t."

"How so?"

"You recollect that when at the age of sixteen you left
Oldenzaal, to travel with your father through Russia and
England, I had your portrait painted in the costume you wore at
the first _bal costume_ the late duchess gave?"

"Yes, aunt, the costume of a German page of the sixteenth
century."

"Our famous painter, Fritz Mocker, whilst he painted a faithful
likeness of you, not only produced a page of that century, but
even the style of the pictures of that time.

"Some days after her arrival at Gerolstein, the Princess Amelie,
who had come with her father to visit me, remarked your
portrait, and asked what was that charming picture of olden
times. Her father smiled, and said, 'This is the portrait of a
cousin of ours, who would be, were he now alive (as you see by
his dress), some three hundred years old, but who, although very
young, made himself remarkable for his courage and goodness of
heart; has he not bravery in his eyes and goodness in his
smile?'"

Do not, I entreat you, Maximilian, shrug your shoulders with
disdain at seeing me write these puerile details of myself,
which are, alas, necessary to my story.

"The Princess Amelie," continued my aunt, "deceived by this
innocent pleasantry, after a long examination of your portrait,
joined with her father in praising the amiable and determined
expression of your face. Some time after, when I went to
Gerolstein, she questioned me playfully about 'her cousin of the
olden time.'

"I then explained the trick to her, and told her that the
handsome page of the sixteenth century was really the Prince
Henry d'Herkauesen-Oldenzaal, a young man of one and twenty,
captain in the guards of his majesty the Emperor of Austria, and
in every other respect than the costume very like his picture.
At these words the princess," continued my aunt, "blushed and
became serious, and has never since spoken of the picture.
However, you see that you are not quite a stranger to your
cousin; so take courage, and maintain the reputation of your
portrait."

This conversation took place, as I have already told you, the
evening previous to the day on which I was to be presented to
the princess my cousin. I left my aunt, and returned to my own
apartments.

You have often told me, my dear Maximilian,