r, as he did
every day, Bella nodded graciously, and the Prince also bowed silently,
but in spite of the frequency of their meeting never addressed him.

The Cabinetsrath was present as one of the Court, and with him and an
experienced officer of police, who always hovered about the sovereign
at a distance, Sonnenkamp usually took his morning walk.

Pranken, who had his own independent lodging, but joined himself to the
Sonnenkamp party, was soon initiated into the life of the various
groups.

A beautiful Wallachian, who always went about dressed in deep mourning,
with a black veil upon her head, and spoke to no one, contested with
Sonnenkamp the glory of being the most remarkable object of the season.
It was said that the handsome stranger had had the misfortune to
discover, soon after her marriage, that her husband had another wife.

Manna took no part in the morning gaieties at the spring; after holy
mass, she remained in the house, spending a great portion of her time
in practising on the harp, for which purpose she had chosen a room out
of hearing of the other visitors.

Frau Ceres awakened general excitement, by being taken to the spring
every morning in a chair on wheels. In her lap she always held a little
dog, and in her hand a fresh rose.

Pranken was assiduous in his attention to her, and Fraeulein Perini
never failed to walk by her side. At noon, Frau Ceres appeared
beautifully dressed among the promenaders.

All the visitors at the spring were astonished at this, and every
morning all eyes followed her, in wonder at her allowing herself to be
wheeled through the crowd, though she was in perfect health. But the
lady was unconscious of the anger she excited, and only rejoiced in
what seemed to her the general admiration.

After the first three days, Eric forbade his pupil to go to the spring
in the morning, a regulation which Sonnenkamp remonstrated against,
feeling a pride in the universal admiration the handsome boy received.
But Eric declared that it was impossible to attend to studies after
hearing music in the morning, and the two therefore remained by
themselves. Whenever they appeared abroad, however, men and women alike
agreed that they had never seen a handsomer boy, or a man of more
attractive appearance.

Pranken often complained that the extraordinary favor shown him by the
Sovereign obliged him often to spend whole days away from his friends.

Sonnenkamp could boast of being received