“But he broke open my bureau to read my letters,” Félicia persisted.
“I know—but he has been punished for it. And he is anxious for your forgiveness, and has done all he could to shield your name.”
“Oh, that’s the Baroness’s doing,” said Félicia lazily.
“You make it very hard for me to plead for him. Surely, Félicia, you must have a little kindness left for him—the man you promised to love and honour?”
“I thought it was generally understood that those promises were made because one couldn’t get married without them,” said Félicia. “How has he kept his?”
“You must have some slight feeling for him, or you could not be so bitter. See, Félicia, I am his mother, and for his sake I lay aside my pride, and entreat you to forgive him. It is well that he should know how a woman regards such an insult as he offered you; but what will be the effect on him if his penitence brings him no pardon? You have a great opportunity before you now. He admires you, loves you, feels that he has misjudged you shamefully. If you return to him, you may exert such an influence over him as may change his whole character. I don’t mean that he will ever be a husband on whose strength you can lean, but if you choose to—to fascinate him, as you can fascinate any man if you will, you may be of the greatest service both to him and the kingdom——”
“Yes; it’s all right for Michael and the kingdom, but where do I come in?” cried Félicia shrilly. “I want to have a good time.”
“I think that is what you have always aimed at,” suggested Queen Ernestine, with unintentional irony, “and it has never yet——”
“Materialised,” supplied Félicia. “That is so, but I don’t expect now to find it in a little no-account State way back in the Balkans.”
“Perhaps if you don’t think so much about the good time it will be more likely to come to you. Think of your duty, instead, both as wife and as queen. Ah, Félicia, you can do so much for the kingdom. I tried, and failed. For the sake of the kingdom, I put aside my life’s happiness for thirteen years—and at the end of those years it seemed that I had lost it for ever. I don’t pretend that I made the sacrifice with a good grace—my husband could tell you quite the contrary—but at least I tried. You have none of my disadvantages. I was much younger than you are, and very soon made myself unpopular by listening to unwise advice, and I was foolishly jealous of the king’s wisest and most trusted adviser. You are beautiful, rich, fascinating, and you are not afraid of taking your own line. I think you have a shrewd adviser in Miss Logan. I know you have a faithful one in Baroness Radnika——”