CHAPTER XXIV. THE BIRTHDAY
The Crown Prince Ferdinand William Otto of Livonia was having abirthday. Now, a birthday for a Crown Prince of Livonia is not a matterof a cake with candles on it; and having his ears pulled, once for eachyear and an extra one to grow on. Nor of a holiday from lessons, anda picnic in spring woods. Nor of a party, with children frolicking andscratching the best furniture.
In the first place, he was wakened at dawn and taken to early servicein the chapel, a solemn function, with the Court assembled and slightlysleepy. The Crown Prince, who was trying to look his additional dignityof years, sat and stood as erect as possible, and yawned only once.
After breakfast he was visited by the chaplain who had his religiousinstruction in hand, and interrogated. He did not make more than aboutsixty per cent in this, however, and the chaplain departed lookingslightly discouraged.
Lessons followed, and in each case the tutor reminded him that, havingnow reached his tenth birthday, he should be doing better than inthe past. Especially the French tutor, who had just heard a rumor ofHedwig's marriage.
At eleven o'clock came word that the King was too ill to have him toluncheon, but that he would see him for a few moments that afternoon.Prince Ferdinand William Otto, who was diagramming the sentence,"Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves in America," and doing it wrong,looked up in dismay.
"I'd like to know what's the use of having a birthday," he declaredrebelliously.
The substitution of luncheon with the Archduchess Annunciata hardlythrilled him. Unluckily he made an observation to that effect, and gotfive off in Miss Braithwaite's little book.
The King did not approve of birthday gifts. The expensive toys which theCourt would have offered the child were out of key with the simplicityof his rearing. As a matter of fact, the Crown Prince had never heard ofa birthday gift, and had, indeed, small experience of gifts of any kind,except as he made them himself. For that he had a great fondness. Hissmall pocket allowance generally dissipated itself in this way.
So there were no gifts. None, that is, until the riding-hour came, andNikky, subverter of all discipline. He had brought a fig lady, wrappedin paper.
"It's quite fresh," he said, as they walked together across the Place."I'll give it to you when we get to the riding-school. I saw the womanmyself take it out of her basket. So it has no germs on it."
But, although he spoke bravely, Nikky was the least bit nervous. Firstof all he was teaching the boy deception. "But why don't they treathim like a human being?" he demanded of himself. Naturally there was noanswer. Maria Menrad's son had a number of birthdays in his mind, realbirthdays with much indulgence connected with them.
Second, suppose it really had a germ or two on it? Anxiously, havingunwrapped it, he examined it in the sunlight of a window of the ring.Certainly, thus closely inspected, it looked odd. There were smallgranules over it.
The Crown Prince waited patiently. "Miss Braithwaite says that if youlook at them under a glass, there are bugs on them," he observed, withinterest.
"Perhaps, after all, you'd better not have it."
"They are very small bugs," said Prince Ferdinand William Ottoanxiously. "I don't object to them at all."
So, after all, Nikky uneasily presented his gift; and nothing untowardhappened. He was rewarded, however, by such a glow of pleasure andgratitude from the boy that his scruples faded.
No Hedwig again, to distract Nikky's mind. The lesson went on; trot,canter, low jumps. And then what Nikky called "stunts," an American wordwhich delighted the Crown Prince.
But, Nikky, like the big child he was himself, had kept his real news tothe last.
Already, he was offering himself on the altar of the child's safety.Behind his smiles lay something of the glow of the martyr. His eyes weresunken, his lips drawn. He had not slept at all, nor eaten. But to theboy he meant to show no failing, to be the prince of playmates, thebrother of joy. Perhaps in this way, he felt, lay his justification.
So now, with the Crown Prince facing toward the Palace again, towardluncheon with his aunt and a meeting with the delegation, Nikky, like anepicure of sensations, said: "By the way, Otto, I found that dog you sawyesterday. What was his name? Toto?"
"Where did you find him? Yes, Toto!"
"I looked him up," said Nikky modestly. "You see, it's like this: He'sa pretty nice dog. There aren't many dogs like him. And I thought--well,nobody can say I can't have a dog."
"You've got him? You, yourself?"
"I, myself. I dare say he has fleas, and they will get in the carpet,but--I tell you what I thought: He will be really your dog, do you see?I'll take care of him, and keep him for you, and bring him out to walkwhere you can see him. Then, when they say you may have a dog, you'vegot one, already. All I have to do is to bring him to you."
Wise Nikky, of the understanding boy's heart. He had brought into thelittle Prince's life its first real interest, something vital, living.And something of the soreness and hurt of the last few hours died inNikky before Prince Ferdinand William Otto's smile.
