Adelaide von Wallmoden, who had just entered in company with Prince Adelsberg, bowed her recognition of the Princess' notice.
She made, indeed, a brilliant picture to-night, for the splendid court toilet enhanced her beauty triumphantly. The costly brocade of the white dress, which fell to her feet in heavy folds, suited the slender figure admirably. The pearls encircling her throat and the diamonds which sparkled in her blond hair were perhaps the most costly of any worn to-night; but more sharply than ever appeared the cold and serious expression of the young wife. She did not in the least resemble others of her age who were also married, but who claimed the right of youth to dress in dainty laces and flowers. She possessed nothing of their brightness--the urbane amiability which was so fully brought to view in them. The severe, serious expression which was an inheritance from her father, and so indelibly stamped in her nature, betrayed itself in her character.
Egon kissed his exalted aunt's hand, and had been honored with a few gracious words, but from the first, the amiable attention of Her Highness was quite taken up by the young Baroness, who was immediately drawn into conversation.
"I was just expressing my pleasure to His Excellency that you find yourself so quickly at home in our court circle, dear Baroness. You enter these circles to-day for the first time, if I understand aright, and have lived hitherto in entirely different surroundings. You were born a----"
"Stahlberg, Your Highness," was the calm rejoinder.
"Quite right. I remember the name, which has been spoken several times in my presence. It is honorably known in your native town, I presume."
"Most gracious aunt, you must permit me to inform you better," joined in Prince Adelsberg, who seldom permitted an opportunity of vexing his most gracious aunt to pass by. "The factories of Stahlberg are world-renowned. They are as well known across the ocean as they are here. I had an opportunity to learn all about them when I was in Northern Germany several years ago, and I can assure you that those works those iron foundries and factories, with their colonies of officers and their army of workmen, can well vie with many a small principality, whose sovereign, though, is not such an absolute ruler as was the father of Her Excellency."
The Princess cast anything but a friendly glance at her nephew; his interference was not desired.
"Indeed! I had no idea of such magnificence," she said in her most caustic tone. "We may, perhaps, then greet His Excellency as such a ruler?"
"Only as administrator, Your Highness," rejoined the Ambassador. "I am only the executor of my father-in-law's will, and guardian of my young brother-in-law, to whom the works will go when he attains his majority."