and the debt was contracted, taxation increased by popular vote and a
period of governmental thriftiness inaugurated. Railroads, highways,
bridges and aqueducts were built, owned and controlled by the state,
and the city of Edelweiss rebuilt after the devastation created
during the revolt of Count Marlanx and his minions. There seemed to
be some prospect of vindication for the ministry and Tullis, who
lived in Edelweiss, was fair-minded enough to admit that their action
appeared to have been for the best. The people had prospered and
taxes were paid in full and without complaint. The reserve fund grew
steadily and surely and there was every prospect that when the huge
debt came due it would be paid in cash. But on the very crest of
their prosperity came adversity. For two years the crops failed and a
pestilence swept through the herds. The flood of gavvos that had been
pouring into the treasury dwindled into a pitiful rivulet; the little
that came in was applied, of necessity, to administration purposes
and the maintenance of the army, and there was not so much as a penny
left over for the so-called sinking fund.

A year of grace remained. The minister of finance had long since
recovered from the delusion that it would be easy to borrow from
England or France to pay the Russians, there being small prospect of
a renewal by the Czar even for a short period at a higher rate of
interest. The great nations of Europe made it plain to the little
principality that they would not put a finger in Russia's pie at this
stage of the game. Russia was ready to go to war with her great
neighbour, Austria. Diplomacy--caution, if you will,--made it
imperative that other nations should sit tight and look to their own
knitting, so to say. Not one could afford to be charged with
befriending, even in a round-about way, either of the angry
grumblers.