Gay voices and loud laughter,
sounding from beneath her window, aroused her from this trance of
grief.
"That is Madame Brandt and the Duke of Brunswick," said Elizabeth,
hastening to the window, and peeping from behind the curtains into
the garden. Yes, there stood the duke in lively conversation with
Jordan Kaiserling Chazot, and the newly-arrived Bielfeld; but the
ladies were nowhere to be seen, and the princess concluded they were
already in the ante-room, and that the prince would soon join her.
"He must not see that I have wept; no one must see that." She
breathed upon her handkerchief, and pressed its damp folds upon her
eyes. "No, I will smile and be gay like Madame Brandt and Morien. I
will laugh and jest, and no one shall guess that my heart is
bleeding and dying with inexplicable grief. Yes, gay will I be, and
smiling; so only can I please my husband." She gave a sad, heart-
breaking laugh, which was echoed loudly and joyously in the ante-
room.
CHAPTER XII.
THE POEM.
The ladies of the court, and those who were guests at the palace of
Rheinsberg, were assembled, and waiting in the ante-room, as the
princess royal had supposed. A few of them had withdrawn to one of
the windows with Madame von Katch, the first lady of honor, and were
conversing in low voices, while Madame von Brandt and Madame von
Morien held an earnest but low-toned conversation in another part of
the room.
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