She was dressed in blue velvet to the throat; the hair was brushed from the temples and bound in a simple knot.  Her face and speech, fair and unconstrained, had neither shadow nor beam directed specially for me.  I replied,

‘At least I have been taught to despise idleness.’

’My Professor tells me it is strange for any of your countrymen to love books.’

‘We have some good scholars, princess.’

’You have your Bentley and Porson.  Oh!  I know many of the world’s men have grown in England.  Who can deny that?  What we mean is, your society is not penetrated with learning.  But my Professor shall dispute with you.  Now you are facile in our German you can defend yourself.  He is a deep scholar, broad over tongues and dialects, European, Asiatic-a lion to me, poor little mouse!  I am speaking of Herr Professor von Karsteg, lady aunt.’

‘Speak intelligibly, and don’t drum on my ear with that hybrid language,’ rejoined the margravine.

’Hybrid!  It is my Herr Professor’s word.  But English is the choice gathering of languages, and honey is hybrid, unless you condemn the bee to suck at a single flower.’

‘Ha! you strain compliments like the poet Fretzel,’ the margravine exclaimed.  ’Luckily, they’re not, addressed to human creatures.  You will find the villa dull, Herr Harry Richmond.  For my part, every place is dull to me that your father does not enliven.  We receive no company in the prince’s absence, so we are utterly cut off from fools; we have simply none about us.’

‘The deprivation is one we are immensely sensible of!’ said the princess.

’Laugh on! you will some day be aware of their importance in daily life, Ottilia.’

The princess answered:  ‘If I could hate, it would be such persons.’  A sentence that hung in the memory of one knowing himself to be animated by the wildest genius of folly.

We drove to the statue of Prince Albrecht Wohlgemuth, overlooking leagues of snow-roofed branches.  Again Ottilia reverted to Temple,

’That dear little friend of yours who wandered out with you to seek your father, and is now a sailor!  I cannot forget him.  It strikes me as a beautiful piece of the heroism of boys.  You both crossed the sea to travel over the whole Continent until you should find him, did you not?  What is hard to understand, is your father’s not writing to you while he did us the favour to reside at the palace.’

‘Roy is a butterfly,’ said the margravine.

‘That I cannot think.’

’Roy was busy, he was occupied.  I won’t have him abused.  Besides, one can’t be always caressing and cajoling one’s pretty brats.’

‘He is an intensely loving father.’

’Very well; establish that, and what does it matter whether he wrote or not?  A good reputation is the best vindication.’

The princess smiled.  ’See here, dearest aunty, the two boys passed half the night here, until my Aennchen’s father gave them shelter.’