Washington sentinel., 1898-04-30
THE QUEENS LITTLE COUSIN.
WlHEtseHh CsHkyyy-London

There is now living in Paris a well
known clubman, NJ. Henri d'Olbreuse,
who has no pretensions whatever to
regal honors, but who accepts with a
certain amount ofpleasure the nickname
given to him, half in earnest, half in
joke, by his intimate friends-that of
the Queens little cousin"-the Queen
without any further appellation mean
ing, OF course, Victoria ofEngland. And
as a matter of fact this young French
man IS undoubtedly connected with our
Queen through Mile. d'Olbreuse, who
who after a cruel and eventful LIE ended
by marrying George William OF Bruins.
wick; she was a native Of Poitou, a
province in the west OF France, and the
sister Of Pierre d'Oloreuse, from whom
Henri d'Olbreuse descends in a straight
line, from father to son.
George William the eldest OF the
reigning family OF Brunswick, was a
dissipated young man whose chief aim
in life was TO escape from the monotony
Of his stiff and uninteresting little court;
but at the same tire he understood that
he bad some duties to perform towards
the subjects who paid his civil list, and
he seriously considered the matter when
the members of State demonstrated with
him and threatened to cut short his ducaI
allows nee il he did not marry as soon
as possible. They suggested, at tile
same time, that the Princess Sophia,
daughter Of Frederick the First, Elector
Palatine, and granddaughter of lanes
First Of England, would make suitable
duchess; and as wife was in George
VILLA ms eyes nothing more than a
necessary evil, he did not ask any fur
ther questions, but accepted the fancee
OF their choice.
The marriage was officially announced
to his people, and all was ready for the
celebration OF the happy event, when
suddenly alter a night Of revelry, he
woke in the morning, absolutely de-
termined that he would not forfeit his
liberty and tie himself to Princess, his
sense Of honor not allowing him coolly
to accomplish the ruin of woman's life.
The case was an embarrassing one, but
George William was not easily discon-
certedi and, alter a short time spent in
deep thought rubbing his chin in his
hand, he was struck by a capital idea; his
youngest brother, Ernest Augustus, was
made Of the right stuff to become
husband and the probable continuator
OF dynasty; he was as poor as church
mouse, and Just the man to help him
out of delicate situation; so all could
be arranged satisfact 'rily. He there
upon sent for him, and, without even
the shortest preamble, offered to the
scared young prince his fiancee, a fine
aud clever girl, together with deed by
which he made solemn engagement
never to marry, so as to leave his iu-
herltance and all his rights to the man
who would kindly take charge of his
| ducal ties and his intended bride, y
But he was to meet his fate before
long. During his stay IN Holland he
had been introduced to a German
Princess OF Hesse-Cassel, the wife OF a
French nobIeman, Henri de la Ire
moullle, Prince of Tarente, and he
soon became the most assiduous visitor
in her house, tor she had amongst her
companions a French girl from the
province of Poitou, Eleonore dol.
breuse, who was remarkably pretty and
the true type OF French wit and soveli.
ness.
AT this time Elenore d'Olbreuse was
apparently sure OF becoming the vile Of
| George William, for she knew nothing
Of the parole he gave to his brother;
and confident in his love, which he
adroitIy kept within the bonds ofrespect,
she relented from her naughty conduct
| till she found herself so desperately
entangled IN the snare that she consented
at last to accept the fate whish was
offered to her. A contract was made,
worded almost as if for a regular mar.
rage the signatures Of the reiguing
Duke and Duchess. were written under
those Of George William of Brunswick
and Elenore d'Olbreuse, aud to the
astonishment OF the prim little court,
the two lovers began to live openly
together ia a sort OF hazY and undecided
condition, They appeared to be very
happy nevertheless, for Eleonore haC
become sincerely attached to her semi
hulband, who in return dropped one bS
one his fast and disordeIly habits tc
become a good German domesticateo
CeDsabE Eleonore d'OIbreuse wa.
granted the utle OF Dame de Har.
! bourg," F." but he lived in no great sivle