AN UNCROWNED KING A ROMANCE OF HIGH POLITICS BY SYDNEY C. GRIER AUTHOR OF ‘IN FURTHEST IND,’ ‘HIS EXCELLENCY’S ENGLISH GOVERNESS,’ ETC. (_First in the Balkan Series_) THIRD IMPRESSION WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS EDINBURGH AND LONDON MCMVII _All Rights reserved_ CONTENTS. I. A KINGDOM GOING BEGGING II. FRESH WOODS AND PASTURES NEW III. “IF THOU WERT KIND AS THOU ART FAIR----” IV. A CANDID FRIENDSHIP V. A CALL OF DUTY VI. A ROYAL PROGRESS VII. CHECK VIII. FOR HIS GOOD IX. A WOMAN OF HER WORD X. REASONS OF STATE XI. A DELICATE NEGOTIATION XII. TO OBLIGE A LADY XIII. PUNIC FAITH XIV. OVER THE BORDER AND AWAY XV. TERMS OF ACCOMMODATION XVI. WORDS FROM DYING LIPS XVII. MINE AND COUNTERMINE XVIII. SO NEAR, AND YET---- XIX. PILGRIMS PERFORCE XX. TAKEN BY SURPRISE XXI. A REVOLT OR A REVOLUTION? XXII. A KING WITHOUT A CROWN XXIII. UNDER WHICH KING? XXIV. THE KING HAS HIS OWN NOTE. _It may be interesting to know that the Monmouthshire pronunciation of the name Caerleon is Carleen, whence arises the form Carlino._ AN UNCROWNED KING. CHAPTER I. A KINGDOM GOING BEGGING. “After question-time, the First Lord of the Treasury rose to make a statement with regard to the course of public business, the salient feature of which was the announcement that the Government found themselves compelled to appropriate all the time of private members during the remainder of the session. We understand that this action on the part of the Ministry has aroused strong feeling on both sides of the House, particularly among those members who have charge of private bills. One of the supporters of the Government who has been very hardly treated is Viscount Usk, whose bill for permitting peers to become candidates for seats in the Lower House, on relinquishing their right to a seat in the House of Lords, had obtained the first place in the ballot for Tuesday next.”