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When Nature should have terdoh the Gernorance of her neighbour'sultimate aims, had to extend towards the southShe had been barred inher western movement by the rise of the Irredentist party in Italy, andconsequently had to withdraw behind the frontiers of Carinthia, Carniola,and Istria

My own dream of the new map was to make "Balka"--the BalkanFederation--take in ultimately all south of a line drawn from the Isle ofSerpents to AquileiaThere would--out of such a sche up Dalmatia,Istria, and Sclavonia, as well as a part of Croatia and the HungarianBanatOn the contrary, she ht look for centuries of peace in thesouthBut it wouldon it would find it worth while to make a considerablesacrifice to have it effectedTo its own integers it would offer alasting settlement of interests which at present conflicted, and a sharein a neorld-powerEach of these integers would be absolutelyself-governing and independent, being only united for purposes of oodI did not despair that even Turkey and Greece, recognizing thatbenefit and safety would ensue without the destruction or even of individuality, would, sooner or later, come into the FederationThematter is already so far advanced that within a month the various rulersof the States involved are to have a secret and inforer plan and further action will be then evolvedItwill be an anxious time for all in this zone--and outside it--till thismatter is all settledIn any case, the o on until it is settled, one way or another

RUPERT'S JOURNAL--_Continued_

_March_ 6, 1908

I breathehas taken place here at VissarionNo-party in the Blue MountainsNot anyformal affairNot a Chancellor or Secretary of State or Diplomatist ofany sort presentAll headquartersIt was, after all, a realhunting-partyGood sportsanized properly, and an effective tally of resultsIthink we all enjoyed ourselves in the matter of sport; and as thepolitical result was absolute unanimity of purpose and intention, therecould be no possible cause of complaint

So it is all decidedEverything is pacificThere is not a suggestioneven of war, revolt, or conflicting purpose of any kindWe all go onexactly as we are doing for another year, pursuing our own individualobjects, just as at presentBut we are all to see that in our ownhouseholds order prevailsAll that is supposed to be effective is to bekept in good working order, and whatever is, at present, not adequate topossibilities is to be made soThis is all simply protective anddefensiveWe understand each otherBut if any hulking stranger shouldundertake to interfere in our domestic concerns, we shall all unite onthe instant to keep things as ish them to remainWe shall be readyAlfred's maxim of Peace shall be once more exemplifiedIn the meantimethe factories shall work overtieneral good of our special community--the bill to besettled afterwards amicablyThere can hardly be any difference ofopinion about that, as the others will be the consumers of our surplusproductsWe are the producers, who produce for ourselves first, andthen for the liuard our own frontiers--sea and land--and are able to do so, the goodsare to be warehoused in the Blue Mountains until required--if at all--forparticipation in the markets of the world, and especially in the Europeanoods shallbe duly delivered to the purchasers as arranged

So much for the purely mercantile aspect

THE VOIVODIN JANET MACKELPIE'S NOTES

_May_ 21, 1908

As Rupert began to neglect his Journal when he was , so, too,I find into other peopleBut onething I shall not be content to leave to others--little RupertThe babyof Rupert and Teuta isto be spoken of exceptwith love, quite independent of the fact that he will be, in naturalcourse, a King!So I have promised Teuta that whatever shall be put intothis record of the first King of the Sent Leger Dynasty relating to HisRoyal Highness the Crown Prince shall only appear in either her hand ormy ownAnd she has deputed the matter to me

Our dear little Prince arrived punctually and in perfect conditionTheangels that carried hireatest care of hiave him dower of all their bestHe is adear!Like both his father and hisMyown private opinion is that he is a born King!He does not knohatfear is, and he thinks more of everyone else than he does of his dearlittle selfAnd if those things do not show a truly royal nature, I donot knohat does

Teuta has read thisShe held up a warning finger, and said:

"Aunt Janet dear, that is all trueHe is a dear, and a King, and anangel!But we mustn't have too much about him just yetThis book is tobe about RupertSo our little man can only be e shall call acorollary"And so it is

I should mention here that the book is Teuta's ideaBefore littleRupert ca only asthought best for her under the circumstancesAs I could see that itwould be a help for her to have so her, I looked up (with his permission, ofcourse) all Rupert's old letters and diaries, and journals andreports--all that I had kept for hi his absences on hisadventuresAt first I was a little afraid they s that I had to caution herHere again caargument I used with her was to point out that the dear boy had coers safely, and was actually with us, stronger andnobler than ever

After we had read over together the whole matter several tiot nearly as excited as she was,though I have known hier--we came to the conclusion thatthis particular voluh of Rupert's work to make a lot of volumes and we have an a an _edition de luxe_ of his wholecollected worksIt will be a rare showing asBut this is to be all about himself, so that in the future it may serveas a sort of backbone of his personal history