he appeared at supper: they were supping elsewhere, with a select
circle; and the whisper ran among us, His Majesty was treating him with
great friendliness. At which the Queen, contrary to hope, could not
conceal her secret pique. "In fact," says Wilhelmina, again too hard
on Mamma, "she did not love her children except as they served her
ambitious views." The fact that it was I, and not she, who had achieved
the Prince's deliverance, was painful to her Majesty: alas, yes, in some
degree!

"Ball having recommenced, Grumkow whispered to me, 'That the King was
pleased with my frank kind ways to my Brother; and not pleased with my
Brother's cold way of returning it: Does he simulate, and mean still to
deceive me? Or IS that all the thanks he has for Wilhelmina? thinks his
Majesty. Go on with your sincerity, Madam; and for God's sake admonish
the Crown-Prince to avoid finessing!' Crown-Prince, when I did, in some
interval of the dance, report this of Grumkow, and say, Why so changed
and cold, then, Brother of my heart? answered, That he was still
the same; and that he had his reasons for what he did." Wilhelmina
continues; and cannot understand her Crown-Prince at all:--

"Next morning, by the King's order, he paid me a visit. The Prince," my
Husband, "was polite enough to withdraw, and left me and Sousfeld alone
with him. He gave me a recital of his misfortunes; I communicated mine
to him,"--and how I had at last bargained to get him free again by my
compliance. "He appeared much discountenanced at this last part of
my narrative. He returned thanks for the obligations I had laid on
him,--with some caressings, which evidently did not proceed from the
heart. To break this conversation, he started some indifferent topic;
and, under pretence of seeing my Apartment, moved into the next room,
where the Prince my Husband was. Him he ran over with his eyes from head
to foot, for some time; then, after some constrained civilities to him,
went his way. "What to make of all this?" Madam Sonsfeld shrugged
her shoulders; no end of Madam Sousfeld's astonishment at such a
Crown-Prince.

Alas, yes, poor Wilhelmina; a Crown-Prince got into terrible cognizance
of facts since we last met him! Perhaps already sees, not only what a
Height of place is cut out for him in this world, but also in a dim
way what a solitude of soul, if he will maintain his height? Top of the
frozen Schreckhorn;--have you well considered such a position! And even