n, beloved. The
Erbprincessin and Friedrich accompany me in my coach,' the
Landhofmeisterin said as she prepared to return to her apartments. His
Highness started.

'I pray you, do not go, Wilhelmine. The King is a bear, and if you meet
him he will fail in courtesy to you,' he said.

'It is my right to go, and I start at nine,' she repeated.

'You shall not go; it is my right to forbid you,--you shall not go!' he
cried. Then ensued a quarrel, bitter, terrible, between two beings who so
short a while before had loved so madly. The quarrel ended by the man
giving in, as usual, but the wrangle pierced one more nail in his love's
coffin for all that.

* * * * *

True to her word, the next morning at nine of the clock the
Landhofmeisterin entered her coach accompanied by a very angry-faced
Erbprincessin, and the Erbprinz. They drove past Hohenasperg to the plain
where the review was to be held, and the Landhofmeisterin's coach took up
a commanding position near to Eberhard Ludwig and the officers of his
staff. The Prussian King appeared riding with a numerous retinue.

The field artillery spluttered volleys, and the cannon of Hohenasperg
thundered a royal salute; the Silver Guard and the Chevaliergarde
deployed and went through the series of antics customary at that period
of military history. It was a small quantity of men with which to aspire
to give a military display to the Soldier King, but under Eberhard
Ludwig's zealous care the men were perfectly drilled, wonderfully
accoutred, and the cavalry horses were unequalled in Germany. The light
field-guns were of the latest invention, the artillery and fort gunnery
were carefully distinguished according to the new military rule: in fact,
it was all rigidly correct and perfect to the most approved and newest
methods of that date; and Friedrich Wilhelm who, if he knew little else,
was a past master of the martial art, was delighted at the display. But
his face changed when he rode up to the coach to greet his cousin, and
became aware of the Landhofmeisterin's presence.

'Why are you here?' he grumbled to the Erbprincessin. 'Women are best at
home, looking after the children or cooking the dinner.'

'May I present her Excellency the Landhofmeisterin to your Majesty?' said
Eberhard Ludwig; but the King turned a deaf ear.

'Go home, cousin, go home!' he bawled at the Erbprincessin; and putting
spurs to his horse galloped away to inspect s