en dressed in the becoming
costume of the country, welcomed the queen in a poem of the
schoolmaster's composition, and presented her with a bouquet of Alpine
flowers. The queen graciously accepted the bouquet. She bowed in all
directions and held out her hand to the child. The prince followed her
example, saying in a voice loud enough to be heard by the town council
and all the catholic and evangelical ministers present: "God greet
you!"

Cheers resounded again and again, and their path was strewn with
flowers.

The queen drove through the little town, which was decorated with flags
and garlands. On her arrival, she found that the court cavaliers who
had preceded her were in waiting, and that Gunther was among them. For
the first time since his return, he wore the marks of the various grand
orders to which he belonged. After passing under a triumphal arch, the
carriage stopped and the queen alighted.

She held out her hand to Gunther, who would gladly have kissed it; but
he turned to the prince and kissed him. He was so agitated that he
could not speak a word. At last he said:

"I bid Your Majesty welcome to my home!"

"Wherever you are, there is home," replied the queen.

She passed, leading her boy by the hand.

Countess Brinkenstein, Lady Constance, and other court ladies, also
exchanged greetings with Gunther. There were others, however, who were
more recently appointed and whom Gunther did not know.

The queen and her immediate suite soon reached the great terrace, which
commanded a delightful view of mountain and valley. Gunther pointed out
the direction of the mountain range and the intervening valleys. He
also told her the names of the principal peaks and would, here and
there, add a few items of historical interest. He was presenting the
chiefs of his native home to the queen. Evening soon set in and the
lofty heights were bathed in the warm hues of the glorious sunset. They
were silent for a few moments, while they gazed up at the heights, and
little did they think of her who had been dreamily looking thence out
into the wide world, and who had just been startled by the echo of the
gun from the neighboring cliffs. There must be some joyous feast going
on down there, she thought, and she who had once moved among this
circle, and had not been the least admired in it, lived within herself,
in silence and solitude.

It seemed as if the whole population of the town and the outlying
neighborhood had gath