The Midnight Wedding

Leopold, brother of the King of Savonia, is, in the absence of direct heirs, Crown Prince of the kingdom and heir to the throne. In face of the laws which declare that members of the royal family must only marry those of blood equal to their own, and without the knowledge of the King Leopold has wedded Stephanie, a beautiful peasant girl, and lives with her in a village in the hills whenever he is able to escape from the court. A year after the marriage he receives an urgent summons from Stephanie, and finds on reaching his mountain home, that a son has been born to him. The fact compels him to inform Stephanie that, by the laws of Savonia, their marriage is illegal and that the child can never be recognized as his heir and successor as ruler of Savonia. Paul grows to manhood in the mountains without knowing his father's name, but on her deathbed Stephanie tells him her unhappy story, and he learns that it is the Crown Prince Leopold who has broken her heart and deserted her at the dictates of worldly ambition. Alone in the world he determines to seek his fortune in Savonia. Satanella, a woman of the woods, has fallen in love with him, but he rejects her advances, and in doing so makes her his enemy for life. Prince Leopold, on the death of Prince von Strelsburg, one of the chief nobles of Savonia writes to the dead man's son and daughter Prince Eugene and Princess Astrea, informing them of their loss and acquainting them of their father's will, which direct that, on attaining her twenty-first birthday, Astrea shall become the wife of Captain Rudolph von Scarsbruck. Scarsbruck, a man of good family but dissolute habits, soon learns that Astrea dislikes him and intends to take full advantage of the two years of freedom left her by the will. He therefore takes advantage of her brother Eugene's weak character to involve him in losses at cards, and getting him into his power by these means, readily obtains his assistance by the promise of 100,000 crowns if his suit is successful. Two years pass, and it is the eve of Astrea's twenty-first birthday. Paul has proved a successful soldier, and to celebrate the winning of his commission, has invited several of his soldier friends to meet him at the "Golden Dragon." Eugene and Scarsbruck are seated at another table in the same inn. Satanella, now living a gay life in the capital, sees and recognizes Paul, and tells Scarsbruck and Eugene of his history. When Paul asks them to drink with him, they contemptuously refuse