"What am I, and who am I?" whispered Hildegarde, her heart almost
ceasing to beat.
"I am your father!" simply.
CHAPTER XXIII
HAPPINESS
The grand duke of Ehrenstein beheld the chancellor with that phase of
astonishment which leaves the mind unclouded. The violent storm in his
heart gave way to a calm, not at all menacing, but tinctured with a
profound pity. What a project! What a mind to conceive it, to perfect it
down to so small a detail as a jeweler's mark in the gold of the locket!
And a little finger to betray it! In a flash he saw vividly all this man
had undergone, day by day, unfaltering, unhesitant, forgetting nothing,
remembering everything but the one insignificant item which was to
overthrow him. He felt that he was confronted with a great problem; what
to do with the man?
Prince Ludwig took off his hat. "Herbeck, you are a great politician."
"No, prince," replied Herbeck, with ineffable sadness. "Had I been a
great politician I should have succeeded. Ah, give this to my merit;
self never entered into this dream. For you, my child, only for you. And
so great was this dream that I almost made you a queen! You are my flesh
and blood, the child of my wife, whom I loved. She was only a singer in
the opera, at Dresden, but her soul was great, like yours.
Pages:
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287