among the mountains a truly magnificent pile which had i majesty considers and been placed at their disposal for the by one of the of the king s subjects � and there as soon as in waiting and every other sort of and would to leave them alone together the royal wife came to her royal husband and asked to be allowed to speak a few words on the subject of their marriage for the fir and last time said she with a straight glance from the cold moonlight mystery of her eyes beautiful at all times her beauty was doubly by the attitude and expression she unconsciously assumed as she made the request and the prince studying her and features could not but regard himself as in some respects rather particularly favoured by the political and social machinery which had succeeded in persuading so fair a creature to resign herself to the doubtful destiny of a throne she had laid aside her magnificent robes of ivory satin and cloth of gold � and appeared before him in loose of floating white with her rich hair and rippling to her knees may i speak she murmured and her voice trembled most assuredly � he replied half smiling � you me too much honour by the permission as he spoke he bowed profoundly but she raising her eyes fixed them full upon him with a strange look of mingled pride and pain do not she said let us play at let us be honest with each other for to night at least all our life together must from henceforth be more or less of a but let us for to night be as true man and true woman and frankly face the position into which we have been thrust not by ourselves but by others profoundly astonished the prince was silent he had not thought this girl of nineteen possessed any force of character or any intellectual power of reasoning he had judged her as no doubt glad to become a great princess and a possible future queen and he had not given her credit for any finer or higher feeling you know � she continued � you must surely know � here despite the strong restraint she put upon i power herself her voice broke and her slight figure swayed in its white as if about to fall she looked at hint with a sense of rising tears in her throat � tears of which she was ashamed � for she was full of a passionate emotion too strong for weeping � a contempt of herself and of him too great for mere was he so much of a man in the slow thick of his brain she thought as to have no instinctive perception of her utter misery he hastened to her and tried to take her hands but she drew herself away from him and sank down in a chair as if exhausted you are tired he said kindly � the tedious � the still more tedious congratulations � and the journey from the capital to this place have been too much for your strength you must rest it is not that � she answered � not that i not tired � but � but � i cannot say my prayers tonight till you know my whole heart a curious reverence and pity moved him all day long he had been in a state of irritation � he himself for having consented to marry this girl without loving her � he had himself inwardly as a liar and when he had sworn his marriage vows before god whereas if he truly believed in such vows taken were mere � � and now she herself a young thing tenderly brought up like a tropical flower in the hot house atmosphere of court life yet had such a pure deep consciousness of god in her that she actually could not pray with the slightest of a secret on her soul he waited i have my faith to you before god s altar to day she said speaking more steadily � because after long and earnest thought i saw that there was no other way of satisfying the two nations to which we belong and the friendly relations between them there is no woman of royal birth � so it has been pointed out to me � who is so suitable from a political point of view to be your wife as i it is for the sake ot your throne and country that you must marry � and i ask god to forgive me if i have done wrong in his sights t majesty considers and by wedding you simply for duty s sake my father your father and all who are connected with our two families desire our union and have assured me that it is right and good for me to give up my life to yours all women s lives must be to the laws made by men � or so it seems to me � i cannot expect to escape from the general doom to my sex i therefore accept the destiny which me to you as a piece of human property for possession and command � i accept it freely but i will not say gladly because that would not be true for i do not lo e you � i cannot love you i want you to know and to feel it that you may not ask from me what i cannot give there were no tears in her eyes she looked at him and he in his turn met her gaze fully � his face had a little and a shadow of pained regret and darkened his handsome features you love else he asked softly she rose from her chair and confronted him a glow of passionate pride flushing her cheeks and brow no she said � i would not be a traitor 