The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-08-06
cHAPTER xlI.
The Mother Of a Prince


dropped to the sea; against them the
waves danced. Out on the blue wa
ter lay q feet of fishing-boats, and the
wind tapped torn sails, and the sun
light glanced on battered bulls and
Uttered decks The woman who sat
by an open window of the palace
pushed the black trailing If her gown
from her, as If the somberness hurt
her eyes; she laid her head against
the window-frame and stared at the
breeze-tossed waves and the fishing
feet.
at may be our only hope Of escape
those wretched boats" she said, half
aloud, and her blue eyes were full OF
sadness, almost of hopelessness.
A sound caught her ear, and she lift.
ed her head quickly. The door into
the next room was partly open and
some one moved there, that was all
She turned, the lines of her figure
falling again into a melancholy pose
1.-THE doctor takes long time" she
spoke, and gazed out once more to the
water.
There had been spirited young
girl years before who had romped in
the gardens of Malmaison, who had
led the laughter which echoed through
those avenues of lime and plantain,
whose sweetness and vivacity had
drawn the figure of Napoleon himself
into the vortex of gladness which was
her atmosphere. Always brightness
seemed to follow her through the en-
chantment of the place; always she
seemed to move in gaiety. Today, on
March morning of 1880, this was she
I-Hortense.
The daughter of France she had
been, the queen of Holland, and now
for years an exile. Here, i'll, fugl-
tive, in her nephew's palace at An
coma, with the Austrians at the gate
of the city, she waited in anxiety al
most more intense than she could bear
the word of the doctor as to her son.
Five days before, at Forli, her older
boy had died, and her sore heart
stirred with a sickening throb as she
thought of this other-Louis-no her
only child, lying in the room beyond
in :, high fever, Ill with the disease
with which his brother had fallen. A
woman's soul might well be over
crowded with such sorrow and such
fear, but there was more. Her two
boys had thrown in their lot shortly
before with the Italian revolutionists,
and had fought, and had distinguished
themselves. And now that the reyo-
luton of the Romagna was failure,
that the Austrian army was advanc-
ing VIGOROUSLY, now that death had
taken the older to safety, the younger
-Louis-the invalid lad in the room
| beyond, was in imminent danger. He
was excepted from the general am
nesty; the natural ways of escape
| were closed, for the authorities Of
Tuscany and of Switzerland had lei
her know that the Prince would not be
permitted in those territories. From
Rome two of her sons uncles, Cardi
nal Fesch and King Jerome, had Sent
word that if he were taken by the
Austrians he was lost. And at the
moment when Hortense had decided tt
carry her boy off to Turkey by wa!
of Corfu, an Austrian feet appeared
in the Adriatic.
In such critical state were thu
affairs of the black-gowned woman
who gazed from the palace window!
to the sea. The doctor was with he,
son. The boys condition seemed t.
her no better, but worse than the da.
before; she waited an official verdict
The door opened and she looked up a.
a tall man came in.
Doctor she stammered AM
stopped-she feared to ask.
your majesty" the old man sal
gravely, 81 grieve to be the beare
of bad news"
HE is worse, Doctor?" The word
came with a gasp; she felt that sh
could not face more trouble.
yes, your Majesty, the fever ha
increased since yesterday. With hi
youth and strength we may hope
he is carefully nursed-but to NOV
!. him would be madness"
, Queen Hortense struck her hand
together What can 1 do? What ca
1 do?" she demanded, and the docto
stood gravely regarding her, helpless
with all his devotion to the house {
Bonaparte, to suggest way out. 90
he stays he will be taken-they wi
execute him. If he goes he will di
on the way" she cried in an agon
of indecision. Doctor, tell me, thin
t for mellow can save him?"
And the doctor still stood silen
suffering with the impotent desire
, help her Tiff only the Austrian
, might think that the Prince wei
I gone" he stammered, and hated hin
+ self for the futility of the words. Bl
? the Queen stood with a hand ha
lifted, arrested. Her blue eyes wei
f alive with the crossing and weavin
q of swift ideas, and then with cate
o of her breath she laughed at hi
}, like pleased child. Doctor, you al
4 a very clever man. she said. "T
gether we are going to save tt
o Prince"
:. The vivacity of the schoolgirl
: Madame de Campan flashed for a m
ment into her manner, warmed to su
den life by the joy Of hope. The dc
tor waited, enchanted, bewildered,
Z hear his cleverness explained, but He
tense did always the unexpected thin
She shook her finger at him.
! I'm not going to tell you," she sal
!. cat least not till have to-not
!, tomorrow at all events. But all toda
! as you visit your patients you m;
: think that you are saving the Prin
! from his enemies-and tomorrow y,
!; may know how. Goodby, Doctor" al
i puzzled and pleased. the physics
8 was gone.