Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-26

terror TO Conuuer him ana hau dpultd'eu
in my favor.
Oh. God. Thou Master of Heaven and OF
earth. be merciful to me. for l envy my
brother the crown.
The king is wonderfully good to me and
l think: IF ! We're in your place.! With
such thoughts / can look into his eyes,
speak calmly with him. shake his hand
without feeling the slightest conjunction
How is such a thing possible?
Because l do not wish to be king, for my
own sake. but for the sake Of the nation
that loves me and for which my rule would
be misfortunei
That is it! Had these unjust these cursed
words never been said to me. would never
have had these monstrous. fratricidal
thoughts. That is lit They have bitten
deep into soul and brain until nothing
remained in me except the burning deter
mination to become king that l might give
the lie to those maddening words!
According to ancient usage-everything
is ancient with us-the new king retires
eight DAYS before his coronation into
CarthuSian monastery that is connected
with the palace by enormous hidden gall
leries.
There are great ceremonies. In the pres
ence of the whole court. led by the grand
prior. the train goes slowly away, with the
terrible psalms of the monks In their ears,
and they seem to step with the king into
the grave.
For a full week the king will remain en-
tOmbed in his cell None may approach
him. With fasting and prayer he prepares
himself for the martyrdom. the acceptance
or the crown. His sparse food is handed to
him through an opening in the wall None
dare speak to him, not even the grand
prior
1 afraid
What / thought, hoped, wished in secret
become tha king in 10
thinking of abdicatfon. He called the grand
prior to him. He is the only one who may
reach him now except a physician The rev.
erend father has been with my mother Sc
cret cabinet meetings being held. The
rumor must have reached the people, for g.
multitude waits before the palace Once
stepped to the window. They saw and rec
ognized me and-but l withdrew at once
Else 1t might have happened that the ma
ton in this hour would have
Now the privy councillor is with the king
.
1 must kill these thoughts. 1 know that
j will be a lost man If l cannot liberate and
purify myself. l shall be lost forever
What is happening?
They are keeping it secret from me-from
me who would succeed the king If he re-
mains weak Even my mother deceives me!
The ministers meet. the council of state is
called. and l, the heir of my brother, am
shut out.
1 shall demand explanations. They must
answer TO me, Do they not know that the
people. the whole people, stands by me.
that 1t believes in me. loves me and cheers
me, Long live the king"
Stop Stop! The king is not dead yet
Today went to see my mother. l went
to beg her to tell me why they kept me in
Ignorance while they were deciding the fate
of the land and of me-
In the last anteroom l found the new
10 ha nnlya
doors open for me- she arose and made her
correct bow, which annoys me So just be-
cause 1t Is so correct. And with it she had
a way
With elaborate politeness 1 said to her:
esty" '
Her majesty cannot receive your royal
highness"
Why not?"
Il may announce no one"
rs my mother ill?'
Gill; 40 ~'"'
so much the better"
| STROBE forward in order to PASS In to nv
mother unannOunced
Then Gebhardts sister cried out:
received strict orders from her majesty
TO permit none to enter. Should your royal
highness pass me must consider myself as
dismissed by her majesty.
stood still and listened with my old
pleasure in independent, proud speech to-
Heaven be thanked. l bowed and said:
With your permission. l shall wait here
until the council is ended and the mother is
able TO receive her SON."
The countess took her seat again at nv
request. and l sat down near her. in ex-
cited ill-natured mood. as / was we'll aware
For time we said. or rather 1 said COM
monplaCe things. Then, / know not how l
broke out with:
Il congratulate you your appointment
TO court. There are such great things here
for you; the splendor and glory Of royal
COURT l believe there Is nothing more
splendid or glorious in the whole world"
l spoke with all the sharp irony, the bit
ter sarcasm to which her calm poise drove
me. She looked at me steadily Heaven
knows why had to think at that moment:
She knows how IT is In you. She knows
that you desire the crown"
Then something strange happened. AS if
! were under a SPELL stepped toward her.
Instead of rising, she kept her place calmly.
l stood before her and said with checking
voice:
Are you too of the belief that 1t would
be a misfortune for the country If those in
side there should let the king abdicate?"
Your royal highness wishes to hear my
views?'
After awhile-we held each others eyes
steadily got the reply:
1T depends on the power"
You consider my character too weak?'
Your royal highness would have to over
come your character"
'In order not TO be degenerate ruler?
AS you see. l am so indiscreet as to de-
mand the truth from your character. Par
don me If l demand too much
/ had not demanded too much. This girl,
whom l had despised. possessed the courage
to tell the man who might become king.
with her steadfast glance that she con-
sidered him as belonging to degenerate
race.
Could but give the lie to the prophetic
glance of the courageous woman! Again l
had the wish that seized me when opposed
TO our medical spiritus familiaris But
have underestimate the Countess Thyra's
soul That pleases me. There is something
free and great and strong in her.
The council ended and was admitted to
my mother. But did not find her whom
sought Her son who was king wished to
escape the crown: her son who was to be-
come king wished to throw himself into her
arms l was driven by the terror of the fate
of our house. the fear of myself. On her
mother heart longed to find shelter, peace,
refuge from myself. But before the tall.
motionless form IN the trailing black gar
1rents was forced to let my arms sink.
NV mother stood in the center OF the
room. looked at me without moving and