He bowed them off the wharf, and returned to his self-imposed task of superintending the loading of the ship, as if opposition had made him only the more determined to go on with it. Cyril and his wife walked some way in silence, and when he spoke, it was not of the Chevalier or his scheme. “When we left Sitt Zeynab, I little thought I should be glad to return to it,” he said at last. “I know; you have always felt you were in exile there. But to me it is a haven of peace. I can’t feel that you are safe anywhere else.” “Do you know, Ernestine, that when we left it last winter I was brimming over with ambition, though I didn’t say so to you? I had an idea that my old powers might return if I plunged suddenly into the midst of the old life.” “Yes, I thought so when you were so determined to answer Michael’s appeal for your help in person.” “And you never said so? Wise woman! Well, here I am returning meekly, quite shorn of my aspirations. Michael is safely married, but to the very last person we should have thought of for him then. Usk is married too, not at all to the girl who seemed obviously suitable. The Thracian finances are placed on a sound footing, but thanks far more to Félicia’s money than to any skill of mine. Scythia is out of Palestine, but Malasorte’s the friend, not Mortimer. And as for myself, instead of juggling with crowns, I am thankful to be rescued from a lunatic asylum. I not only did no good, but gave a great deal of trouble to other people. In future we will take our politics quietly, looking on at them from a distance.” “And living happily among our own people, doing what we can for them. You think you can be happy, Cyril?” “Don’t ask me to make rash declarations. At least I can say that, in view of ending my days at Sitt Zeynab, I am--content.” 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: quotation mark pairing. Note: minor spelling and hyphenization inconsistencies (_e.g._ wofully/woefully, lifelong/life-long, newspaper-man/newspaper man, etc.) have been preserved. [Chapter IV] Change “caught up a long knife ... off of the _payment_” to _pavement_. [Chapter VI] [“This is terrible!” _murmered_ Lady Caerleon.] to _murmured_. [Chapter XII] “had met the Grand-_Duchesss_ of Schwarzwald-Molzau” to _Duchess_. [Chapter XVI] “Lord _Caerlon_ also produced a distinct impression” to _Caerleon_. [Chapter XXI] “Helene cried a _greal_ deal without feeling” to _great_. [End of Text]