I swore then that no human being should ever hear
of the insult put upon me by that haughty Prince's daughter, and yet I am
confessing it to you now. Pity me not, say nothing, nothing at all, for
each word but aggravates my pain and makes my heart swell with indignation
and grief. Oh, I loved her, trusted her, I dreamed of a proud and
brilliant future, which I should owe to her! And she played her part in
such masterly style, her countenance wearing a look of such innocence and
candor! O father! I loved her, and I, the experienced man of the world,
allowed myself to be deceived by that young girl, who knew nothing of the
world, and was yet such an accomplished hypocrite! Think not that I was a
mere idle coxcomb, arrogantly basing his expectations upon his wishes. No,
she deceived me, she disappointed me! You should have seen her at that
_fete_ which you gave to the Electoral Prince. How tenderly she leaned
upon my arm, as we walked through the greenhouse, with what glowing
cheeks, with what a blissful smile did she listen to my protestations of
love, with what amiable bashfulness did she respond to them! She even
anticipated my boldest hopes and desires, and when I ventured to ask for
a rendezvous, not only consented to it, but gave me a proof that she would
have granted it without waiting for me to seek one. There, in the
greenhouse, she pressed a little note into my hand, which stated clearly
and distinctly that she appointed ten o'clock of the following evening for
a rendezvous with me at the castle. And yet all was falsehood and
deceit--all only invented for the purpose of punishing the presumptuous
fool who had dared to lift his eyes to the proud Princess! Oh, how she
laughed perhaps, and mocked me with her sister, mother, and brother, while
I stood below before the locked door and waited, finally being obliged to
slink away, burying my rage and despair in my heart! I fancy her spying
from a neighboring window, watching me, and enjoying my confusion as I
stood there knocking at a bolted door, having at last to go off silent and
bowed down. It makes me furious to think of this, and yet continually the
idea haunts me, leaving me no rest, until the remembrance of these two
dreadful hours becomes absolute torture. O father! why have you wrenched
this secret from my heart?--why have you persuaded me to tell you, what I
have not even revealed to my father confessor?"

"I am glad, my son, that I have succeeded in opening th