esent raised
their handjars on high, and shouted: "Hail, Peter, King!" Then lowering
their points till these almost touched the ground, they once again stood
with bowed heads.

When he had quite mastered himself, the Voivode Peter Vissarion spoke:

"How can I, my brothers, sufficiently thank you, and, through you, the
people of the Blue Mountains, for the honour done to me this day? In
very truth it is not possible, and therefore I pray you to consider it as
done, measuring my gratitude in the greatness of your own hearts. Such
honour as you offer to me is not contemplated by any man in whose mind a
wholesome sanity rules, nor is it even the dream of fervent imagination.
So great is it, that I pray you, men with hearts and minds like my own,
to extend to me, as a further measure of your generosity, a little time
to think it over. I shall not want long, for even already, with the
blaze of honour fresh upon me, I see the cool shadow of Duty, though his
substance is yet hardly visible. Give me but an hour of solitude--an
hour at most--if it do not prolong this your session unduly. It may be
that a lesser time will serve, but in any case I promise you that, when I
can see a just and fitting issue to my thought, I shall at once return."

The President of the Council looked around him, and, seeing everywhere
the bowing heads of acquiescence, spoke with a reverent gravity:

"We shall wait in patience whatsoever time you will, and may the God who
rules all worthy hearts guide you to His Will!"

And so in silence the Voivode passed out of the hall.

From my seat near a window I could watch him go, as with measured steps
he passed up the hill which rises behind the State House, and disappeared
into the shadow of the forest. Then my work claimed me, for I wished to
record the proceedings so far whilst all was fresh in my mind. In
silence, as of the dead, the Council waited, no man challenging opinion
of his neighbour even by a glance.

Almost a full hour had elapsed when the Voivode came again to the
Council, moving with slow and stately gravity, as has always been his
wont since age began to hamper the movement which in youth had been so
notable. The Members of the Council all stood up uncovered, and so
remained while he made announcement of his conclusion. He spoke slowly;
and as his answer was to be a valued record of this Land and its Race, I
wrote down every word as uttered, leaving here and there space for
d