But at this particular juncture, when the curtain is drawn up on certain scenes and incidents in his life-drama, a change had been effected in his opinions and surroundings. For eighteen years after his marriage, he had lived on the first step of the Throne as its next heir; and when he passed that step and ascended the Throne itself, he seemed to have crossed a vast abyss of distance between the Old and the New. Behind him the Past rolled away like a cloud vanishing, to be seen no more,--before him arose the dim vista of wavering and uncertain shadows, which no matter how they shifted and changed,--no matter how many flashes of sunshine flickered through them,--were bound to close in the thick gloom of the inevitable end,--Death. This is what he was chiefly thinking of, seated alone in his garden-pavilion facing the sea on that brilliant southern summer morning,--this,--and with the thought came many others no less sad and dubious,--such as whether for example, his eldest son might not already be eager for the crown?--whether even now, though he had only reigned three years, his people were not more or less dissatisfied under his rule? His father, the late King, had died suddenly,--so suddenly that there was neither help nor hope for him among the hastily summoned physicians. Stricken numb and speechless, he kept his anguished eyes fixed to the last upon his son, as one who should say--“Alas, and to thee also, falls this curse of a Crown!” Once dead, he was soon forgotten,--the pomp of the Royal obsequies merely made a gala-day for the light-hearted Southern populace, who hailed the accession of their new King with as much gladness as a child, who, having broken one doll, straightway secures another as good, if not better. As Heir-Apparent the succeeding sovereign had won great popularity, and was much more generally beloved than his father had been,--so that it was on an extra high wave of jubilation and acclamation that he and his beautiful consort were borne to the Throne.