her from Elysium to earth once more. A mysterious
Black Cupid led her to me! but we must be very careful, for she can
vanish at will, this beautiful enchantress.'

It was said in extravagant homage, half in pleasantry, but several of
those present, and notably the Duchess's waiting-women, heard the unwise
words. When Wilhelmine swept past them on her way to her chamber they
drew back in superstitious awe, and she heard them murmur, 'Witch and
sorceress! we must not offend her.'

CHAPTER X

THE ATTACK IN THE GROTTO

THE court of Stuttgart soon saw to its cost that Wilhelmine had of a
truth 'come to stay this time,' as she herself had announced on the
evening of her return from the Judengasse. After a few days spent in her
old quarters in the castle, she removed to a hastily improvised abode on
the first floor of the Duke's Jaegerhaus. Here had been the official
residence of his Highness's Grand Maitre de la Meute, and this personage,
who was relegated to a small and inconvenient dwelling-place, naturally
resented his eviction. Public disapproval was excited by the summary
commandeering of a well-known official residence; and when, following
upon their keeper's ejection, the stag-hounds and hare-coursers were
removed from the Jaegerhaus, the Stuttgarters murmured ominously. It had
long been a highly prized privilege of the townsfolk to repair, each
Sunday and Feast-day, to view the hounds--in fact, this custom had become
one of their social entertainments. The burghers and their families were
wont to meet together in the stretch of garden which bordered the open
rails of the enclosure, where the hounds took their afternoon airing on
idle, non-hunting days. The citizens loved to watch the dogs' antics, and
regarded it as their recognised Sunday afternoon amusement. In the
Graben, or disused town moat, turned road, stood the Jaegerhaus--a long,
barn-like building, the entire ground-floor whereof was occupied by the
dog-kennels, which opened to the back on paddocks. On the first floor
were many spacious apartments, hitherto used for the administration of
the affairs of his Highness's hunt, and for lodging the Jaegermasters of
distant posts in the forests, who came to Stuttgart on official business;
and here, too, was the residence of the Grand Master of the Hunt and
hounds. On the third floor, beneath the high sloping roof, were a few
garrets and several large lofts filled with the straw destined for the
dog-ken