Tombstone epitaph., 1915-05-30

l forbidden to speak-restrained me. 1 allowed Magratz to depart: and before | many dSys had passed learned that | he had found a husband for his unfor | tunate niece in the person of Count wealthy nobleman of fifty. but possess ing no single attraction which could recommend him in the eyes of young girl.
 ! The ceremony was hurried on. and Paula von MagratZ became the bride | of this ogre on the very day on which the crown prince returned to the capi. tai.
 T happened to meet the prince next day. and for the first time I was seized | with a presentiment of the coming tragedy. If ever I read anguish and despair on a human face. I read it on that of this miserable young man. So | violent was his grief that he openly threatened to put an end to his life. and his unhappy parents were reduced to the extremity of distress.
 "lt was, of course, impossible that a scandal of such kind should be long in reaching the ears of the bridegroom. Naturally alarmed and annoyed. Count Schwartzenfeldt left the capital with his wife. He carried her away to his estates. some hundreds of miles of. and buried her in one O, those fright ful feudal castles which this nobility continue to inhabit
 Tn the meantime the only resource which occurred to the troubled em. peror and empress was to press for ward the marriage already arranged for their son. in the hope that he might be distracted from dwelling on his fatal passion for the young Count ess Schwartzenfeldt
 T was present in the diplomatic gal lery when the royal nuptials were cele- brated in the national cathedral, be- fore an immense concourse Of the mo- bility and citizens. It was the most melancholy pageant at which have ever assisted. The demeanor of the wretChed bridegroom created univer- sal dismay. It was impossible to es- cape noticing the reluctance with which he uttered the responses. and the sullen coldness with which he gave his arm to the trembling bride.
 Among the most interested specta- tors of it all, caught sight of Magratz had but to glance from him to the pale face and dropping eyelids of the illustrious object of his hatred to see how far his scheme of vengeance had already succeeded.
 Some months passed before he made his next open move. He waited. with prudent calculation. for the crown prince to begin to feel the chafing of his new letters. It was with alarm that I discovered he was beginning to renew his intimacy with the prince.
 ''I had the opportunity once or twice Of observing them together, and l no- ticed that his imperial highness. when with this man, shook of the listless apathy which had become his habit ual mood, and listened with feverish interest to the baron's conversation. It was not difficult to guess the subject of their discussions.
 Finally. Magratz came one day to the embassy to take leave of me be- fore departing on a visit to his niece at her husbands residence. There was an ill-suppressed ring of triumph in his voice. which warned me that he was on the eve of some new stroke. Perhaps even then, if I had compre- hended the nature Of his designs, might nave interfered. But as it was, l could do nothing except to express in delicate and guarded terms my hope that his visit would contribute 10 the peace and happiness of the Schwart. zenfeldt household.
 On rising to 80 he lifted the mask for one instant
 "I have been greatly distressed by the unfortunate result of this marriage of the crown princess he said, and especially when I reflect on the grief it must cause to her majesty my fate mistress.
 As he spoke I positively saw the faded scar of the whip leap into sight upon his dark skin. I drew back, and clenched my teeth firmly to prevent myself from making the reply that l loSe lo lIps put sOu the difficulty of my position. As the representative of great government, could not afford to enter into a quar- rel with a private nobleman at the court to which I vas accredited T suppressed my indignation, and allowed him to depart on his fatal errand. The event which followed has become the property of the world"
 His excellency turned his eyes upon me as if to ascertain whether I de sired to hear mora. I entreated him to complete the narrative. "The European press" he observed. always misinformed in these matters, : put forth a thousand different expla- nations of what had taken place. all of them sufficiently incorrect l will tell you the actual sequence of events as learnt it soon afterwards from the confession of Magratz himself , 'It appears. then. that this monster commenced by insinuating his sym. pathy with the poor young prince Tn ] his unhappy union. From that he l passed to lamenting his own action in , having given his niece's hand to Count Schwartzenfeldt.
 . Having excited the princes mind , sufficiently by hints of this sort, he at