in:--

"Where is your son? Tell him that I should be very glad to prove to him
how well I remember our boyish companionship."

The Princess' party drove off. The tall negro, who was sitting behind
the carriage, gazed back for a long time. Sonnenkamp was much out of
temper, and said to Pranken that this visit from the Prince had taken
an incomprehensible turn, which he could not understand; he was unused
to such things. It was clear that it had left him in most decided
ill-humor.

When they returned to the villa. Manna went to Eric and said,--

"The Prince left a special message for you with your mother, and you
are to remember that you were his comrade in boyhood."

Eric answered with frank cordiality:--

"The only gratifying circumstance about the Prince's gracious message,
Fraeulein Manna, is, that you bring it to me."

All looked surprised at this friendly dialogue between Eric and Manna.
Pranken ground his teeth, and clenched his fists at the ready audacity
of the tutor.

"Where have you been?" asked Sonnenkamp, in a tone of reproof.

"I have been talking with the Prince's servant."

Sonnenkamp gave him a peculiar look, and then went to his green-house.

Pranken announced that he must now take his departure; he evidently
expected Manna to raise some opposition, but she said nothing. So he
rode off, leaving a strange feeling of disturbance behind him at the
villa.

CHAPTER II.

DEMONSTRATION OF RESPECT FROM ABOVE.

A flash of lightning in the night-sky makes us fully conscious of the
darkness, and our eyes are blinded. So it was after the departure of
the Prince and Princess; every one sought to avoid the eye of another,
every one went his own way, but no one spoke out his vexation and
disappointment more frankly than the valet Joseph, and the steward
agreed with him; the latter could not say much, because his mouth was
full of the delicacies which had been removed from the table, but he
nodded silently, and became very red in the face. Joseph said:--

"Not to leave a single gratuity behind them! What is there left of the
whole show? Nothing; and at Court there isn't a table better laid and
served, or more handsomely provided. They ought to be ashamed of
themselves! Not to leave a single penny for the servants!"

Such was the fact.

No one, except Aunt Claudine, of whom nobody had thought, could find
any good reason for satisfaction.

Sonn