follow.’
The woman had entered.
‘I know! I know!’ cried Ida. ‘We are to come down and be ready to greet the Duke when he arrives.’
He had leaped from his horse, a commanding figure, six feet fourinches tall. He came forward to greet the Duchess Eleanor who gave him her hand to kiss.
‘You must allow me to present my son to you.’
The Dukes of Weimar and Saxe-Meiningen bowed.
‘And my daughters,’ went on the Duchess.
They stood on either side of her – Adelaide the plain and Ida the beautiful.
The Duke of Weimar looked from one to the other.
‘The elder, the Princess Adelaide,’ said the Duchess.
Again that bow.
‘And the Princess Ida.’
Once more he bowed and his eyes rested on Ida and lingered there.
The Duchess took his hand and led him into the castle, and it was as Adelaide had known it would be. He could not take his eyes from Ida, nor she from him.
The Duchess Eleanor called her ministers to the castle.
‘The Duke of Weimar is asking for the hand of the Princess Ida,’ she told them.
‘Would it not be more agreeable if the Princess Adelaide married first?’
‘It would have pleased me better, but the Duke of Weimar asked for Ida. It is a good match and we cannot with wisdom refuse it.’
It would be the utmost folly to, since if the Duke of Weimar could not have Ida he would certainly not take Adelaide.
‘It is an excellent match for a younger daughter,’ said the Duchess; ‘and what pleases me is that neither the Princess Ida nor the Duke would have to be persuaded to it. They are more eager than we could hope. In fact they declare they are in love.’
In the circumstances it seemed that there was only one thing lacking to make the young couple completely happy and that was the consent of the Duchess and her ministers.
That consent was readily given, although every one of them believed it would have been more fitting for the elder princess to marry first.
‘Adelaide!’ cried Ida, throwing herself at her sister.
‘What is it? You’re crying.’
‘Such odd tears. I’m so happy … and yet I’m so sad.’
‘How can that be?’
‘Oh, Adelaide, dearest Adelaide, I don’t know what to say to you. They … they have given their consent. Bernhard and I are to be married.’
‘Well, what is that to cry about?’
‘Oh, sister, my dearest Adelaide, you really don’t mind?’
‘Mind … but I am delighted to see you so happy.’
‘I … I shall marry before you.’
‘And so you should because you are so pretty.’
‘But he was to have been for you .’
‘Being very sensible he fell in love with you instead. I can’t say I blame him. As a matter of fact if he had not done so I should have thought there was something lacking in him.’
‘Oh really… Adelaide … you are not … furious!’
Adelaide laughed. ‘Did you really think I should be?’
‘No,’ admitted Ida. ‘Even if you had loved him, which I trust you don’t.’
‘No, my dear Ida. I do not think I should fall in love so easily. I should need to know someone for years and years.’
‘Yes, I believe you would. You are so calm and wise and good. And I am wildly happy, Adelaide, if you are not unhappy about this I am the happiest woman in the world.’
‘Then you are indeed the happiest woman in the world.’
Ida had pressed her face against her sister’s. She was always so impulsive.
‘Now, I shall ask your advice … about my wedding dress, my jewels … everything. Because you always tell the truth. So if you were really unhappy you would have to say so. But then you might not because you are also unselfish and you might think you would spoil my happiness. Oh, Adelaide, do you really mean this?’
‘I mean it. I don’t want to marry. I hope I never do. I hope I stay here with Mamma and Bernhard – my Bernhard not yours – for the rest of my life. I begin to think that is what I really want. Iam sure no man would really want to marry me any more than your Bernhard
The woman had entered.
‘I know! I know!’ cried Ida. ‘We are to come down and be ready to greet the Duke when he arrives.’
He had leaped from his horse, a commanding figure, six feet fourinches tall. He came forward to greet the Duchess Eleanor who gave him her hand to kiss.
‘You must allow me to present my son to you.’
The Dukes of Weimar and Saxe-Meiningen bowed.
‘And my daughters,’ went on the Duchess.
They stood on either side of her – Adelaide the plain and Ida the beautiful.
The Duke of Weimar looked from one to the other.
‘The elder, the Princess Adelaide,’ said the Duchess.
Again that bow.
‘And the Princess Ida.’
Once more he bowed and his eyes rested on Ida and lingered there.
The Duchess took his hand and led him into the castle, and it was as Adelaide had known it would be. He could not take his eyes from Ida, nor she from him.
The Duchess Eleanor called her ministers to the castle.
‘The Duke of Weimar is asking for the hand of the Princess Ida,’ she told them.
‘Would it not be more agreeable if the Princess Adelaide married first?’
‘It would have pleased me better, but the Duke of Weimar asked for Ida. It is a good match and we cannot with wisdom refuse it.’
It would be the utmost folly to, since if the Duke of Weimar could not have Ida he would certainly not take Adelaide.
‘It is an excellent match for a younger daughter,’ said the Duchess; ‘and what pleases me is that neither the Princess Ida nor the Duke would have to be persuaded to it. They are more eager than we could hope. In fact they declare they are in love.’
In the circumstances it seemed that there was only one thing lacking to make the young couple completely happy and that was the consent of the Duchess and her ministers.
That consent was readily given, although every one of them believed it would have been more fitting for the elder princess to marry first.
‘Adelaide!’ cried Ida, throwing herself at her sister.
‘What is it? You’re crying.’
‘Such odd tears. I’m so happy … and yet I’m so sad.’
‘How can that be?’
‘Oh, Adelaide, dearest Adelaide, I don’t know what to say to you. They … they have given their consent. Bernhard and I are to be married.’
‘Well, what is that to cry about?’
‘Oh, sister, my dearest Adelaide, you really don’t mind?’
‘Mind … but I am delighted to see you so happy.’
‘I … I shall marry before you.’
‘And so you should because you are so pretty.’
‘But he was to have been for you .’
‘Being very sensible he fell in love with you instead. I can’t say I blame him. As a matter of fact if he had not done so I should have thought there was something lacking in him.’
‘Oh really… Adelaide … you are not … furious!’
Adelaide laughed. ‘Did you really think I should be?’
‘No,’ admitted Ida. ‘Even if you had loved him, which I trust you don’t.’
‘No, my dear Ida. I do not think I should fall in love so easily. I should need to know someone for years and years.’
‘Yes, I believe you would. You are so calm and wise and good. And I am wildly happy, Adelaide, if you are not unhappy about this I am the happiest woman in the world.’
‘Then you are indeed the happiest woman in the world.’
Ida had pressed her face against her sister’s. She was always so impulsive.
‘Now, I shall ask your advice … about my wedding dress, my jewels … everything. Because you always tell the truth. So if you were really unhappy you would have to say so. But then you might not because you are also unselfish and you might think you would spoil my happiness. Oh, Adelaide, do you really mean this?’
‘I mean it. I don’t want to marry. I hope I never do. I hope I stay here with Mamma and Bernhard – my Bernhard not yours – for the rest of my life. I begin to think that is what I really want. Iam sure no man would really want to marry me any more than your Bernhard
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