member, in full standing, of their social body.

CHAPTER II.

THE IGNORANT IS READY TO BE TAUGHT.

Sonnenkamp went from his cabinet to the room of Frau Ceres; she sent
word to him in the ante-chamber by a maid, that she desired to see no
one. Paying no attention to the message, he went in and found her lying
on the sofa, with the curtains drawn, so that in the large room there
was a dusky twilight. Frau Ceres looked at him with her large dark
eyes, but spoke not a word, only extending to him her delicate, small
hand with long finger-nails. He kissed the hand, and then seated
himself by the side of his wife.

There was silence for sometime, and then he began to explain to her
that a nearer approach was to be made to the accomplishment of his plan
through the guest now in the house, for this lady's hand would open the
folding-doors of the apartments of the princely palace.

At the mention of the palace, Frau Ceres raised herself a little; her
restless look showed how she was stirred by hope; for, beyond the sea,
and in all his devious wanderings, Sonnenkamp had always held before
his wife this idea, like some bright fairy-tale, that she would be able
to enter into the court-circle, and it seemed to her as if she were to
be introduced into some heavenly sphere, where everything was
resplendent and glorious, a perpetual round of godlike existence. Such
was the idea Frau Ceres had entertained of court-life. She was aware
now that this was an exaggerated notion, but, wherever she went, she
heard of this good fortune, and saw that every one was striving towards
the court-circle, and she was angry with her husband, that his promises
made so often and so long ago had never been fulfilled. They came to
Europe; they had retired into seclusion, where people said everything
was so beautiful, but whence she was continually expecting to be
summoned to Court.

Why is there so long delay? Why are people so distant? Even Bella, the
only one who exhibited any friendliness, treated her like a parrot,
like some strange bird whose bright plumage she was amused with, but
with whom she had nothing more to do than from time to time to give it
a lump of sugar, and address to it some casual, pretty word. Even the
recollection of her having surpassed all others in splendor at the fete
of Herr von Endlich was only half satisfactory to Frau Ceres.

In the midst of all her apparent listless