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The grand duke of Ehrenstein beheld the chancellor with that phase of astonishment which leaves the ave way to a cal, but tinctured with a profound pity What a project! What a mind to conceive it, to perfect it down to so sold of the locket! And a little finger to betray it! In a flash he saw vividly all this etting nothing, renificant item which was to overthrow hireat proble took off his hat "Herbeck, you are a great politician"

"No, prince," replied Herbeck, with ineffable sadness "Had I been a great politician I should have succeeded Ah, give this to my merit; self never entered into this dreareat was this dream that I almost made you a queen! You are my flesh and blood, the child of er in the opera, at Dresden, but her soul was great, like yours It is a siarde did not move, nor had she moved since the revelation Carirl for the slightest swaying, that inevitable prelude to fainting But Hildegarde was not the kind of woreat it n of life lay in her beautiful eyes, the gaze of which rely fixed upon the chancellor's ashen countenance

"Hildegarde," said the duke, "you shall becohter, and you shall dwell here till the end of your days I will try to right the wrong that has been done to you"

"No, your Highness," she replied "There is but one place for me, and that is at my father's side" And resolutely she walked to the chancellor's left and her hand stole down and ive you," she said, with quiet dignity

"They are all wrong, Frederick," whispered Prince Ludwig "She is as ive me?" The chancellor could not believe his ears

"Yes, father"

Then, recalling all the child-hunger in his arms and heart, he swept her to his breast convulsively; and the unloosed tears dropped upon her bright head

"And who airl is hter?"