She forged
next day a brief note in which the Princess Sophia urgently bade
Koenigsmark to come to her at ten o'clock that night in her own
apartments, and with threat and bribe induced the waiting woman
of the glove to bear that letter.
Now it so happened that Koenigsmark, through the kind offices of
Sophia's maid-of-honour, Mademoiselle de Knesebeck, who was in
the secret of their intentions, had sent the Princess a note that
morning, briefly stating the urgency of departure, and begging
her so to arrange that she could leave Herrenhausen with him on
the morrow. He imagined the note now brought him to be in answer
to that appeal of his. Its genuineness he never doubted, being
unacquainted with Sophia's writing. He was aghast at the rashness
which dictated such an acsignation, yet never hesitated as to
keeping it. It was not his way to hesitate. He trusted to the
gods who watch over the destinies of the bold.
And meanwhile Madame von Platen was reproaching her lover with
having dealt too softly with the Dane.
"Bah!" said the Elector. "To-morrow he goes his ways, and we are
rid of him. Is not that enough?"
"Enough, if, soon as he goes, he goes not too late already,"
quoth she.
Pages:
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308