| Show COUSIN OF CZAR IS UNDER GUARD duke gabriel constantino vich a cousin of the czar twenty five years old supplies the latest court romance he insists on marrying xe Ivan Iva ovna novina formerly his sisters governess and now his mothers com company pan ion gabriel Is an officer of the household troops and enjoyed life like his comrades up to two months ago then he began to sit kit at the feet ot of xenia whom he had known for years without taking particular notice of her xenia owns to lo being thirty Is dark slim and by no means a beauty people recall the en emperor pauls in fatu atlon for a middle aged maid of honor who had more influence over him than han anyone else dut but gabriels father grand duke Constant Constan lne tind Is of course angry and insists on having the boy banished to some distant province the czar objects saying that sort of punishment has always resulted in lovers getting married so xe has been sent to moscow with a handsome pension which will be stopped the moment she renews association with her highborn high born lover gabriel went mad with disappointment and rage when ho he learned that hla lit love had left the ducal palace it was a long time before he be found out where she bad gone then he determined to follow her and escaped from his rooms by a rope ladder but was caught at the gates and ignominiously hurried buirley back since then ho he has been under a strong guard ostensibly because he committed somo bomp military blunder in his regiment though everybody knows his father Is keeping him from xenia when he has haa been tamed by solitude one of the ducal household Is to organize orgies in the cites night haunts but gabriel tells his mother that nothing will make him forget his dear xenia and that he means to marry her even if he has to wait years those who know him say bay he Is capable of pretending indifference and running oft off to church with xenia as soon as parental vigilance Is relaxed his infatuation remains a nine day wonder at court all efforts parental and otherwise to chaff or bully him out of it having been of no avail an all investigation into his sanity Is being considered |
