A Princess Prays by Barbara Cartland Page B

was more or less the situation except that her father wanted her to marry someone much more important and certainly richer than I was.”
    â€œBut she loved you,” questioned Attila.
    â€œShe loved me,” Father Jozsef repeated, “and our love was the real love, which you, my dear Princess, are seeking.”
    â€œThen what happened?”
    There was silence as if the Father could not bear to speak about it. Eventually he replied,
    â€œShe contracted a fever for which there was no cure in those days.”
    â€œAre you saying,” she whispered, “that she died?”
    â€œShe died in my arms, telling me with her very last breath that she loved me.”
    The way he spoke made tears come to Attila’s eyes.
    â€œI am sorry, so very sorry, Father.”
    â€œNow you understand,” he continued with a tremor in his voice, “why I then entered the Church and dedicated my life to helping others not only spiritually, but, when I was able, physically.”
    â€œI wondered how you knew so much about illness. So many, many people must be grateful to you.”
    â€œEvery time I heal someone, I think it could have happened to the one I loved so much. If only I had known not only about medicine, but the power of prayer.”
    â€œYou have done so much good for the world, but it is very very sad that you lost the girl you loved. What was her name?”
    â€œShe had the same name as the beloved Mother of Christ, but I called her – Marie.”
    â€œWherever Marie is now she must be very proud of how saintly you are and the many people you have healed.”
    Father Jozsef rose to his feet and walked away.
    Attila knew he wanted to be alone to think of Marie who he had loved.
    There could never be another woman in his life.
    He was a Priest and entirely on his own and there was no one to share his work or his thoughts with him.
    â€˜It is so very sad,’ thought Attila. ‘But if it had not happened many others would have suffered. Without Father Jozsef to heal them they would have died or perhaps never known love.’
    At the same time her heart bled for Father Jozsef.
    She wanted desperately for him to be happy.
    When she went to bed, he still had not returned from his walk and Attila worried in case he was doing too much.
    When she heard him return and enter the carriage, she was relieved.
    She was tired and fell asleep immediately.
    *
    She only awakened when she heard Father Jozsef moving about and the horses being put between the shafts.
    When they set off again, it was another lovely day.
    Now Attila felt more relaxed.
    Yesterday, although she told herself it was totally unnecessary, she had kept glancing over her shoulder just in case there were soldiers following them.
    She knew that her stepmother would be so angry when she found them gone that she was quite capable, without discussing it with her father, of sending the Palace guards in search of her.
    They were now leaving the grassland behind them, but the air was still filled with birds and butterflies.
    At noon on the third day of their journey Attila saw a tall mountain ahead where the Shrine of St. Janos was situated.
    As they drew nearer there were one or two pilgrims just like themselves. They were either walking slowly, as if they had travelled a long distance or riding a horse or donkey.
    Most of the pilgrims seemed to be young and she thought that perhaps like herself they were going to the Shrine to ask for love.
    Reaching the mountain, they could only go a little way up on horseback before the rough track came to an end.
    There was a place at the side of the mountain where the carriage and horses could stand.
    It was then, looking at the steep path ahead of them, that Attila approached Father Jozsef,
    â€œYou are really certain, Father, that it will not be too much for you?”
    He smiled at her.
    â€œI will be alright if I take it slowly, my child. After all we have come a long way to