e politely assented to the remark, by adding
something about the relaxation necessary to overwrought minds, and the
need that princes should enjoy some repose as well as those of lower
degree. "I can, however, assure your Imperial Highness," said he, "that
this is no caprice of the young Princess. She is really far from well,
and was even unable to receive her own relative this afternoon, the
Count von Dalton."

"What, is old Auersberg a relative of hers?"

"An uncle, or a grand-uncle,--I forget which, sir."

"Then that wild youth in the Franz Carl must be a connection too?"

"The cadet is her brother, sir."

"Indeed! What an extravagant fellow it is! They say that, counting on
being Auersberg's heir, he spends money in every possible fashion; and
as the tradespeople take the succession on trust, his debts are already
considerable. It was only yesterday his colonel spoke to me of sending
him to the Banat, or some such place. His family must be rich, I
suppose?"

"I believe quite the reverse, sir. Poor to indigence. Their entire hope
is on the Count von Auersberg."

"He held a frontier command for many years, and must have saved money.
But will he like to see it in hands like these?"

"I believe--at least so the story goes," said D'Esmonde, dropping his
voice to a whisper, "that the boy's arguments have scarcely assisted his
object in that respect. They say that he told the Count that in times
like these no man's fortune was worth a year's purchase; that when
monarchs were tottering and thrones rocking, it were better to spend
one's means freely than to tempt pillage by hoarding it."

"Are these his notions?" cried the Archduke, in amazement

"Yes; the wildest doctrines of Socialism are his creed,--opinions,
I grieve to say, more widely spread than any one supposes."

"How is this, then? I see the private regimental reports of every corps,
I read the conduct-rolls of almost every company, and yet no hint of
this disaffection has reached me.

"A priest could reveal more than an adjutant, sir," said the Abbe,
smiling. "These youths who fancy themselves neglected,--who think their
claims disregarded,--who, in a word, imagine that some small pretension,
on the score of family, should be the spring of their promotion, are
easily seduced into extravagant ideas about freedom and so forth."

"Austria is scarce the land for such fruit to ripen in," said the
Archduke, laughing. "Let him try France, or the United Sta