"
Koenigsmark bowed stiffly, formally. "It shall end, your Highness,
as soon as I can make the necessary arrangements for my
departure--in a week at most."
"You are accorded three days, sir." The Elector turned, and
waddled out, leaving Koenigsmark to breathe freely again. The
three days should suffice for the Princess also. It was very
well.
The Elector, too, thought that it was very well. He had given
this troublesome fellow his dismissal, averted a scandal, and
placed his daughter-in-law out of the reach of harm. Madame von
Platen was the only one concerned who thought that it was not
well at all, the consummation being far from that which she had
desired. She had dreamt of a flaming scandal, that should utterly
consume her two enemies, Sophia and Koenigsmark. Instead, she saw
them both escaping, and the fact that she was--as she may have
supposed--effectively separating two loving hearts could be no
sort of adequate satisfaction for such bitter spite as hers.
Therefore she plied her wicked wits to force an issue more
germane to her desires.
The course she took was fraught with a certain peril. Yet
confident that at worst she could justify it, and little fearing
that the worst would happen, she boldly went to work.
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