t was of gold,
and ablaze with precious stones. A travesty, no doubt, an absurdity, an
insolence, but how fine it all looked! The Duke wore a white satin
long-coat, embroidered with gold, and on his breast shone the St.
Hubertus stag and cross. Truly the prince of some fable, seated beside a
gorgeous princess.

Behind the golden coach followed two hundred life guards, uniformed in
white and silver, and with drawn swords. Then came his Highness's forest
guards, in green, with silver bandoliers and hunting horns, each with the
white St. Hubertus stag and cross embroidered large upon the breast.
After these rode the court pages, the Duke's secretaries, the officers of
the household. And finally, three companies of the Wirtemberg regiments
which had fought at Blenheim under Eberhard Ludwig.

A crowd of peasants from neighbouring villages had gathered outside the
gates of Ludwigsburg; they raised a shout when they saw their Duke. He
bowed, and the Landhofmeisterin also bent her head in dignified
salutation. Immediately the shouting ceased, and a low ominous groan went
up, intermingled with sibilant hissings. Wilhelmine grew pale, and shot a
glance of hatred towards the peasants. His Highness spoke rapidly in a
low tone to the cadet who rode at his elbow. The youth galloped back
along the line of the cortege, and delivered an order to the captain of
the 1st Regiment of Wirtemberg Cavalry. And as the gilded coach rolled in
at the palace gates, Wilhelmine heard with satisfaction the howls and
curses of the peasant crowd, which was being dispersed by the soldiers'
swords.

When the Landhofmeisterin entered the palace of Ludwigsburg, the military
brass instruments and drums in the courtyard ceased playing, and as the
lovers passed over the threshold a strain from graceful, delicate,
stringed instruments greeted them.

'Welcome to our house of harmony!' whispered Serenissimus, bending to
kiss his mistress's hand.

Slowly and with dignity they were led by Frisoni through the beautiful
rooms--the huge, gilded banqueting hall, the ball-rooms, the
withdrawing-rooms, the picture-gallery, the audience-chamber, the
card-rooms, the theatre. The little Italian caught the note of
Wilhelmine's ceremony, and he showed Ludwigsburg to her as though she
were a princess bride, entering for the first time the palace of her new
dominions, instead of an enterprising mistress, part designer and wholly
inspirer of each nook and corner of a natio