are at liberty
to reside at any of the castles you have obtained from me, but I forbid
you to venture into my presence or to importune the members either of my
government or of my court. You have refused obedience to my commands,
delivered by my Finance Minister, Baron Schuetz, and by various high law
officials. I now make known to you that such future defiance will be
punished as traitorous to me. Here is my warrant and signed decree given
at Berlin this 29th of May 1730, signed Eberhard Ludwig, Dux
Wirtembergis.'

The Landhofmeisterin read this letter once, then mechanically she read it
again. It was written by his Highness; no secretary had been intrusted
with this precious document. It seemed to her an added cruelty that the
well-known handwriting should form these stern words--the graceful,
elegant writing which she had seen blazoning her lover's passionate,
poetic homage to her in words of love and promises of fidelity. The
Erbprinz stood silent with bowed head. What would she say, what would she
do, this forceful woman? At length, he raised his head and looked at her.
She was still poring over the Duke's letter as though its contents
puzzled her. The silence grew intolerable.

'Madame, believe me, I am truly grieved,' he began.

'Grieved? grieved? Ah! who would not be? This is an outrage, a madness.
What! can you believe that I can be banished? I? Why, this whole world is
of my making, this Ludwigsburg. Go back and send a messenger to Berlin to
say that I will not go.' She spoke quietly, almost indifferently.

'Alas! Madame, if you have not left before sunset, I am bound to have you
removed by force,' he answered.

'You? My poor boy! You?--you remove me?' She began to laugh.

'It may be ridiculous, Madame,' he said humbly, 'but such are my
father's orders.' She laughed again. 'Come, Madame, give me your answer.
Believe me, I would spare you pain but if you will not go, I am commanded
to have you arrested and conveyed to Hohenasperg.' Then the horror of it
came to the Landhofmeisterin.

'I to Hohenasperg? O God! God! that it should come to this! Ah! the
cruelty! But still I will fight to the last--I will never go.' Her voice
had risen to shrillness, her face was contorted by anger; she looked
incarnate rage, a Megaera. Suddenly her features resumed their usual
expression--nay, more, it was the face of the grande charmeuse.

'Prince Friedrich, help me; this is only a passing mood of your father's!
Let me s