very same thing to me; but I was too young to understand it then. All I
meant to say was, that the city people must have very little to do, if
they can make a fuss about such a matter"--mentally concluding her
remarks with another "pshaw!"

The little prince awoke. Walpurga took him up and speedily put him to
sleep, while she sang in a clear voice:

"Ah, blissful is the tender tie
That binds me, love, to thee,
And swiftly speed the hours by
When thou art near to me."

When she had finished her song, and had placed the child in the cradle,
she looked toward the door and beheld the king and Doctor Gunther
standing there.

"You sing finely," said the king.

"Pshaw!" said Walpurga, and, acting as her own interpreter, she quickly
added, while casting a hurried glance at Mademoiselle Kramer: "It's
good enough for home use, but not particularly fine."

The king and Doctor Gunther were delighted with the appearance of the
child.

"The day on which one beholds his child for the first time is a
red-letter day," observed the king; and Walpurga, as if to confirm what
he had said, added:

"Yes, indeed; that makes one look at the world with different eyes. His
majesty told the truth that time."

Although her remark caused the king to smile, it was received in
silence. Accompanied by Doctor Gunther, he soon left the room. After
they had gone. Mademoiselle Kramer endeavored, as delicately as
possible, to impress Walpurga with the importance of observing the
first commandment:

"You must not speak to their majesties, unless they ask you a
question."

"That's sensible," exclaimed Walpurga, to the great surprise of
Mademoiselle Kramer. "That prevents you from hearing anything out of
the way. What a clever idea! I won't forget that."

During breakfast, in the pavilion, it was plainly to be seen that
Mademoiselle Kramer, and perhaps Walpurga, too, had spoken truly. The
various groups on the veranda and under the orange-trees were engaged
in what seemed to be confidential conversation. After they had sounded
each other, and had satisfied themselves that they could safely indulge
in scandal, the common topic was the manner in which the queen's
sentimentality had manifested itself in her behavior toward the nurse.
It was agreed that this mawkishness was an unfortunate legacy from the
house of ----. Some even went so far as to say that Countess
Brinkenstein was quite ill with