"Our Queen is an angel," said Madame von Stork as Ludwig ended.
Then Marianne told stories, also, of things she had heard of the Queen at Frau Rat Goethe's.
"Bettina Brentano," she began, "is a friend of the mother of our Goethe!"
"My goodness, Marianne!" cried Franz, who was home in those days, "don't pronounce that name as if it were sacred!"
But Marianne paid no heed to him.
"Frau Rat," she continued, with a toss of her head, "loves our Queen with all her heart. She has known her since she was as old as Carl. Once, when she and her sister, the Princess Frederika, were little girls, they came to Frankfort to the coronation of the Emperor Leopold."
Then, while Carl crowded to her knee and even her father stopped his reading to listen, Marianne told how, one day, the two princesses came to visit Frau Rat with their Swiss governess, Fräulein de Gélieu, and of how in Frau Rat's garden was a pump which at once attracted the princesses.
Little Louisa, who loved the old lady, and was not a bit afraid of her in spite of the great turban she wore, whispered in her ear how much she would enjoy pumping like a common child.
The mother of Goethe nodded. She had no taste for prim etiquette and saw no real reason why the little princesses should not enjoy themselves.
"Come, dear Fräulein de Gélieu," said she to the governess. "Come into my saal. I will show you my beautiful snuffbox with the picture of my famous son upon it."