“You schemed to separate your brother and his bride,” said the Princess. “Whether you actually went beyond the truth in anything that you said I do not know; but it seems to me that you would not have called your conduct honourable in a private matter.” “That’s just it. Public business is conducted on different principles.” “Is it? But why? Public considerations required, as you thought, that Carlino should not marry Nadia. Accordingly, you sought to separate them, and you succeeded for a time. Happily, you were not permanently successful, and your efforts were overruled for good. But of what use were your attempts? God did not intend your brother to be King of Thracia, and you could not keep him on the throne.” “But would you have one simply let things slide?” “I would have you leave things to God. When you find that you can go no further in your chosen path without breaking His laws, is it not a sign that you are to stop there?” “I don’t wonder that you Evangelicals get yourselves banished as you do,” said Cyril, smiling. “The ordinary Scythian view of diplomacy would certainly not agree with yours.” “You imply that ours is the English view? Then may I hope that you will act on English and not on Scythian principles when you return to Thracia?” “Would you have me bind myself by a pledge, Princess?” “Not unless you wish it. I only ask you to look back on the time you spent at Bellaviste, and the means you used to force your brother to remain there, and to ask yourself, Was it worth while?” “Considering that the result was failure, I think it was not,” said Cyril, meditatively. “But I do not say that it would not have been worth while if I had succeeded.” “And what would your success have been worth?” asked the Princess. “If I were you, Lord Cyril, I would thank God night and morning that the end of your enterprise was failure.” THE END. TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES. Sydney C. Grier was the pseudonym of Hilda Caroline Gregg. This book is part of the author’s “Balkan Series.” The full series, in order, being: An Uncrowned King A Crowned Queen The Kings of the East The Prince of the Captivity Alterations to the text: Punctuation corrections--mostly quotation mark pairing. Note: minor spelling and hyphenization inconsistencies (_e.g._ warships/war-ships, Grand-Duke/Grand Duke, etc.) have been left as is. [Title Page] Add brief note indicating this novel’s position in the series. See above. [Chapter XII] “Congrats. and all that sort of thing, old man” change period to a comma. [Chapter XVIII] Change “which passed _though_ the station this morning” to _through_. [End of Text]