Evening star., 1903-09-12
Autumn.

The idyll Is ended. The tragedy begins.
On the Sea-Alp Is the sick king with
the spiritus familiaris and small retinue
of chosen ones The queen is in the resi-
dence with the crown prince. He is to take
the regency.
Now I know the malady of the king.
His mania is that he is being prosecuted
by enemies Now / know what 1t is that
is rotten in the state of Denmark. 1t is the
royal dynasty
My professor Of history falsifed history
for me. Since generations the old, far
too old. blood of the ruling race has been
thin and stale This is it that the very
sparrows twittered In the land, that was
kept secret from me. that made them sur
round me with lies; this that have learned
at last which has extinguished my youth
as suddenly as storm blows out light.
We are lost men who must leave all hope
behind. "Lasciate ogni speranza. vol
ch'entrate!' should be written in flaming
letters over the gateway Of our house.
Our spiritus familiaris told me the trag-
edy of a king with a nicely Of expression
as If 1t were pastoral. He made 1t fit for
court There were no brutal expressions
like degeneration and decay. With won
drous skill the great physician spoke Of
WEAKNESS, nervousness, neurasthenia.
My brother has known it for long time.
The sparrows that told it to the whole
ldnO tWltt6TeO 10 MIN at the CTdUle LOU,
too. You, too! All of your!
That Is it. then! The deadly WEAKNESS.
the sadness, the hopelessness Of my broth
er.
the Princess Mathilde has been postponed
on account of the slight indsposition" of
the king-only postponed
/ must speak of my mother-with up
lifted hands. She is a queen Of suffering.
The king was ailing even at the time of
his wedding. Only a few knew that, but
my mother discovered 1t soon., Since then
she has ever borne it from duty. Always
and ever she was close by the side of the
sick king-not from love, but duty. She
negotiated between the sick king and the
state she negotiated between the sick
king and the nation; between the sick king
and his sons For a long, long time only
| the kings nearest officers knew of his NAL
| ady-thanks to the dutiful queen. the hero
inc. the martyr! She cast veil around
| the sick king and guarded him like a priest
ess guarding a sacred fire. And yet 1t
| was not love of a wife. but the conscience
of a queen that enabled her to bear it..
| OF all greatness. this is the greatest.
And now the most terrible part of it,
| The king hates my mother has hated her
| from the day on which she discovered his
| malady. He imagines that she, who is his
| guardian spirit, is his mortal enemy, his
| jailer. Yet she held out years and years,
and would hold out still. but 1t cannot be
| done
The king believes that his life is in dan
| ger from her. To save her own she has
| had TO accede to separation.
Thus it is with the state Of Denmark,
| as explained to me humbly, with all possi-
| BILE courtly phrases.
| I must tell how 1t all came about.
Three days after / had visited the Alpine
| farm the privy councillor arrived with a
court official. The gentleman begged to
| see me and informed me:
The king wished to visit the Sea-Alp for
an indeterminate period. and without the
queen. I asked him when was to leave.
| They told me that was to remain for the
present. removing. however. to the Cava-
liers' House. Then asked Il I Kaa ta leaYa