“Last night,” Sara answered. “That dear little train of yours brought us from the frontier. We scarcely expected to see you so soon.”
“It is my great good-fortune,” Ughtred answered. “I go every morning to the fortifications to direct the artillery practice. The Van Decht battery has been in action this morning,” he added, smiling.
“I presume, sir, that this is a warlike country!” Mr. Van Decht remarked.
A shadow crept over the King’s face.
“It is not our choice,” he answered. “We are surrounded by dangerous enemies, and we are a very small nation. Our security depends solely upon our readiness to resist attack. For these last two months I have had to forget that I am a King, and remember only that I am Commander-in-Chief of our little army.”
“I presume that you are not anticipating any immediate trouble, sir?” Mr. Van Decht asked.
The King glanced round. Already he was learning the lesson of caution.
“The history of Theos,” he said, “is doubtless unknown to you. Turkey is our old and historic enemy, and her attitude towards us just now is, to say the least of it, threatening. We trust to our inoffensiveness and the good-will of the Powers to preserve our independence, but we judge it best to be prepared so far as possible to fight our own battles. Well, Crasten, what are you bringing us?”
The hotel proprietor bowed low, and filled some finely-cut glasses with liqueur from a dusty and carefully cradled bottle.