pproach the enemies of our lives! With those we are to love it is often
the same. We touch the hand which is fated to give life's gift of joy to
us, and we pass on unconscious that Destiny has spoken. Sometimes we
would barter a year of our life to recall that first touch.

Wilhelmine stood at the foot of the dais before the Duchess, who was
exchanging moth-dull confidences with Madame de Stafforth. The crowd
moved before the girl's eyes, and she felt bewildered, dizzy, in a dream,
for she was unaccustomed to crowds. At length she saw Stafforth coming
towards her. He looked very fine in his court dress: the long, blue silk
overcoat richly embroidered in gold, the embroidered waistcoat of white
satin, white silk hose, and blue satin shoes with high red heels and
enormous diamond buckles. He carried the Oberhofmarshall's staff of
office in his left hand, and on his breast shone the insignia of several
high orders. His curled wig was much powdered, and his healthy, coarse
face seemed to gain in refinement thereby, softened in outline by the
white hair. Very fine was the bow he made as he said: 'Mademoiselle, may
I entreat the honour of your hand for the pavane? Serenissimus dances in
the same set. You know the pavane?' he added anxiously. 'His Highness is
quicker to detect a fault in dancing than to pardon it.'

Wilhelmine had danced the pavane with M. Gabriel in the schoolhouse at
Guestrow, and he had told her that her dancing was perfect enough for the
court of France itself; so she accepted Monsieur de Stafforth's hand
without hesitation.

He led her to the middle of the dancing-hall, and stood beside her,
waiting for the Duke to give the sign to the musicians to commence. It
was scarcely correct for Wilhelmine to dance in the Duke's pavane before
she had been presented to his Highness, but Stafforth told her that the
Duke desired all presentations to be made in the pause after the figure
dance, which was to take place later in the evening. Wilhelmine reflected
that she would be at liberty to observe Eberhard Ludwig at her leisure
during the dance. She looked round, but the Duke was not yet visible.
Stafforth pointed to an alcove, telling her that his Highness was there
talking to Madame de Geyling. At length the curtains of the recess were
pushed aside and a tall figure appeared. Eberhard Ludwig, Duke of
Wirtemberg, leading his favourite, Madame de Geyling, by the hand. A
princely figure indeed, thought Wilhelmine, as