and could, should we go to war, defeat Axphain. But we have our
treaty to honor; we could not take up arms to save ourselves from
that honest bond. Our levies have barely brought the amount
necessary to, maintain an army large enough to inspire respect
among those who are ready to leap upon us the instant we show the
least sign of distress. There are about us powers that have held
aloof from war with us simply because we have awed them with our
show of force. It has been our safeguard, and there is not a
citizen of Graustark who objects to the manner in which state
affairs are conducted. They know that our army is an economy at
any price. Until last spring we were confident that we could
raise the full amount due Axphain, but the people in the rural
districts were unable to meet the levies on account of the panic
that came at a most unfortunate time. That is why we were
hurrying home from your country, Mr. Lorry. Gaspon had cabled
the Princess that affairs were in a hopeless condition, begging
her to come home and do what she could in a final appeal to the
people, knowing the love they had for her. She came, and has
seen these loyal subjects offer their lives for her and for
Graustark, but utterly unable to give what they have not--money.
She asked them if she should disband the army, and there was a
negative wail from one end of the land to the other. Then the
army agreed to serve on half pay until all was tided over.
Public officers are giving their services free, and many of our
wealthy people have advanced loans on bonds, worthless as they
may seem, and still we have not the required amount."

"Cannot the loan be extended a few years?" asked Lorry, angry
with the ruler in the north, taking the woes of Graustark as much
to heart as if they were his own.