Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-01


fathers people, and they have always
flown in the face of order, with their horrid
heresies and paganisms. For you to feel as
you tell me, Clarimond, is in my sight q
fearful b asphemy," and here the Princess
wrung her beautiful white hands "But
still, my son, if you think like this. you
ned not, for such reason, act like this.
And at once-yes, at once, Clarimond-I
wish to speak to you of your possible mar
riage You have already seen Blanca d.
Este. That she is lovely in face and form
it will be foolish even to remind you; no
one can look on her without conceding thus
much. But her nature is no less winsome
than her person 1 have dreamed of max
ing her your wife; II will not say that I
have come here with this positive purpose,
but it has held over me an undoubted sway.
Such marriage as that would work in you
the most helpful and steadying changes. Oh,
don't fancy that / mean for you to take
Blanca as if she were q dose of medicinel
She has had men of the highest rank at her
feet. and refused them; she is capti Sating,
a. you will soon see, apart from her name,
her birth. yes, even from her beauty. 1
mean that she is accomplished in q hun
dred pretty, appalling ways, which adorn
ameling of silver Still, in spirit, this dear
girl is already dedicated to the church, and
and perhaps if you were to lay your or wn
before her she would sweetly vet firmly
refuse it. But ah, my Clairimond, if she
should bend that golden head of hers for
YOU to set it there. how invaluable would
prove her wifehood Her queenhood, too,
/ should say, and you would revere in her
both qualities. By degrees her influence
would tranquilize in your fevered mind all
these wild and fruitless longings which are
the fatal pride of intellect alone You
would slowly realize that kings are the sa-
cred Wears of Cod will, and that the only
safe watchword of the great, common, wit
less mass is obedience. You would
slowly realize, again, my dear SON"
But here Clarimond ventured an inter
ruption. He had borne much from his
mother in the past; he was prepared to bear
much from her in the future, since it al
ready it had grown clear to him that she
had arrived with the intention of per-
manent sojourp. But just now. notwith-
standing that late effort at self control
which had resulted so successfully, the
King once more felt his nerves in danger
of tumult. He had never behavsd to his
mother with the faintest lack of respectful
gallantry; he was indeed incapable of any
act toward her excep: one Of gentleness
and toler.,Son no matter how exacting or
imperious might have been her own atti-
tude. Nevertheless, he had in readiness at
his mental command a certain quiet yet
cogent force of repulsion, which his great
position made it nos seldom requisite for
him to employ, and which he did not hesi-
tate to employ now.
stMy dear mother" he said, bending over
her hand and touching it lightly with his
lips, "you surely muss be fatigued with
your journey; and if you will permis will
send to you your women. Perhaps 1 have
been too reckless in M recent condolences,
and if so, pray remembe that have uttered
them in no role of personal resentment. AS
for the young lady whom you have brought
to Saltravia with the expectation of making
her my wife, it would be idle in me to
place the attractions of either my throne or
nv personality against those Of her mother
church Surely she will there find pro-
founder consolation than any that my more
limited resources could bestow."
This, even from son to mother was sort
of roval dismissal. But the Princess, who
might be gos rid of for night, could not be
waived aside more durably. As one of her
detested Americans might have said, she
had come to stay The King now felt him.
self in straits with regard to the due recep-
tion and entertainment of AlonZo. On the |
following aay he and Eric presented them |
the most pleasant intercourse ensued. |
Alonzo, after visiting with the King those |
great galleries or whose walls blank spaces |
were left for the pictures that he would |
probably bring to them, felt immensely drawn |
toward his new master. In a few more DAYS
be started on the first of his missions, one |
that took him among certain old monas- |
teries in the North Of Italy. Meanwhile |
the King bored himself with etiquette and |
precedent under the keen scrutiny of his |
mother. The Princess would not lift an |
eyelid unless court custom sanctioned it. |
She managed, during that summer and the |
next autumn, to gather about herself a little |
coterie of supporters, and for a time new
political party was talked Of But her sons |
entire indifference may have gone far to |
prevent such imprudent measures.
my mother has tortured US for eight |
weeks" Clarimond at last said to Eric. 81 |
wonder how much longer she will insist |
upon making it a crime for man to be seen
smoking cigarette within 20 yards of her,
even en- plei'se air. :"
"What is the punishment for such
,rime?" asked Eric, who had thus far been
simply repelled by the Princess, never pre-
suming to cross the threshold of any cham
august presence.
"Decapitation, believe" said the King,
''My dear Eric" he went
On, sis not everything quite spoiled?"
1--WE had thought of sham revolution,
Lonz and l, began Eric And hen he de-
scribed, in terse and swift pf rase, an i:I-
lginary fete, where the court would play
parts of masquerading martyrs and suppli-
lnts and the palace would be stormed by
insurgents
DELIGHTFUL" said Clarimond. "What
a lark to speak your American slang We
would give sanguinary orders to the maitre
l. hotel. Plenty of blood and heads on
pixies thrust in at the windows. Every
,ody would be mock-terrifed until supper
me, and then it would all end in amical
,eakers. Did your beloved Alonzo suggest
hat? No. 1 need not ask, Eric 1t is too
you"
cit is he, not l." replied Eric, fbbing /
hamelesslv "When YOU know him better
7ou will accredit him with the originality
If the idea
81 know him well enough" said the King,
to accredit him with much inventivenesl
But my mother"
.!Ah, yes, your Majesty, L"
''Tut, tut, Eric. If you Majesty me- I
will exile you from Saltravia"
pardon, monsieur. 1t was a Slip"
Don't let the slip occur again. But the
Princess would never consent to such
ete. 1t would satirize too iercely her
vell-known prejudices. Lonz," as you
all him, will soon be back with some
Alonzo returned within the week, and
,reatly pleased his new employer by one or
wo shrewd selections in the way cf pur-
hase. But when October had waned and
he Princess had given every sign that she
lid not choose to reseek her dear Italy,