Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II THE EMPRESS ELIZABETH EVERY one knows how the Emperor Franz Josef, when he arrived at Possenhofen to celebrate his engagement to Helene, the eldest daughter of Duke Maximilian and Princess Ludovica of Bavaria, accidentally met the little Elizabeth in one of the avenues of the park, and fell straightway in love, and how he insisted upon her joining in the festivities, much to the annoyance of her parents and sisters. " I shall marry no one but the little Elizabeth," said the young Emperor the next morning, when he demanded the hand of this particular Princess; and he was for the moment starting off for his own estates, when the old Duke reluctantly gave his consent. After a few weeks they were married, and the union of this young and handsome couple would have been completely happy had it not been for the inevitable mother-in-law, who has wrecked the early lives of so many of our reigning sovereigns. Archduchess Sophia cared for nobody, or nothing, as long as she continued to reign supreme ; and she hated, at first sight, the beautiful and saint-like Elizabeth. The whole Court, from the first, followed the example of Archduchess Sophia, and seized every opportunity to vex, humiliate and wound the girl-wife. Only a few moments after their return to the Hofburg from a short trip through Bohemia and Moravia, the Empress wished to speak to Franz Josef in his own apartments. At the entrance, which was guarded by several gentle- men-in-waiting, she was respectfully asked what message could be delivered to His Majesty. " Pray stand aside," said the young Empress haughtily, " I am about to speak to His Majesty myself." " Your Imperial Majesty must pardon my reminding Your Imperial Majesty that no one passes into the presence of His Imperial Majesty wit...