THE INFANTA EULALIA.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1342, 20 January 1912, Page 10

THE INFANTA EULALIA.

AND HER BOOK. What has Society done, what has the Law done, to cxasperato a Royal Princess tho daughter of a king, tho sister of a king, the aunt of a king? In the few moments' conversation 1 had -with the Infanta Eulalia at iior residence in tko Boulevard Lannes I fancy I detected the reason. Behind this great lady lies la woman— a fact that seems to have been ignored by those who interviewed her within the last few days. The tea-drinkings in tho Faubourg SainkGermain, to which her Eoyal Highness was often invited, must liavo boen boring to this "fcinmo d'esprit," for tho circlo around her at these afternoon and evening receptions alwavs consisted of tho same element; and the clever men and women introduced to her had no opportunity of conversing with the woman of culture and intellect who has now revealed herself in her book. The Motif of the Book. . Ajiybody who had been favoured with invitations to these focia-l functions knows the monotony of them. The Princess seated on the sofa of honour, flanked not only by tho lady who accompanies her, but by other solfeityled ladies-in-waiting, who form a kind of bodyguard around her, and prevent hor intellectual breathing—if I may so express it. As & rulo tho entertainment consists of music and recitations; and, after a ceremonious cup of tea, tho Princess withdraws. Now, it appears after this passage-at-arms with the King of Spain, the aristocratic Faubourg Saint-Germain, militant Catholics, have taken ofl'once at the chapter on divorce in the Infanta'a book, "Au Fil do la Vie"; and one of tho edifying entertainments whore tho Infanta was ■asked to "grant them tho great honour of accepting a cup of tea" has suddenly been countermanded. Tho l'aubourg Saint-Gormain has not only acted ridiculously but unwisely, for when the littlo trouble between the Koyal aunt and her lloyal nei>hew will bo settled tho Faubourg will have reason to regret their attitude. Tho Princess, with her keen reuse of humour, will no doubt be delighted to liavo got rid of thoso amonp; the aristocratic Faubourg she knows as bores.

Small trondcr that her Royal ITif;hness should havo rebelled against the l;uv of her own country. Her eyes bocamc sad when she referred to her unhappy marriage and her vain attempts to obtain redress.

"Spanish law," she said, "does not acknowledge divorce, and my husband had tho right to squander my 'jnivate fortune in whatever way and with whom he pleased! I complained, but Officialdom shrugged its venerable shoulders and said; 'It is tho law!' You know, of course, what occurred afterwards. How Luis Bonafous, the well-known Socialist, raised a cry of indignation that was taken tip throughout the country, and how such pressure was brought upon tho authorities that they went into the mater and itaxdy justice was moled out to me And. because I wroto a letter to my counsel asking him to thank Luis Bonafous for his assistance I was dubbed a Socialist, and even an anarchist!"