ein Perini, and Roland in one, and Sonnenkamp and Pranken in the
other.

Pranken began at once to express his satisfaction at the friendly
interest Sonnenkamp had shown in the Church; he had on his side already
put things in such a train that they could count upon the co-operation
of the higher clergy, who were very influential at Court, in carrying
out their plan. He felt some compunctions at profiting by his frequent
and intimate intercourse with the Prince-cardinal, as a piece of
diplomacy; but he was vain enough to wish to pass off upon the world in
general and Sonnenkamp in particular, as a stroke of worldly wisdom,
the inward illumination which he secretly gloried in. He rejoiced at
the relation thus easily established with the Cabinetsraethin, upon whom
outside pressure could be brought to bear in a way hardly possible with
her husband.

As they drove by a handsome villa, whose shutters were all barred,
Pranken suggested that Herr Sonnenkamp should buy it in order to sell
it again at a low price to the Cabinetsraethin, who, as he knew, had
long cherished a strong desire for such a residence. Sonnenkamp
consented, on the condition that it would accomplish his object. It
would be one of the levers, Pranken assured him, though not the only
one.

Although the two were alone together, neither of them, singularly
enough, mentioned their plan by name, till Sonnenkamp said that the
Cabinetsraethin had told him a title of nobility was to be conferred on
the wine-merchant, and that he wished he might get one first; for he
thought he had a better right to the distinction, though he was not
going to marry his daughter to a dying man, but rather to the freshest
and liveliest of noblemen.

Pranken smiled his thanks, but replied that this priority of the
Wine-count,--it could hardly be called precedence--was rather
advantageous than otherwise, as it made the conferring of titles appear
not so much a matter of private negotiation.

"Your difficulties are greater than those of the Wine-count," he added:
"for the Prince-cardinal stayed in his house on his last circuit, so
that the Wine-count has on his side the church party, which is as
discreet as it is powerful, while you, I would say we, have no party.
So much the better; the victory will be all our own."

They reached the capital.

The Cabinetsraethin was delighted, and expressed to Pranken, whom she
constantly treated as the head, in fact the president of the party,