’You thought her pretty?  Frenchwomen know what to do with their brains and their pins, somebody has said.’

’And exceedingly well said, too.  Where is that man Roy?  Good things always remind me of him.’

The question was addressed to no one in particular.  The man happened to be my father, I remembered.  A second allusion to him was answered by Prince Ernest: 

’Roy is off to Croatia to enrol some dozens of cheap workmen.  The strength of those Croats is prodigious, and well looked after they work.  He will be back in three or four or more days.’

‘You have spoilt a good man,’ rejoined the margravine; ’and that reminds me of a bad one—­a cutthroat.  Have you heard of that creature, the princess’s tutor?  Happily cut loose from us, though!  He has published a book—­a horror! all against Scripture and Divine right!  Is there any one to defend him now, I should like to ask?’

‘I,’ said Ottilia.

‘Gracious me! you have not read the book?’

‘Right through, dear aunt, with all respect to you.’

’It ‘s in the house?’

‘It is in my study.’

‘Then I don’t wonder!  I don’t wonder!’ the margravine exclaimed.

‘Best hear what the enemy has to say,’ Prince Ernest observed.

‘Excellently argued, papa, supposing that he be an enemy.’

’An enemy as much as the fox is the enemy of the poultry-yard, and the hound is the enemy of the fox!’ said the margravine.

‘I take your illustration, auntie,’ said Ottilia.  ’He is the enemy of chickens, and only does not run before the numbers who bark at him.  My noble old Professor is a resolute truth-seeker:  he raises a light to show you the ground you walk on.  How is it that you, adoring heroes as you do, cannot admire him when he stands alone to support his view of the truth!  I would I were by him!  But I am, whenever I hear him abused.’

‘I daresay you discard nothing that the wretch has taught you!’

‘Nothing! nothing!’ said Ottilia, and made my heart live.

The grim and taciturn Baroness Turckems, sitting opposite to her, sighed audibly.

‘Has the princess been trying to convert you?’ the margravine asked her.

‘Trying? no, madam.  Reading? yes.’

‘My good Turckems! you do not get your share of sleep?’

‘It is her Highness the princess who despises sleep.’

’See there the way with your free-thinkers!  They commence by treading under foot the pleasantest half of life, and then they impose their bad habits on their victims.  Ottilia!  Ernest!  I do insist upon having lights extinguished in the child’s apartments by twelve o’clock at midnight.’

‘Twelve o’clock is an extraordinary latitude for children,’ said Ottilia, smiling.

The prince, with a scarce perceptible degree of emphasis, said,

‘Women born to rule must be held exempt from nursery restrictions.’