However this may be, it has just three towns now, which are making history for Europe in a very remarkable fashion; and are more talked about to-day than London, Paris, and St. Petersburg.

Ever since the Greeks struggled into freedom, seventy-five years ago, and became an independent kingdom, it has been the dream of the Cretans to get back to their mother country.  Recently their sufferings have been past endurance, and at last, in their helpless wretchedness, they cried out to Greece to come and take them under her protection.  They said:  “We are one with you in race and in religion.  We speak your language; you are our natural rulers.  Let us be a part of your Christian kingdom.”

With splendid daring and enthusiasm Greece responded to the appeal.

King George sent men and arms and ships, and his brave young son Prince George as Admiral of the fleet, and declared his determination at all hazards to take the island under his protection.  Not only would he fight the Turks in Crete or in Greece, but he would carry the war into the Ottoman Empire itself, if necessary.

The Powers were aghast.  Fight the Turk!  Was that not the very thing they had for a century been trying not to do?  Disturb the Sultan in those dominions of which he was the only safe and harmless occupant!  Tear away the barrier between Europe and Asia, and let the torrent rush through—­the prizes going to the strongest!  What madness—­what folly!  What impertinence for this King George to assume such a responsibility, and to invite such a crisis!

But King George never wavered in his purpose.  The Powers sent demands, and then threats, but all were met firmly by the reply, that he should not withdraw his troops from Crete.

What made it more difficult and exasperating was that the people—­the people, who are always giving their rulers so much trouble, and making it so hard for them—­were wildly applauding King George and the Greeks for the firm stand they had taken, and saying that the old fire which burned at Marathon and Thermopylae had not been extinguished; that the modern Greeks were the worthy sons of a great race!

In England, France, and Italy, public opinion has to be listened to, if their Governments would stand!  When the Ambassadors and the Ministers of these three countries read the papers and the telegrams, they began to go very slowly and cautiously.  But Germany and Russia, although bound, as I have already told you, by close family relationships to the King of Greece, were in hot indignation that he should have audaciously raised such a storm.  He must be stopped at once in a course which might embroil Europe in a war with Turkey; and more than that, he must be punished.

Then there were more conferences, which were more solemn than before:  three of the Ministers (Salisbury, Hanotaux, and Rudini) not very sure that an indignant people might not even then be planning their overthrow; and the other three, with no such apprehension, urging extreme and severe measures against Greece.