The sun., 1897-03-14
HER PRETENDER.
Politics, Love, and Business as
They May Have Been.
Copyright. 1897. bv a. II. Hapkirs.
....n, nv ANTHONY HOPE.

barObctcy, anG the complete RENOVATION OF Lad
Craigennoch's town house. Its other effects,
any, were more obscure.
BY accident OF birth and Of political event
Prince Julian wns prctcnder, one OF scvcra
gentlemen who occupied that position in regar
20 the throne OF an important European coun
Try. Bya necessity Of their natures, Mcssrs
Shum & Bycrs were nnancicrs: thanks to n fal
in rents and taste for speculation, Lady Craigen
noch wns hard put 10 II for money. and had he
como n good friend and ally OF Mr. Shum's
sometimes he allowed her to put finger in on,
Of his pies and draw ont little plum for herself
Bycrs. hearing one day OF his partners ncquaint
ancc with Lady Craigenoch, observed: !" She
might introduce us to Prince Julian Shum
nskci no questions, but obcycd; that was the
wny 10 bc comfortable aud to grow rich II you
were Mr.. Byers's partner. The introduction was
duly effected; the Prince wondered vaguely, al
most rucfuly. what these men expected to get
out NJ him. Byers asked himself quite as dole
fully whether anything could bc made ont Of nm
indolent. artistic, lazy young man ike tho
Prince; prctcndcrs such as hc served only 10
buitrcss existing Governments.
"Ycs." ngreci Shum. Resides. he's entan-
glcd with that woman"
Is there u woman r. asked Byors. ct should
like To know her"
So. nm his second viail 10 Palace Gate. Mr..
Bycrs was introduced to the lady who was an
inmate In Prince Julians house. hut was not re-
cclyc IN sorcty Lldy Craig gcnnoch. however.
oplnine. Justly enough. that since shc had no
girls she might know whom she pleased had
called on tbs LADY. and was on friendly terms
with her. The lady was named Mrs. Rivers.
and was understood TO he n widow "And
surely uhic needn't ask for his death ccrtin.
cate pleaded Lady Craigcnnoch. Rycrs as
he took tea in Mrs. Itivcrs's boudor. was
quite of tho same mind. He rurscd his
square chin in his lean hand, and regarded
his hostess with marked attention. She
was handsomc-that fact concerned Bycrs very
little; she was also magni1ccn,y sclf.confdent
this trait reused his interest in a moment. He
came to scc her moro than once again for now
an i3c' had begun to shape itself in his brain.
lie mentioned II to nobody. least Of nll IN Mrs.
Rivers. But day she said TO him, with tho
careless cont tcmpt that he admired:
III ! had all your money should do some
thing with H."
"Don't !" he asked, half liking. half resent.
Ing her manner.
oh. you make money with IT, suppose"
She paused for n moment. and then. leaning
forward. begnn 10 discuss European politics
with especial reference to the condition OF affairs
In Prince Julian's country. Byers listened in
silence; she told him much that he knew n few
things which had escaped him. She told him
also one thing which he did not bclieve-that
Prince Juhah indoicht airs covered character
OF rare resolution and tenacity. She repeated
ms me W. ~ 49,, oe". ',s '""' ono was not
,,'. -.s - - n',O., ~. ~ ".
~ -. '"a' WV N.o'''s l'' Wv,
.,"'''e,' !" VI, Country was "c"h'
"n' poo' ""u '''" o"e ran
~. ~. 40. VI " a"" '' p'o'eu
~ nv" ".' " 80" "''' ~ u'' q.ah''e'
W sa" y, ny ,n'Uno' AZ 'n''
Po'''' P, ~ ""' $50" 49, " ."A'
80. =. .oa 'e 'ooNou " net win IN
49, ".i "n IN n'' o"re"u Yes sho
n'u an tne sei'us' .he na,iVo power, WIN none
~, 'no .,a.ns' nV"o VI '.e N"on'ouso vi men,
.s .' nui ~ o''I. o'' 'le'o "''S soou oe'i
~ W o'oa'. ~ o"o po'h,' ho"e,ef' ho rc"d her
o'y 'oa' 'hv ohi! ''i'S'Aee no ii'aue were
- .o '"' Po'''o'' 'N''''h'' VI vi"
.'no"
,,s,, .an n"u p'n'y Vi ,n'as s'h,,''o"' WIN
S,'., ~ $3.50 ''',''i' ''H"""s
A.' ,.,,,",, .no' eN'''s VI, ~ in h'''es'!'
80 - :. III p'"ef' inns 'isioi 'iIs'
,'',,,. ~ up '.'o'o ,'' io'op'''u MN" u!
s =. ,.,c "e' I'm ,s"''o' WIN -nr' p!'iS'
"""' "''"S o"' "'o"', W "o w. shc
s' e, H"' "!''' ",u i''o''' III great hc"p''
'nuii' h"" IT, 'oo' "nu 'hu'h WIS LOT present pnr
"' VIZ" n'o"o'' 'oioNv 'no teoFhe are uc
'o'o' u n'o ~ 'ne'' noar''' "aii irince Julian :
,n." ho 'husn' h,s' N''rs Wy 'o'h neT hanus
""" ''''"' H''U '''' W" 'haii oc NY queen
Indeed won't. said she; and she added
almost Hereby, "Why do you bring that up
again nowi II would spoil 1t all For, con-
trary 10 what the world thought, Prince Julian
had offered several times to marry tho lady who
was not received or visited Except. OF course.
by Lady Craigcnnoch., Stranger still. this mar.
riagc was the thing which the Prince desired
above all things. for falling ii he feared that
some day lowing to u conscience and other con-
sdcration', Mrs. Rivers would leave him, and
he really did not know what he should do then.
When hc imagincd himself Oh his ancestral
ihronr, Mrs. Rivers was always very near at
hand; whether actually on tho throne beside
him or Inst behind Il WAS point he was prone
to shirk; at any cost. though. she must he near.
As time went on there were many meetings at
Palace Gate; the Prince. Mr.. Shun. and Lady
Craigennoch were present sometimes; Mrs.
Rivers and Mrs Bycrs wcro never wanting.
The Princes imagination was immensely stimu-
lated in those days; Lady Craisenoch's love for
n speculation was splenddly indulgcd; Mr..
Shnnl'a fun iptta tinn ivpI farri bIa