The Lady of the Shroud

  THE SAME--_Continued_.

  _September_ 10, 1907.

  When the National Council met to-day the Voivode Peter Vissarion sat withthem, but well back, so that at first his presence was hardly noticeable.After the necessary preliminaries had been gone through, they requestedthe presence of the Gospodar Rupert--Mr. Rupert Sent Leger--who wasreported as waiting in the "Chamber of the High Officers." He at onceaccompanied back to the Hall the deputation sent to conduct him. As hemade his appearance in the doorway the Councillors stood up. There was aburst of enthusiasm, and the handjars flashed. For an instant he stoodsilent, with lifted hand, as though indicating that he wished to speak.So soon as this was recognized, silence fell on the assembly, and hespoke:

  "I pray you, may the Voivodin Teuta of Vissarion, who has accompanied mehither, appear with me to hear your wishes?" There was an immediate andenthusiastic acquiescence, and, after bowing his thanks, he retired toconduct her.

  Her appearance was received with an ovation similar to that given toGospodar Rupert, to which she bowed with dignified sweetness. She, withher husband, was conducted to the top of the Hall by the President, whocame down to escort them. In the meantime another chair had been placedbeside that prepared for the Gospodar, and these two sat.

  The President then made the formal statement conveying to the "GospodarRupert" the wishes of the Council, on behalf of the nation, to offer tohim the Crown and Kingship of the Land of the Blue Mountains. Themessage was couched in almost the same words as had been used theprevious day in making the offer to the Voivode Peter Vissarion, onlydiffering to meet the special circumstances. The Gospodar Rupertlistened in grave silence. The whole thing was manifestly quite new tohim, but he preserved a self-control wonderful under the circumstances.When, having been made aware of the previous offer to the Voivode and thedeclared wish of the latter, he rose to speak, there was stillness in theHall. He commenced with a few broken words of thanks; then he grewsuddenly and strangely calm as he went on:

  "But before I can even attempt to make a fitting reply, I should know ifit is contemplated to join with me in this great honour my dear wife theVoivodin Teuta of Vissarion, who has so splendidly proved her worthinessto hold any place in the government of the Land. I fain would . . . "

  He was interrupted by the Voivodin, who, standing up beside him andholding his left arm, said:

  "Do not, President, and Lords all, think me wanting in that respect of awife for husband which in the Blue Mountains we hold so dear, if Iventure to interrupt my lord. I am here, not merely as a wife, but asVoivodin of Vissarion, and by the memory of all the noble women of thatnoble line I feel constrained to a great duty. We women of Vissarion, inall the history of centuries, have never put ourselves forward in rivalryof our lords. Well I know that my own dear lord will forgive me as wifeif I err; but I speak to you, the Council of the nation, from anotherground and with another tongue. My lord does not, I fear, know as youdo, and as I do too, that of old, in the history of this Land, whenKingship was existent, that it was ruled by that law of masculinesupremacy which, centuries after, became known as the _Lex Salica_.Lords of the Council of the Blue Mountains, I am a wife of the BlueMountains--as a wife young as yet, but with the blood of fortygenerations of loyal women in my veins. And it would ill become me, whommy husband honours--wife to the man whom you would honour--to take a partin changing the ancient custom which has been held in honour for all thethousand years, which is the glory of Blue Mountain womanhood. What anexample such would be in an age when self-seeking women of other nationsseek to forget their womanhood in the struggle to vie in equality withmen! Men of the Blue Mountains, I speak for our women when I say that wehold of greatest price the glory of our men. To be their companions isour happiness; to be their wives is the completion of our lives; to bemothers of their children is our share of the glory that is theirs.

  "Therefore, I pray you, men of the Blue Mountains, let me but be as anyother wife in our land, equal to them in domestic happiness, which is ourwoman's sphere; and if that priceless honour may be vouchsafed to me, andI be worthy and able to bear it, an exemplar of woman's rectitude." Witha low, modest, graceful bow, she sat down.

  There was no doubt as to the reception of her renunciation of Queenlydignity. There was more honour to her in the quick, fierce shout whicharose, and the unanimous upward swing of the handjars, than in thewearing of any crown which could adorn the head of woman.

  The spontaneous action of the Gospodar Rupert was another source of joyto all--a fitting corollary to what had gone before. He rose to hisfeet, and, taking his wife in his arms, kissed her before all. Then theysat down, with their chairs close, bashfully holding hands like a pair oflovers.

  Then Rupert arose--he is Rupert now; no lesser name is on the lips of hispeople henceforth. With an intense earnestness which seemed to glow inhis face, he said simply:

  "What can I say except that I am in all ways, now and for ever, obedientto your wishes?" Then, raising his handjar and holding it before him, hekissed the hilt, saying:

  "Hereby I swear to be honest and just--to be, God helping me, such a Kingas you would wish--in so far as the strength is given me. Amen."

  This ended the business of the Session, and the Council showed unmeasureddelight. Again and again the handjars flashed, as the cheers rose "threetimes three" in British fashion.

  When Rupert--I am told I must not write him down as "King Rupert" untilafter the formal crowning, which is ordained for Wednesday, October16th,--and Teuta had withdrawn, the Voivode Peter Vissarion, thePresident and Council conferred in committee with the Presidents of theHigh Courts of National Law and of Justice as to the formalities to beobserved in the crowning of the King, and of the formal notification tobe given to foreign Powers. These proceedings kept them far into thenight.