, with your
permission, lay before you the terms on which my august master the
Czar is willing to stay the hand of Turkey, by force if necessary, and
guarantee your independence."

Some heavy curtains at the end of the room were suddenly thrown aside.
The King stood there, and by his side Marie of Reist.

"My arrival, it would appear, is opportune," the King said, grimly.
"Address yourself to me, and proceed, Monsieur Gourdolis."

CHAPTER XLIX

One by one the members of the Council staggered to their feet. The
coming of the King was like a bombshell thrown amongst them. They
were met in secret conclave, a proceeding to the last degree
unconstitutional. They were receiving, too, an emissary from a foreign
country which amounted to high treason. Doxis was perhaps the first to
recover himself.

"Your Majesty's coming is unexpected," he said. "I trust that there is
no ill news from the seat of war."

"There is no news, save good news," the King answered, having handed a
chair to Marie. "Yesterday's battle you all know about. I will tell
you the prospects later. Meanwhile, I see that you have a stranger
here. What has Monsieur Gourdolis to say to us?"

Gourdolis rose slowly to his feet. He was a man of resource, a shrewd
and ready diplomatist. Already he was scheming how to turn to his own
advantage the King's unexpected presence. He played a bold card.

"Your Majesty," he said, respectfully, "it was painful to me to put
forward my master's propositions to the Council of the House of Laws
in your absence, it is still more painful to d