The "naturally" sounded very malicious, for Princess Sophie had known for months that the wife of the Prussian Amba.s.sador was only nineteen years old, but he smiled in the most amiable way as he replied: "Your Highness is very gracious. I can only be grateful that my wife has had the good fortune to make a favorable impression upon you."

"Oh, you cannot doubt it. The Duke and d.u.c.h.ess are quite of my opinion.

Frau von Wallmoden is really a beauty--Prince Adelsberg seems to think so, too. Perhaps you have not observed as yet how very much he admires your wife?"

"Yes, Your Highness, I have observed it."

"Really? And what do you say to it?"

"I?" inquired Wallmoden with perfect tranquillity. "It rests solely with my wife as to whether she will permit the admiration of the Prince. If she finds pleasure in it---- I do not give her any rules in this respect."

"An enviable confidence which our young gentlemen ought to pattern after," said the Princess, vexed that the arrow had missed its aim. "It is surely very agreeable to a young wife if the husband is not jealous.

Ah, there is Frau von Wallmoden herself, with her cavalier, of course, at her side. My dear Baroness, we were just speaking of you."

CHAPTER XXI.

Adelaide von Wallmoden, who had just entered in company with Prince Adelsberg, bowed her recognition of the Princess' notice.

She made, indeed, a brilliant picture to-night, for the splendid court toilet enhanced her beauty triumphantly. The costly brocade of the white dress, which fell to her feet in heavy folds, suited the slender figure admirably. The pearls encircling her throat and the diamonds which sparkled in her blond hair were perhaps the most costly of any worn to-night; but more sharply than ever appeared the cold and serious expression of the young wife. She did not in the least resemble others of her age who were also married, but who claimed the right of youth to dress in dainty laces and flowers. She possessed nothing of their brightness--the urbane amiability which was so fully brought to view in them. The severe, serious expression which was an inheritance from her father, and so indelibly stamped in her nature, betrayed itself in her character.

Egon kissed his exalted aunt's hand, and had been honored with a few gracious words, but from the first, the amiable attention of Her Highness was quite taken up by the young Baroness, who was immediately drawn into conversation.

"I was just expressing my pleasure to His Excellency that you find yourself so quickly at home in our court circle, dear Baroness. You enter these circles to-day for the first time, if I understand aright, and have lived hitherto in entirely different surroundings. You were born a----"

"Stahlberg, Your Highness," was the calm rejoinder.

"Quite right. I remember the name, which has been spoken several times in my presence. It is honorably known in your native town, I presume."

"Most gracious aunt, you must permit me to inform you better," joined in Prince Adelsberg, who seldom permitted an opportunity of vexing his most gracious aunt to pa.s.s by. "The factories of Stahlberg are world-renowned. They are as well known across the ocean as they are here. I had an opportunity to learn all about them when I was in Northern Germany several years ago, and I can a.s.sure you that those works those iron foundries and factories, with their colonies of officers and their army of workmen, can well vie with many a small princ.i.p.ality, whose sovereign, though, is not such an absolute ruler as was the father of Her Excellency."

The Princess cast anything but a friendly glance at her nephew; his interference was not desired.

"Indeed! I had no idea of such magnificence," she said in her most caustic tone. "We may, perhaps, then greet His Excellency as such a ruler?"

"Only as administrator, Your Highness," rejoined the Amba.s.sador. "I am only the executor of my father-in-law's will, and guardian of my young brother-in-law, to whom the works will go when he attains his majority."

"Ah, so? The son will probably know how to keep the inheritance. It is really astonishing what the energy of a single man can do in these days, and it is so much more praiseworthy if he, like the father of our dear Baroness, has come from humble circles. At least I believe I have heard so, or am I mistaken?"

Princess Sophie knew very well that these remarks about the origin of his father-in-law were unpleasant to the Amba.s.sador, a man of old Prussian n.o.bility, and it caused her great satisfaction that the surrounding circle did not lose a word of the conversation, which was intended princ.i.p.ally to humble the lady of burgher descent.

