The Princess Elopes

nd when the door opened he gravely announced that his serene Highness desired to speak to the Princes

ere presently," she sai

ough the duke sometimes disturbed their contents to steady the leg of an unbalanced

woman's curiosity sometimes has its value. It take

rt speeches, simply because I have be

dence in Barscheit since your return from England. For once I

ed with delight. She could put

ill not take pl

"-raptu

imly. "It shall tak

he altar," cried the girl, tremb

asture. In harness you will do very well." He took up his pipe and primed it. It was

r embarrassing to drag

e a scandal of such magnitude. You

he cathedral. But she was determined never to enter it. She wondered if she should produce the bogus certif

e of a common race. The duke was determined that she should wed Doppelkinn; she was equally determ

you no

se that I take any especial pleasure in for

girl, and he i

es, the fact has gone abro

ask the first man I see t

y be Doppelkinn!" s

e recklessness. I would not care if he were youn

t which was unusual in him. Perhaps he had won some of the state moneys which h

t waste any

herever you will. Don't haggle over the price; le

t once,"-a broken

n the house. Observe what you have so far accomplished in

?"-conte

masked ball; you ran away from school in Paris and visited Heaven knows whom; you have bribed sentries to let you in when you were out late; you have thrust asi

e, and I am not sure that his mouth did not twist under his beard. "Foreign education is the cause of all this," he said fi

inning,"-re

n is mild

you were marrying me to a horse! We

you avoid

y; wait and see."

e of you? I have no son; your Uncle Franz, who is but a year or two younger than I am, would reign, and he would not tolerate your madcap ways. You mu

away, uncle,

rom now on you will be watched. It is the inevi

paper in her b

on the duke, "to send the Honor

et

thetic. She abets you in all you do. Her English independence does no

man-to love whom she will! And you, my uncle, rob me of these things! What if I

t be very mu

erstand why I can not marry Doppelkinn." She

scle in his face disturbed. Finally

a terrible thing this mig

do you

hall thank the American consul personally for his part in the affair. I was waiting to see when you would produce this. You virtually plac

sat down. Tears slowly welled up in her

desk, rummaging among the papers. H

n the treachery of t

he disclosed all. It was a venomous, inciti

all the bitterness in her

, what shall I do with this?"

es, into quarters, into infinitesimal squares, and tossed them

g you have your choice. You have rejected the princes of a dozen wealthy countries. We are not as the com

nd away," she pleade

give the matter t

ht of wedding Doppelkinn as at the fact that Prince Charming had evidently missed the last train and was never coming to wake her up, or, if he did come, it would be when it was too late. How many times had she conjured him up, as she rode in the fresh fairness of the mornings! How man