ntlemen esteemed him, and how great an advantage it had
been to him, Wolf, to possess his friendship; yet she thought proper to
treat the valet with the haughty reserve which beseemed her as the
Emperor's favourite, and which yesterday evening had won the approval of
the Wittenberg theologian and of Wolf.

But Master Adrian appeared to take no notice of her manner, and performed
his errand with businesslike composure.

The Emperor Charles wished to know how she liked her new home.

In reality she had found its beauty and comfort far beyond her
expectations, had clapped her hands in surprise when she was conducted by
the marquise through the new abode, and, under the guidance of the house
steward Steen, had been shown the kitchen, the stable, the four horses,
and the garden. In her reception-room she found a lute and a harp of
exquisitely beautiful workmanship, and a small Milan cabinet made of
ebony inlaid with ivory, in which was a heavy casket bound with silver.
The key had been given to her the evening before by the regent herself,
and when Barbara opened it she discovered so many shining zecchins and
ducats that a long time was occupied when she obeyed Fran Lerch's request
to count them.

The dressmaker from the Grieb was already in her service, and had been a
witness of her sincere delight and grateful pleasure. The second hour
after their arrival she had helped her to employ Frau Lamperi, the maid
whom the steward called the 'garde-robiere', and had already been to the
city herself to buy, for her fortunate "darling" costly but, on account
of the approach of summer, light materials. But she had seen Master
Adrian corning, and, while he was passing through the garden, gave her
the advice by no means to praise what she found here, but to appear as
though she had been accustomed to such surroundings, and found this and
that not quite worthy of her, but needing addition and improvement.

At first Barbara had succeeded in assuming the airs of the spoiled lady,
but when Adrian, with prosaic definiteness, asked for details, and she
saw herself compelled to begin the game of dissimulation anew, it grew
repugnant to her.

To her artist nature every restraint soon became irksome, especially so
unpleasant a one, which was opposed to her character, and ere she was her
self aware of it she was again the vivacious Wawerl, and frankly and
freely expressed her pleasure in the beautiful new things she owed to her
lover's kin