'Mademoiselle de Grävenitz, I appeal to you; his Highness is playing a ridiculous rôle in the sight of Europe! Give him up, send him back to duty, to honour, to his great military career!'
'Monsieur, you come here to dictate to his Highness, it seems! Since when is that your right?' She spoke sneeringly, and Eberhard Ludwig felt that her taunt was directed in part at himself. She did not deem him capable of resisting Forstner, perhaps? she considered him as a being whose conduct could be dictated.
'I know my duty, sir,' he said; 'you have no need to teach it me.'
'Indeed, Monseigneur, you have forgotten it since yonder lady's advent!' Forstner was getting beyond himself.
'I have not forgotten how to defend from insult the lady whom I love and honour,' said Eberhard Ludwig coldly, 'and I request you, Forstner, to withdraw immediately.'
'Mademoiselle de Grävenitz, you have ruined his Highness!' shouted Forstner; 'he is untrue to all his vows: you are a ——'; but his words are unrepeatable, even Wilhelmine shrank back. Eberhard Ludwig drew his sword and forced his over-zealous friend through the door.
A moment afterwards his Highness returned and, flinging himself upon his knees before the Grävenitz, poured forth a torrent of adoring words, but the lady remained impervious to his pleading.
'I cannot suffer such treatment,' she answered; 'I can but beg your Highness to depart from me for ever. I shall reside here, drag out a solitary existence in this refuge which my friend Monseigneur de Zollern has given me! Your Highness cannot defend me from insult, and I do not choose to be flaunted as a wanton.'
'Alas, what can I do? I will give you all, but I have not the power to legalise your position.'
'So I see, Monseigneur, and therefore I beg you to depart.'