CHAPTER XI.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2051, 29 August 1885, Page 5 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XI.

In three days more Jeanne was safe in London ; having travelled under my escort. I was fortunate enough to find a home for her, in the house of a lady who had been my mother's oldest and dearest friend. We are separated, a few days afterwards, by the distressing news which reached me of the state of my brother's health. I went at onco to bis house in the country. His medical attendants had lost all hope of ■aving him : they told me plainly that his release from a life of suffering was near at band. While I was still in attendance at his bedaido, I heard from the secretary. He enclosed a letter, directed to me in a strange handwriting. I opened tho envelope, and looked for tbe signature. My friend bad been entrapped into sending me an anonymous letter. Besides addressing me in French (a language never used in my experience at the legation), the writer diiguised the identity of the persons mentioned by the use of classical namup. In spite of these precautions, I felt no diflioulty in arriving at a conclusion. Hj correspondent's special knowledge of Court secrets,and her malicious way of ooininunioating them, betrayed the Baroness. I translate tho latter ; restoring to the persons who figure in it the names under which they are already known. The writer began in these satirically familiar terms : " When you left the Prince's dominions, my dear sir, you no doubt believed yourself to be & free agent. Quite a mistake i You were a mere puppet ; and the strings that moved you were pulled by the Doctor. " Let me tell you how. "On a oertiin night, which yon well remember, the Princess was unexpectedly summoned to tho presence 'Of her father. His physician's skill h*d auaceeded in relieving tbe illustrious Prince, prdfetrate unuer nervoua miseries. He was able to attend to a state affair of importance, revealed to him by the Doctor— who then, for the firit time, acknowledged that he had presented himself at Court in a diplomatic, as well as in a medical capacity. " This sta'e affair related to a proposal for the hand of the Princers, received lroin tUu Grand Duke through the authorised medium of tho Doctor. Her Highness, being consulted, refused to consider the proposal. The Prinoe asked for her reason. She answered, " I have no wish to be married." Naturally irritated by such a ridiculous excuse, her father declared positively that the marriago should take plaoe. " The impression produced on the Grand Duke's favorite and emissary was of a different kind. "Certain suspicions of tbe Princess and yourself, which you had successfully contrived to dissipate, revived in the Dootor's mind when he heard the lady's reason for refusing to marry hia royal master. It was now too late to regret that be had suffered himself to bo misled by oleverly managed appearances. He could not recall tbe favorable report which be bad addressed to the Dukt— or withdraw the proposal of marriage which he had been commanded to make. " In this emergency, the one safe course to him was to get rid of lon— and, at the same lime, so to handle eiroumstanoes as to exoue against you the pride and angor of the Princess. In the pursuit of this latter object he wai assisted by one of the ladies in waiting, sincerely interested ia tbe welfare of her gracious mistress, and therefore ardently desirous of seeing her Highness married to the Duke. "A wretched old French conspirator was made the convenient pivot on whioh the intrigue turned. "An order for the arrest of this foreign republican having been first obtained, the Prince was prevailed on to extend his distrust of the Frenchman to the Frenchman's niece. You know this already ; but you don't know why it was done. Having believed from the first that you were really in love with the young lady, the Doctor reokoned confidently on your devoting yourself to the protection of a friendless girl, cruelly exiled at an hour* notioe. " The one chance against us was that tender considerations, associated with her Highness, might induce you to hesitate. The lady in waiting eaiily moved this obstacle out of tho way. She abstained from delivering a I letter addressed to you, entrusted to her by tho Princess. When tbe jreat lady asked why she had not received you* reply, she was informed (quite truly) thai you and tho oharmmg opera singer had taken joal departure together. You may imagine what neFHigo* ness thought of jou, and said of you, when I mention in conclusion that she consented, tbe same day, to marry the Duko. " So, Mr. Ernest, these clever peoplo tricked you into serving their interests, blindfold. In relating how it was done, I hope I tufty havo assisted you in forming n correct estimate of the Btate of your own intelligence. You have made a eerioua mistake in adopting your present profession. Give up diplomacy—and get a former to employ you in keeping his sheep."