, 1891-09-05

years back. The elder Bismarck's power
was at its height. Herbert had not then
obtained any political prominence His
father had him in trimming for a career, it
is true; he had been attached to the Ger
man embassies OF various cities and was
at that time secretary OF legation at Berlin.
He was an unusually handsome young man
of thirty, very popular in society.
Among the many who were attracted by
the good looks and manly bearing of the
chancellor's son was a lady whose beauty
and fascination, as well us whose rank,
gave her a position Of great prominence at
the court.
She was the Princess Carolath, born
Countess Hatzfeldt, Of Trnchenburg, ST.
lesia- She came OF n family Of beautiful
women, almost every one Of whom has been
the heroine of a romance or two. Sophie
Hatzfeldt, whose connection with the great
socialist, Ferdinand Lassalle, has become
n matter OF history, was her aunt One of
her sisters married Baron de Loe, com
mander of the Fifth Army corps, and per-
sonal a%djutant of William l.
All of the Hatzfeldt women possess be-
sides their beauty very strong individual
tiles. They are all brilliant, proud. self
willed and imperious.
The Princess CArolath was many years
her husbands junior; she was as lovely ms
a Hatzfeldt ought 10 be and as fascinating
as any woman ever was. Her portrait,
painted by Gustave Richter, the right"
as he is called, TO distinguish him from
an inferior painter Of the same name, shows
a tall, lissom woman, with clear cut, arts
tocratio features, large, calm blu eyes,
perfect arms and hands, an imperial head.
with masses of red-gold ringlets; shoulders
like marble and the bearing of an empress.
To win a smile from those cold lips many
men have dom difficult things. The Aus
trian ambassador in response to n half eN-
pressed desire on her part to hear a gen
uine gypsy orchestra, sent TO the wilds OF
Hungary and imported the finest players,
which be exhibited at his next fete.
The Princess Carolath was six years
older than Herbert Bismarck, she was in
finitely his superior mentally, she was al
ready n wife, but nevertheless she fell mad
ly, hopelessly in love with him.
She was very fond OF music and herself
possessed n fine contralto voice. One of
her most intimate friends was n young
girl whose magnificent singing was the en-
thusiasm of Berlin at the time. This
young singer was IA frequent guest Mt the
Carolath palace, and was one OF the first to
discover the growing attachment of the
princess and young Bismarck. While
Fraulein L. at the piano was pouring out
her soul in the passionate love songs Sc
lected by the princess, she began to observe
that two of her listeners were more than
ordinarily affected by the music. Burning
Chances, trembling, agitated whispers
were exchanged. Sometimes the princess
would leave the room only TO be followed
by the infatuated young man.
Fraulein l. was not the only one to
whom the state Of affairs was revealed.
Prince Carolath took to DOING on divans
in the music room or in the various salons
~frequented by his wife and her friends;
doing, n la great Napoleon-with one eye
open. The lovers were blind, the poor be-
wildered young singer was powerless and
the ~prince-dozed.
What might nave happened is a matter
OF conjecture. What did happen was the
serious illness OF the princess and n conse-
quent interruption OF the morning con-
certs at the palace. For n time the prin-
cess life was despaired Of, but she was
finally pronounced conyalescent and was
ordered to Nice TO recover her strength.
To Nice, therefore, went the princess; to
Nice also went Herbert Won Bismarck.