"It is a very poor love that one has to keep tied by a string!" exclaimed she. "I do not care for such love! But frankness for frankness, dear Countess," she continued, in a whisper. "I do not pledge myself. At present, I wish to remain faithful to Hoym, and it is only love that would ever make me unfaithful to him. The moment I love, I shall leave Hoym and go openly to the one I love; and the man who loves me shall be my husband."
"But the King! the King!"
"Whether he be a king or no, matters not to me," said Countess Hoym.
"Do you know that the King is married, although he does not live with his wife?"
"He will be obliged to obtain a divorce and marry me," rejoined Anna. "I have no wish to play the rôle of either Esterle, or Königsmark, or of Teschen."
Having said this, she rose and walked majestically across the room; Countess Reuss was silent, there was nothing more to be said.
"You will do as you please," said she, after a while. "As a good friend, it was my duty to warn you and give you good advice. Let us remain friends, but allow me to tell you this: the position you disdain is not so base and secondary as you imagine. The King will bow to your wishes; you may rule the country, and do much good; you may succour the unfortunate, make the people happy--all this is worth something."
"My honour is dearer to me than all that," replied Countess Hoym. "Let us speak no more on this subject."
They left the room. The ladies in the drawing-room looked at them curiously, trying to guess the subject of their conversation. Anna's face was crimson, the Countess Reuss was pale, yet both were smiling.
Suddenly the light of torches shone out beneath the window, and, looking out, Fürstenberg perceived the King on his way to visit Teschen, but he looked as sad as a man who had been sentenced to suffer some severe penalty.