The Princess Dehra

nd no premonition of the end. It had been a sharp straightening in saddle, a catch of breath, a lift of hand toward heart, and then, with the great ba

heeling sharply into line, spread across the parade and held back the populace. And presently, as the people lingered, wondering and fearful, and the Guards stood stolid in their ranks, the

idation for a louder note. Was it the Cathedral bell?-the bell that tolled only when a Dalberg died! For a while sh

ing her ever harder and harder in the face. There were but two for whom it could be speaking, her father and her lover-for she gave no thought to Lotzen or his brother

e sentry sprang to attention

ier grou

King,"

the wide Avenue, the men uncovered and the women breathed a prayer; but she, herself, saw only the big, gray bui

ve, sat two huge Cuirassiers of the Guard; they heard the nearing hoof beats, and,

cried; "stand back-

ecked with foam and dust, flashed by, and on across the courtyard. And Colone

aid quietly, as he stoo

hrough his arm and drove herself along. And so he led her, calm and dry-eyed, down the long corridor and through

etire," she said. "I wou

oor for her a little way, then stood at attention and rais

eliver in person, though he shrank from it, as only a man can shrink from such a duty. But he knew nothing of the Cathedral bell and its tolling, and when, as he neared the Park, the first note broke upon him, he listened in surprise; then he grasped its meaning, and with an imprecation

ried. "She rode away alone by th

eturns," Armand called, and was gone-to foll

s the King-the new King!" and mechanically

r far astray; for the Princess had gone but a little way by t

new that the Bell had been the messenger, and that there was now naught for him to do but to return with all speed and give such comfort as he might. Though what to do or to say he had no idea-for never befor

she had met those in the corridor and the ante-room, dry-eyed and calmly. And in

aside, and stepping back, she

he said; "long live the K

hra," he said. "And believe me, I had quite forgo

ame; but now, since he is gone, you are all I have-is

chair and stood l

"I am surely not th

She was silent for a while, her thoughts in the darkened room across the court, where the tapers burned dimly, and a Captai

at the Summer Palac

it except the day that the King read old Henry's

, he spoke of i

Never a word; neither to

. "Didn't he mention to you, this aft

N

ply. "It can't

took her hand. "I assure you, Dehra, the King di

AK A SINGLE WORD TO

understand. I mean it can not

ll there was but one she would refer to; and his

would have made you Heir

think it

sure o

ng told

ws open before him and a pen in his hand; and when I ventured to voice my curiosity, he smil

ended to tell me

over and put her a

always intended you should be," she whisper

d the trouble, and, may be, the fighting, that was sure to follow his assumption of the royal dignity. Had Frederick lived to proclaim the decree and to school the Nation into accepting him as his successor, the way would have been easy and well assured. But it was vastly different now-with Frederick dead,

ning his abstraction, read his

people do not know it required a special decree to make you eligible for the Crown; and to them you have been the next King ever since you were proclaimed as Hugo's heir. And surely

er passionate desire that he should sit in her father's place and rule the ancient monarchy. And at her first words, and the sight of her

he objected; "in Valeria t

n to maintain the Laws of the Dalbergs; and that for centuries none has ever broken

the people are for me (or at least are not for Lotzen) and the Nobles will abi

hat, I fancy,

e, what will L

of his House orders him to do. A

think he

imagine a Dalberg disho

on. I have never told you how, long ago, he warned me what to expect if I undertook to 'filch the Crown,

she, "yes-I know-the time he wanted you t

almly step aside and permit you to take my place? Do you fancy for an instant that the people of Valeria would have a foreigner for King? And even if old Frederick were to become s

a tattoo on the chair's arm, and her eyes were snap

never told the Ki

rally

val. And as a result, see what a mess you have made. Had you informed the King, he instantly would have proclaimed you as his heir

e. "You don't underst

; I don't. Why didn't you tell me? I wo

le woman; that's just the

houlders, and the

deration; he would have shown none to you; and besides, it was your duty to your King and

tween Lotzen and myself, the Laws of t

ce. I can understand why, to you, they have no sacredness and no sentiment; but Lotzen has been born and bred under them, and should honor them with his life-and more

a crying pity!

o, dear, it isn't; once I thought it was; bu

makes it possible, and worth the struggle; and if Valeria does accept me as

e the people do love me," she said. "I would lik

ess, I'd go back to America and

e sort. A Dalberg never ran from duty-and least of all the Dalb

mmediately before the Foot Guards; and he, as titular Colonel, had led them in the march by), and there was no denying he ma

beside his and smiled

as not at all bad

ut with a beastly bad tem

wasn't afraid; tradition is, s

lever woman can manage a man i

ll I try

; man taming is your natural avocation. By al

dear, I forgot!" And she got up suddenly, and went over to the window. Nor did he

, a wistfully sad look in her eyes. And a

hild, Armand," she said, with a wan, little sm

ther," he answered, "forgetting, when together, everything but the jo

hild in love," she said; "it's the man who

for the moment he had no words to answ

ork to do and plans to be arranged." She drew a chair close to the table and, r

esit

him now only the last sad offices the living do the dead; we will do them; but we will also

and gravely raise

your level, nor understand the beauty of your faith, the meaning of your

and kissed him lig

she said-"to them the King is next to God-a

yet the King,

rick died. With us, the tenet still obtains in all

I, and to-morrow th

he Book will decide for the Nat

think we know; we can't be s

red, "my father's words can

rned that, in this life, it's the c

-let us send for the Book; of course it i

er of us to touch the Book. It were best that it be opened only by the Prime Minist

as against Frederick's writing and my testimony. However,

o'clock, at

" she asked; "it was always on h

; "I never th

ll and sent for

Orders he was wearing," she said. When t

all, antique key of the brass bound box, in which the Book of Laws had been kept for centuries that now reached b

Sire," she said, an

ned. "To-mor

the me

ill in the Castle, we

er," she said, "though quite unprecedented; none but th

ion that has no precedents,"

he bell, a servant

id.... "It is Eppi

ice for a generation, and Frederick trusted him as few monarchs ever trusted a powerful subject. To the Nation, he was honesty and justice incarnate, and only the King and the Princess Royal excelled him in popularity and respect. Seventy years had passe

d, silently and long-and when he rose a tear was trembling on his

ught the proclamation announcing His late Majesty's death and your accession

the blurred background of commonplace existence. Such was the moment at the Palace when Frederick had handed him the patents of an Archduke, and such now was

. Should he sign the proclamation on the chance that the decree was in his favor, and that he was, in truth, the King? He hesitated just an insta

Prime Ministe

form of address was so new and unexpect

ly"-and his glance strayed deliberately to the wall opposite, where hung a small copy of the Great Henry's portrait in the uniform of the Red Huzzars. "It is very wonderful," he

ent with the physical resemblance an

again; this tim

and sentiment demands nothing else;" and, with placid insi

it up and read i

ative of kingship until the Royal Council has examined t

yes looked at hi

o question as to the S

intimate there wa

, I see no reason why you sho

o-morrow-it will do no harm to delay the proclamation for a few hours. And, in the interim, you will oblige Her Royal

odded and t

e replied. "I know

ion that the Book has been touched since His Majesty's demise. You will produce this key at the meeting to-morrow, explaining how and where you got it; and then,

uite impassive. He had come in doubt and misgiving; he was easy now-her

can wait;" then he drew himself to his full