And he gazed at her with a look at once so beseeching and so desponding, that her heart melted towards him, and she suddenly made up her mind what to do, and dropped her eyes and fell on her knees beside him, and caught his hand and cried—
“My King! Forgive me, I am young and ignorant, and I am not worthy of your love.”
Then an infinite tenderness, which was the greatest happiness he had ever known, filled Maximilian’s soul, and he stooped and lifted her up, and clasped her to him once, and kissed her on the forehead and on the lips, and set her down beside him.
“My darling, I have loved you all this time, and never dared to tell you, for fear I might frighten you and lose your confidence. And I did not mean you to know who I was till I had won your love in return. And now, what do you say? Do you think you can bring yourself to love me after all?”
“I will try.”
She said it in a whisper so low and faint that only the ear of a lover could have caught the words. But he was satisfied. And they sat on there together for more than an hour, while he talked to her, and tried to diminish the gulf that lay between them, and to soothe her into security. And every now and then he ventured to put in a word of love, and watched her colour rise, or saw her shyly droop her head, and felt that he could wish for no greater joy than to sit on like that forever.
But at last he felt that he must leave her, and began to say farewell. And it occurred to him to give her a warning.
“All this is our secret, is it not, little one?” he said gently. “No one but our two selves need know anything of what has passed between us, as yet. When the time comes that you have conquered your doubts, and can look me in the face, and tell me that you feel towards me as I feel towards you, then the world shall hear of it. In the mean time, if any strangers should come here to satisfy their curiosity or to make their court to you because they think you have influence with me, have nothing to do with them. You will remember this, will you not?”
Dorothea nodded, with a troubled look. Already the meshes of Court intrigue were beginning to close around her, already the simple peasant girl was beginning to draw her breath with difficulty in a courtly atmosphere. Ought she to tell Maximilian of his aunt’s invitation? Or ought she rather to be guided by the Princess’s warnings against bestowing too much confidence on any one not of her own sex?
Before she could make up her mind between these conflicting appeals the King had given her a parting embrace, and was gone.