and thus did he assert in his own person that a king supported by a nation is more powerful than any government built up by mere party agency and even so at his best and two women looked upon him and loved him one from the outskirts of the great crowd where close in her veil she waited near the government buildings and saw him alight from his and enter there amid the wild of the � the other from a high window in the royal palace where she leaned watching the crowd � the sunlight catching the diamonds at her breast and sparkling in her proud cold eyes and over the whole city rang the continuous and cry the king the king and perhaps only one soul prophetic in instinct foresaw any terror in the triumph � only one voice low and tremulous and with tears and prayers murmured ah dear god would he were not a king chapter a vote for love next day it was known through the length and breadth of the city that the king so long judged as a political had proved himself a living acting authority every journal in city and province led off its news under the one chief heading � the king s speech the king had spoken � and with no uncertain voice cool brilliant in in statement � correct in facts convincing in argument his unexpected of and the majority swept the government off their feet by its daring courage and still more daring evidence of the speculations with the public money which had been so freely indulged in by the secretary of state aided and by the was handed by the king in person to the authorities whose business it was to examine such proofs � the measures used to retain the majority were fully exposed and the whole house stood and mentally under the straight accusation and merciless condemnation launched at their own of such by their monarch with perfect dignity and impressive calm the king quietly demanded whether m would be pleased to explain his actions whether he had anything to say in response to the charges brought against him to this last after a dead silence during which every eye was fixed on the minister who in the course of the royal speech had seen every of his own intended defence torn away from him with an white countenance answered nothing and the silence around him continued a silence more expressive than any word of scorn i power but more surprises were in store for the which found itself thus suddenly the king announced the marriage of his son the crown prince to a daughter of the people boldly and with an ardent passion of truth lighting up every feature of his handsome countenance he stated this overwhelming piece of news in a perfectly matter of fact way adding that in consequence of the step taken � a step which he did not himself in any way regret � the crown prince asked to be allowed to resign the throne in favour of his brother unless continued his majesty the nation should be proved ready to accept the wife he has chosen it is needless to add that my son has married without my consent and this is the reason of his present absence from the country if the nation his wife he will return to the nation if not i am bound to say knowing his mind that there is nothing to be done but to declare prince heir to the throne this however i personally desire may be left to the consideration and vote of the people � and when the house rose on that astonishing afternoon they knew they were no longer a house � they knew the government was entirely and that there would be a new and a general election they had to also that their bills for imposing fresh taxes on the people were mere waste paper � and they heard likewise with amazement that the king had decided to resign half his for the space of five years to assist the in the national at the conclusion of the whole scene they saw the king received as it were into the arms of a crowd many of thousands which spread round all the government buildings and poured itself in thick streams through every street and and they had to accept the fact that their majority was reduced to a so amid the greater wave of popular resolve that it was not worth counting leaving the house by a private door of disgraced and as he w is a vote for love dared not trust the very sight of himself to such an multitude and managed by lucky chance to escape unobserved he was assisted in this by general the chief of the police perceived him cautiously along the side wall of an alley where the crowd had not penetrated and helped him into a passing cab that he might be driven rapidly and safely to his home you will no doubt excuse me � said the general with a slight smile � for not having acted more in the matter of the suspected mi am afraid i should never have up sufficient impudence to ask the king to sign a warrant against himself muttered an inarticulate oath by way of reply he fully that the game for him was lost his speech of defence so carefully prepared had been useless for he could not have uttered it in the face of the evidence against him pronounced by the king and by his own public actions yet his audacity had not in the main deserted him he knew that owing to his proved and use of the public money his own property would be to the crown � but he had always kept himself well prepared for and had invested in foreign under various assumed names turning his attention 