The Consuls were admitted, with much ceremony, within the defences as far as the slope overlooking Karakula, where the delegates met them. The diplomatists struck a harsh note at the beginning of the interview by declaring that their mission began and ended with advising the insurgents to lay down their arms and return to their homes, allowing the dispossessed Mohammedans to do the same. The delegates retorted by presenting the demands agreed upon, which comprised the practical autonomy of Emathia, the suzerainty of Roum being recognised merely by the permission to keep a garrison in Therma and the concession of a yearly tribute, which was not to exceed a definite proportion of the revenues of the province. The Emathians were to elect their own Governor-General, whose appointment was to be made by the Powers and confirmed at Czarigrad. He was to be chosen for five years, with the possibility of re-election; to have full authority to reorganise the police and judicial systems, with the aid of assessors representing the various religious bodies under his control; he was to be responsible only to the Powers, and Czarigrad was to possess no veto on his acts of government. There were other conditions, but these were sufficient to make the Consuls raise their hands in horror. With one voice they besought the delegates not to allow themselves to be led away by European agitators, who would never be permitted by the Powers to exercise authority in Emathia. The demands were absolutely impossible, and to insist upon them would merely be to unite the Powers with Roum against the Emathian cause. The delegates, proud of their late success in repelling invasion, and sustained by their unconfessed belief that England was secretly on their side, retorted warmly that the demands represented the irreducible minimum they could accept, and the conference broke up in disorder, the Consuls washing their hands of all responsibility for the fate of such unreasonable people.
While the negotiations were going on, there was a good deal of intercourse between the British squadron and the canny people of Skandalo. Boats laden with provisions and sightseers plied between the town and the ships, and steam pinnaces from the fleet disembarked keen-eyed officers, who strolled carelessly up the steep streets in twos and threes, and were politely but firmly turned back when they attempted to extend their rambles beyond the actual confines of the place. They complained indignantly to Dr Terminoff, who was again acting as the Assembly’s representative at the port, and he sympathised with them in the most friendly spirit. That new erection, or earthwork, or whatever it was, which had altered the aspect of the hill above the town, must be sadly provocative of curiosity, but most unfortunately, knowing nothing of military matters, he could not tell them anything about it. Both sides understood perfectly what this fencing meant, and the officers retired to devise further measures.
The day after the abortive termination of the conference, Eirene and Zoe were working as usual at the refugee camp. The daily course of lessons on the advantages of cleanliness was being exemplified on this particular afternoon by a definite effort to combat the ophthalmia which abounded among the babies, and Eirene was bathing the eyes of a protesting infant, held by Zoe, in the centre of a ring of disapproving women, when one of their guards broke in upon the demonstration in a state of wild excitement. Two officers from the fleet had just been captured by the escort, which had discovered them making their way cautiously down the ridge, and ambushed them in a hollow. They offered no resistance, and pretended at first that they had lost their way; but when their captors proceeded to conduct them back towards the shore, they confessed that in reality they were anxious to pay their respects to the insurgent prince of whom they had heard, and begged to be taken to his stronghold. To the guards this was proof positive that the British Admiral was trying to open up communication with Maurice in order to offer him the support which they were persuaded England was desirous of affording, though stealthily, so as not to allow the other Powers a pretext for helping Roum. It was useless to assure them that England had no intention whatever of acting in opposition to the Concert of Europe, and Eirene was obliged to resort to stratagem to ensure the observance of even a moderate amount of precaution. It was quite possible, she pointed out, that the prisoners might not be British naval officers at all, but spies in the pay of Roum or of one of the other Powers. If, on being told that they must be blindfolded and deprived of their weapons before being conveyed to the monastery, they submitted without objection, this would be a presumptive proof of their good faith, but if they showed anger or apprehension, it would be best to take them down to the sea at once, and not lose sight of them until they were safely on board their boat. It was evident that the suspected persons stood the test, for when Zoe and Eirene prepared to return home, two blindfolded figures, a man and a youth, scarcely more than a boy, were being mounted on mules, giving no help in the process, by way of being as troublesome to their captors as they could. By Eirene’s orders, they were placed at the head of the procession, so that she could distinguish in a moment if either of them tried to get rid of their wrappings, and she and Zoe, following in the rear of the guard, conversed only in whispers, that the prisoners might not guess how near they were to fellow-countrywomen. As they approached the monastery, Zoe turned to her suddenly.
“Let us give them a surprise, Eirene. I expect they think they are coming to a most awful place—a sort of bandits’ lair—and that they have taken their lives in their hands. Tell the guards to make a good deal of fuss about bringing them into the presence of the Prince,—a savage and ferocious insurgent chieftain, of course,—and then let them just come in and find us at afternoon tea.”
The idea seemed to Eirene unworthy of the dignity of the occasion, but Maurice enjoyed it so heartily when it was communicated to him that she withdrew her protest. Tea was prepared, and the guards, not understanding the joke, but perceiving that some fun was on foot, dragged and shoved the prisoners up the steps to the gallery, and suddenly removed the bandages from their eyes. Then Zoe was sorry for her suggestion, for the dazed and astonished aspect of the two officers provoked shouts of laughter from the Emathians, and she was disgusted to think that she had exposed Englishmen to the ridicule of foreigners. But Maurice stepped forward to welcome them.
“Very kind of you to give us a call!” he said, holding out his hand. “I must present you to Princess Theophanis and my sister, Princess Zoe. This is Prince Romanos Christodoridi, my hated rival, who is working with us in the Emathian cause, and this is Colonel Wylie, our Commander-in-Chief, late of the Egyptian Army. You both belong to the Magniloquent, I think?”
The elder officer had recovered his composure by this time, and introduced himself as Lieutenant Cotway, and his companion as Mr Suter, both of the Magniloquent, flagship of Vice-Admiral Essiter. In view of the nature of their reception, both appeared to think it advisable not to enter at the moment upon their reasons for undertaking this adventure, and the midshipman was quickly handing round hot cakes as though to the manner born, while his superior made small-talk for Zoe and Eirene, assuming in them an ordinary feminine interest in the recent Carnival gaieties among the foreign community at Czarigrad. It was a little difficult to know how to talk to ladies met in such peculiar circumstances, but the naval man acquitted himself nobly, and the rest listened and admired him. It was not until tea was over that Maurice took advantage of a pause to say—
“And did you really face the journey up here to bring the ladies all this interesting news?”
“Well, you see, Prince, I was not aware that I should have the honour of meeting them.”
“Then you had another object? Was it official?”