"More than that: I have told him all, and he has acknowledged my title," and I showed her the Imperial letter.
Her face shone with pride and delight.
"I can forgive every one now, for it has all ended so splendidly for you," she said.
"For us," I corrected; and she acknowledged the correction with a blush and a smile of love which exasperated the Baroness Gratz, who had been listening to us in indignant silence.
"Then I suppose you have no more use for me?" she declared, with an angry toss of the head, as she turned to leave us.
"I am afraid you yourself have made it difficult for you to share in my happiness—in our happiness, I mean," said Minna gently. "I am so happy that I have no room for any thought on that score but regret that it should be so."
"You were always an ungrateful girl, Minna," replied the old lady very ungraciously, bitter to the end against me. "And I have no wish to share with you, or deprive you of any part of, such happiness as you may expect to find in company with a man who is sometimes play-actor, sometimes Prince, and always an impostor," and with that parting taunt she flung away.
"Poor aunt Gratz!" sighed Minna.
Then she put her hands in mine, and, nestling close to me, asked with a winsome coquettishness:
"Am I ungrateful, Karl?"