She said as much, and promised the Elector that she would
exercise herself the latter quality in his son's service. Again
the Elector did not find it grotesque that his mistress should
appoint herself the guardian of his son's honour.
The Countess went about that congenial task with zeal--though
George's honour was the least thing that concerned her. What
concerned her was the dishonour of Sophia, and the ruin of
Koenigsmark. So she watched assiduously, and set others, too, to
watch for her and to report. And almost daily now she had for the
Elector a tale of whisperings and hand-pressings, and secret
stolen meetings between the guilty twain. The Elector enraged,
and would have taken action, but that the guileful Countess
curbed him. All this was not enough. An accusation that could not
be substantiated would ruin all chance of punishing the
offenders, might recoil, indeed, upon the accusers by bringing
the Duke of Zell to his daughter's aid. So they must wait yet
awhile until they held more absolute proof of this intrigue.
And then at last one day the Countess sped in haste to the
Elector with word that Koenigsmark and the Princess had shut
themselves up together in the garden pavilion.
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