Show G U RING IN THE BREAD The Czar Nicholas who died In 155 is one sovereign who made a love match He courted Princess Charlotte of Prussia Prus-sia the eldest daughter of Frederick W II liam III when he was a grand duke and not the heir expectant to the Russian crown The princess when it was considered that her education was completed received re-ceived from her old governess a small anticue ring and at once began ti wear it habitually About a year af tt r the gift was made Grand Duke Nicholas came to visit at her fathers court Hi fell In love with her and with charai eristic impetuosity and firmness he then and there determined she should be his wife One day as he sat by her at dinner he spoke to her of his approaching df parture and then declare it depended on her whether or not he prolonged his stay in Berlin And what can I do to influent o you said the royal young lady smiling just as any other young lady would In like caseYou must not refuse to receive my addresses So spoke the lover without any beating about the bush You ask much was the coy answer c I ask more than that Give me some encouragement in my efforts to please you youAh that is still more difficult said Princess Charlotte The moment Is ill chosen But the Grand Duke Nicholas was not I easiy put off if he did not win a fair jady it should not be because his he irx was faint I beg said he thit youfu royal highness give me a sign that I m not totally Indifferent to you Thrc Is a little ring on your finger To jossi ss that would make me happy I beg jou give me that ring What give a ring at a dinnertable Before all these people i Let me seepress it into that piece of bread and give it to me Gallant persistence had its reward pressit into the bread and give it to him she did And now comes an IIdd touch In the story the lover examind the ring with an attention thq princess had never given it and ho found what she had never seen an inscription on th Inner side in French and that inscription ran LImperatrice de la Ross The princess had been wearing something that looked like a prophecy but she became be-came wife and a mother before shf was an empress The Emperor Nicholas wore the little ring on IT chain about his neck as long as he lived |