con._ Thereupon the President of Council, the Archbishop, and the Vladika, acting together as a deputation, went to pray the attention of the Voivode Peter Vassarion.
When the Voivode entered, the whole Council and officials stood up, and for a few seconds waited in respectful silence with heads bowed down.
Then, as if by a common impulse--for no word was spoken nor any signal given--they all drew their handjars, and stood to attention--with points raised and edges of the handjars to the front.
The Voivode stood very still.

He seemed much moved, but controlled himself admirably.

The only time when be seemed to lose his self-control was when, once again with a strange simultaneity, all present raised their handjars on high, and shouted: "Hail, Peter, King!" Then lowering their points till these almost touched the ground, they once again stood with bowed heads.
When he had quite mastered himself, the Voivode Peter Vissarion spoke: "How can I, my brothers, sufficiently thank you, and, through you, the people of the Blue Mountains, for the honour done to me this day?
In very truth it is not possible, and therefore I pray you to consider it as done, measuring my gratitude in the greatness of your own hearts.

Such honour as you offer to me is not contemplated by any man in whose mind a wholesome sanity rules, nor is it even the dream of fervent imagination.
So great is it, that I pray you, men with hearts and minds like my own, to extend to me, as a further measure of your generosity, a little time to think it over.

I shall not want long, for even already, with the blaze of honour fresh upon me, I see the cool shadow of Duty, though his substance is yet hardly visible.