st
upon the Princess, who stood loftily erect at her brother's side. Then,
with a slight bow of salutation, he turned and strode through the room.

Not a sound interrupted the solemn silence save the count's footsteps as
he advanced to the door. There he once more paused and turned back his
livid, wrathful countenance. The Princess still stood erect, calm, and
unmoved, beside the Elector. Schwarzenberg cast down his eyes and left the
room. The Princess heard the door shut, and a heavy sigh escaped her
breast. "He has gone," she murmured softly, "he has gone; I shall never
see him again."

She leaned her head upon her brother's shoulder and wept bitterly.

"You loved him very dearly, then?" asked the Elector gently, throwing his
arms around her neck.

"Yes," she whispered softly, "I loved him dearly, and I am afraid I love
him still, and will mourn for him forever. No one on earth has mortified
me so deeply as he, and yet I shall never love another as I have loved
him."

"Poor child," said Frederick William sadly, "you love him still, although
you despise him!"

With folded arms he walked several times to and fro, while his sister
dropped into a chair, covered her face with her hands, and quietly wept.
The Elector stopped in front of her and gently drew her hands from before
her face.

"Sister," he said tenderly, "I will dry your tears, for I may do so, and
in this hour of most sacred confidence not the shadow of an untruth shall
lie between us. When you wrote that billet to the count three years ago he
did not come to the rendezvous, did he?"

"No!" cried the Princess; "he dared to let me expect him in vain, to
decline the interview which I had granted him. O Frederick! when I think
of this I could die for very shame, so much do I hate him who humiliated
me so deeply, so much do I despise myself for having incurred and merited
this humiliation."

"Louise," said the Elector softly, "if that is your only reason for hating
him, then you can love him again, for this is probably the only fault of
which he is innocent. Lift up your head, sister, for I can relieve you
from this humiliation. It was Count Schwarzenberg's wish to keep the
appointment. He stood for two hours before a locked door seeking
admission. I, however, stood on the other side of the door, guarding it,
and did not depart until he had gone away in despair."

"You, brother?" asked the Princess, whose cheeks grew suddenly crimson.
"You knew about i