You perceive my state without rendering it necessary for me to label myself.

I saw her next in a pinewood between Ischl and the Traun.  I had climbed the steep hill alone, while my father and Mr. Peterborough drove round the carriage-road to the margravine’s white villa.  Ottilia was leaning on the arm of Baroness Turckems, walking—­a miracle that disentangled her cruelly from my net of fancies.  The baroness placed a second hand upon her as soon as I was seen standing in the path.  Ottilia’s face coloured like the cyclamen at her feet.

‘You!’ she said.

‘I might ask, is it you, princess?’

‘Some wonder has been worked, you see.’

‘I thank heaven.’

‘You had a part in it.’

‘The poorest possible.’

‘Yet I shall presume to call you Doctor Oceanus,’

‘Will you repeat his medicine?  The yacht awaits you always.’

‘When I am well I study.  Do not you?’

‘I have never studied in my life.’

’Ah, lose no more time.  The yacht is delicious idleness, but it is idleness.  I am longing for it now, I am still so very weak.  My dear Sibley has left me to be married.  She marries a Hanoverian officer.  We change countries—­I mean,’ the princess caught back her tongue, ’she will become German, not compatriot of your ships of war.  My English rebukes me.  I cease to express . . .  It is like my walking, done half for pride, I think.  Baroness, lower me, and let me rest.’

The baroness laid her gently on the dry brown pine-sheddings, and blew a whistle that hung at her girdle, by which old Schwartzy kept out of sight to encourage the princess’s delusion of pride in her walking, was summoned.  Ottilia had fainted.  The baroness shot a suspicious glance at me.  ‘It comes of this everlasting English talk,’ I heard her mutter.  She was quick to interpose between me and the form I had once raised and borne undisputedly.

‘Schwartz is the princess’s attendant, sir,’ she said.  ’In future, may I request you to talk German?’

The Prince of Eppenwelzen and Prince Otto were shooting in the mountains.  The margravine, after conversing with the baroness, received me stiffly.  She seemed eager to be rid of us; was barely hospitable.  My mind was too confused to take much note of words and signs.  I made an appointment to meet my father the day following, and walked away and returned at night, encountered Schwartz and fed on the crumbs of tidings I got from him, a good, rough old faithful fellow, far past the age for sympathy, but he had carried Ottilia when she was an infant, and meant to die in her service.  I thought him enviable above most creatures.