Chapter I: Front Matter

THE KING'S MIRROR

A NOVEL

BY ANTHONY HOPE

Author of The Chronicles of Count Antonio--The Prisoner of Zenda--The God in the Car--Phroso--Rupert of Hentzau, etc.

NEW YORK D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 1899

COPYRIGHT, 1898, 1899, BY ANTHONY HOPE HAWKINS.

_All rights reserved_.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE I.--A PIOUS HYPERBOLE 1 II.--A BIRD WITHOUT WINGS 11 III.--SOME SECRET OPINIONS 22 IV.--TWO OF MY MAKERS 34 V.--SOMETHING ABOUT VICTORIA 47 VI.--A STUDENT OF LOVE AFFAIRS 60 VII.--THINGS NOT TO BE NOTICED 73 VIII.--DESTINY IN A PINAFORE 84 IX.--JUST WHAT WOULD HAPPEN 96 X.--OF A POLITICAL APPOINTMENT 109 XI.--AN ACT OF ABDICATION 122 XII.--KING AT A PRICE 136 XIII.--I PROMISE NOT TO LAUGH 151 XIV.--PLEASURE TAKES LEAVE TO PROTEST 165 XV.--THE HAIR-DRESSER WAITS 179 XVI.--A CHASE OF TWO PHANTOMS 193 XVII.--DECIDEDLY MEDIÆVAL 207 XVIII.--WILLIAM ADOLPHUS HITS THE MARK 219 XIX.--GREAT PROMOTION 233 XX.--AN INTERESTING PARALLEL 248 XXI.--ON THE ART OF FALLING SOFT 261 XXII.--UT PUTO, VESTIS FIO 275 XXIII.--A PARADOX OF SENSIBILITY 290 XXIV.--WHAT A QUESTION! 304 XXV.--A SMACK OF REPETITION 318 XXVI.--THE SECRET OF THE COUNTESS 334 XXVII.--OF GRAZES ON THE KNEE 349 XXVIII.--AS BEDERHOF ARRANGED 363

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FACING PAGE "I'm not a king for my own pleasure" _Frontispiece_ Hammerfeldt came to me and kissed my hand 43 The firelight played on the hand that held the screen 102 "My ransom," said I. "The price of my freedom" 148 "On my honour, a pure accident," said Varvilliers 215 "Why, what brings you here?" I cried 262 "My dear friend, have you forgotten me?" 293 "I'll try--I'll try to make you happy" 342

THE KING'S MIRROR.