e.'

Madame de Ruth looked at her; indeed, the Duchess's tragic face was
enough to soften even a harder heart than beat under the old courtesan's
padded, beribboned corsage.

'Well, your Highness, come with me! I will endeavour to summon
Serenissimus to my apartments,' she said. 'It will not be easy, and I
hope your Highness is prepared to offer me apartments in Stuttgart? I may
require them after this! My friend the Landhofmeisterin is averse to any
one being admitted to the palace without her permission.'

They passed through a maze of long, lofty, pink marble walled corridors,
and up several winding stone stairs, ere they reached Madame de Ruth's
apartments. Here the old courtesan left her Highness, while she withdrew
to make arrangements for the Duke to be summoned. In truth, she hastily
despatched a billet to the Landhofmeisterin informing her of the
extraordinary occurrence, and begging her for instructions. Even Madame
de Ruth was under the Graevenitz's iron rule and dared not offend her. The
curt answer came back written in her Excellency's energetic, elegant
writing: 'How is her Highness's appearance?' Madame de Ruth replied
equally curtly with the one word 'Hideous!' and a moment after the paper
was returned to her: 'Let him see her.--Wilhelmine von Wuerben und von
Graevenitz, Landhofmeisterin.'

It was a curious interview between Eberhard Ludwig and his deserted wife;
strained, unnatural, terrible, this meeting after long years, and
insensibly they fell into their old attitudes: he wearied, irritated,
coldly courteous; she tearful, imploring, tiresome. He told her that she
was nothing to him, and that she had no further claims upon him; he
provided residence, appanage, everything to which she had a right. She
responded that she claimed his love, his company, and in answer he bowed
deeply and left her presence.

Madame de Ruth returning to her rooms found a fainting woman prone upon
the floor, and to her credit be it written, she tended the Duchess
gently. When her Highness recovered from her swoon she requested Madame
de Ruth to lead her to the palace chapel.

'I would fain leave a prayer here! A foolish fancy, you will say, but the
sorrowful are often foolish,' she said bitterly.

Madame de Ruth guided the Duchess through another maze of long corridors,
and ushered her into the tapestried room which is behind the palace
gallery. Her Highness gazed with displeasure at the luxurious furnishing
of the D