pleased the Duchess-mother, who replied in a different tone:
'That then, Madame, is your misfortune. We will not mention it again.'

Eberhard Ludwig during this painful scene stood in embarrassed, angry
silence. He durst not interfere, for knowing his mother's character, he
was well aware that any intervention on his part would only draw down
upon Wilhelmine a flood of free-spoken remarks.

Meanwhile the other members of her Highness's intimate circle had entered
from a small withdrawing-room, leading out of the larger apartment.

The Stafforths, Madame de Gemmingen, a young gentleman of the household,
Monsieur de Roeder, and the Erbprinz's governor, Monsieur le Baron de
Walchingen, his tutor, and various other unimportant persons. The Duke's
mother and Wilhelmine stood together in the centre of this group. The
older woman wore the sombre garb of a widow's mourning, which she had
never put off since Duke Wilhelm Ludwig's death thirty years ago.

Wilhelmine was dressed, as usual, in delicate yellow brocade with
profusely powdered hair and flashing jewels. They made a striking
contrast--sober sadness and old age, radiant youth and brilliant, lavish
joy. And near by was Johanna Elizabetha, clad in dull, unnoticeable
garments of grey blue silk. To Eberhard Ludwig the group was symbolic of
his life's history, and he sighed heavily as he turned to greet Madame de
Stafforth.

The Erbprinz, attracted by Wilhelmine's beautiful face and bright
clothes, had begged a paper flower from the Christmas tree and offered
it to her. Partly because she loved to tease children, partly because the
child's talk made a diversion from the Duchess-mother's acid remarks,
Wilhelmine began bantering with the little boy, telling him the wildest
tales, witty absurdities, sheer delightful fooling. The Erbprinz,
accustomed to Johanna Elizabetha's prim stories always adorned with
obvious moral endings, acclaimed Wilhelmine's phantasies with
enthusiastic cries, begging her to tell him more. He was fascinated,
half-afraid, puzzled, excited. Johanna Elizabetha watched this pair with
jealous, disapproving eyes, and several times called the child away; but
he shook his head, and holding on to Wilhelmine's gown looked up into her
face in rapturous enjoyment and admiration of this beautiful new being
and her wonderful stories. At length her Highness could bear it no
longer. She approached the strangely assorted couple, and drawing the
Erbprinz to her she t