been recognized in aristocratic society,
thanks to his dinners, soirees, balls, fetes, and particularly to
his lovely, spirited, and proud wife. Herr Ebenstreit von Leuthen had
reached the acme of his ambition; his house was the resort of the most
distinguished society; the extravagance and superb arrangements of
his dinners and fetes were the theme of every tongue. This excessive
admiration flattered the vain, ambitious parvenu extremely, and it was
the happiest day of his life when Prince Henry of Prussia, brother of
Frederick the Great, did him the unspeakable honor to dine with him.
This gratifying day he owed to his wife, and, as he said, it ought to be
kept as the greatest triumph of money over prejudice and etiquette--the
day upon which a royal prince recognized the rich and newly-created
noble as his equal. Ebenstreit's entrance into the highest circle of
aristocracy was due to the management and tone of the world of his wife,
who understood the elegancies of life, passing as an example and ideal
of an elegant woman, of which her husband was very proud. He lauded his
original and crafty idea of devoting his money to such a satisfactory
purchase as a sensible and ladylike wife, although the union was not a
happy one, and, in the proper acceptation of the word, no marriage at
all.

Whilst all were entertained at the fetes, and envied the splendor and
wealth of Baron von Ebenstreit, there were many sinister remarks as to
the possibility of sustaining this expenditure upon such a grand scale.
It was whispered about that the banking-house, conducted under another
name, had lost in extensive speculations, and that the baron lived upon
his principal instead of his interest. The business community declared
that the firm entered into the most daring and senseless undertakings,
and that it must go to ruin. The old book-keeper, Splittgerber, who had
for many years conducted the business, had been pensioned by the baron,
and commenced for himself. His successor had once ventured to warn the
nobleman, and represent to him the danger which threatened him, for
which he was immediately dismissed, and the fact communicated to the
entire house, at a special assemblage of the clerks for the purpose,
with the warning of a like fate for every subordinate who should presume
to criticise the acts of the principals, or proffer advice to them.
Since this no one had ventured to repeat the offence, but every member
of the house occupied