"Oh, Nikky!" was all the child said at first, and grew silent for veryhappiness. Then: "We can talk about him. You can tell me all the thingshe does, and I can send him bones, can't I? Unless you don't care tocarry them."
This, in passing, explains the reason why, to the eyes of astonishedservants, from that day forth the Crown Prince of Livonia apparentlydevoured his chop, bone and all. And why Nikky resembled, at times, awell-setup, trig, and soldierly appearing charnel-house. "If I amever arrested," he once demurred, "and searched, Highness, I shall beconsigned to a madhouse."
Luncheon was extremely unsuccessful. His Cousin Hedwig looked as thoughshe had been crying, and Hilda, eating her soup too fast, was sent fromthe table. The Crown Prince, trying to make conversation, chose Nikkyas his best subject, and met an icy silence. Also, attempting to put thebone from a chicken leg in his pocket, he was discovered.
"What in the world!" exclaimed the Archduchess. "What do you want of achicken bone?"
"I just wanted it, Tante."
"It is greasy. Look at your fingers!"
"Mother," Hedwig said quietly, "it is his birthday."
"I do not need you to remind me of that. Have I not been up since themiddle of the night, for that reason?"
But she said no more, and was a trifle more agreeable during theremainder of the meal. She was just a bit uneasy before Hedwig thosedays. She did not like the look in her eyes.
That afternoon, attired in his uniform of the Guards, the Crown Princereceived the delegation of citizens in the great audience, chamber ofthe Palace, a solitary little figure, standing on the red carpet beforethe dais at the end. Behind him, stately with velvet hangings, was thetall gilt chair which some day would be his. Afternoon sunlight, comingthrough the long windows along the side, shone on the prisms of theheavy chandeliers, lighted up the paintings of dead and gone kings ofhis line, gleamed in great mirrors and on the polished floor.
On each side of his small figure the Council grouped itself, fat Friese,rat-faced Marschall, Bayerl, with his soft voice and white cheekslighted by hot eyes, and the others. They stood very stiff, in theirwhite gloves. Behind them were grouped the gentlemen of the Court,in full dress and decorated with orders. At the door stood the LordChamberlain, very gorgeous in scarlet and gold.
The Chancellor stood near the boy, resplendent in his dress uniform, ablue ribbon across his shirt front, over which Mathilde had taken hours.He was the Mettlich of the public eye now, hard of features, impassive,inflexible.
In ordinary times less state would have been observed, a smaller room,Mettlich only, or but one or two others, an informal ceremony. But theChancellor shrewdly intended to do the delegation all honor, the Palaceto give its best, that the city, in need, might do likewise.
And he had staged the affair well. The Crown Prince, standing alone, sosmall, so appealing, against his magnificent background, was a pictureto touch the hardest. Not for nothing had Mettlich studied the peop
le,read their essential simplicity, their answer to any appeal to theheart. These men were men of family. Surely no father of a son could seethat lonely child and not offer him loyalty.
With the same wisdom, he had given the boy small instruction, and nospeech of thanks. "Let him say what comes into his head," Mettlich hadreasoned. "It will at least be spontaneous and boyish."
The Crown Prince was somewhat nervous. He blinked rapidly as thedelegation entered and proceeded up the room. However, happening at thatmoment to remember Nikky with the brass inkwell, he forgot himself inamusement. He took a good look at the gold casket, as it approached,reverently borne, and rather liked its appearance. It would have been,he reflected, extremely convenient to keep things in, pencils anderasers, on his desk. But, of course, he would not have it to keep.Quite a number of things passed into his possession and out again withthe same lightning-like rapidity.
The first formalities over, and the Crown Prince having shaken handsnine times, the spokesman stepped forward. He had brought a long,written speech, which had already been given to the newspapers. Butafter a moment's hesitation he folded it up.
"Your Royal Highness," he said, looking down, "I have here a longspeech, but all that it contains I can say briefly. It is your birthday,Highness. We come, representing many others, to present to you ourcongratulations, and--the love of your people. It is our hope"--Hepaused. Emotion and excitement were getting the better of him--"ourhope, Highness, that you will have many happy years. To further thathope, we are here to-day to say that we, representing all classes, areyour most loyal subjects. We have fought for His Majesty the King, andif necessary we will fight for you." He glanced beyond the child at theCouncil, and his tone was strong and impassioned: "But to-day we arehere, not to speak of war, but to present to you our congratulations,our devotion, and our loyalty."
