is back upon the two young women and roused his men
from the trance.

"So, Gretchen," said her highness, when the two came out again into the
garden, "you are to be rich and famous. That will be fine."

"Thanks, Highness, thanks! God grant the day to come when I may be of
service to you!" Gretchen kissed the hands of her benefactress.

"Whenever you wish to see the gardens," added the princess, "the gates
will be open for you."

As Gretchen went back to the Krumerweg her wooden shoes were golden
slippers and her rough homespun, silk. Rich! Famous! She saw the opera
ablaze with lights, she heard the roll of applause. She saw the horn of
plenty pouring its largess from the fair sky. Rainbow dreams! But
Gretchen never became a prima donna. There was something different on
the knees of the gods.

CHAPTER X

AFFAIRS OF STATE

The grand duke stamped back and forth with a rumble as of distant
thunder. He would search the very deeps of this matter. He was of a
patient mold, but this was the final straw. He would have his revenge if
it upset the whole continent. They would play with him, eh? Well, they
had loosed the lion this time. He had sent his valet to summon her
highness and Herbeck.

"And tell them to put everything else aside."

He kneaded the note in his hand powerfully. It was anonymous, but it
spoke clearly like truth. It had been left with one of the sentries, who
declared that a small boy had delivered it. The sender remained
undiscoverable.

His highness had just that hour returned from the military field. He was
tired; and it was not the psychological moment for a thing like this to
turn up. Had he not opposed it for months? And now, having surrendered
against his better judgment, this gratuitous affront was offered him! It
was damnable. He smote the offending note. He would soon find out
whether it was true or not. Then he flung the thing violently to the
floor. But he realized that this burst of fury would not translate the
muddle, so he stooped and recovered the missive. He laughed, but the
laughter had a grim Homeric sound. War! Nothing less. He was prepared
for it. Twenty thousand troops were now in the valley, and there were
twenty thousand reserves. What Franz Josef of Austria or William of
Prussia said did not amount to the snap of his two fingers. To avenge
himself of the wrongs so long endured of Jugendheit, to wipe out the
score with blood! Did they think that he was in his dotage,