Tombstone epitaph., 1915-07-04

-NS o6os ptkdh tuS oassador. as soon as We were comfort aoiy settled in the smoking room of ms iuxurious mansion. and King Will hams first wife was still alive. You are aware that it was his second wife who Is the mother of WIlhelmina?"
 had forgotten it, but no matter" 1"
 It IS. on the contrary. a fact which must be borne in mind" retorted his Exceilency. Il was returning home rom the theater. past midnight. As approached the Madeleine, I saw a small crowd collected at the foot of the steps. Crossing over 10 find out what had taken place. found myself on the outside of ring of women, the most abandohed wretches of the quarter, who had gathered round the figure of a man lying on the bottom step of the flight. apparently intoxicated be- yond the power to move
 The spectacle of this unfortunate seemed to have strangely excited the women. who were hurling at him the vilest insults in their horrible vocabu- iary. Incensed at the behavior of these hags. I roughly pushed my way through them to the side of their victim. whose clothes. disordered and covered with mud. as they were. seemed to be those of a man of position. The wretched creature was lying on one side. his left hand outstretched, with which he seemed to be trying feebly 10 ward of the foul epithets of his tormentors. 1 stopped down over him, and lifted his head to the light
 Tt was Prince Citron.'
 You will easily figure to yourself the horror of discovering the heir to a famous monarchy, the descendant of William the Silent. in this deplor- able situation. l had not failed to hear some of the dark reports as to this young mans career; nevertheless at such a moment the only sentiment which inspired me was that of the most profound pity.
 "Sternly rebuking the filthy hags, who slunk away before my reproaches. I raised the prince to his feet. and supported him down to the edge of the pavement, where l perceived an empty fiacre coming up. Into this I assisted Alexander-to give him his proper nAme-who instantly fell like a log upon the cushions. Then I gave the driver my own address. and we pro- ceeded to the house near the Rue de Rivoli, in which I at that time oc- cupied a small flat
 na r,nu ha chovt Irfr Drinna ander lay absolutely motionless, and without uttering a sound. But from time to time I caught a gleam of dull intelligence in his bloodshot eyes; which were turned to me, as if he were trying to comprehend who l was, and what accident had brought him into my company.
 When we got to the house, 1t was necessary for me to engage the ser vices of the concierge to get the un- fortunate youth upstairs to my apart ment, which was on the third floor. There I found that my valet had re- tired. a circumstance which l did not regret. I got my strange visitor com fortably settled upon a couch; l loosened his collar and necktie for him, removed his boots. and spread a warm rug over his feet. Then I sat down to wait till he should recover from his lethargy.
 While watched his uneasy repose, I stroye to recall the various things which I had heard about the heir of William III. He was of course we'll known to me by sight. for the incl dent I speak of took place at time when I was attached to the stan Of the foreign office in Paris, and when. as you may have heard. there was some talk of making me deputy and minister.
 But I preferred diplomatic career to a parliamentary one, and l do not regret my decision. In country like France. which is ruled over by the bourgeoisie. politics reduces itself to a terribly prosaic level. l can only find the romance for which my dis positiou crayes in the courts of those countries where the will of monarch stilI counts for much. and where the course Oi tue 6icotcSe SNS - decided by a nod given at the right moment, or by a sentence whispered in the intervals of waltz.
 Though I never before had any in- .sTcsS-ss .ith Prince Citron.' was familiar with the stories in circuia- lion about him. It was generally De- lieve<, that his residence in Paris was not altogether voluntary-that. in fact, he had been compelled to leave the aaeue In consequence of some ter ribIe misunderstanding with his father: and there were those who asserted that the old king of the Netherlands had sworn that his son should never return So long as he himself was aiive. Rvt though there were hundred oii- ferent versions of the cause Of this ex- ue the truth of the matter had re- n.,,sh A secret from every one. and .veo in his most reckless moments m sIlusion to it ever passed the lips of the prince.
 ~In the meantime. the manner or lie ufe since he had come to resioe ID p.r,. v.s unhappiiy only too well ss' csytaiped. From the moment or gut eips his own oosptry be seemed to nsvs