hat all
living truths which we take up into ourselves, and which thus, as it
were, become a part of our being, were intended for us. Our mind, the
whole constitution of our being, is destined for and attuned to it.
There is thus perfect correspondence between our destiny and our
capacity. But I beg Your Majesty to regard yourself as destined, at
present, to step into your carriage. We must not let the first walk be
too long."

The queen and Irma seated themselves in the carriage which awaited them
at the Nymph's Grove. They drove on slowly, and the queen said:

"You cannot imagine, dear Irma, how timid and fearful I was when I
first came here." She told her how she had looked into the eyes of the
multitude that surrounded her, and had asked herself: "Who of all these
does, in truth, belong to you?" and how encouraged she had felt when
Irma spoke to her, as it were, with her warm, brown eyes.

"And they were speaking to you," replied Irma. "I should have liked to
say to you: 'Sweet being! imagine that we have known each other for
years, and feel just as if we had been friends forever.' I fancy that
we both felt thus because we were both timid and fearful. It was the
first time I had ever been at court, and I felt as if I couldn't help
taking the lord steward's staff out of his hand, and supporting myself
on it."

"How strange! I had the very same thought," said the queen, "and, now
that I think of it, I can still recollect that the lord steward looked
at me incessantly."

The affection of the two ladies was cemented by a hundred little
memories. The carriage drove on slowly, but their thoughts took in days
and months. There was a turn in the road; they had just reached the
place where the statue had been shattered.

"It was a terrible night," said the queen, "when that happened, and it
seems to me that simple-minded Walpurga is right when she says that it
is wrong for us thus to expose the undraped human figure."

"I must be permitted to differ with Your Majesty," replied Irma. "The
free--why should we mince words?--the nude, beautiful human form is the
only one in accord with free nature. All frippery is subject to changes
of taste and fashion. The human form as shaped by the hand of nature,
is alone fitted to stand in her temple."

"You are a free soul; far freer than I am," said the queen. They
alighted. Irma accompanied the queen to her apartments and then
returned to her own. When she found herself alone s