CHAPTER III.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7002, 18 January 1901, Page 4

CHAPTER 111.

From her home in the* North, t&» P-rjai-qesi wrote many lettera to her mother, and jßhisjß a little bit from" one of them; " You told me that tare would be sura to come in tame. I wiflb it -would) make haste and come. I lonff, for it. It we»ries .me to sib and: wait for rtrjn vain." iAad this is from anoraeti letter: — "The Prince is very good, and very kind. (Everyone is resjr good, anaJrind, only. th«y aD seem. agreed! to treat me as a cbjid. Perfcapg they are right. £t fifteen, 1 suppose, one is a child, even though*one is musfafe ; too young, to fail in iove, too youo^; to umderataad'any <jf the gzeat realities of Yet, •Ten wiieo-the Btineegs 'wrote these iines, the realities were qaaiciQg ready to surprise her, to educate hery witkm *he limits of one tragic hour, to put away chikUsh things for ever. OBjor tfiis was in 1848— the terrible year wSadltiun foundations of all the thrones were dhaken. So fas, the Princess knew xerolutfons only *» things in history books — things iritlh dates which tutors an<* governesses expected one to remember ; and now she was to see .with her own eyes what a revolution actually looked like. ' ' j It impressed her more perTaaps, because \ she actually saw nortiiDg of it except its crowning scene. The agitation which preceded it was merely "politics" to (her. . " "I wish they wouldn't fill up *he paper with politics," she said ; "itis co day to read. I always like to skip taefpoKtaoa, and read about the balls, and thef opera, and the fashions." And the Prince, her hustond,. and the King, his father, were quite confcnt to see' :her remain in her indifference. Presently the agitation >l«J toiiotingyjand the rioters began building bamcodes^ and there were- cavalry charges, andtet%(te^o!f musketry, in various quarters of r tae,dty. But stili the Princess was not. frightened. Kioting, she supposed, was a mattarvf or the police to deal with, and did not oorics&rn tihe royal family at all. Only she ielt ,«wfficfen4 listless curiosity to put a qu«ai6ion* ; to her : M?Jd of Honour. , . " Why are the people making aft thjia noise?" she asked.. " What is it that >■ "Sfcy want?" . . } "It as said that they want reforms,! your Highness;" the Maid of Honour answeiw. "What are retorniß?" asked" the^Pa^weis, -in tones of Wank and chil<Mike wonxfer ; but the Maid of Honour could giTeAerYferiy Jittl" iE'ormation. • ■ " I tiatdiy know, your Highneiw, ..eaagMpt that they are things the people 'say «aey * ought to have," was her reply. . 41 And.they«maket«ite ftas about (refonnip'^. - the Princess exclaimed, tossing\ her head ;sconiully. " It- seems so, your Bigness.'! \ " Poor iooBA people r An^th«W»^«**«f wha: looked Uke an interval!; of renodaott "Yet the King -might huniour thesn, 4 they want reforms so badly. I will te^|HaDa so. He always does what I aefeliim. Where^ is the King?" rr-^i. "The King -has ridden out, your H*®£-' ness, to see if he cannot oakn the mob.Listen, and you will hear the people shont«ng.' r And, sure enough, the noise of the shouting floated through the open window— ai faint, oooasional wy of "live the KJng,'^ and a louder f oar of multitudinous voices yelling, "Beform, reform!" " You see," cried the Princess, triumphantly, " the King is promising the people that reforms shall be distributed a* once." " I ana not so sure, your Highness?' said the Maid of Honour. " Bub I am sure," replied the Princess, reluctantly ; and for a few minutes she was serenely happy. The next thing that she saw and heard was her husband, the Prince, dashing witiloufc warning into her apartment, . and calling tq her to come with nim at once, before the palace itself should be invaded. " What nonsense is this?" she began ; but he seized Her by the arm and dragged her off v At last sho was face to face with the re- " alities."