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At three o'clock the Iron Count coolly sentmerchants and bankers of the city They, with the priests, the doctors, the municipal officers and the manufacturers were commanded to appear before hi the welfare of the city and its people Hating, yet fearing him, they came; not one but felt in his heart that the old man was undisputed ruler of their destinies Hours of horror and despair, a night and a day of bitter reflection, had brought the tre clearly the whole miserable situation The reserves were powerless; the Royal Guard was besieged and greatly outnu for them to do but temporise Time alone could open the way to salvation

Marlanx stated his position clearly He left no roos were in his hands: he had but to pull them The desire of his life was about to be attained Without hesitation he infor men of the city that he was to be the Prince of Graustark

"I have the city," he said cales will fall in line I do not worry over them In a very short time I shall have the Castle The question for you to decide for yourselves is this: will you be content to re your fortunes and being protected by a man and not by a child If not, please say so The alternative is in the hands of the Crown I am the Crown The Crown may at any time confiscate property and banish entleovernment You will not suffer under its administration I should be indeed a fool to destroy the credit or injure the integrity of entleave way to harshness; "you may as well understand at the outset that I expect to rule here I will rule Graustark or destroy her"

The ainst the high-handed manner in which he proposed to treat thenise him as a prince of the realone far enough Then he held up his hand and commanded silence

"Those of you who do not expect or desire to live under my rule--which, I promise you, shall be a wise one,--may leave the city for other lands just as soon as my deputies have cos to the Crown treasury--all, I say, even to the entleed affair"