im she was gifted with occult powers. Is it matter
of surprise that he implicitly believed Wilhelmine had accomplished a
magic feat? White magic though; nothing evil here; on the contrary,
almost a miracle, like some mediaeval ordeal through which her purity and
innocence alone could have sustained her. Yet he questioned her.

Could she read any paper in that manner? She answered that she had never
tried before. She spoke to him in gentle words, praying him to give good
faith to her. She clung to him like a tired child. What man could resist
her?

Then she talked of Forstner's conspiracy. She depicted the vileness of
one who could write such a letter at the very hour when he was plotting
to ruin the man to whom he penned words of passionate exhortation and
affection. She laid stress upon the treason against Eberhard Ludwig, and
he in return flamed into anger concerning the design to murder this
clinging, appealing woman. Chivalry, honour, duty, bound him to protect
her. Very subtly she led him on: to protect in this case must be to
revenge her.

Then she lashed him to a fury against the traitor who had plotted against
so lenient a prince. Taking the letter from his Highness (he let her have
it now without demur), she went through the list of accusations, refuting
each statement, throwing the blame upon Forstner for the various monetary
defections which he himself, in this letter, had proved to exist in the
Ludwigsburg building accounts. She pointed out that Forstner should be
punished heavily, both in just revenge and as a warning to others. At
last Eberhard Ludwig yielded, and promised that she should dictate
Forstner's sentence.

* * * * *

Forstner tarried at Strassburg. He believed his letter would awaken the
Duke from his long, evil, delicious dream; but when days, weeks, months
passed without any change taking place at Ludwigsburg, and the
Landhofmeisterin's triumph continued, Forstner's hopes waned. He dared
not return to Wirtemberg, yet the care of his properties demanded his
presence.

Meanwhile Eberhard Ludwig had permitted the Landhofmeisterin to work her
will in the Forstner affair. Little guessed the poor fool, waiting at
Strassburg, what a terrible net was being woven round him. Slowly,
silently, with deadly patience, the Landhofmeisterin was collecting a
thousand threads for this fabric. Documents, statements, even the
accounts of Forstner's private monies were bribed