tage, had their own
ideas of the meaning of the play and their own estimate of the
importance of the characters. They all fitted into their places in my
conception of it, so that not one was superfluous; all were needed, and
all worked in unconsciousness to heighten the irony, to point the
comedy, and to frame the tragedy in its most effective, most incongruous
setting. For in this real life the stage-manager takes no pains to have
all things in harmony nor to lead us through gradual and well-attempered
emotions to the climax of exalted feeling, nor to banish from our sight
all that jars and clashes with the pathos of the piece. Rather he works
by contrasts, by strange juxtapositions, by surprises, careless how many
of the audience follow his mind, not heeding dissatisfaction or
pleasure, recking nothing whether we applaud or damn his play.

Well, here was I, Augustin, twenty years of age, and determined to reign
alone. And my Countess was gone to Paris. Did you look down from heaven,
old Hammerfeldt? Victoria thought you did. Well, then, was not the boy's
work absurdly, extravagantly, bravely done?

CHAPTER XIV.

PLEASURE TAKES LEAVE TO PROTEST.

During the months that followed the departure of the Sempachs I engaged
myself busily in public affairs, in the endeavour to gain better
acquaintance with the difficult trade which was mine. I do not throw off
impressions lightly, and I was disinclined for gaiety, or for more
society than the obligations of my position demanded. My mother approved
of my zeal; a convinced partisan, she enjoyed that happy confidence in
her own views which makes people certain that everybody can study their
opinions only to embrace them. Attention is the sole preliminary to
conversion. I will not speak further of this matter here than to say
that I was doomed to disappoint Princess Heinrich in this respect. I am
glad of it. The world moves, and although it is very difficult for
persons so artificially situated as I have been to move with it, yet we
can and must move after it, lumbering along in its wake more or less
slowly and awkwardly. We hold on this tenure; if we do not perform
it--well, we end in country-houses in England.

It was, I suppose, owing to these occupations that I failed to notice
the relations between Victoria and her husband until they had reached a
rather acute crisis. Either from a desire to re-enforce the number of my
guardian angels, or merely because they foun