I

HerGrandDucalHighnessthePrincessPriscillaofLothen-Kunitzwasuptotheageoftwenty-oneamostpromisingyounglady.Shewasnotonlypoeticinappearancebeyondthehabitofprincessesbutshewasalsoofgracefulandappropriatebehaviour.Shedidwhatshewastoldor,morevaluable,shedidwhatwasexpectedofherwithoutbeingtold.Herfather,inhisyouthandmiddleageafieryman,nowanirritableoldgentlemanwholikedgoodfoodandinsistedonstrictestetiquette,wasproudofheronthoseoccasionswhenshehappenedtocrosshismind.Hermother,bybirthanEnglishprincessofanoriginalityuncomfortableandunexpectedinaroyalladythatcontinuedtotheendofherlifetocropupatdisconcertingmoments,diedwhenPriscillawassixteen.Hersisters,oneolderandoneyoungerthanherself,werebothfarlesspleasingtolookuponthanshewas,andmuchmoredifficulttomanageyeteachmarriedasuitableprinceandeachbecameacredittoherHouse,whileasforPriscilla,—well,asforPriscilla,Iproposetodescribeherdreadfulconduct. Butfirstherappearance.Shewaswellabovetheaverageheightofwomanadesirablethinginaprincess,who,beforeeverything,mustimpressthepublicwithherdignity.Shehadalongpointedchin,andasweetmouthwithfulllipsthatlookedmostkind.Hernosewasnotquitestraight,onesideofitbeingtheleastbitdifferentfromtheother,—aslightcrookednessthatgaveherfaceacharmabsolutelybeyondthereachofthosewhosefeaturesarewhatisknownaschiselled.Herskinwasofthatfairnessthatfrecklesreadilyinhotsummersoronwinterdayswhenthesunshinesbrightlyonthesnow,adelicatesoftskinthatisseensometimeswithgoldeneyelashesandeyebrows,andhairthatismoreredthangold.Priscillahadtheseeyelashesandeyebrowsandthishair,andshehadbesidesbeautifulgrey-blueeyes—calmpoolsofthought,thecourtpoetcalledthem,whenherhavingabirthdaycompelledhimtoofficialrapturesandbecauseeverybodyfeltsuretheywerenotreallyanythingofthekindthepoet'sutterancewasreceivedwithacclamations.Indeed,aprincesswhoshouldpossesssuchpoolswouldbemostundesirable—inLothen-Kunitznothingshortofacalamityforhadtheynothadonealready?ItwaswhathadbeenthematterwiththedeceasedGrandDuchessshewouldthink,andnoonecouldstopher,andherlifeinconsequencewasaburdentoherselfandtoeverybodyelseathercourt.Priscilla,however,wasverysilent.Shehadneverexpressedanopinion,andtheinferencewasthatshehadnoopiniontoexpress.Shehadnotcriticized,shehadnotargued,shehadbeentractable,obedient,meek.Yethersisters,whohadoftencriticizedandargued,andwhohadrarelybeenobedientandnevermeek,becameasIhavesaidthewivesofappropriateprinces,whilePriscilla,—well,hewhorunsmayreadwhatitwasthatPriscillabecame. Butfirstastowhereshelived.TheGrandDuchyofLothen-KunitzliesinthesouthofEuropethatsmilingregionoffruitfulplains,forest-clothedhills,andbroadrivers.ItisoneofthefirstplacesSpringstopsatonherwayupfromItalyandAutumn,comingdownfromthenorthsunburnt,fruit-laden,andblest,goesslowlywhenshereachesit,lingeringtherewithherserenityandripeness,hercalmskiesandherwindlessdayslongaftertheSaxonsandPrussianshavelittheirstovesandgotouttheirfurs.Therefigscanbeeatenoffthetreesinone'sgarden,andvineyardsglowonthehillsides.TherethepeopleareCatholics,andtheProtestantpastorcastsnoshadowofablackgownacrosslife.Thereasyouwalkalongthewhiteroads,youpasstheimageofthedeadChristbythewaysidemuteremindertothosewhowouldotherwiseforgetofthebeautyofpitifulnessandlove.Andthere,sonearisKunitztothesoulofthings,youmayanymorninggetintothetrainafterbreakfastandintheafternoonfindyourselfdrinkingcoffeeinthecoolcolonnadesofthePiazzaSanMarcoatVenice. Kunitzisthecapitaloftheduchy,andthepalaceisbuiltonahill.Itisoneofthosepiled-upbuildingsofmanywindowsandturretsandbattlementsonwhichthetouristgazesfrombelowasattherealizationofachildhood'sdream.AbranchoftheriverLothwindsroundthebaseofthehill,separatingtheducalfamilyfromthered-roofedtownalongitsotherbank.Kunitzstretchesrightroundthehill,lyingclaspedaboutitscastlelikeaneckletofancientstones.Atthefootofthecastlewallstheducalorchardsandkitchengardensbegin,continuingdowntothewater'sedgeandclothingthebaseofthehillinagarmentofblossomandfruit.NofairersightistobeseenthantheglimpseofthesegreywallsandturretsrisingoutofacloudofblossomtobehadbyhimwhoshallstandinthemarketplaceofKunitzandlookeastwardupthenarrowstreetonaMaymorningandifhewhogazesisadreamerhecouldeasilyimaginethatwherethesettingoflifeissolovelyitsdaysmustofnecessitybeeachlikeajewel,ofperfectbrightnessandbeauty. ThePrincessPriscilla,however,knewbetter.Toherunfortunatelythelifewithinthewallsseemedofaquiteblatantvulgaritypervadedbylacqueys,byofficialsofeverykindanddegree,bytoomuchfood,toomanyclothes,bywaste,byafeverishfritteringawayoftime,byahideouswantofprivacy,byadrearinessunutterable.Toheritwasaperpetualbehavingaccordingtotheideasofficialshadformedastotheconducttobeexpectedofprincesses,aperpetualpretendingnottoseethattheserviceofferedwassheerestlip-service,aperpetualshuttingoftheeyestohypocrisyandgraspingselfishness.Conceive,youtouristfullofillusionsstandingfreedownthereinthemarketplace,thefrightfulnessofneverbeingaloneamomentfromthetimeyougetoutofbedtothetimeyougetintoitagain.Conceivethedeadlypatienceneededtostandpassiveandbetalkedto,amused,takencareof,alldaylongforyears.Conceivetheintolerableness,ifyouareatallsensitive,ofbeingwatchedbyeyessos