The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-11
BY ANTHONY HOPE.

NOOPS - H. 1000, ~ a. IL I1dtW hltlS)
In the year 1884. as spring came,
there arrived at Strelsau a French
nobleman, OF high rank and great
possessions, and endowed with many
accomplishments. He came to visit
Prince Rudolph, whose acquaintance
The had made while the prince was in
Paris, in the course of his travels
King Henry received NJ. de Nero
sailles-fOr such was mis- name-most
gTaciously, and sent guard of honor
TO conduct him to the castle of Zenda
where the prince was then staying, in
company with his sister Osra. There
the marquis, on his arrival, was
greeted with much JOY by Prince
Rudolph, who found his sojourn in
the country somewhat irksome, and
was glad of the company of a friend
with whom he could talk and sport
and play at cards. All these things
die did with M. de MerOSailleS, ana a
great friendship arose between the
young men, so that they spoke very
freely ITO one another "a all times,
and most of all when they had drunk
their wine and sat together in the
evening in Prince Rudolph's cham
Der that looked across the moat to
wards the gardens; for the new Cha
teau that now stands on the site of
these gardens was not then built
And one night, NJ. de Merosailles
made bold to ask the prince how it
fell out that his sister, the princess,
a lady Of such great beauty, seemed
sad, and showed no pleasure in the
society of any gentleman, but treated
all alike with coldnesS and disdain.
Prince Rudolph. laughing, answered
that girls were strange creatures, and
that he had ceased to trouble his
head about them-Of his heart he said
G.
ing, ''On my honor, [ doubt if she
so much as knows you are here, for
she has not looked at you once since
your ARRIVAL And he smiled mali
ciously, for he knew that the marquis
was not accustomed to be neglected
by ladies, and would take it i'll that
even a princess should be unconscious
of his presence. In this he calculated
rightly, for NJ. de Merosailles was
greatly Vexed, and. twisting his glass
in his fingers, he said:
IF she We're not a princess, and
your sister. sir, I would engage to
make her look at me"
II am not hurt by her looking at
you" rejoined the prince, for that
evening he was very merry. "a look
is no great thing"
And the marquis. being also very
merry and knowing that Rudolph
had less regard for his dignity than
a prince should have, threw out care
lesSIY:
"A kiss IS more. sir
TT is a great deal more laughed
the prince, Juggling his moustache.
Are you ready for a wager, sir?"
asked NJ de kIerosailles. leaning
across the table towards him.
tn lay you a thousand crowns to
a hundred that you do not gain kiss,
using what means you will save
force -
tTH take the wager, sir" cried the
marquis, 'rbut it shall be three, not
Have care" said the prince.
Don't go too near the flame, my
lord There are some wings in Strel-
sau singed at that candle
Indeed, the light is very bright"
assented the marquis. courteousIy.
''That risk 1 must run, though, if
am to win the wager. 1t is to be
three, then, and by what means
will. save force?
Even so" said Rudolph, and he
laughed again. For he thought the
wager harmless, since by no means
could NJ de Merosailles win so much
as one kiss from the Princess Osra,
and the wager stood at three. But he
did not think how he wronged his sis
ter by using her name lightly, beng
in all such matters man of careless
mind.
But the marquis, having made his
wager. set himself steadily to win it;
for he brought forth the choicest
clothes from his wardrobe, and orna-
ments and perfumes; and he laid line
presents at the princess feet; and he
waylaid her wherever she went, and
was profuse of chances, signs and
hints: and he wrote sonnets as fine
gentlemen used in those days, and
lyrics and pastorals, wherein she fig
ured under charming names. These
he bribed the princess WaltIng~Wo-
men to leave in their mistress cham-
Der Moreover, he looked now sorrow
full. nov. passionate, and he ate Moth
ing at dinner, but drank his wine in
wild eulps, as though he sought to
Danish sadness. So that, in word,
there was no device in Cupid's armory
that the Marquis de MeroSallleS dld
not practice in the endeavor to win
a lock from the Princess Osra. But
no look came and ne got nothing
from her but cold civility. Yet she
had looked at him when he looked not
for princesses are much like other
maidens-and thought him very
pretty gentleman, and was highly
amused by his extravaganza. Yet
she did not believe it to witness any
true devotion to her, but thought it
mere gahantry.
Then one day NJ. de Merosailles,
having tried all else that he could
think of. took to his bed. He sent for
q physician, and paid him a high fee
10 find the seeds of a rapid and fatal
disease in him: and he made his body
servant whiten his face and darken
the room; and he groaned very pitt
fully. saying that ne was sick and
that he was glad of it; for death
would be better far than the contin-
ned disdain of the Princess Osra. /
And all this being told by the mar
ouis' servant to the princess wait |
:ng-women, reached Osra's ears, and |
caused her much perturbation For (
she now perceived that the passion of /
the marquis was real and deep, and |
she became very sorry for him; and /
the longer the face of the Tascally !
physician grew, the more sad the |
princess became; and she walked up /
and down, bewailing the terrible eff |
fects of her beauty, wishing that she /
were not so fair, and mourning very /
tenderIy for the sad plight of the I'M
happy MARQUIS Through all Prince /
Rudolph looked on, but was bound by
his wager not to undeceive her; more
over he found much entertainment in
the matter. and swore that it was
worth three times thousand crowns.
At last the marquis sent, by the
mouth OF the physician, a very hum
BILE and pitiful message to the prin-
cess, in which he spoke of himself
as near to death, limited at the cruel
cause of his condition. and prayed
her of her compassion TO visit him in