The Goose Girl

abduction of the Princess Hildegarde. The citizens scowled at his carriage, they scowled at the mention of his name, they scowled whenever they passed the embassy, which stood in the heart

this ill-feeling. The embassy was in all manner the most important in Dre

The king of Jugendheit was to marry her serene highness! It was a bad business,

domo, when, summoned at dusk one evening to the carriage gates, three or four days after the portentous news had issued from t

ragamuffin!" gro

" replied the carter, swin

rdomo spun on his h

iking the iron with the butt of his whip, "if

Could the fellow be crazy? The

know that his excellency will receive no man in your condition. If y

rough the grill. There was

ye on that and admit

. Indeed, a blast from the heav

n, t

ed his way in. That ring on the carter's finger? The m

e to th

ce of the embassy. There he left the strange guest and went in

a man in the office who d

"Upon what pretense did he gain adm

your Excellency, because he

assador wrathfully

He wore a ring on his finger

g, you

h his hand, the majord

ter? What the devil!" The amb

y the ambassador lighted some candles. Ga

cy?" said a voice fr

was not the voice the

ng is far more important. His majesty emphatically

chair, his mind dulled, his s

s?" he m

s uncle's negotia

he ambassador, comin

has become common property in the last forty-eight hou

duke will never swa

ot accompany the king of Prussia into Alsace-L

is hor

il of a

ed the prince to

a wife for him. Politics demanded an alliance between Jugendheit and Ehrenstein. There have been too many years of useless antagoni

this place down,

en thousand more tro

en are a pac

ly, B

ke nothing be

it is

is th

hunting, they say, with th

ave you come dr

ret which I am not at

God, what's

" urb

od will

now. The grand duke will not care to become the laughing-stock of Europe. The prince's advice is for you to go about your affairs as usual. Only one man must be taken into your confidence, and that man is Herbeck. If any one can straighten

is the

best interests of the state. Don't worr

did yo

I have been here befor

princess," remarked t

he king is romantic; she i

ling me everythi

ing you all that is a

m! I have worked so hard and long toward this

I have his letter in my pocket. I am

. I refuse to marry the daughter of the man who privately strove to cover my father with contumely, who dared impute to him a crime that was any man's but my father's. I realize that certain policies called for this stroke on your part, but it can not be. My dear uncle, you have

EDER

cle'!" laughed the carter without mirth. "O

respectful," war

e fellow; he will settle down like his father before h

something

f I dared I would tell you all. But his highness' commands are over m

ese opera

him injustice. Frederick is as mild as Strephon." He gained hi

enstein!" cried the ambassa

your Ex

ent's invisible arm. I have heard a good

garding an American named Carmichael, a consul. He is often

s had her freedom too long not to grow restive under restraint. The American is a pleasant fellow, but not worth considering. Americans will never und

l see the chancellor to-nigh

p us all to straight

n a mountaineer pulls the bell-cord and shows this ring, admit him without fail

sion, should the duke learn? There was but one thing to do and that was to go boldly to Herbeck and lay the matter before him frankly. Neither Jugendheit nor Ehrenstein wanted war. The chancellor was wise; it would be better to dally

th, Baron," was the c

nce regent. It was sent to him by his majesty, who is hunting in

ed it. That so light a thing should be so heavy with dar

id evenly. "You have already hea

, your appearance, the letter

oo much for granted. He has been used to power one day too long. Ah, if his majesty could but se

try greater pleasure and satisfaction, than to see this marriage consu

led; her highness scorned the hand of Frederick. One by one I had to overcome their objections-to this end. The past

cuments are r

, but that has

d duke? For what benefits? To what end? Ah, Count, if some m

ives in action are always based on impulses. But let us waste no time on

ore d

edy do yo

plead that qu

chancellor's gaunt features lighted wi

n, that the duk

ed. G

he matter befor

ll be di

ay that she has changed her mind. His majesty

she has set her heart on the

the ends of

he chancellor pre

fair is no longer in o

s there no way of chan

r, Count," said

d the letter. There was nothing between the line

o her highness?" a

afr

ntents will not g

take t

y young," was the c

s uncle to play the king till the coronation. Imagine it! And the prince has found this authority so pleasant and natural that he took it for granted that his

It was half after six. Her hi

. I shall return the letter by messenger, and

ssador, preparing to take his le

aved a hand as if to explain how futile are the schemes of men. He shook himself free from this idle moment and procee

to-night?" she asked. How fond she was of this

contrary, I am an ogre. I have here a letter. I have given my word that its contents shal

ten this letter?"

he king of Juge

ied, curious. "Should it not be

he end-of a bayonet," solemnly. "If the duke lear

w. This was the bitterest moment

t be necessary to read his majesty's letter. He

or signified

de in her voice and a fl

e that you have change

change their mi

ve often

e of pub

our Hig

fuse to chan

ed to any an

erious. "And what has

t the humiliation of

Listen to me. I declare to you that I am happier at this moment than I have been in days. To marry a man I have never seen, to become the wife of a man who is nothing to me, whose looks, character, and habits are unknown; wh

wise there was no notable change in his appearance. He was always guarding the muscles of his fac

"I know my father; our wills may clash, but

s is not

?" She had not thought of this, and some

ot her dream of romance? But princesses must not have romances. Yo

ncesses marri

ighness will not make

he pleases. Am I a chattel, that I am to

highness loved out of your class, which

with a rebel t

uble. You will, then, tell the duke that you hav

er, you may kiss her serene

me?" The chan

en

ands, but the kiss he put on h

all need the whole room to dance in.

inging. It was the same aria he had heard that me