THE KING OF THE BLACK MOUNTAINS
The most interesting figure in South-Eastern Europe was King Nikita.
He ruled over the smallest patch of country that can call itself a
kingdom, but he is, perhaps, a more consummate diplomatist than any
of his fellow Balkan monarchs who have been swayed by the King of
Montenegro without suspecting it. He has great influence in a number
of countries. This is due to his extraordinary foresight. He had a
family of girls, who came of untainted stock, with a family reputation
for sound health, both physical and mental. Surrounded by his handsome
family, he realised that Europe was tired of German princesses--that
their presence in every Court of Europe was unpleasing to many
monarchs, who did not wish German women to know State secrets and
to be in a position to pass them on to powerful relatives at home.
He appears to have made a complete study of the subject of royal
marriages. His girls, unlike the ordinary Balkan princesses, were
brought up very simply. It is even reported that they were able to
milk the cows and goats that strayed near the country home where they
were educated. They had a training in practical housework, which took
the place of the frivolities that usually go to make up princesses’
lives. When they became of marriageable age, Nikita secluded them more
carefully than before. No breath of scandal ever touched them. But
their good qualities were reported far and wide, and did not escape
those monarchs who were in search of a wife for the heir to the throne.
Nikita managed to secure the throne of Italy for one daughter. The
Italians are always grateful to the King for bestowing his daughter
upon their ruler. The children that have been born to him are healthy
beyond those of any of the aristocrats that surround the throne, for
they inherit the sound constitution of their grandfather, the heartiest
and halest man in Europe. The Grand Duke who took a daughter of the
King of Montenegro to preside over his vast estates in Russia has never
regretted his choice. Although both men have a needy father-in-law,
and perhaps grudge the money that frequently flows to Cettinje, they
have secured wives with virtues that are worth much gold. The King of
Montenegro enjoyed immunity from attack because of his highly placed
sons-in-law, and was able to play a part in the politics of Europe
that would not have been possible under other circumstances. After
having taken the title of King instead of Prince, he came to Vienna
to pay his first visit in the new capacity. Emperor Francis Joseph,
ever ready to support all dignitaries, received him in a worthy
manner, putting a suite of rooms reserved for kings at his disposal.
King Nikita, who was seldom seen in Vienna, was decidedly popular,
and the crowd showed great enthusiasm in welcoming him. He managed
to enhance the importance of his visit by a circumstance that caused
much speculation at the time. It was arranged that Nikita should go
to the races and watch the Austrian “Derby,” the closing event of the
early summer season. He was accompanied by Archduke Francis Ferdinand
and Duchess Hohenberg and a number of other members of the Imperial
family, who always crowded into the Imperial box at the races, as they
are all intensely interested in all that concerns horses. The King of
Montenegro is also interested in everything connected with outdoor
sports, and looked forward to the event. Early on that Sunday morning
the rumour was circulated in Vienna that an attempt was to be made upon
the life of the visitor. Why anyone should wish to assassinate the King
of Montenegro was a mystery--whether the King had the report circulated
himself to increase his importance, or what it meant, was not clear.
All Vienna hurried down, in spite of the blazing heat; no one wished
to be absent at such a time. The police had taken precautions, which
showed that they at least anticipated something. Every visitor to the
Imperial enclosure had to walk through a long line of detectives and
diplomatic agents. If none of them recognised him, he was followed
and carefully hustled, as if by accident, into a corner far off the
Imperial box. Other detectives crowded him and ascertained whether he
had a bomb about his person by bumping against him. Persons in official
capacities were, on the contrary, propelled as if by some unseen force
to the front of the box, where they were forced to remain by pure
physical pressure of the cordon of police in plain clothes, in spite
of the blazing sun that beat down on the racecourse. The old King came
into the box. Duchess Hohenberg sat at his right, and entertained him
in her best and most vivacious manner. He greatly appreciated the
trouble that she was taking with him in pointing out the different
horses and telling him which colours belonged to this great aristocrat
or that great politician. Archduchess Maria Annunziata, the abbess of
a Bohemian convent, who had been charged with the task of conversing
with the King, was only too willing to relinquish her seat of honour
and to retire to the back to watch the racing with one of the juvenile
Archdukes. The King watched the pretty woman by his side with
admiration; her animation pleased him. Nikita felt in his element, the
most important man in the place. He did not cut a bad figure even among
the Austrian and Hungarian Archdukes, who are finely-built men, many of
them being extraordinarily handsome. After the event of the afternoon
was run and the cheering had ceased, the King, Archduke and Duchess
departed, as is the custom of royalty. The members of the Imperial
family stayed to watch the rest of the events, and only left five
minutes before the end.
Upon the departure of the King and the Archduke the police cordon
immediately relaxed. Persons who had been sandwiched in to form part
of the buffer that protected the Imperial box had free passage.
The feeling of oppression, of expectation, relaxed. But still there
was no explanation of the mysterious threats against the life of so
unimportant a sovereign as the King of Montenegro. In the light of
after events it occurred to many who assisted at that running of the
Derby that it was the life of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand which
was sought on that day. It was the first time for many months that
he had appeared in public, and the dislike felt for him both by the
people and by his near relatives had reached a dangerous pitch. No
such tragedy as happened later at Sarajevo took place simply because
the Austrian police was so efficiently organised and so powerful that
it could prevent anything of the sort by a process of elimination. The
same process might be witnessed every summer in Ischl, where no one was
allowed to take up his residence unless he could give a satisfactory
account of himself to the police. This was easy in Austria-Hungary, as
there was no shifting population to be dealt with. An exact record of
the past life of every person resident within the empire is kept. All
suspects are watched. Thus Austria was the safest place in Europe for
monarchs.
King Nikita departed as he had arrived, amid the acclamations of the
population. He had been gratified by the invitation, and King Peter of
Servia had been correspondingly humiliated. He had never been invited
to come to the Austro-Hungarian Court. This was a standing source of
annoyance to the Serbs, who considered that it would have given him the
prestige that he somehow lacked. They considered that the tragedy that
had preceded his accession to the throne should be forgotten after the
lapse of years. Emperor Francis Joseph, one of whose chief aims in life
is the maintenance of the dignity of rulers and the magnifying of the
vocation of kings, did not take this view. He said that as long as he
lived King Peter should never come to Vienna. It would, perhaps, have
been better had less been done to honour the King of Montenegro under
these circumstances. In this and many other trifling affairs the wounds
already inflicted upon Servian _amour propre_ were kept open instead of
being allowed to heal.