The Lady of the Shroud

  FROM RUPERT'S JOURNAL.

  _July_ 14, 1907.

  For nearly a week we waited for some message from Constantinople, fullyexpecting either a declaration of war, or else some inquiry so couched asto make war an inevitable result. The National Council remained on atVissarion as the guests of the Voivode, to whom, in accordance with myuncle's will, I had prepared to re-transfer all his estates. He was, bythe way, unwilling at first to accept, and it was only when I showed himUncle Roger's letter, and made him read the Deed of Transfer prepared inanticipation by Mr. Trent, that he allowed me to persuade him. Finallyhe said:

  "As you, my good friends, have so arranged, I must accept, be it only inhonour to the wishes of the dead. But remember, I only do so but for thepresent, reserving to myself the freedom to withdraw later if I sodesire."

  But Constantinople was silent. The whole nefarious scheme was one of the"put-up jobs" which are part of the dirty work of a certain order ofstatecraft--to be accepted if successful; to be denied in case offailure.

  The matter stood thus: Turkey had thrown the dice--and lost. Her menwere dead; her ship was forfeit. It was only some ten days after thewarship was left derelict with every living thing--that is, everythingthat had been living--with its neck broken, as Rooke informed me, when hebrought the ship down the creek, and housed it in the dock behind thearmoured gates--that we saw an item in _The Roma_ copied from _TheConstantinople Journal_ of July 9:

  "LOSS OF AN OTTOMAN IRONCLAD WITH ALL HANDS.

  "News has been received at Constantinople of the total loss, with all hands, of one of the newest and finest warships in the Turkish fleet--_The Mahmoud_, Captain Ali Ali--which foundered in a storm on the night of July 5, some distance off Cabrera, in the Balearic Isles. There were no survivors, and no wreckage was discovered by the ships which went in relief--the _Pera_ and the _Mustapha_--or reported from anywhere along the shores of the islands, of which exhaustive search was made. _The Mahmoud_ was double-manned, as she carried a full extra crew sent on an educational cruise on the most perfectly scientifically equipped warship on service in the Mediterranean waters."

  When the Voivode and I talked over the matter, he said:

  "After all, Turkey is a shrewd Power. She certainly seems to know whenshe is beaten, and does not intend to make a bad thing seem worse in theeyes of the world."

  Well, 'tis a bad wind that blows good to nobody. As _The Mahmoud_ waslost off the Balearics, it cannot have been her that put the marauders onshore and trained her big guns on Ilsin. We take it, therefore, that thelatter must have been a pirate, and as we have taken her derelict in ourwaters, she is now ours in all ways. Anyhow, she is ours, and is thefirst ship of her class in the navy of the Blue Mountains. I am inclinedto think that even if she was--or is still--a Turkish ship, Admiral Rookewould not be inclined to let her go. As for Captain Desmond, I think hewould go straight out of his mind if such a thing was to be evensuggested to him.

  It will be a pity if we have any more trouble, for life here is veryhappy with us all now. The Voivode is, I think, like a man in a dream.Teuta is ideally happy, and the real affection which sprang up betweenthem when she and Aunt Janet met is a joy to think of. I had postedTeuta about her, so that when they should meet my wife might not, by anyinadvertence, receive or cause any pain. But the moment Teuta saw hershe ran straight over to her and lifted her in her strong young arms,and, raising her up as one would lift a child, kissed her. Then, whenshe had put her sitting in the chair from which she had arisen when weentered the room, she knelt down before her, and put her face down in herlap. Aunt Janet's face was a study; I myself could hardly say whether atthe first moment surprise or joy predominated. But there could be nodoubt about it the instant after. She seemed to beam with happiness.When Teuta knelt to her, she could only say:

  "My dear, my dear, I am glad! Rupert's wife, you and I must love eachother very much." Seeing that they were laughing and crying in eachother's arms, I thought it best to come away and leave them alone. And Ididn't feel a bit lonely either when I was out of sight of them. I knewthat where those two dear women were there was a place for my own heart.

  When I came back, Teuta was sitting on Aunt Janet's knee. It seemedrather stupendous for the old lady, for Teuta is such a splendid creaturethat even when she sits on my own knee and I catch a glimpse of us insome mirror, I cannot but notice what a nobly-built girl she is.

  My wife was jumping up as soon as I was seen, but Aunt Janet held hertight to her, and said:

  "Don't stir, dear. It is such happiness to me to have you there. Ruperthas always been my 'little boy,' and, in spite of all his being such agiant, he is so still. And so you, that he loves, must be my littlegirl--in spite of all your beauty and your strength--and sit on my knee,till you can place there a little one that shall be dear to us all, andthat shall let me feel my youth again. When first I saw you I wassurprised, for, somehow, though I had never seen you nor even heard ofyou, I seemed to know your face. Sit where you are, dear. It is onlyRupert--and we both love him."

  Teuta looked at me, flushing rosily; but she sat quiet, and drew the oldlady's white head on her young breast.