Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-07

aware of its nature. | might have told
you sooner; but you would not have
believed me, At least you will credit
your fathers statements. Read for your
self. Pray, make no hasty decision. |
will answer truthfully any and every
question you put to me.
She perforce caught the restraint in
his words, the almost mournful note in
his voice. At the moment she had little
thought for anything except the thrice
precious letter he held out to her. but
she saw that he walked away at once,
passing to a distant window in the spa
cious room, and looking out at the family
discernible line of the frozen river.
Trembling with eagerness, she exam
ined the envelop. 1t was addressed to
her, and the writing unquestionably was
her fathers But the letter itself:
My Darling Girl hasten to relieve the
suspense under which you must be laboring.
Your brother and l we'll in health, if some
what tortured in mind, but only account
of the anxiety you enduring.
l am not permitted to give details of our
whereabouts, nor indeed to do little more
than convey the stipulations made by our
captors whereby we may regain our freedom.
These can be stated briefly enough. | have
been given to understand that the Province
of Bannofka is on the verge of civil war. In
any other country the revolution might be
regarded as already an accomplished fact, but
here, it seems, they order things differently.
The whole crux of the situation centers in the
marriage of Prince Melnikof. l am informed,
and your brother confirms the truth of the
statement, that the Princes father made some
agreement, years ago, with the head of rival
house, that his son should marry the daughter
of his opponent and thus dissolve long-stand-
ing feud
The girl is a true product of the steppes,
the daughter of a Circassian mother, and
Prince Boris Melnikoff, who is much older,
upset the plans of the seniors by contracting
a clandestine marriage in his youth. This
marriage, the validity of which is doubtful.
according to Russian law, finally has been dis
solved by an imperial edict, and am assured
that in any case the woman is at the point of
death
Hearing of his projected marriage with you,
to which credence was lent by the Cars
ukase the hostile Cossack tribe is up in arms,
and determined to force him to carry out the
arrangement made twenty years ago. This he
refuses to do. He a gentleman of refinement
and good breeding, declines to accept as his
mate an illiterate girl, whom Lieutenant Arm
strong, by curious chance, met in London.
and described to your brother as an odalisque.
For this | find it hard to blame the Prince.
The outcome is serious and critical state
of affairs politically, threatened fmeute on
gigantic scale. Prince Melnikoff believes and
his supporters adopt the same view that if
he was married irrevocably to some one abso-
lutely suited by birth and social position to
the high estate of the Princess Melnikoff, the
existing crisis would die natural death
If you marry him according to the rites of
the Greek Church, the marriage will be binding
in Russian eyes You can meet your own
scruples by leaving Bannofka at once and
going through the ceremony again in London
when his so-called morganatic wife is dead
l have told you the circumstances, as well
as your brother, and | can grasp them through
the aid of French interpreter. Undoubtedly
they are quite accurate in general sense.
l cannot explain my presence here. That
is forbidden. But | do add my solemn counsel
Act as you see fitting. Let no threat deter
you from following the dictates of your heart
If, as has seemed possible, you feel that Prince
Melnikof is worthy and desirable husband,
marry him. subject to the stipulations l have
named The day you become Princess Melni-
kof, your brother and | will be set at liberty.
But if you think this course will not conduce
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