Affairs in the Balkans have again fallen into confusion. King
Alexander of Servia has publicly announced his inten- tion of immediately marrying Madame Maschin, a lady formerly of his mother's household, fifteen years older than himself, and a widow. The Ministry at once resigned, his father, the ex-King Milan, threw up his commission as Commander-in-Chief, and the Metropolitan begged him en his knees to give up the intention. The King, however, is immovable, and as all classes of his subjects object to the marriage, his infatuation will probably cost him his throne. Hie chief defence, in fact, is the reluctance of Austria to see him succeeded by Prince Nicholas of Montenegro, who is the most formidable of the candidates, the other two being King Milan, to whom the Army still adheres, and Prince Kara- georgevitch, the regular Pretender, whose following is not large. It is not quite clear whether the marriage is to be morganatic or not, but it is probable that it is nut, and that Madame Maschin is determined to be a Queen. A revolution in Servia would probably produce great results, for Austria would at once occupy the kingdom, and so compel Russia to seek compensation in Bulgaria.
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