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"I anantly disappointed Why did she not refuse outright, indignantly, conte rather than this co his hand and turning her face toward the

"That no one seems to know He has been to his capital but twice in ten years, which doubtless pleased his uncle, who loves power for its own sake The young king has been in Paris s these days They teach them all the vices and make virtue an accident Your father loves you, and if you are inclined toward his majesty, if it is in your heart to become a queen, I shall not let ht up his hand with a strange passion and kissed it

"Father, I do not want to htfully

"It is only a sound, my dear; do not let it delude you Herbeck advises this alliance, and while I realize that his judgainst it But all depends upon you"

"Would it benefit the people? Would it be for the good of the state?"

Here was reason "Yes; my objections are ood of my country, which I love, I am ready to make any sacrifice I shall think it over"

"Very well; but weigh thea step of this kind" He stood up, his heart heavy Saying no azed after him, and suddenly and silently she stretched out her ar with love Curiously enough, the duke happened to turn He was at her side in aher firirl!" with a bit of break in his voice

"My father!" She stroked his cheek

When he left the roohter step

The restoration of the Princess Hildegarde of Ehrenstein had been the sensation of Europe, as had been in the earlier days her reone on fruitlessly The cleverest adventuresses on the continent tried devious tricks to palm themselves off as the lost princess From France they had coland But the duke and the chancellor held the secret, unknown to any one else--a locket In a garret in Dresden the agents of Herbeck found her, a singer in the chorus of the opera The newspapers and illustrated weeklies raged about her for a while, elaborated the story of her struggles, the mysterious remittances which had, from time to time, saved her from direst poverty, her ambition, her education which, by dint of hard work, she had acquired It was all very puzzling and interesting and romantic For what purpose had she been stolen, and by whoendheit, but he did so privately Search as they would, the duke and the chancellor never traced the source of the remittances The duke held stubbornly that the sender of these benefactions was uilty conscience was in Jugendheit But these re after the death of the old king He had his agents, vowed the duke Herbeck would not listen to this He preferred to believe that Count von Arnsberg was the man