He also said that, as Sir Edward Bingham Trent, Bart.--as he is now--was
sure to have some matter which we should like, he would write and ask him
to send such to us. He also said that Mr. Ernest Roger Halbard Melton,
of Humcroft, Salop (he always gives this name and address in full, which
is his way of showing contempt), would be sure to have some relevant
matter, and that he would have him written to on the subject. This he
did. The Chancellor wrote him in his most grandiloquent style. Mr. E.
R. H. Melton, of H., S., replied by return post. His letter is a
document which speaks for itself:

                                                          HUMCROFT, SALOP,
                                                           _May_ 30, 1908. MY DEAR COUSIN KING RUPERT,

    I am honoured by the request made on your behalf by the Lord High
    Chancellor of your kingdom that I should make a literary contribution
    to the volume which my cousin, Queen Teuta, is, with the help of your
    former governess, Miss MacKelpie, compiling. I am willing to do so,
    as you naturally wish to have in that work some contemporary record
    made by the Head of the House of Melton, with which you are
    connected, though only on the distaff side. It is a natural ambition
    enough, even on the part of a barbarian--or perhaps
    semi-barbarian--King, and far be it from me, as Head of the House, to
    deny you such a coveted privilege. Perhaps you may not know that I
    am now Head of the House; my father died three days ago. I offered
    my mother the use of the Dower House--to the incumbency of which,
    indeed, she is entitled by her marriage settlement. But she
    preferred to go to live at her seat, Carfax, in Kent. She went this
    morning after the funeral. In letting you have the use of my
    manuscript I make only one stipulation, but that I expect to be
    rigidly adhered to. It is that all that I have written be put in the
    book _in extenso_. I do not wish any record of mine to be garbled to
    suit other ends than those ostensible, or whatever may be to the
    honour of myself or my House to be burked. I dare say you have
    noticed, my dear Rupert, that the compilers of family histories
    often, through jealousy, alter matter that they are allowed to use so
    as to suit their own purpose or minister to their own vanity. I
    think it right to tell you that I have had a certified copy made by
    Petter and Galpin, the law stationers, so that I shall be able to
    verify whether my stipulation has been honourably observed. I am
    having the book, which is naturally valuable, carefully packed, and
    shall have it forwarded to Sir Edward Bingham Trent, Baronet (which
    he now is--Heaven save the mark! ), the Attorney. Please see that he
    returns it to me, and in proper order. He is not to publish for
    himself anything in it about him. A man of that class is apt to
    advertise the fact of anyone of distinction taking any notice of him. I would bring out the MS. to you myself, and stay for a while with
    you for some sport, only your lot--subjects I suppose you call
    them!--are such bounders that a gentleman's life is hardly safe
    amongst them. I never met anyone who had so poor an appreciation of
    a joke as they have. By the way, how is Teuta? She is one of them. I heard all about the hatching business. I hope the kid is all
    right. This is only a word in your ear, so don't get cocky, old son. I am open to a godfathership. Think of that, Hedda! Of course, if
    the other godfather and the godmother are up to the mark; I don't
    want to have to boost up the whole lot! Savvy? Kiss Teuta and the
    kid for me. I must have the boy over here for a bit later on--when
    he is presentable, and has learned not to be a nuisance. It will be
    good for him to see something of a real first-class English country
    house like Humcroft. To a person only accustomed to rough ways and
    meagre living its luxury will make a memory which will serve in time
    as an example to be aimed at. I shall write again soon. Don't
    hesitate to ask any favour which I may be able to confer on you. So
    long! Your affectionate cousin,
                                              ERNEST ROGER HALBARD MELTON. _Extract from Letter from E. Bingham Trent to Queen Teuta of the Blue
Mountains_. . . . So I thought the best way to serve that appalling cad would be
    to take him at his word, and put in his literary contribution in
    full. I have had made and attested a copy of his "Record," as he
    calls it, so as to save you trouble. But I send the book itself,
    because I am afraid that unless you see his words in his own writing,
    you will not believe that he or anyone else ever penned seriously a
    document so incriminating. I am sure he must have forgotten what he
    had written, for even such a dull dog as he is could never have made
    public such a thing knowingly. . . Such a nature has its revenges on
    itself. In this case the officers of revenge are his _ipsissima
    verba_. RUPERT'S JOURNAL--_Continued_. _February_ 1, 1909. All is now well in train. When the Czar of Russia, on being asked by the
Sclavs (as was meet) to be the referee in the "Balkan Settlement,"
declined on the ground that he was himself by inference an interested
party, it was unanimously agreed by the Balkan rulers that the Western
King should be asked to arbitrate, as all concerned had perfect
confidence in his wisdom, as well as his justice. To their wish he
graciously assented. The matter has now been for more than six months in
his hands, and he has taken endless trouble to obtain full information. He has now informed us through his Chancellor that his decision is almost
ready, and will be communicated as soon as possible. We have another hunting-party at Vissarion next week. Teuta is looking
forward to it with extraordinary interest. She hopes then to present to
our brothers of the Balkans our little son, and she is eager to know if
they endorse her mother-approval of him. RUPERT'S JOURNAL--_Continued_. _April_ 15, 1909. The arbitrator's decision has been communicated to us through the
Chancellor of the Western King, who brought it to us himself as a special
act of friendliness. It met with the enthusiastic approval of all. The
Premier remained with us during the progress of the hunting-party, which
was one of the most joyous occasions ever known. We are all of good
heart, for the future of the Balkan races is now assured. The
strife--internal and external--of a thousand years has ceased, and we
look with hope for a long and happy time. The Chancellor brought
messages of grace and courtliness and friendliness to all.