"Take away those draperies; it is suffocatingly hot," said Beatrice. "Oh, you ask me what I think?--Do you find her pretty?" "I have never seen any one like her!" said the tire-woman, boldly. "It is to be supposed that my taste is not perfect, but it is the expression of my opinion. She is beautiful, wonderfully beautiful!" "Indeed? you think her wonderfully beautiful?" repeated Beatrice, with a mixture of scorn and anger. "You are very enthusiastic, it seems!" "I only wished to express the highest point of beauty. Perhaps I should have said beautiful as an angel!--And, indeed, your Majesty, I always imagined that an angel would look like her!" Beatrice endeavored to restrain her anger, but in spite of herself, she colored and grew pale by turns. "Oh! she is only a child yet, not fourteen they say, and before the age of twenty she may change a great deal. You know that pretty children often grow up into ugly women." "The proverb will be wrong here, your Majesty. The young girl's beauty is still only in the bud, but we can already foresee what it will become. When the rose shall be fully blown, I would advise no one to come near who is not perfectly sure that she can bear the comparison." "Enough of this nonsense! Hermengarde is betrothed to Count Rechberg, and I wish to do everything to please him. Go and find out if Rechberg will be here soon, for I am curious to witness their meeting. You may invite her to the collation of which I will partake with her." _CHAPTER XXIII_. _THE MEETING_. Hermengarde felt very uneasy at the Empress' silence with regard to Erwin. Was he no longer in the Camp? Had he accompanied the Emperor to Lodi, or perhaps returned to Germany? The doubts annoyed her, and in her agitation she paced her room with hurried steps. "You must be tired," said the maid who attended her. "Why in the world do you run about in that way? I feel quite broken down, and yet you seem as lively as if you had not ridden fourteen miles to-day." "Youth bears fatigue easily, but I have been wrong, dear Hedwige, to make you come such a tiresome journey." "Wrong! and who but I should accompany you? Your father was away, and you could not come to the Court alone." "Oh! Hedwige, you remind me that I have been doubly wrong: first in tiring you, and then in coming away without my father's permission." "You could not have declined such an honor. How silly! Many a prince's daughter would have been flattered by such an invitation! No, no; you did quite right to accept it." "But my father's consent?" "Nonsense! Your father would have been proud of the honor paid you; do not doubt it a moment." "Still"-- "Hush!--some one is coming." At this moment, Richilda, accompanied by several ladies of honor, entered, bearing a most cordial invitation to visit the Empress. She was surprised at Hermengarde's sad expression. "I trust that you are not unwell, noble lady?" she asked, kindly.