ader of the Serb nation this was a most
bitter pill. Rivalry between the two branches of the Serb race was
intensified. Prince Nikola strove by a remarkable series of
marriages to unite himself to any and all of the Powers by means of
his numerous offspring.

Russia being his "only friend" he aspired to marry one of his elder
daughters to the Tsarivitch. But the poor girl who was being
educated for the purpose in Russia, died young.

Two other daughters he however successfully married to the Grand
Duke Nikola Nikolaievitch and the Grand Duke Peter. With Great
Serbia in view, and on bad terms with the Obrenovitches of Serbia,
he married his daughter Zorka in 1883 to Petar Karageorgevitch, the
exiled claimant to the Serbian throne. Having thus married his elder
children to Russian and Serb he then turned to the Triple Alliance
and married Helena to the Crown Prince of Italy, thus securing an
ally, as he hoped, across the Adriatic; and his heir Prince Danilo
to the daughter of the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg Strelitz. For his
daughter Anna he selected Prince Joseph Battenburg. "How do you
think this young man will do as Prince of Macedonia?" he once
cheerfully asked Mr. Bouchier, to Prince Joseph's embarrassment.

Lastly, in order to have claim on Serbia whichever way the political
cat hopped, he married Prince Mirko to Natalie Constantinovitch,
cousin to Alexander Obrenovitch of Serbia. All that Prince Nikola
could do to conquer Europe by "peaceful penetration" he certainly
did.

Two daughters remained: Princesses Xenia and Vera. Popular report
had it that one was destined for Bulgaria and the other for Greece,
and there was much disappointment when the Princes of those lands
made other choice. Nor I fear are either ladies likely now to mount
thrones.

One error of judgment which has largely helped to thwart Prince
Nikola's hopes is the fact that, alarmed lest foreign luxury should
make his sons discontented with their stony fatherland, he would not
send them abroad to be educated. They were taught at home by a tutor
who was an able man enough, but the future ruler of even a tiny
realm needs a wider experience and training. He further made the
fatal mistake of bringing them up as Princes apart from the people,
whereas he himself had played with village children. As a result
they grew up with exaggerated ideas of their own importance, devoid
of discipline and ignorant of all things most needful for a
successful ruler