at Madame de Ruth's death, others observed
the Duke's colder manner, and predicted the Landhofmeisterin's downfall.
It was a blow to these prophets when the news was confirmed that the
Graevenitz was to accompany Serenissimus on his state entry to Moempelgard.
There were various intrigues to prevent her Excellency from carrying out
the project. Chief among these was a riot at Moempelgard, which was
entirely organised and stirred up by discontented Wirtembergers. It
required little to enflame the Moempelgarders, for they hated the very
name of Duke's mistress from past Esperance experiences, and the
Landhofmeisterin's doings in Wirtemberg were well known.

Friedrich Graevenitz wrote at great length to his sister (he always wrote
lengthily, and the most trivial letter he alluded to as 'my business,'
saying pompously, 'I have been working'). So he wrote at enormous length
to Wilhelmine, advising her to refrain from journeying to Moempelgard, but
the Landhofmeisterin only laughed, and hurried on the preparations for
the official entry.

Shortly before this time a new body-guard had been enrolled at
Ludwigsburg. It did not oust the famous Silver Guard from favour, and the
Cadets a Cheval also retained their proud position, but the new
body-guard was a most resplendent corps, composed entirely of gentlemen
of noble birth. One of Madame de Ruth's last witticisms had been to
compare this 'Chevaliergarde' to the French and Austrian Chanoinesses.

'Really, Monseigneur,' she had told Serenissimus, 'you should make it
compulsory for the gentlemen of the Chevaliergarde to have sixty-four
quarterings and pure morals!'

Of course there was jealousy between the Silver Guard and the Chevalier
troop, and the young Cadets a Cheval looked with displeasure at the new
guard. But the Landhofmeisterin settled that as she did all things; she
decreed that when the Cadets reached the age of twenty-one years it
should be open to them to serve in the permanent Chevaliergarde, or to
apply for officers' commissions in the Silver Guard, and the latter
appointments being perforce limited in number, it soon became the
recognised thing for the Cadets who wished to remain in the military
service to enter the Chevaliergarde. The Landhofmeisterin ruled even the
army.

Her Excellency had instituted an Order. His Highness had his St. Hubertus
to give, and she desired to have an Order of her own to distribute.
Everybody laughed covertly, but the insignia