rals by any means. But this
liaison was a national misfortune Especially to all supporters of
the Obrenovitches. Not only under these circumstances could there be
no legitimate heir to the throne but a matrimonial alliance with one
of the Great Powers was desired by the country. By 1899 the
situation had become acute. The spectacle of Alexander waiting in
the street till Draga chose to admit him was a national scandal.

He was repeatedly approached on the subject, both by his father and
the nation, but Draga held him in a firm grip. Enmeshed as he knew
he was in hostile intrigues, surrounded by spies and traitors, and
himself a fool at best, maybe the luckless youth regarded her indeed
as the one human creature for whom he had any affection or trust. Be
that as it may Alexander, under her influence, promised his father
and Vladan Georgevitch that he would marry if a suitable match could
be arranged. He persuaded them to leave the country to visit a
foreign Court with this object, and so soon as they had gone he
publicly and formally announced his betrothal to Draga, and informed
his father of the fact by letter. Milan, horrified, replied that the
dynasty would not survive the blow, and that even a mere lieutenant
would scorn such a match.

The Russian Minister Mansurov, however, called at once to offer his
congratulations to Alexander, and called also upon Draga. It has
even been suggested that Russia arranged the affair, and that Draga
was her tool. This is, however, improbable. It was more likely the
achievement of an ambitious and most foolish woman. But that Russia
jumped at it as the very best means of compassing Alexander's ruin
cannot be doubted, for no less a person than the Tsar accepted the
post of Kum (Godfather) at the wedding, thus publicly announcing his
approval of the marriage at which he was represented by a proxy,
when it was celebrated at Belgrade shortly afterwards. Alexander
never saw either of his parents again. Milan resigned the command of
the army and retired to Austria and his stormy and variegated career
came to an end in the following year. He was only forty-seven at the
time of his death, but had compressed into those years an amount of
adventure unusual even in the Balkans.

Alexander's marriage, as doubtless foreseen by Russia, soon proved
disastrous. Draga, having achieved her ambition and mounted the
throne, showed none of the ability of Theodora. Clever enough to
captivate the feebl