“I embraced the Princess Royal,” Wilhelmina continues, “and gave her every assurance of my attachment. But she remained like a statue, not answering a word. Her people not being come, I arranged her hair and readjusted her dress a little, without the least sign of thanks or any answer to all my caressings. My brother got impatient at last, and said aloud, “‘Devil’s in the blockhead! Thank my sister, then?’ “She made me a courtesy on the model of that of Agnes in the _Ecole des Femmes_. I took her back to the queen’s apartment, little edified by such a display of talent.” It is probable that the princess, in the strangeness of her position, very young and inexperienced, and insulted by cruel neglect, in the freshness of her great grief dared not attempt to utter a syllable, lest her voice should break in uncontrollable sobbings. The Crown Prince returned to Ruppin, leaving the princess at Berlin. Charles, the heir-apparent to the ducal crown of Brunswick, and brother of the Princess Elizabeth, about a week after the arrival of the princess in Berlin, was married to Fritz’s sister Charlotte--that same wicked Charlotte who had flirted with Wilhelmina’s intended, and who had so shamelessly slandered the betrothed of her brother. Several fêtes followed these marriages, with the usual concomitants of enjoyment and disappointment. Wilhelmina thus describes one of them: “The next day there was a great promenade. We were all in phaetons, dressed out in our best. All the nobility followed in carriages, of which there were eighty-five. The king, in a Berline, led the procession. He had beforehand ordered the round we were to take, and very soon fell asleep. There came on a tremendous storm of wind and rain, in spite of which we continued our procession at a foot’s pace. It may easily be imagined what state we were in. We were as wet as if we had been in the river. Our hair hung about our ears, and our gowns and head-dresses were destroyed. We got out at last, after three hours’ rain, at Monbijou, where there was to be a great illumination and ball. I never saw any thing so comical as all these ladies, looking like so many Xantippes, with their dresses sticking to their persons. We could not even dry ourselves, and were obliged to remain all the evening in our wet clothes.” CHAPTER VIII. DEVELOPMENTS OF CHARACTER. The Castle at Reinsberg.--Slender Purses of Fritz and Wilhelmina.-- Liberality of Fritz.--The Ball at Monbijou.--Adventures of Fritz and Wilhelmina.--Letters.--The Interview.--Anecdote of the King.-- Wilhelmina’s Account of her Brother.--Mental and Physical Maladies of the King.--Frederick’s cruel Neglect of his Wife.--Daily Habits of the young Prince.--The shameful Carousal.