But she was mistaken if she counted upon the Baroness falling into embarra.s.sment or evasion. Instead of that she drew herself up in all her pride.

"Your Highness is quite correctly informed. My father came to the Capital a poor boy without means. He had to struggle hard, and worked for years as a humble laborer, before he laid the foundation to his later enterprises."

"How proudly Frau von Wallmoden says that!" cried the Princess, smiling. "Oh, I love this filial attachment above everything. So Herr Stahlberg--or perhaps _von_ Stahlberg?--the large manufacturers often bear a t.i.tle----"

"My father did not bear it, Your Highness," replied Adelaide, meeting the glance of the royal lady calmly and openly. "A t.i.tle had indeed been offered him, but he refused it."

The Amba.s.sador pressed his thin lips together. He could but find the remark of his wife very undiplomatic. The features of the Princess a.s.sumed an angry expression, and she returned with biting sarcasm: "Well, then, it is a good thing that this aversion has not descended to the daughter. His Excellency will know how to value it. I beg your escort, Egon. I should like to look for my brother."

She bowed to the circle and glided away on the arm of the Prince, whose bearing plainly said:

"Now comes my turn."

He was not mistaken. Her Highness had no thought of finding the Duke, but took a seat in the adjoining room with her young relative, whom she wished to have to herself.

At first her anger burst forth at the unbearably haughty Frau von Wallmoden, who boasted of her father's burgher pride, while she had married a Baron from vanity, for she could not possibly feel any affection for a man old enough to be her father. Egon was silent as to that, for he had already put the same question to himself, How had this unequal match come to take place? without finding an answer to it; but his silence was now an offence.

"Well, Egon, have you nothing to say? But you seem to have sworn allegiance to this lady; you have been constantly at her side."

"I do homage to beauty wherever I meet it; you know that, most gracious aunt," expostulated the Prince. But alas! he only called forth another storm.

"Yes, alas! I know that. In this respect you are of incomprehensible heedlessness. Perhaps you do not remember all my admonishings and warnings before your departure?"

"Ah, only too well," sighed Egon, who even now felt quite stifled with the remembrance of the endless lecture which he had had to endure at that time.

"Really? But you have not returned any more sensible or sedate. I have heard things---- Egon, there is only one salvation for you--you must marry."

"For heaven's sake, anything but that!" Egon started up so terrified that Princess Sophie opened her fan indignantly.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked in cutting tones.

"Oh, only my un worthiness to enter into that state. Your Highness yourself have often a.s.sured me that I was particularly fitted to make a wife _unhappy_."

"If the wife does not succeed in bettering you, of course. I do not despair yet of that. But this is not the place to speak of such things.

The d.u.c.h.ess is planning a visit to Rodeck, and I intend to accompany her."

"What a charming idea!" exclaimed Egon, who was almost as much terrified by the proposed visit as by the thought of marriage. "I am really proud that Rodeck, which is usually such a small, tiresome forest nook, can just now furnish you with some curiosities. I brought many things from my travels, among them a lion, two young tigers, several snakes----"

"But not live ones?" interrupted the horrified lady.

"Of course, Your Highness."

"But, mon Dieu! one is not sure of one's life there."

"Oh, it is not so dangerous, although some of the beasts have broken away from us already--the people are so careless at feeding time; but they have always been secured again, and have not done any harm as yet."

"As yet? That is a charming prospect, indeed," said the Princess angrily. "You put the whole neighborhood in danger. The Duke ought to prohibit you such dangerous playthings."

"I hope not, for I am just now seriously occupied in attempting to tame some of them. But besides these I can show you many domestic things that are worth looking at. There are several girls among my servants from this vicinity who look charming in their peasant costumes."

Egon shuddered at the thought of his female servants "with wagging heads," whom he still employed under Stadinger's careful eye, but he had speculated correctly. His gracious aunt was indignant and measured him with an annihilating glance.

"So? You have such as that at Rodeck!"

"Certainly. There is Lena in particular, the granddaughter of my steward, a charming little thing, and when you give me the honor of your visit, most gracious aunt----"