The Spectator., 1916-03-24
CHAPTER LxxV.
The Last Siege.

intrude, but perhaps
 What is it?" demanded the noble man calmly. Are they calling us from our own port?'
 Precisely that, excellency We have a wireless call. We were sum- moned out, and now are summoned back again. They demand that we shall come quickly" What is wrong?" demanded Count Frederick, springing to his feet. Everything. excellency! Word has come that Grahoffen is marching against us once moreover now our city may be besieged."
 For a moment Count Frederick stood silent. T see," said he. That faithless tyrant Cortislaw has forgot his treaty and is going to war against us when he thinks us unprepared. His traitor and spy, Sachio, has kept him we'll advised-I warrant that. How are they coming this time?"
 Tn part by land. but also in . strong fleet by sea-
 50 they are attacking on what they think the weaker side of our works Is there no such thing as faith among kings-is there nowhere honesty in all the worlds there no man of faithfulness and power any more?"
 Sire" said the prime minister, un- covering and lowing to him, there is one such in our own country"
 Michael, our king-that man?'
 ''No, sire. not Michael, our king. It is none other than yourself mean. In you only can our kingdom have any hope-that is plainer now than it has ever been in all our history. Times must change or we are undone. We must dethrone our king at last Take the place, I beseech you, excellency. which belongs to you, the place which you only can hold, for, believe me. it is only in you that Gretzhoffen may have any hope.
 T trust that you will remember that it was myself that first made this plain to your excellency," he added. thoughtfully.
 Time for all that later" said Count Frederick hastily. First we must get back to port and pull together such forces as we can.'
 ''Excellency. I. myself. attempted something of that before we left" said the prime minister. q attempted to carry out such orders as I fancied you would have given had you been there. Some of the regiments, no doubt. have assembled The guns may be ready on our sea-front now"
 Very we'll Full speed ahead then. We may not be in time
 They were but barely in time. Be fore the Adelina docked in Gretzhof- fen port there might have been seen in the bay the smoke of the advanc- ing fleet-the Grahoffen expeditionary force already was crowding in for the landing. At the same time. upon the opposite side of the city, the army of Grahoffen. in full force. was advancing over the route which heretofore had carried the assault. Already this col umn. composed of cavalry. infantry and the full artillery of Grahoffen. had passed the neutral strip. and was entering the suburbs below the castle walls of the Gretzhoffen citadel.
 They came exultantly, confident of their victory, and swept on as though eager to begin the sacking of the city. And the sacking of GretzhofYen surely had begun but for the arrival of one man.
 The prime minister was right. The confidence of the people of Gretzhof- fen, as much of it as was left for any one man. now rested solely in the nobleman who held so prominent part in the country's affairs Of late Count Frederick of Gretzhoffen. Swift ly enough passed from lip to lip the news that Count Frederick had come, that he would lead the army. that he would direct the defence of the city, that his mind was organizing the re- sistance. And as this word passed, cheers followed it. The men flocked readily to the standards. and once more abided the shock of arms.
 In this strained moment Count Sachio of Grahoffen made good his promise to his king-he fought in the front rank of his own troops, and not even the Jealous eyes of Cortislaw himself could find fault with his cour- age or his judgment. He himself led the last assault against the walls. which finally broke through tho outer defenses. The forces of Grahoffen ad- vanced so rapidly that it seemed in deed as though Cortislaw would make good his threat to leave standing not one stone upon another in this capital of his enemy.
 This was Sachios opportunity. and he knew it-it was his crucial hour One thought even more potent than his ambition for military glory still ruled the soul of this warlike noble man. Sachio fought that he might gain one thing-the treasurers of the king. buried deep somewhere in this citadel. That treasure was the cause of this war. Without it's discovery the war itself was worthless.
 He stole away from the head of h;z G,n A..