A German Pompadour

woman felt herself to be a criminal before some harsh, implacable judge. The phrases she had prepared in her mind during the two days sinc

such force that the knuckles showed bluey white; otherwise the man might have been made of stone and his eyes of metal, so motionless and rigid was the whole figure. He had entere

emoiselle de Gr?venitz. I required her services no longer; she did not please

Duchess replied by an angry outburst, a hailstorm of reproaches, before which Eberhard Ludwig remained silent, cold, rigidly self-contained. The Duchess paused; it was like beating one's hand against some adamantine

ill she be admitted to any court festivities wherein I take part.' She turned away; her despairing consciousness of ultimate humiliation seemed to choke her, though her very defeat was transformed to a moral victory by

me. Have a mistress, if need be,' this last bitterly, 'but at least do not cause her to be my companion. It is not fitting.' The blood rushed to the Duke's face. 'Mademoiselle de G

rode in from Urach, and had greeted him with the news of Wilhelmine's flight. The good lady was genuinely distressed, and had made unceasing search in the town, but naturally no one had thought of seeking in the Judengasse behind the Leonards Kirche. Wilhelmine seemed to have vanished off the face of the earth, and there were not wanting murmurers among the Duchess's servitor

p to Madame de Ruth's dwelling-room, and after some deliberation summoned Forstner and charged him with the unpleasant duty of leading a search party which was supplied with a ducal warrant to enter all houses of every grade in Stuttgart. Forstn

e on the moonlit night of the theatricals three months ago. He flung himself down upon the stone bench where they had sat together. He covered his eyes with his hands, he was tortured with memories, thrilled again to past raptures; his desire was aroused, inc

ve, my mistress!' he said aloud. Ridiculous poet-f

him. The storm delighted him, it answered to his tempestuous mood. He turned away from the castle and walked in the direction of the garden boundary on the south side, passing the drawbridge over the disused and flower-filled moat of the castle wall. What would have been his emotions had he known that his fancy led him to wander whither Wilhelmine had passed but three days before? He came to the garden's limit and stood looking towards the dimly discernible openings of several narrow stre

t any errand undertaken, and continued, in a downpour must be for a purpose of paramount importance. So he wa

reached him; 'whither away so fast, and what may h

a garden guard, the child ducked forward and would have made a bolt past his interrogator. But the Duke, who was amused and half-suspicious of the

of the third person singular seemed to anger the boy, who stood silent and sullen, with be

concern is it of yours?'

this boy be slinking to the castle by night? His Highness disliked mysteries, or thought he did; though, as a matter of fact, he was always attracted by the mysterious, afraid of it, yet anxious to unravel. He gave the boy another shake. It was a physical relief to shake some one

s, but he met the Duke's half-laughing, ha

, feeling distinctly ashamed. 'Will h

ps-a little jewel which glittered in the boy's coat. It was exposed t

ng the boy by the arm once more, 'wher

Ludwig's shins with all the violence he could muster. 'A lady gave it to me,

who gave you that jewel, I alone can be of assistance.' In his voice lay s

ow to find him. The lady says I am to go to the castle and ask for Madame de Ruth, who will

ed his face with his hands, shivered as though from an ague fit. When the man took his hands from before his fac

take me to he

s the reply. 'I am to tell her where the D

! a century to pass! No! Boy, take me to her

o me than yours.' The boy threw up his head proudly. Even in his passionate impat

'you are perfectly correct, and I stand reproved; but at least do me the honour to carr

e had dubbed him. The summer storm had passed, leaving a delicious freshness in the air and a fragrance which penetrated from the gardens to the Duke. Eberhard Ludwig stood waiting near the entrance to the narrow street or gangway, where the overhanging roofs dripped large splashing drops upon the unpaved earth below. Now that realisation was in all probability so near, his wild desire for Wilhelmine seemed to have passed; a curious anxiety had taken its place. How strange, the Duke reflected, that loss or absence should enhance the value of the beloved. He tried to conjure up his agony of longing for his mistress. What mad rapture, could he have clasped her at the moment of tremendous desire which had been his half an hour earlier in the castle garden! Are we really only children crying for the moon? and if the moon were given to us, should we but throw it away into the nearest ditch-merely another broken toy? he thought. These moods of Eberhard Ludwig's were frequent. Like all poets, he had a vein of melancholy, a tendency to indulge himself in a

urned quickly, in his excitement not noting that the steps came from the direction of the castle garden. He started forward with outstretched arms.

angrily, 'it is intolerable to be thus followed!

orstner begged to be permitted to accompany his Highness. 'This is not a part of the town where it is fitting your Highness should be alone at night.' The reproving tone of the schoolmas

tner, you insufferable ass!' The words br

nity. 'Were that term applied to me by any but my

e-I beg your forgiveness; you are an excellent fell

beg you to consider

don't go-now, at once, and leave me alone, upon my

ied Forstner, 'I am ready t

elmine would appear, and Forstner was not a person he desired as witness either t

when the Duke heard a laugh coming from the gloom of the shadowed Judengasse. It was a laugh whi

hness whispered over his shoulder into the darkness

asked the too-devoted friend,

elf to cough vigorously, for behind him from the darkened street ther

and into them he received the stately form of his mistress, who lay upon his breast; fo

he scene was really beyond me. I heard all, and oh! Forstner was so droll, and you too.' She began

with Wilhelmine, had broken the charm of his pensive mood; and besides, the Duke knew from experience that when Wilhelmine began to laugh like that he would probably hear no serious word from

have been since the Duchess-since the Duchess--' he hesitated,

your Highness, that is my secret. I have always a hiding-place whither I can vanish when you are not good to me. Shall I disappear again? I have but to say a mystic word and

t matters it where you were; you are he

re the words men say to their wives, not to their--'

nature and love! This is a more holy thing than marriage-nay, this is true marriage!' It was the eternal lie of lovers:

unted and insulted. But come, now, we cannot discuss this here. Will you tell me where

f my roof to-night,' he said gravely; 'to-m

was bitter again. Was there ever such a difficult wom

d I pray you, never call your house a mistress's establ

and meaning exa

an does, thinking it a tribute to her own especial dignity when it is often only a deft trick of speec

disturbance. When they reached the first floor, where dwelt the Duchess Johanna Elizabetha, and would have passed on to gain Wilhelmine's apartments, they found themselves confronted by a group of persons talking in excited whispers. Prelate Osiander, certainly not one whom Eberhard Ludwig desired as a witness

ly in a loud tone. The assembled persons turn

death, and your Highness was not to be found for all our search,' he

' asked Eberhard Ludwig

hing to one of the Duchess's robust physique. Dr. Schubart is occupied in bleedi

ened, and Monsieur le Docteur Schubart, first docto

returned from her strange swoon. I have the honour to announce that

nity and sober goodness in the Prelate's whole being which never failed to impress Wilhelmine, and she felt his entire ignoring of her to be a heavy public reproof from a competent judge. There was a moment's awkward silence when the Prelate cease

lad to see you,'

ritated, replied calmly: 'Yes, I have returned

and that the poet in love is a perfectly unaccountable being. Eberha

wer tone, which was yet perfectly audible to most of the assembled company: 'The rain-cloud brought back sunshine to us. A flash of lightning carried her fr

ss's waiting-women, heard the unwise words. When Wilhelmine swept past them on her way to her chamber they