oenigsmark. Instead, she saw them both escaping, and the fact that she
was--as she may have supposed--effectively separating two loving hearts
could be no sort of adequate satisfaction for such bitter spite as hers.
Therefore she plied her wicked wits to force an issue more germane to
her desires.

The course she took was fraught with a certain peril. Yet confident that
at worst she could justify it, and little fearing that the worst would
happen, she boldly went to work. She forged next day a brief note in
which the Princess Sophia urgently bade Koenigsmark to come to her at
ten o'clock that night in her own apartments, and with threat and bribe
induced the waiting woman of the glove to bear that letter.

Now it so happened that Koenigsmark, through the kind offices of Sophia's
maid-of-honour, Mademoiselle de Knesebeck, who was in the secret of
their intentions, had sent the Princess a note that morning, briefly
stating the urgency of departure, and begging her so to arrange that she
could leave Herrenhausen with him on the morrow. He imagined the note
now brought him to be in answer to that appeal of his. Its genuineness
he never doubted, being unacquainted with Sophia's writing. He was
aghast at the rashness which dictated such an assignation, yet never
hesitated as to keeping it. It was not his way to hesitate. He trusted
to the gods who watch over the destinies of the bold.

And meanwhile Madame von Platen was reproaching her lover with having
dealt too softly with the Dane.

"Bah!" said the Elector. "To-morrow he goes his ways, and we are rid of
him. Is not that enough?"

"Enough, if, soon as he goes, he goes not too late already," quoth she.

"Now what will you be hinting?" he asked her peevishly.

"I'll be more plain. I will tell you what I know. It is this. Koenigsmark
has an assignation with the Princess Sophia this very night at ten
o'clock--and where do you suppose? In her Highness's own apartments."

The Elector came to his feet with an oath. "That is not true!" he cried.
"It cannot be!"

"Then I'll say no more," quoth Jezebel, and snapped her thin lips.

"Ah, but you shall. How do you know this?"

"That I cannot tell you without betraying a confidence. Let it suffice
you that I do know it. Consider now whether in banishing this profligate
you have sufficiently avenged the honour of your son."

"My God, if I thought this were true...." He choked with rage, stood
shaking a moment, then strode to