"Ah! You may go, Hermann."
"Your highness alone with--"
"Go at once," kindly, but with royal firmness.
Hermann bowed, gathered up his pruning knives and scissors which he had
let fall, and stalked down the path. What was it? he wondered. She was a
princess in all things save her lack of coldness toward the people. It
was wrong to meet them in this way, it was not in order. Her highness
had lived too long among them. She would never rid herself of the idea
that the humble had hearts and minds like the exalted.
As the figure of the head gardener diminished and shortly vanished
behind a bed of palms, her highness laughed brightly, and Gretchen, to
her own surprise, found herself laughing also, easily and without
constraint.
"Whom were you seeking?" her highness asked, rather startled by the
undeniable beauty of this peasant.
"I was seeking your serene highness. I live at number forty the
Krumerweg, and the sick woman gave me this note for you."
"Krumerweg?" Her highness reached for the note and read it, and as she
read tears gathered in her eyes. "Follow me," she said. She led Gretchen
to a marble bench and sat down. Gretchen remained on her feet
respectfully. "What is your name?"
[Illustration: She led Gretchen to a marble bench and sat down.
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