commanded him to retire to Welzheim. At Eberhard Ludwig's death
Graevenitz waited upon Karl Alexander, who, honest gentleman, disapproved
of a brother showing open hostility and ingratitude to a sister, and
begged the petitioner to return to his country-seat.

Now Graevenitz, to his horror, found that he was implicated in his
sister's misdemeanours. Had he not shared in the benefits of her
peculations? In vain he protested, denouncing his sister and benefactress
in pompous self-righteous words and writings. But the legal authorities
paid no heed, and intimated briefly that Welzheim did not belong to him,
although he held it in his possession; nine points of the law certainly,
but not conferring ownership. He was directed to relinquish Welzheim to
the new Duke's representatives. This he declined with many high-flown
expressions, which, however, the legal gentlemen considered beside the
point at issue; and Count Friedrich Graevenitz was lodged in his own
palace in Stuttgart, under arrest and well guarded. He was tried for
peculation, but the prosecution ceased when Friedrich Graevenitz consented
to deliver up Welzheim to his Highness the Duke, and to pay a fine of
fifty-six thousand gulden. He was liberated and permitted to leave the
country, which he did, repairing to Vienna where he appealed to the
imperial tribunal for justice.

When he received his sister's letter he was under arrest, and later his
own affairs absorbed him. So the Graevenitz's appeal remained unanswered.
The appointed day came for her trial, and the village notary spoke his
dreamed-of oration. The tribunal listened, or appeared to listen, but the
sentence was a foregone conclusion. Wilhelmine von Graevenitz, Countess of
Wuerben, late Landhofmeisterin of Wirtemberg, was condemned to death.

Yet it was written in her book of Destiny, that Vienna should interfere
in all the important events of her life. The Emperor intimated that, as
Countess of the Empire, she could not be put to death without his
consent, and this he withheld. Suess Oppenheimer[2], Wirtemberg's Minister
of Finance, had appealed on her behalf. The sentence was commuted to
perpetual imprisonment and forfeiture of all lands, monies, and jewels.
This information was imparted to her by the prison governor. She received
it calmly, merely remarking: 'Death would have been much shorter.' She
had sunk into an apathy since the news of his Highness's decease.

The winter passed without event. S