Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-13
Misgivings and a Metaphor.

He was detained in Novodnia by the trou-
bles there. and could not by any chance get
away to come to you here in Paris. But
you were on the edge of-of nervous pros
tration dear-or worse. You imagined that
were trying to keep your husband from
YOU All, you imagined all sorts OF
things, till we were quite desperate, Sir
Gavin and the rest of US. So, some one sug-
gested that-that another gentleman take
the princes place-since the prince might
not come-and a Mr.. Mallory, Denis Mallo-
ry- Wait wait. Eleanor!-pretended to
be the prince your husband, to save your
reason and perhaps your life. oh, it is he.
Eleanor. whom you have been seeing every
day! The real prince came Unexpectedly
that day when you first saw him, when he
frightened you In the garden"
Princess Eleanor moved slowly away from
her cousin and stood looking at her with
sonber eyes.
"ItIsn't true she said very low, and as
if to herself. but there was no conviction in
the tone. "It-isn't true! Why, of course.
it can't be true. My Karl not the prince,
not my husband? Ny Karl? Jess, dear,
please tell me that you're joking or 1
dreaming or that I'm quite, quite mad!
Carlos not Carlo at all. but a Mr. Mallory :?
This-this gentleman Is Carlo. my husband? ?
Oh. Jessica. don't let me believe you! Take
hold of me a-moment. dear. things are
going round-juSt bit"
Eleanor said the prince. "Ah, Eleanor,
Eleanorr'
She covered her face with shaking hands
and swayed in Miss Mannering's arms.
Il tell you 1 won't believe it!'
gone quite beyond control and was
hoarse and unnatural. Il won't I won't!
My Karl play trick like that? Why, it
isn't In him! He couldn't do It! He is
the very soul of all honor! Do you want
me to believe him q Backyard? Him?
Why, Jess. Jess. there's some dreadful mis-
take somewhere, know there tS-Id trust
him against all the world-sooner than my
own self. tell you. No, oh, no. hed never
lie to me-"
'Dearest"' cried Jessica Mannering,
don't you understand that 1t was to save
you? We feared for your very reason,
Eleanor, for your lifel 1t was only some
dear, dear, do you think I'd be telling you
this, making you suffer SO If 1t weren't
true? Can't you SEQ that we had to lie to
you for your own sake?"
The princess moved away from her again.
and leaned against the wall near by, lay
Ing her head upon the rough hangings. She
shivered as II she were cold. and pulled the
collar of her waist closer about her throat
'Loe to me?" she said. "Oh, yes yes, 1t
might be necessary to lie to me- sometimes,
for my own good. Oh. yes, I can see
that, but give me a man that you call my
husband, let me see him every day, grow
to know him, care for him, love him as no
human being ever was loved before? Cen
ter my whole life, my world. my heaven to
come in the depths of his eyes, in the smile
of his lips? Oh. it's infamous! It's unbe-
hevable! Is q woman's sanity, nay her life
itself, more than her soul? I tell you that
man, whom you say is not my husband
I've grown to love him till I'm part of him.
and he of me. my soul can never be my
own again any more than my heart can.
It's infamouas Sayl That's What you've