ion, and being at once the most suspicious
and the most tactless of mortals, he had evidently made up his mind to
remain in attendance, as was indeed officially correct, though it was
usual for the subordinate official to retire courteously when a person
holding a superior court charge was present at the Duke's disrobing. It
was impossible for Stafforth to give his Highness Wilhelmine's missive in
her brother's presence, for the conspirators had long discovered that
Friedrich Graevenitz either lost his temper and blustered, if he felt
himself excluded from full knowledge of anything concerning his sister's
affairs; or else, were he taken into their confidence, he compromised the
situation by some gross tactlessness the which he himself considered, and
represented, to be a master-stroke of diplomacy.

After some moments' conversation, Stafforth hit on a plan. He walked
across the room and leaned out of the open window. 'What a glorious
night!' he exclaimed. 'Ah, Monseigneur! I understand your Highness's love
for the silent woods at night; even here, in the town, the summer night
is full of mysterious poetry! Graevenitz, if his Highness permit you, come
and look at the beauty of the far-off stars. You also have a vein of
poetry in your soldier-nature.' This being exactly what Friedrich
Graevenitz entirely lacked, it flattered him extremely to be credited with
the quality. He craved his Highness's permission to look at the glorious
night scenery, and repairing to the window leaned out beside Stafforth.
The Oberhofmarshall immediately pressed close against him and encircled
his shoulders with one arm, holding the dupe firmly away from the
interior of the room; meanwhile Stafforth's other arm was round his own
back, with Wilhelmine's letter held out in that hand towards the Duke. He
remained thus expatiating on the beauty of the night, till he felt the
Duke withdraw the missive from him. Having assured himself by hearing a
faint rustle of paper that Eberhard Ludwig had read the missive, he
finished his oration, and removed his strong arm from Graevenitz's
shoulder.

Now it was the Duke who leaned out of the window. 'O Stafforth!' he
cried, 'the night is too beautiful to sleep through! Gentlemen, I invite
you to hunt with me to-morrow at break of day! We will meet at the edge
of the Rothwald and follow the stag. Till dawn, then, farewell! I shall
wander in the wood till then.'

His Highness dismissed Stafforth and Graevenit