and
turning quickly left the garden with hasty strides. Wilhelmine walked
away down the garden-path, desiring apparently to commune with herself.
Stafforth remained standing. Observing Madame de Ruth, who was laughing
quietly to herself--

'Madame,' he said angrily, 'I see nothing to laugh at! This will be going
too far. It is an insult to her Highness, and we shall have the whole
court against us! She must _not_ go to this madrigal singing, I tell
you!'

'Dear friend,' Madame answered, 'I am not laughing at that. I laugh
because I see once more that a man may plead till his heart breaks, it is
when a woman sees another woman absolutely denied for her sake, that she
knows she is loved as she approves; _then_ she capitulates and
whispers--to-morrow!' The old woman laughed again.

'Well, Madame!' replied Stafforth, 'you will see what this "to-morrow"
means!'

* * * * *

The Italian musicians were grouped together at one end of her Highness's
own reception-room in the castle of Stuttgart. The invited audience was
small, for only such ladies and gentlemen as were actually obliged, by
the holding of important court charges, remained in the town during the
hot summer months; thus it had been deemed more fitting for the madrigals
to be performed in the castle itself instead of in the fine hall of the
Lusthaus where the court festivities usually took place. Her Highness's
reception-room gave out on to the Renaissance gallery of the inner
courtyard. The room was hung with sombre tapestries heavy with the dust
of centuries; a number of waxen tapers flamed in silver candlesticks;
rows of seats were arranged in a half-circle behind the high gilt chairs
placed for his Highness Eberhard Ludwig and his consort her Highness
Johanna Elizabetha.

The musicians turned over the leaves of the manuscript music on the desks
before them; sometimes the sound of a violin chord, struck to prove its
correctness, broke on the air. The swish of silken skirts on the wooden
floor of the gallery without announced the advent of the first guests,
and gradually the room was filled by richly clad ladies and finely
attired gentlemen.

The appointed hour was long passed for the music's commencement, but
neither the Duke nor the Duchess had left their apartments, and the
courtiers whispered that their Highnesses were closeted together, and
that angry voices had been heard by one of the pages attendant in the
antehall.