sons in the grand duchy. Outwardly she was
composed. She made a curtsy to which the duke replied with his most
formal bow of state. The sparkle of amusement was in his eyes.

"The little goose-girl!" he said half-audibly.

"Yes, Highness." Gretchen's face was serious and her eyes were mournful.
She carried an envelope in her hand tightly.

"Come to me, Gretchen," said the princess.

"What is it?"

Gretchen's eyes roamed undecidedly from the duke to Herbeck.

"She is dead, Highness, and I found this letter under her pillow."

It was Herbeck's hand that took the envelope. But he did not open it at
once.

"Dead?" Hildegarde's eyes filled.

"Who is dead?" demanded the duke.

"Emma Schultz, father. Oh, I know you will forgive me for this
deception. She has been in Dreiberg for a month, dying, and I have often
stolen out to see her." She let her tears fall unrestrained.

The duke stared at the rug. Presently he said: "Let her be buried in
consecrated ground. Wrong or right, that chapter is closed, my child,
and I am glad you made her last moments happy. It was like you. It was
like your mother. What is in the letter, Herbeck?"

Herbeck was a strong man; he was always far removed from tears; but
there was a mist over the usual clarity of his vision. He ripped down
the flap. It was only a simple note to her serene highness, begging her
to give the enclosed banknotes to one Gretchen who lived in the
Krumerweg. The notes represented a thousand crowns.

"Take them, little goose-girl," said the duke; "your ship has come in.
This will be your dowry."

An icy shiver ran up and down Gretchen's spine, a shiver of wonder,
delight, terror. A thousand crowns! A fortune!

"Hold out your hand," requested Herbeck. One by one he laid the notes on
the goose-girl's hand. "This is only a just reward for being kind and
gentle to the unfortunate."

"And I shall add to it another thousand," said Hildegarde. "Give them to
me, father."

In all, this fortune amounted to little more than four hundred dollars;
but to Gretchen, frugal and thrifty, to whom a single crown was a large
sum, to her it represented wealth. She was now the richest girl in the
lower town. Dreams of kaleidoscopic variety flew through her head.
Little there was, however, of jewels and gowns. This vast sum would be
the buffer between her and hunger while she pursued the one great
ambition of her life--music. She tried to speak, to thank them, but her
voice was