Also a casket. He had forgotten that. He stepped back, was nudged, andrecollected.
"Also a gift," he said, and ruined a fine speech among smiles. But thepresentation took place in due order, and Otto cleared his throat.
"Thank you all very much," he said. "It is a very beautiful gift. Iadmire it very much. I should like to keep it on my desk, but I supposeit is too valuable. Thank you very much."
The spokesman hoped that it might be arranged that he keep it on hisdesk, an ever-present reminder of the love of his city. To this theChancellor observed that it would be arranged, and the affair was over.To obviate the difficulty of having the delegation back down the longroom, it was the Crown Prince who departed first, with the Chancellor.
Altogether, it was comfortably over, and the Chancellor reflected grimlythat the boy had done well. He had made friends of the delegation at atime when he needed friends. As they walked along the long corridors ofthe Palace together, the Chancellor was visualizing another scene, whichmust come soon, pray God with as good result: the time when, the oldKing dead and the solemn bell of the cathedral tolling, this boy wouldstep out on to the balcony overlooking the Place, and show himself tothe great throng below the windows.
To offset violence and anarchy itself, only that one small figure on thebalcony!
Late in the afternoon the King sent for Prince Ferdinand William Otto.He had not left his bed since the day he had placed the matter ofHedwig's marriage before the Council, and now he knew he would neverleave it. There were times between sleeping and waking when he fanciedhe had already gone, and that only his weary body on the bed remained.At such times he saw Hubert, only, strangely enough, not as a man grown,but as a small boy again; and his Queen, but as she had looked manyyears before, when he married her, and when at last, after months ofmarried wooing, she had crept willing into his arms.
So, awakening from a doze, he saw the boy there, and called him Hubert.Prince Ferdinand William Otto, feeling rather worried, did the onlything he could think of. He thrust his warm hand into his grandfather'sgroping one, and the touch of his soft flesh roused the King.
The Sister left them together, and in her small room dropped on herknees before the holy image. There, until he left, she prayed for theKing's soul, for the safety and heavenly guidance of the boy. The windstirred her black habit and touched gently her white coif. She prayed,her pale lips moving silently.
In the King's bedchamber Prince Ferdinand William Otto sat on a highchair, and talked. He was extremely relieved that his exile was over,but he viewed his grandfather, with alarm. His aunt had certainlyintimated that his running away had made the King worse. And he lookedvery ill.
"I'm awfully sorry, grandfather," he said.
"For what?"
"That I went away the other day, sir."
"It was, after all, a natural thing to do."
The Crown Prince could hardly believe his ears.
"If it could only be arranged safely--a little freedom--" The King laystill with closed eyes.
Prince Ferdinand William Otto felt uneasy. "But I am very comfortable,and--and happy," he hastened to say. "You are, please, not to worryabout me, sir. And about the paper I threw at Monsieur Puaux the otherday, I am sorry about that too. I don't know exactly why I did it."
The King still held his hand, but he said nothing. There were manythings he wanted to say. He had gone crooked where this boy must gostraight. He had erred, and the boy must avoid his errors. He hadcherished enmities, and in his age they cherished him. And now-- "May Iask you a question, sir?"
"What is it?"
"Will you tell me about Abraham Lincoln?"
"Why?" The King was awake enough now. He fixed the Crown Prince withkeen eyes.
"Well, Miss Braithwaite does not care for him. She says he was not agreat man, not as great as Mr. Gladstone, anyhow. But Bobby--that's theboy I met; I told you about him--he says he was the greatest man whoever lived."
"And who," asked the King, "do you regard as the greatest man?"
Prince Ferdinand William Otto fidgeted, but he answered bravely, "You,sir."
"Humph!" The King lay still, smiling slightly. "Well," he observed,"there are, of course, other opinions as to that. However--AbrahamLincoln was a very great man. A dreamer, a visionary, but a great man.You might ask Miss Braithwaite to teach you his 'Gettysburg Address.'It is rather a model as to speech-making, although it contains doctrinesthat--well, you'd better learn it."
He smiled again, to himself. It touched his ironic sense of humor thathe, who had devoted his life to maintaining that all men are not freeand equal, when on that very day that same doctrine of liberty wasundermining his throne--that he should be discussing it with the smallheir to that throne.
"Yes, sir," said Prince Ferdinand William Otto. He hoped it was not verylong.
"Otto," said the King suddenly, "do you ever look at your father'spicture?"
"Not always."
"You might--look at it now and then. I'd like you to do it."
"Yes, sir."