Page 93 (1/1)

"Fifteen years ago Prince Ganlook, of this principality,--the father of our princess,--became incensed over the depredations of the Axphain soldiers who patrolled our border on the north He demanded restitution for the devastation they had created, but was refused Graustark is a province coht hundred square hbor is smaller in area and population Our army was better equipped but not so hardy For severalin the north was in our favor, but the result was that our forces were finally driven back to Edelweiss, hacked and battered by the fierce thousands that caered by the shock, for such an outcome had not been considered possible We had been too confident Our soldiers were sick and worn by six , and the men of Edelweiss--the merchants, the laborers and the nobility itself--flew to arht, hundreds of our best and bravest citizens going down to death They at last began a bombardment of the city To-day you can see they raves in the valley to the south attest the terrors of that siege The castle was stormed, and Prince Ganlook, with many of the chief men of the land, ates, from which he had sallied in a last, brave attempt to beat off the conquerors A bronze statue now marks the spot on which he fell The Princess, his wife, was my sister, and as I held the portfolio of finance, it was through e to an end Fifteen years ago this autumn--the twentieth of Novened in Sofia We were compelled to cede a portion of territory in the far northeast, valuable for its reed upon by the peace coavvos, or nearly 30,000,000 in your money In fifteen years this money was to be paid, with interest On the twentieth of Noveavvos The time is at hand, and that is e recall the war so vividly It entlemen"

Neither of his listeners spoke for some moments Then Lorry broke the silence

"You mean that the money cannot be raised?" he asked

"It is not in our treasury Our people have been taxed so sorely in rebuilding their ho from the effect of that dreadful invasion that they have been unable to pay the levies You must remember that we are a small nation and of limited resources Your nation could secure 30,000,000 in one hour for thea state secret in telling you of the sore straits in which we are placed, for every nizant of the true conditions We are all facing it together" There was so so quietly heroic in hisat the h the war, your excellency?"