met that of the queen.

"Your father spoke wisely," said the queen; a tear glistened in her eye
and in that of the nurse, too.

Walpurga went away, taking the child with her.

The next day the queen sent for the king, and said:

"Kurt, I have courage."

"I know it."

"No. I have a courage that you do not know."

"A courage that I do not know?"

"And never will know. I have courage enough to appear weak and
vacillating; but, Kurt, you will not misjudge me on that account?"

"Pray speak more plainly, and with fewer preliminaries."

"I am determined," continued the queen, "I hardly dare utter that word,
now--but you will not misjudge me? I shall remain in the faith in which
I was born, and we shall nevertheless be as one."

The king thanked her quite cordially, and only regretted that the canon
knew of the matter. He hoped, however, to be able to silence his
tongue.

The queen was surprised to find that he manifested so little joy; but,
on second thought, this seemed quite natural to her, for why should
that which had been nothing more than a passing cloud, leave great
results in its wake? Others could know nothing of the bitter struggle
it had cost her.

She felt sensible that it would be a long while before any expression
or resolve of hers would obtain weight or authority, for it would not
soon be forgotten that she had once shown herself weak.

While she was in the Protestant court chapel, on the following Sunday,
she scarcely ventured to raise her eyes. She was thinking of how it
would have been if she now were in the other church, and of how the
eyes of the congregation would have been directed to the pew that was
thenceforward to remain vacant. In spirit, she had already deserted
this church and its congregation. Her soul trembled when she thought of
the resolve she had entertained, and, from the bottom of her heart, she
thanked her husband, whose strong arm had held her back.

When the whole congregation arose and, in the prayers for the royal
household, offered up thanks for her preservation and that of the royal
prince, she could no longer restrain her tears.

Contrary to her usual habit, she went to church again that afternoon.

Meanwhile, the king and Countess Irma were pleasantly sauntering in
that portion of the park from which the public was shut out.

The king informed Irma of the queen's resolve and of how she had been
induced to give it up. Irma replied that she had, long since, sur