Catherine and Elizabeth von Meisenbuch opened a new grammar before their learned pundits, the _Herrn_ von Busche and von Platen (the latter was of a noble and ancient house); and truth to tell, the philosophers were nothing loth to pursue the new study taught by such professors. When this educational course had come to a close, the public recognised at once its aim, quality, and effects, by learning that the sage preceptors had actually married two of the liveliest and lightest-footed of girls who had ever danced a _branle_ at the balls in Brunswick. The wives, on first appearing in public after their marriage, looked radiant with joy. The tutors wore about them an air of constraint, as if they thought the world needed an apology, by way of explaining how two Elders had permitted themselves to be vanquished by a brace of Susannas. Their ideas were evidently confused, but they took courage as people cheerfully laughed, though they may have lost it again on discovering that they had been drawn into matrimony by two gracefully-graceless nymphs, whose sole object was to use their spouses as stepping-stones to a higher greatness. There must have been many attendant advantages in connection with such an object, or the two married philosophers would hardly have worn the air of content which they put on as soon as they saw the aim of their estimable wives, and felt the gain thence accruing. Elizabeth von Meisenbuch, the wife of von Platen, was the true mistress of the situation. Von Platen, principally through her intrigues, had been appointed prime-minister of the sovereign bishop. The time passed by von Platen with his sovereign master afforded him ample leisure to talk of his wife, praise her political abilities, and over-eulogise her. The prince-bishop felt his curiosity excited to study more nearly this phœnix of a woman. It was, therefore, the most natural of consequences that von Platen should lead his lady to his master’s feet, though it perhaps was not so natural that he should leave her there to ‘improve’ the position thus reached. The lady lost no time in justifying all that her husband had advanced in warranty of her talent, skill, and willingness to use them for the advantage of the bishop and his dominions; the powerful prelate was enchanted with her--enchanted with her in every sense. To sum up all, Madame von Platen became the mistress of her husband’s master; and her sister, who had given her hand to von Busche, gave herself body and soul to the bishop’s son, George Louis. This arrangement seemed in no way to disturb the equanimity of the bishop’s wife, the prince’s mother. CHAPTER III. THE BRUNSWICKER IN ENGLAND.