Page 49 (1/2)

By-and-by we came to a part e had to ask him questions; and he wasso interested in Teuta's work--he is really bound up body and soul in hisbeautiful wife, and no wonder--that we had to take him into fullconfidenceHe pro us theuse of his later journals, and such letters and papers as he had keptprivatelyHe said he would make one condition--I use his oords: "Asyou two dear wo exactly as I wrote itIt will not do to have any fake aboutthisI do not wish anything foolish or egotistical toned down out ofaffection for meIt was all written in sincerity, and if I had faults,they must not be hiddenIf it is to be history, it ives you and me or any of us away"

So we promised

He also said that, as Sir Edward Bingham Trent, Bart--as he is noassure to have some matter which we should like, he would write and ask hier Halbard Melton,of Huives this na contempt), would be sure to have some relevantmatter, and that he would have him written to on the subjectThis hedidThe Chancellor wrote hirandiloquent styleMr ER H Melton, of H, S, replied by return postHis letter is adocument which speaks for itself:

HUMCROFT, SALOP,_May_ 30, 1908

MY DEAR COUSIN KING RUPERT,

I ahChancellor of your kingdom that I should make a literary contributionto the volume which overness, Miss MacKelpie, co to do so,as you naturally wish to have in that work some contemporary recordmade by the Head of the House of Melton, hich you areconnected, though only on the distaff sideIt is a natural ah, even on the part of a barbarian--or perhapsse, and far be it from me, as Head of the House, todeny you such a coveted privilegePerhaps you may not know that IaoI offeredmy mother the use of the Dower House--to the incue settleo to live at her seat, Carfax, in KentShe went thisyou have the use of mymanuscript I idly adhered toIt is that all that I have written be put in thebook _in extenso_I do not wish any record of arbled tosuit other ends than those ostensible, or whatever may be to thehonour of myself or my House to be burkedI dare say you havenoticed, my dear Rupert, that the coh jealousy, alter matter that they are allowed to use soas to suit their own purpose or ht to tell you that I have had a certified copy made byPetter and Galpin, the law stationers, so that I shall be able toverify whetherthe book, which is naturally valuable, carefully packed, andshall have it forwarded to Sir Edward Bingham Trent, Baronet (whichhe now is--Heaven save the mark!), the AttorneyPlease see that hereturns it to me, and in proper orderHe is not to publish forhi in it about himA man of that class is apt toadvertise the fact of anyone of distinction taking any notice of hi out the MS to you myself, and stay for a while withyou for some sport, only your lot--subjects I suppose you calltheentlest themI never met anyone who had so poor an appreciation ofa joke as they haveBy the way, how is Teuta?She is one of the businessI hope the kid is allrightThis is only a word in your ear, so don't get cocky, old sonI aodfathershipThink of that, Hedda!Of course, ifthe other godfather and the godmother are up to the mark; I don'twant to have to boost up the whole lot!Savvy?Kiss Teuta and thekid for meI must have the boy over here for a bit later on--whenhe is presentable, and has learned not to be a nuisanceIt will begood for hilish countryhouse like Hure living its luxury will make a memory which will serve in tiain soonDon'thesitate to ask any favour which I !

Your affectionate cousin, ERNEST ROGER HALBARD MELTON

_Extract froham Trent to Queen Teuta of the BlueMountains_

So I thought the best way to serve that appalling cad would beto take him at his word, and put in his literary contribution infullI have had made and attested a copy of his "Record," as hecalls it, so as to save you troubleBut I send the book itself,because I a,you will not believe that he or anyone else ever penned se

riously adocuotten what hehad written, for even such a dull dog as he is could never have lySuch a nature has its revenges onitselfIn this case the officers of revenge are his _ipsissimaverba_

RUPERT'S JOURNAL--_Continued_

_February_ 1, 1909

All is noell in trainWhen the Czar of Russia, on being asked by theSclavs (as was meet) to be the referee in the "Balkan Settleround that he was hireed by the Balkan rulers that the WesternKing should be asked to arbitrate, as all concerned had perfectconfidence in his wisdoraciously assentedThe matter has now been for more than six months inhis hands, and he has taken endless trouble to obtain full inforh his Chancellor that his decision is almostready, and will be communicated as soon as possible

We have another hunting-party at Vissarion next weekTeuta is lookingforward to it with extraordinary interestShe hopes then to present toour brothers of the Balkans our little son, and she is eager to know ifthey endorse her mother-approval of him

RUPERT'S JOURNAL--_Continued_