Therefore, I was not at all pleased when the choice fell upon Prince William of Wied. I esteemed him as a distinguished, knightly man of lofty sentiments, but considered him unfitted for the post. The Prince knew altogether too little about Balkan affairs to be able to undertake this thorny task with hope of success. It was. particularly unpleasant to me that a German Prince should make a fool of himself there, since it was apparent from the start that the Entente would place all_ sorts of obstacles in his path. Upon being questioned by the Prince, I told my cousin all my doubts, laying stress upon the difficulties awaiting him, and advised him urgently to decline. I could not command him, since the Prince of Wied, as head of the family, had the final word in the matter.
After the Prince's acceptance of the candidacy offered him by the powers, I received him in the presence of the Chancellor. A certain irresolution in the bearing of the Prince, who contemplated his new task with anything but enthusiasm, strengthened the resolve in me and the Chancellor to try hard once more to dissuade the young candidate from ascending the recently invented Albanian "throne." But in vain. The am-bilious, mystically excited wife of the Prince saw in Albania the fulfiiment of her wishes. And ''ce
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.