mlocution. The princess will not dare to oppose my wishes; she
knows that it is the duty of an obedient daughter to accept the husband
her father has selected for her. Go to the empress, Metternich; I shall
go to the Archduchess Maria Louisa."

CHAPTER LV.

THE ARCHDUCHESS MARIA LOUISA.

The imperial princes and princesses had just dined together, as had been
their custom since the reign of the Emperor Joseph, and were still in
the large dining-hall, which was also the play-room of the imperial
children. The Emperor Francis, who had recently married his fourth wife,
had children by his second marriage only, but numerous enough to secure
the continued existence of the dynasty, and, at the same time, furnish
beautiful princesses to other sovereign houses. Of these five daughters
and two sons, Maria Louisa, who was seventeen years old, was the eldest.
But though a grown young lady, she liked to be together with her younger
brothers and sisters, and remained sometimes with them after dinner, in
order to participate in their merry play and conversation. On this
occasion, instead of returning with the mistress of ceremonies to her
room, she remained with her brothers and sisters in the dining-hall.
While the younger princes and princesses were engaged in playing round a
large table, the two oldest, the archduchesses Maria Louisa and
Leopoldine, retired into one of the bay-windows to converse without
being disturbed.

It was a charming sight--those two young ladies standing in the niche,
surrounded by curtains as in a frame, and whose beauty seemed to have
caught a celestial radiance from the light beaming through the windows.
Both were in the morning of their age, but Maria Louisa, the older
sister, was even more attractive than Leopoldine. Thick ringlets of
light-brown hair floated around her forehead. She had large azure eyes,
telling of her happiness and the kindly emotions of her soul. Her
finely-cut nose gave an aristocratic expression to her countenance,
while her crimson lips, in their voluptuous fulness, contrasted not
unfavorably with the remarkable refinement of the rest of her features.
An enchanting smile played about her mouth, and spoke of her noble
simplicity and innocence.

She encircled the neck of her younger sister with her arms, and was
gazing at her with a tender expression. "Ah, Leopoldine," she said to
her in a sweet voice, "how happy I am that we are at length together
again! When I remai