The Lady of the Shroud - Bram Stoker (phonics reader txt) 📗

may be again, united to this

nation by some common interest, His Majesty wishes Mr. Sent Leger to

feel assured of the good-will of Great Britain to the Land of the

Blue Mountains, and even of his own personal satisfaction that a

gentleman of so distinguished a lineage and such approved personal

character is about to be—within his own scope—a connecting-link

between the nations. To which end he has graciously announced that,

should the Privy Council acquiesce in the request of

Denaturalization, he will himself sign the Patent therefor.

 

“‘The Privy Council has therefore held private session, at which the

matter has been discussed in its many bearings; and it is content

that the change can do no harm, but may be of some service to the two

nations. We have, therefore, agreed to grant the prayer of the

Applicant; and the officials of the Council have the matter of the

form of Grant in hand. So you, sir, may rest satisfied that as soon

as the formalities—which will, of course, require the formal signing

of certain documents by the Applicant—can be complied with, the

Grant and Patent will obtain.’”

 

Having made this statement in formal style, my old friend went on in

more familiar way:

 

“And so, my dear Rupert, all is in hand; and before very long you

will have the freedom required under the Will, and will be at liberty

to take whatever steps may be necessary to be naturalized in your new

country.

 

“I may tell you, by the way, that several members of the Council made

very complimentary remarks regarding you. I am forbidden to give

names, but I may tell you facts. One old Field-Marshal, whose name

is familiar to the whole world, said that he had served in many

places with your father, who was a very valiant soldier, and that he

was glad that Great Britain was to have in the future the benefit of

your father’s son in a friendly land now beyond the outposts of our

Empire, but which had been one with her in the past, and might be

again.

 

“So much for the Privy Council. We can do no more at present until

you sign and have attested the documents which I have brought with

me.

 

“We can now formally complete the settlement of the Vissarion

estates, which must be done whilst you are a British citizen. So,

too, with the Will, the more formal and complete document, which is

to take the place of that short one which you forwarded to me the day

after your marriage. It may be, perhaps, necessary or advisable

that, later on, when you are naturalized here, you shall make a new

Will in strictest accordance with local law.”

 

TEUTA SENT LEGER’S DIARY.

August 19, 1907.

 

We had a journey to-day that was simply glorious. We had been

waiting to take it for more than a week. Rupert not only wanted the

weather suitable, but he had to wait till the new aeroplane came

home. It is more than twice as big as our biggest up to now. None

of the others could take all the party which Rupert wanted to go.

When he heard that the aero was coming from Whitby, where it was sent

from Leeds, he directed by cable that it should be unshipped at

Otranto, whence he took it here all by himself. I wanted to come

with him, but he thought it better not. He says that Brindisi is too

busy a place to keep anything quiet—if not secret—and he wants to

be very dark indeed about this, as it is worked by the new radium

engine. Ever since they found radium in our own hills he has been

obsessed by the idea of an aerial navy for our protection. And after

to-day’s experiences I think he is right. As he wanted to survey the

whole country at a glimpse, so that the general scheme of defence

might be put in hand, we had to have an aero big enough to take the

party as well as fast enough to do it rapidly, and all at once. We

had, in addition to Rupert, my father, and myself, Sir Colin and Lord

High Admiral Rooke (I do like to give that splendid old fellow his

full title!). The military and naval experts had with them

scientific apparatus of various kinds, also cameras and range-finders, so that they could mark their maps as they required.

Rupert, of course, drove, and I acted as his assistant. Father, who

has not yet become accustomed to aerial travel, took a seat in the

centre (which Rupert had thoughtfully prepared for him), where there

is very little motion. I must say I was amazed to see the way that

splendid old soldier Sir Colin bore himself. He had never been on an

aeroplane before, but, all the same, he was as calm as if he was on a

rock. Height or motion did not trouble him. Indeed, he seemed to

ENJOY himself all the time. The Admiral is himself almost an expert,

but in any case I am sure he would have been unconcerned, just as he

was in the Crab as Rupert has told me.

 

We left just after daylight, and ran down south. When we got to the

east of Ilsin, we kept slightly within the border-line, and went

north or east as it ran, making occasional loops inland over the

mountains and back again. When we got up to our farthest point

north, we began to go much slower. Sir Colin explained that for the

rest all would be comparatively plain-sailing in the way of defence;

but that as any foreign Power other than the Turk must attack from

seaward, he would like to examine the seaboard very carefully in

conjunction with the Admiral, whose advice as to sea defence would be

invaluable.

