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Otago Witness, Issue 2387, 30 November 1899, Page 37 (Supplement)

another country for a very clever architect, who -was Verita's father. The' so-called King:of Sham had sent for him first, but as the "Kiing was as much a Sham as anyone else, few people believed in him, and he had very 'little power in the land. Other people were always cropping up, and calling themselves the real King, but as nobody believed them; the King, who had resigned for some years, was allowed to keep the throne, chiefly because people thought he might as well have it as anyone else. When Verita's father came to the land, and insisted on building solid comfortable houses/ and calling them what they really were, though he was doing the people good, they hated him, and gave him a very bad time, and his health ; began to suffer, as Lady Marbraun had said it would. The atmosphere of the country was stifling the poor ' man, and his • wife, too. But little Verita, because of the Truth Talisman, which prevented any lies from touching her, thrived and grew strong and beautiful. Soon,' however, people made the discovery that they could not tell lies to her, and then there was consternation and surprise. Some of those around the architest and his wife had never told the truth in their lives, and great was their anger when they found they had to tell it to a chit of a child! Ie was terrible for them, far worse than for thepeople of Umborra. When Verita was about 10 years old her father died, and then her mother soon fol-

lowed him ; and .' the poor child was left alone amongst the people of Sham. Then the King, who thought her a pretty child, took her, intending her to be an ornament to his Palace, a real Palace this time, built by Verita's father. But the child caused so much anger amongst the people in, the Palace, through her Talisman, that the King had her taken and placed in a strong fortress, where she would never see anyone, and would live and grow up quite alone.

Lady Marbraun heard of the death of Verita's father and mother, and sent servants to Sham to find the child, and bring her to live with her. But the servants found it so difficult to discover where Verita was, owing to the lies and false rumours that they were told .on every hand, that they returned to their mistress baffled. Then, in great anger, Lady Marbraun .went herself to seek the child, only to find that she had entirely disappeared.

Prince Felix grew to be very wise and clever. He began to rule Umborra for his father, and the country prospered as it had never done before. The Shammites could not come near the land, and all people were learning to speak the truth and act uprightly. And so things went on improving, until one day a most beautiful Princess came from a far country to visit Prince Felix's mother, and to see all that was. to be seen in the land of Umborra.

This Princess Riva was lovely, and very rich besides, and she l/rought with her many beautiful gifts, and a large train of courtiers and • servants. The Princess enjoyed everything she saw, and was as happy as a child. Prince Felix took her everywhere, and made much of her, and people said what a handsome pair they made, and how splendid a thing it would be if they were to marry. Riva always toid the truth to Felix, too, thought now a>d again her courtiers and servants got into trouble for saying one thing to one person, and quite another thing when they were confronted with the Prince.

Felix fell madly in love with Princess Iliva, and she had not long been in Umborra when he asked her to marry him. To his delight, she consented immediately, and there were great rejoicings at the Court and all over the country. The Prince was disappointed, however, to find that, immediately they became engaged, the Princess reomed to avoid him. She no longer took Ion? walks or rides with him, and always made some excuse when he sent to ask her to see him alone. This made Felix unhappy. He became restless and disturbed in his mind. At last, he did not see his lady-love for a whole week, except at State functions or balls or parties, when everyone was about.

One evening, however, after the Princess had retired, apparently to rest, he was pacing .restlessly about the Palace grounds in the moonlight, when he saw her slender figure standing alone, looking into an ornamental' lake. She was leaning over the stone parapet in a dejected manner, and he went quietly up to her, and spoke. She turned with a start, and he saw that she was crying.

" Riva, my darling,." he exclaimed in distress, _" are you unhappy? Tell me, do you not love me, that you avoid me so?"

Then Princess Riva experienced a most extraordinary sensation. She had wished ,to say- to Felix : " Oh, yes, Prince, I do love you. I am only crying because I am a little homesick, that is all." _ Instead, she found herself forced to utter the words that were in her mind, which were these : —

" Oh, Prince, I am so very, very unhappy. My father sent me here to this land, and told me that if you asked me to marry you I was to consent. But I do not love you, for I love my cousin, whom J have known since I was a child. I have been warned tr> be absolutely truthful while I lived in Umborra, so I have kept out of your way for fear you should ask ma if I love you, ' and I should be obliged to speak the truth." . Felix turned very pale. He raised his cap, and bowed to the lady.

' Princess," said he, " I marry ho woman unless she loves me. Go back to your country, and your home. Farewell."

And he turned and left her. Soon after,"" to everyone's disappointment, Princess Riva went back whence she had come, and told her father that it would be impossible for her to many Prince Felix, as he was quite mad.

So the years passed on, and in time the King and Queen of Umborra died, and Prince Felix reigned in their stead. He made a very good King, but he refused to

m a rry. There were Princesses who would have told him in truth that they loved him, but he did not care for them. So he worked on, and improved his country, but he had no Queen to sit beside him on the throne.

One day a messenger came to him from the lonely castle where Lady Marbraun lived, telling him that she was very ill, and would like to see King Felix before she died. Felix had, of course, often heard about how he had received his Talisman' of Truth, but he had never seen the giver of it. So, on receiving the summons, ■he hastened eagerly to her bedside. He found Lady Marbraun gaunt, haggard, and dying. "My little Felix," said . she, " you have grown to be a fine man and a fine King, but there is one thing that I have been expecting you to do all these years, and that is, to conquer Sham, and make the land into part of your kingdom."

Felix sighed. "Once I was ready to do all these things, lady," he said sadly, 'but now I am content to do my duty to my subjects. My life has been saddened because I can never be really happy. I shall never have a mate- to cheer me in my work, or to encourage me "

"Foolish man!" exclaimed the lady. " Your mate awaits you in the land of Sham. But you have kept her waiting for you a weary while."

Then you may be sure King Felix was eager to hear the explanation' of that statement. And when he heard that a sweet maiden, wearing a Talisman like his own, had been cruelly shut up in Sham for years, his anxiety to find her and to conquer the land knew no bounds.

"I did not tell you," said Lady Marbraun, " because you should have gone to . conquer Sham on your own account. If you had not delayed, by this time she would have been yours."

Felix lost no time after that in getting ready and going to attack Sham. How he reached there, how he fought, how he was repulsed, and how hard ne found it to conquer the place would make another story as long as this one. He did not get his sweet Verita easily ;. she was very, very hard to find, as anything is which is worth the getting.

But he found her at last, after many weary defeats and struggles and troubles. And when he at last bore her home and made her his Queen, he was repaid for everything he had suffered.

Besides that, Sham was defeated, and the people were made to acknowledge a real King, who was Felix himself, and to have real laws, and to really obey them. So Felix and Verita reigned wisely and well all the days of their lives.