I cannot tell how much I felt the touching kindness of the grand duke, and how bitterly I reproached myself for yielding to an affection the prince would never authorise. I vowed inwardly that nothing should induce me to acquaint my cousin with my affection, but I feared my emotion would betray me. I had leisure for these reflections whilst my cousin danced the first quadrille with the Archduke Stanislaus. Nothing was more suited to display the graces of the princess's person than the slow movements of the dance. I anxiously awaited my turn; and I succeeded in concealing my emotion when I led her to the quadrille. "Does your royal highness sanction my calling you cousin?" said I. "Oh, yes, cousin, I am always delighted to obey my father." "I rejoice in this familiarity, since I have learnt from my aunt to know you." "My father has often spoken of you, cousin; and what may, perhaps, astonish you," added she, timidly, "I also knew you by sight; for one day the Abbess of Ste. Hermangeld, your aunt, for whom I have the greatest respect, showed me your picture." "As a page of the sixteenth century?" "Yes, cousin; and my father was malicious enough to tell me that it was an ancestor of ours, and spoke so highly of his courage and his other qualities that our family ought to be proud of their descent from him." "Alas, cousin, I fear my resemblance to my portrait is not great!" "You are mistaken, cousin," said the princess. "For at the end of the concert I recognised you immediately, in spite of the difference of costume." Then, wishing to change the conversation, she added, "How charmingly M. Liszt plays!--does he not?" "Yes. How attentively you listened to him!" "Because there is to me a double charm in music without words. Not only you hear the execution, but you can adapt your thoughts to the melody. Do you understand me?" "Perfectly; your own thoughts become words to the air." "Yes, you quite comprehend me," said she, with a gesture of satisfaction. "I feared I could not express what I felt just now." "I thank God, cousin," said I, smiling, "you can have no words to set to so sad an air." I know not whether my question was indiscreet or whether she had not heard me, but suddenly she exclaimed, pointing out to me the grand duke, who crossed the room with the archduchess on his arm, "Cousin, look at my father, how handsome he is! how noble! how good! Every one looks at him as if they loved him more than they feared him." "Ah," cried I, "it is not only here he is beloved. If the blessing of his people be transmitted to their posterity, the name of Rodolph of Gerolstein will be immortal." "To speak thus is to be, indeed, worthy of his attachment."