 

Rupert was fine. No one could help admiring him as he sat working

his lever and making the great machine obey every touch. He was

wrapped up in his work. I don’t believe that whilst he was working

he ever thought of even me. He IS splendid!

 

We got back just as the sun was dropping down over the Calabrian

Mountains. It is quite wonderful how the horizon changes when you

are sailing away up high on an aeroplane. Rupert is going to teach

me how to manage one all by myself, and when I am fit he will give me

one, which he is to have specially built for me.

 

I think I, too, have done some good work—at least, I have got some

good ideas—from our journey to-day. Mine are not of war, but of

peace, and I think I see a way by which we shall be able to develop

our country in a wonderful way. I shall talk the idea over with

Rupert to-night, when we are alone. In the meantime Sir Colin and

Admiral Rooke will think their plans over individually, and to-morrow

morning together. Then the next day they, too, are to go over their

idea with Rupert and my father, and something may be decided then.

 

RUPERT’S JOURNAL—Continued.

August 21, 1907.

 

Our meeting on the subject of National Defence, held this afternoon,

went off well. We were five in all, for with permission of the

Voivode and the two fighting-men, naval and military, I brought Teuta

with me. She sat beside me quite quietly, and never made a remark of

any kind till the Defence business had been gone through. Both Sir

Colin and Admiral Rooke were in perfect agreement as to the immediate

steps to be taken for defence. In the first instance, the seaboard

was to be properly fortified in the necessary places, and the navy

largely strengthened. When we had got thus far I asked Rooke to tell

of the navy increase already in hand. Whereupon he explained that,

as we had found the small battleship The Lady of an excellent type

for coast defence, acting only in home waters, and of a size to take

cover where necessary at many places on our own shores, we had

ordered nine others of the same pattern. Of these the first four

were already in hand, and were proceeding with the greatest

expedition. The General then supplemented this by saying that big

guns could be used from points judiciously chosen on the seaboard,

which was in all so short a length that no very great quantity of

armament would be required.

 

“We can have,” he said, “the biggest guns of the most perfect kind

yet accomplished, and use them from land batteries of the most up-to-date pattern. The one serious proposition we have to deal with is

the defence of the harbour—as yet quite undeveloped—which is known

as the ‘Blue Mouth.’ Since our aerial journey I have been to it by

sea with Admiral Rooke in The Lady, and then on land with the

Vladika, who was born on its shores, and who knows every inch of it.

 

“It is worth fortifying—and fortifying well, for as a port it is

peerless in Mediterranean seas. The navies of the world might ride

in it, land-locked, and even hidden from view seawards. The

mountains which enclose it are in themselves absolute protection. In

addition, these can only be assailed from our own territory. Of

course, Voivode, you understand when I say ‘our’ I mean the Land of

the Blue Mountains, for whose safety and well-being I am alone

concerned. Any ship anchoring in the roads of the Blue Mouth would

have only one need—sufficient length of cable for its magnificent

depth.

 

“When proper guns are properly placed on the steep cliffs to north

and south of the entrance, and when the rock islet between has been

armoured and armed as will be necessary, the Mouth will be

impregnable. But we should not depend on the aiming of the entrance

alone. At certain salient points—which I have marked upon this map-

-armour-plated sunken forts within earthworks should be established.

There should be covering forts on the hillsides, and, of course, the

final summits protected. Thus we could resist attack on any side or

all sides—from sea or land. That port will yet mean the wealth as

well as the strength of this nation, so it will be well to have it

properly protected. This should be done soon, and the utmost secrecy

observed in the doing of it, lest the so doing should become a matter

of international concern.”

 

Here Rooke smote the table hard.

 

“By God, that is true! It has been the dream of my own life for this

many a year.”

 

In the silence which followed the sweet, gentle voice of Teuta came

clear as a bell:

 

“May I say a word? I am emboldened to, as Sir Colin has spoken so

splendidly, and as the Lord High Admiral has not hesitated to mention

his dreaming. I, too, have had a dream—a day-dream—which came in a

flash, but no less a dream, for all that. It was when we hung on the

aeroplane over the Blue Mouth. It seemed to me in an instant that I

saw that beautiful spot as it will some time be—typical, as Sir

Colin said, of the wealth as well as the strength of this nation; a

mart for the world whence will come for barter some of the great

wealth of the Blue Mountains. That wealth is as yet undeveloped.

But the day is at hand when we may begin to use it, and through that

very port. Our mountains and their valleys are clad with trees of

splendid growth, virgin forests of priceless worth; hard woods of all

kinds, which have no superior throughout the world. In the rocks,

though hidden as yet, is vast mineral wealth of many kinds. I