Thisnoblerace，then，hadcometobeknownasthelasthopeoftheLand。SothatwhentheVoivodewasawayonhiscountry’sservice，hisdaughtershouldbecloselyguarded。SoonaftertheVoivodehadgone，itwasreportedthathemightbelongdelayedinhisdiplomacies，andalsoinstudyingthesystemofConstitutionalMonarchy，forwhichithadbeenhopedtoexchangeourimperfectpoliticalsystem。Imaysayinteraliathathewasmentionedastobethefirstkingwhenthenewconstitutionshouldhavebeenarranged。
Thenagreatmisfortunecameonus；aterriblegriefovershadowedtheland。Afterashortillness，theVoivodinTeutaVissariondiedmysteriouslyofamysteriousailment。ThegriefofthemountaineerswassogreatthatitbecamenecessaryforthegoverningCounciltowarnthemnottoallowtheirsorrowtobeseen。Itwasimperativelynecessarythatthefactofherdeathshouldbekeptsecret。Forthereweredangersanddifficultiesofseveralkinds。Inthefirstplaceitwasadvisablethatevenherfathershouldbekeptinignoranceofhisterribleloss。Itwaswellknownthatheheldherastheverycoreofhisheartandthatifheshouldhearofherdeath，hewouldbetoomuchprostratedtobeabletodotheintricateanddelicateworkwhichhehadundertaken。Nay，more：hewouldneverremainafaroff，underthesadcircumstances，butwouldstraightwayreturn，soastobeinthelandwhereshelay。Thensuspicionswouldcropup，andthetruthmustshortlybeknownafield，withtheinevitableresultthattheLandwouldbecometheverycentreofawarofmanynations。
Inthesecondplace，iftheTurksweretoknowthattheraceofVissarionwasbecomingextinct，thiswouldencouragethemtofurtheraggression，whichwouldbecomeimmediateshouldtheyfindoutthattheVoivodewashimselfaway。Itwaswellknownthattheywerealreadyonlysuspendinghostilitiesuntilafittingopportunityshouldarise。Theirdesireforaggressionhadbecomeacuteaftertherefusalofthenation，andofthegirlherself，thatsheshouldbecomeawifeoftheSultan。
ThedeadgirlhadbeenburiedintheCryptofthechurchofSt。Sava，anddayafterdayandnightafternight，singlyandinparties，thesorrowingmountaineershadcometopaydevotionandreverenceathertomb。SomanyhadwishedtohavealastglimpseofherfacethattheVladikahad，withmyownconsentasArchbishop，arrangedforaglasscovertobeputoverthestonecoffinwhereinherbodylay。
Afteralittletime，however，therecameabelieftoallconcernedintheguardingofthebody——these，ofcourse，beingthepriestsofvariousdegreesofdignityappointedtothetask——thattheVoivodinwasnotreallydead，butonlyinastrangely—prolongedtrance。