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"I suppose, sir, we shall run to Vissarion?"

"Run to the devil, if you like!" was his reply, as he turned awayWhen we arrived in the creek at Vissarion, he seeressive in his manner; but when he heard that youwere detained at Plazac, he got rather "fresh"--I use the Areatly feared there would be a serious ot into the Castle, for on the dock was Julia, the wife ofMichael, the Master of the Wine, who is, as you know, very beautifulMr Melton see flattered bythe attention of a strange gentleman and Your Honour's kinsman, putaside the stand-offishness of etting himself, took her in his arms andkissed herInstantly there was a hubbubThe mountaineers presentdrew their handjars, and alst usHappily the men waited as Michael, who had justarrived on the quay-wall as the outrage took place, ran forward,wheeling his handjar round his head, andtodecapitate Mr MeltonOn the instant--I am sorry to say it, for itcreated a terribly bad effect--Mr Melton dropped on his knees in astate of panicThere was just this good use in it--that there was apause of a few secondsDuring that time the little Cockney valet,who has the heart of a man in him, literally burst his way forward,and stood in front of hisout:

"'Ere, come on, the 'ole lot of ye! 'E ain't done no 'aral, as any man wouldIf ye want to cut off somebody's'ed, cut off enuine pluck inthis, and it forive ladhe was an Englishnized his spirit,an

d saluted with their handjars, even Michael a his head, the little man said in a fierce whisper:

"Buck up, guv'nor!Get up, or they'll slice ye!'Ere's Mr Rooke;'e'll see ye through it"

By this time the men were amenable to reason, and when I remindedthem that Mr Melton was Your Honour's cousin, they put aside theirhandjars and went about their workI asked Mr Melton to follow,and led the way to the Castle

When we got close to the great entrance within the walled courtyard,we found a large nuathered, and with theuard all round theCastle ever since the abducting of the VoivodinAs both Your Honourand the Voivode were away at Plazac, the guard had for the time beendoubledWhen the steward came and stood in the doorway, theservants stood off somewhat, and the les of the courtyardThe Voivodin had, ofcourse, been infor, and cameto meet him in the old custom of the Blue MountainsAs Your Honouronly came to the Blue Mountains recently, and as no occasion has beensince then of illustrating the custom since the Voivode ay, andthe Voivodin then believed to be dead, perhaps I, who have lived hereso long, may explain:

When to an old Blue Mountain house a guest comes whom it is wished todo honour, the Lady, as in the vernacular the mistress of the houseis called, couest at the door--or, rather,_outside_ the door--so that she can herself conduct him withinItis a pretty cerely days themonarch always set much store by itThe custouest (he need not be royal), she bends--ormore properly kneels--before him and kisses his handIt has beenexplained by historians that the syobedience to her husband, as the married woman of the Blue Mountainsalways does, euestThecusto wifereceives for the first tiuest, and especially one whom herhusband wishes to honourThe Voivodin was, of course, aware thatMr Melton was your kinsman, and naturally wished to make theceremony of honour as marked as possible, so as to show overtly hersense of her husband's worth

When we came into the courtyard, I held back, of course, for thehonour is entirely individual, and is never extended to any other, nomatter hoorthy he may beNaturally Mr Melton did not know theetiquette of the situation, and so for that is not to be bla soht he was going to rush to his welcoh not in the ritual, would have been natural in a young kins to do honour to the bride of his host, and would to anyonehave been both understandable and forgivableIt did not occur to ht that perhaps he had not thenheard of Your Honour's entle the ernessOn thecontrary, he see indifferenceItsee to make much ofhi tohiood opinion, which must have been considerablylowered in the episode of the Wine Master's wife

The Voivodin, thinking, doubtless, Your Honour, to add a fresh lustreto her welcome, had donned the costume which all her nation has nowcome to love and to accept as a dress of ceremonial honourShe woreher shroudIt moved the hearts of all of us who looked on to seeit, and we appreciated its being worn for such a causeBut MrMelton did not seeun to kneel, and was already on her knees whilst he was severalyards awayThere he stopped and turned to speak to his valet, put aglass in his eye, and looked all round him and up and down--indeed,everywhere except at the Great Lady, as on her knees before hi to bid him welcomeI could see in the eyes of such of theani to keep down any such expression, which I kneould causeharm to Your Honour and the Voivodin, I looked all round theht in their faces with a fixed frohich, indeed, theyseeained, and for the tinified calmThe Voivodin,could see that she was in any degreepained or even surprisedMr Melton stood looking round hiain my own attitude of cale that so forhim, and sauntered leisurely forwardThere was so muchinsolence--mind you, not insolence that was intended to appear assuch--in his an to steal forwardWhen he was close up to the Voivodin, and she put out her hand totake his, he put forward _one finger_!I could hear the intake ofthe breath of the men, now close around, for I had ht it would be as well to be close to your guest, lestso should happen to himThe Voivodin still kept her splendidself-controlRaising the finger put forward by the guest with thesa, she bent herhead down and kissed itHer duty of courtesy now done, she waspreparing to rise, when he put his hand into his pocket, and, pullingout a sovereign, offered it to herHis valet moved his handforward, as if to pull back his arm, but it was too lateI am sure,Your Honour, that no affront was intendedHe doubtless thought thathe was doing a kindness of the sort usual in England when one "tips"a housekeeperBut all the same, to one in her position, it was anaffront, an insult, open and unmistakableSo it was received by themountaineers, whose handjars flashed out as oneFor a second it wasso received even by the Voivodin, ith face flushing scarlet,and the stars in her eves fla to her feetBut inthat second she had regained herself, and to all appearances herrighteous anger passed awayStooping, she took the hand of herguest and raised it--you kno strong she is--and, holding it inhers, led hi:

"You are welcome, kinsman of my husband, to the house of my father,which is presentlycalled them away for the tireet you"

I tell you, Your Honour, that it was a lesson in self-respect whichanyone who saw it can never forgetAs to ht, and my heart leap

May I, as a faithful servant who has had est that Your Honour should seem--for the present, at anyrate--not to know any of these things which I have reported, as youwished racious self aught that she would wish you to knowAnd suchreticence on your part must make for her happiness, even if it didnot for your own

So that you may know all, as you desired, and that you may have timeto school yourself to whatever attitude you think best to adopt, Isend this off to you at once by fleet erWere the aeroplanehere, I should take it myselfI leave here shortly to await thearrival of Sir Colin at Otranto

Your Honour's faithful servant,ROOKE