# The King's Mirror

Anthony Hope considered this as being amongst his best works: The bittersweet story of King Augustin, as related by himself: from his coronation—at an age when his only thought is that he could now bastinado his autocratic aunt—to the time when he has to find, within himself, the wisdom to make the right choice between his natural inclinations and the good of his country.
[Front matter]
THE KING'S MIRROR
BY ANTHONY HOPE.
The King's Mirror.
    Illustrated. 12mo. Cloth, $1.50.
Mr. Hope's new romance pictures the life of a prince and king under conditions modern, and yet shared by representatives of royalty almost throughout history. The interactions of the people and royalty, the aspirations of the prince, the intrigues surrounding him, the cares of state, and the craving for love, are some of the motives developed, with the accompaniments of incident and adventure, wherein the author proves his mastery of suspended interest and dramatic effect. It is a romance which will not only absorb the attention of readers, but impress them with a new admiration for the author's power.
The Chronicles of Count Antonio.
    With Photogravure Frontispiece by S. W. Van Schaick. 12mo. Cloth, $1.50.
" No adventures were ever better worth telling than those of Count Antonio. . . . The author knows full well how to make every pulse thrill, and how to hold his readers under the spell of his magic.—Boston Herald.
The God in the Car.
    New edition. 12mo. Cloth, $1.25.
"A very remarkable book, deserving of critical analysis impossible within our limit; brilliant, but not superficial; well considered, but not elaborated; constructed with the proverbial art that conceals, but yet allows itself to be enjoyed by readers to whom fine literary method is a keen pleasure."—London World.
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK.
"I'm not a king for my own pleasure."
THE KING'S MIRROR
A NOVEL BY ANTHONY HOPE
Author of The Chronicles of Count
Antonio • The Prisoner of Zenda •
The God in the Car • Phroso •
Rupert of Hentzau, etc.
NEW YORK D. APPLETON AND COMPANY
1899
Copyright, 1898, 1899,
By ANTHONY HOPE HAWKINS.
All rights reserved.
CONTENTS.
* chapterpage
* I. —A pious hyperbole ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................1
* II. —A bird without wings ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................11
* III. —Some secret opinions ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................22
* IV. —Two of my makers ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................34
* V. —Something about Victoria ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................47
* VI. —A student of love affairs ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................60
* VII. —Things not to be noticed ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................73
* VIII. —Destiny in a pinafore ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................84
* IX. —Just what would happen ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................96
* X. —Of a political appointment ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................109
* XI. —An act of abdication ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................122
* XII. —King at a price ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................136
* XIII. —I promise not to laugh ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................151
* XIV. —Pleasure takes leave to protest ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................165
* XV. —The hair-dresser waits ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................179
* XVI. —A chase of two phantoms ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................193
* XVII. —Decidedly mediæval ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................207
* XVIII. —William Adolphus hits the mark ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................219
* XIX. —Great promotion ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................233
* XX. —An interesting parallel ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................248
* XXI. —On the art of falling soft ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................261
* XXII. —Ut puto, vestis fio ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................275
* XXIII. —A paradox of sensibility ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................290
* XXIV. —What a question! ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................304
* XXV. —A smack of repetition ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................318
* XXVI. —The secret of the Countess ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................334
* XXVII. —Of grazes in the knee ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................349
* XXVIII. —As Bederhof arranged ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................363
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
* facing page
* "I'm not a king for my own pleasure"................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Frontispiece
* Hammerfeldt came to me and kissed my hand................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................43
* The firelight played on the hand that held the screen................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................102
* "My ransom," said I. "The price of my freedom"................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................148
* "On my honour, a pure accident," said Varvilliers................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................215
* "Why, what brings you here?" I cried................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................262
* "My dear friend, have you forgotten me?"................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................293
* "I'll try—I'll try to make you happy"................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................342
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.
The longest-living author of this work died in 1933, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 90 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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