The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1891-05-22
Fl NIHILIST.

Some time before the tragic death OF
the late car one Of the most important
men in the empire was Prince Michel,
but reasons of state will not permit the
designation of his illustrious family
name.
During a ~sojourn in Paris, just after
the war, he net at one of the receptions
Of the Princess Lisa General de Contre-
monts charming daughter, whom the
Partisan world, just arising from It's
ashes, knew under the name Of "the
beautiful Madeleine" She was also as
poor as she was beautiful.
Michel was smitten ii spite of his
forty years and his long formed resoIu-
ton of celibacy. For fifteen years he
had withstood the Establishments of de-
signing young ladies and the maneuvers
of their aristocratic marnmas, who had
thrown themselves, SO to speak, at his
head as bouquets of roses and lilies are
thrown over the footlights at a f~ayorite
diva.
One evening Madeleine said to the
widow of the hero of Gravelotte,
"Mother. would yo1 be satisfied by my
becoming a princess:"
"No, indeed, my daughter, for you
were born beautiful enough to become a
queen"
In fact, in the most select assembly
such a perfect type of ~womanhood was
seldom seen. Isaw this superb creature
at the opera n evening shortly after her
marriage, and l will wager that there
were fifty young men IN the orchestra
who were more or less in love with her
through the whole gamut of love, from
respectful admiration to the grand
passion. You can imagine how they
listened to the music; it might as well
have been from the score of "Mireille'
as from the 'H~uguenots," and they
would have been none the wiser.
This was probably the most memora-
BILE evening in the young life of Mad
cline, for she felt herself avenged in the
eyes of the men who would now gladly
impoyerish themselves for one hour of
her favor, but who had formerly consid-
cred her too poor to be the object of
theirs. From her proud elevation,
though scarcely seeming to smile, in the
depths of her being she vibrated from
head to foot with the e~xultation of tri-
umph, and her cold briliianee radiated
their admiration as diamonds radiate
light. She saw in the elegant audience
many beautiful women, but she felt her.
self to be the most beautiful woman
there.
M. fhi- ro,tip4,lo c-a-5n0 IN A., a-S-
can lady in one Of the boxes, many times
a millionaire, but not pretty, said: 81 do
not hope to resemble the Princess Michel,
for that would Go to expect too much,
but only to have her teeth / would give
my hotel in the Champs Elysees and all
it contains, including the contents Of my
jewel box; for with such teeth one need
not be pretty-one has but TO yawn or
smile and the world IS at ones feet"
eyes" replied a diplomat, s'but l fear
the princess will have occasion to yawn
oftener than to smile, for his excellency.
her husband, has the air of being neither
agreeable nor amusing. Imagine the
princess will regret Paris many times"
Indeed the prince, even at the time of
his marriage, was not an agreeable man,
and some years later he was still less so,
to the sorrow Of the princess be it said.
He owed it to the coquetry Of his wife to
be as jealous SIS a tiger, and to the favor
of the car to become minister Of the
police, and the result of his position did
not serve to render him more amiable.
However, he had found the opportunity
to utilize his public functions in aid of
his private jealousy. He used his wife's
~coachInan and the servant who opened
the door to further his ends, and his
emissaries among the police o placed
in his hands all sorts of amorous declara-
tions addressed 10 his wife, in every
strain of ardent and passionate avowal.
However, the food of correspondence
soon s~lackened, not because the princess
was less seductive, but because she was
Indifferent or SUBJECTED, and those who
had confded TO the post or telegraph
their hopes and fears soon found them
selves the victims of tie most ~unexpect-
ed and various i'll fortune, and began to
conjecture that either the princess had
the evil eye, or that the eyesof the prince
were too good. TIE correspondence only
revealed to his excellency that his wife
was a harmless coquette. and this 1is-
coyery brought d relative satisfaction.
But the exactions Of the car in regard
to the nihilists now left him little time
to protect the virtue Of his wife, and
judge Of his inefable surprise when n
day the following letter reached his
hands, Of which also he recognized but
too well the handwriting, though it was
signed by only a single initial;
sit appears the emperor will set out
sooner than was expected Cor E~arsoyiei
hold yourself then in readiness TO start
at the earliest warning. fer who knows
when we will find again SO favorable an
opportunity?
Il DO not wish to conceal from you
the difficulties of the undertaking. Ar
range your plans then for success with
out delay. You Will present yourself to
me as a friend Of my family. travelling
in Russia for your pleasure Call upon
my rlother before you set out; she win
give you some commission for me which
will serve as an introduction in case of
need"
The unhappy prince was beside him
self when he had finished reading this
horrible letter. Then this conspiracy,
which he fought night and Gay with
sword, with prison and with exile; this
pitiless war of armed monsters against
= H. - -... III a. - II