e none, and there were no coats and shirts to be woven, and sewed
and mended."

"You dreadful creature," exclaimed Walpurga. She felt as if Baum's
words had almost torn the clothes from her; her face was crimson. Baum
quickly answered:

"I'm sorry I look so dreadful in your eyes. In my eyes you're so
beautiful that I--" He was interrupted by a servant who called him
away.

Walpurga quickly drew back into the room. She was angry at Baum. How
could any one use such language to a married woman? "And yet," thought
she, with a self-complacent smile, "Baum's a well-mannered person,
after all; and why shouldn't one crack a joke, now and then?" She
looked in the large mirror for a moment and smiled.

"Yes, when Hansei sees you again, he'll hardly know you; it's the good
living that does it. But I'll say to myself every day: 'It won't last
long; you're only hired here for a while. But dancing's pleasant, even
if the dance doesn't last long,'" said Walpurga, as if to console
herself. All sort of dance tunes occurred to her and she kept humming
them to the prince.

Walpurga roamed about through the beautiful park as if in a dream. She
imagined that the trees, the sky and the birds were all enchanted and
in a strange world; that they would suddenly awaken and all would
vanish. But everything went on in its quiet course, each day as
beautiful as the one that preceded, like the sun rising anew every day,
the flowers that are constantly giving forth their fragrance, or the
spring that never ceases to flow.

Walpurga had a special liking for Mademoiselle Kramer's father, who was
governor of the castle. He was a venerable man who raised lovely
flowers in his little lodge, and she could talk to him as with her own
father.

Walpurga was sitting out of doors for the greater part of the day.
Mademoiselle Kramer was always with her and two servants within ready
call. The queen would also often join them.

The queen had a beautiful snow-white setter of which the child was
especially fond. Walpurga requested her to let the prince often have
the dog, because it is well for a child to have a living animal about
it.

"She is right," said the queen, addressing the court lady at her side;
"animal life awakens human consciousness."

Walpurga stared at her in surprise. The queen had said she was right,
but added words that she did not understand.

"Just look," said she to the queen, "how fond the bees are of our
child. They won't hurt