The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-27
hon Won, Altdorf himself inspected from

whom Won 'Altdorf himself inspected from
the anteroom; sometimes with the Others
of us in Mallory's studio which had
grown to be a meeting place, a sort Of
headquarters. Indeed, we must sadly have
disturbed poor Denis in, his .work-for
he still continued his connection with
the: London paper and wrote his articles
and reviews as before:5 The pittance he
received gave him a fair living.
Daily the prince renewed his siege of
Mackenzie for an interview and eXplana-
tion with the Princess Eleanor. and daily
old Mackenzie put him off with a mot
vet, sir! Would you wreck everything?
Wait till she's stronger I knew that
Sir Gavin dreaded the inevitable expo
sure as he had never dreaded anything
before. He felt that the responsibility
of what we had. done rested most heavily
upon himself. and he shrank day by day
from the storm that must some time
break. and day by day put off the prince
upon the old pretext, even after he knew
that the .pretext was of no weight and
that madame would never be better able
to bear the shock. :''' .,.t =! =
AS for the prince, he won our respect
and sincere pity in these days, if never
our love. We grew to see under his
southern impusiyeness his quick temper
and volatile moods. the real man; hon
ora BILE, true and sincere. a soul too frail
for the weight of responsibility and
power that hung. upon it, a nature too
weak for the struggle of duty and love
that swayed. it. He loved. his country
indeed, at the end we had no cause to
doubt. that-and above all else he loved
the woman who had been so strangely
torn from him at the very altar steps. But
his will lacked the stern strength to make
a choice between the two when choice
was demanded. He would neither stay
at the post of duty. nor throw up all
duties and responsibilities for love-: Who
among us. all shall condemn him? To
some the, good, God gives. an iron, will, a
strength to- put aside temptation, but to
others heart whose claims will not be
denied, 49,. i
Be ali this as it may we grew fond of
his highness IN those days, and filled with
an infinite pity for him that softencd
our first disgust at his weakness. He was
a simple gentleman WHO should never have
been, called to station which he hated
and which was far beyond his stature.
| AS for Denis, he met the Princess
Eleanor each afternoon in the garden
save one day when it raihed. so that
being out of doors was impossible and the
princess, seized with a perverse wrim
that they should see each other nowhere
but in their. walled paradise, would not
meet him at all, but kept to her cham
Der. and only sent him a letter, very thick
in the envelop. Denis spent the day over
it, reading 1t again, and again, holding it
in. his hands when he did not read, and
lifting it to his face that he might inhale
the faint fragrance Of the paper. It was.
| think,A her first.written word to him, and
I know that he would have fought for it
with his life-suchs value men will lay
upon scrap Of paper. scrawled with
black! S. .f - s. !: + sss
I,, was much with him at this time for
that love and adMira tion for. him which.
later. on. SO grew in my heart that must
! place him before all s,tlle other men
whom I have known, was even then strong
in me. ] think no one, man or woman.
might be with Denis day by day without
flowing him. Hes was a great soul.
| # the Princess Eleanor, drinking the
| elixir of love. had flushed all in moment
as it were. into health and strength and
rosy happiness, the change in Denis was
equally wonderful. He seemed another
man There were marks Of the old life
4 1 that must be upon him to his grave, but
1.-the unhealthy ,pallorr of his face was gone.
the restlessness of the eyes the hoIloWs
iii the cheeks. the disagreeabIe lines ot
lcynlcism, Of dissipation, OF recklessness