uffused his cheeks.
"I do not understand you, father. What do you mean? On what terms should I
be with the Princess?"

"John Adolphus, you understand me well enough, and know what I mean,"
returned Count Schwarzenberg smiling. "When I ask on what terms you are
with the Princess Charlotte Louise, I mean by that, what progress have you
made in her good graces?"

An almost imperceptible smile flitted across the young count's visage.
"Well," he said, "the ladies of the Electoral house have ever been most
condescending in their manner to me, Princess Charlotte Louise no less
than her mother and sister, and, as I have done nothing to forfeit their
favor, I hope that upon my return they will receive me as graciously as
they dismissed me before I left home."

"My son," said Count Adam seriously, "you answer me evasively, and that is
not well. We two are made to support each other, and to go hand in hand in
the difficult path which lies before us. For you know as well as I do that
our safety is imperiled when the Electoral Prince again makes his
appearance at court, and we will henceforth find many stones of stumbling
in our way."

"But my wise and puissant father will remove all such obstructions," cried
the son, with a merry laugh. "Let the Electoral Prince throw ever so many
stones in our way, we can pick them up, and your honor will find
opportunity to hurl them back at the little Prince, the last scion of his
house."

"I shall find opportunity, and, by heavens, I will make use of it."

"And if my gracious father can or will make use of me in picking up the
stones, or maybe in throwing them, I am most heartily at his service. Your
honor needs only to direct. I shall aim well, and hope to hit the mark."

"My son, verily, you are a great diplomatist," cried Schwarzenberg, "and
many an one who esteems himself an old adept in this art might take
lessons from you. How cleverly you managed to evade the question I put to
you, and lead the conversation into a different channel! But I must recur
to my question, and, since you will throw stones subject to my direction,
then, my son, I tell you that your relations with the Princess Charlotte
Louise may become a most effective missile against the Electoral Prince,
which, if you aim it accurately, may inflict a deadly blow upon the
Prince. Therefore, my fine son, answer my question honestly: On what terms
are you with the Princess Charlotte Louise?"

A cloud of displeasure flitt