ile Roland
rode out with the cadet. Frau Ceres remained with the Cabinetsraethin,
and apparently caused that lady great surprise by urging her to accept
the coral necklace which she wore upon her neck, and which her friend
had so much admired.

The lady was obliged to accept it, but begged Frau Ceres to consider it
as a token of the intimacy of their private friendship, and not to
mention the gift to any one else. She repeatedly declared that she used
her interest for her friends without the least motive of selfishness.
She laid great stress upon this point, being convinced that Frau Ceres
was a party in the plan for gaining her by presents.

Frau Ceres looked at her in amazement, and thought herself again
horribly stupid; the woman was speaking of things of which she knew
nothing.

The party had not proposed to spend the night in the capital, but on
the minister's wife proposing an excursion to some pleasure-grounds,
Pranken insisted on their remaining till the next day. It would be a
great advantage to have the two open carriages, with Frau Ceres and the
Cabinetsraethin in one, and Sonnenkamp, Pranken, and the Cabinetsrath
in the other, drive through the streets of the capital to these
pleasure-grounds, where the best and most select society would be
assembled. The best society should see that Sonnenkamp was already
admitted to close intimacy with Count Pranken and the Cabinetsrath.

On the way the Cabinetsraethin was seized with an idea as amiable as
it was wise. Both these merits delighted her, and not less her own
good-nature. She should win an ally and help a poor woman. With great
condescension and pity, she spoke of Eric's mother, who had with a
foolish enthusiasm sacrificed her position to a so-called ideal love.
Here the Cabinetsraethin looked towards Pranken, between whom and
herself so close a league was already established that she did nothing
without his approval. A scarcely perceptible nod from him showing her
that she might continue, she appealed to Herr Sonnenkamp to do
something for Eric's mother; if possible, even to receive her into his
house. Aunt Claudine also was spoken of in terms of the highest praise.

The Cabinetsraethin imagined that her relations with the Sonnenkamp
household would be much more easily maintained, if the Professor's
widow and the aunt formed a part of it; then her intercourse would be
in a manner with them, and not with this man. In fact it would be her
duty to see as m