In the evening a court was held, and the queen appeared, pale, but
smiling, on her husband's arm. They spoke confidentially, and nobody
noticed the missing ring.

Next day the journals announced that the king's physician had tendered
his resignation.

And court gossip had it that Walpurga had bought a farm with the gold
she had earned as intermediary between the king and the unfortunate
Countess Wildenort.


_VI.--Forgiving and Forgiven_


Irma had passed four years at Hanseï's mountain farm. Her secret had
been well kept. Even Hanseï, who had promised his wife never to ask any
questions about their permanent guest, was in complete ignorance about
her identity. Irma, who, after having tried her hand at various domestic
occupations, had taken up wood-carving with considerable success,
enabling her to discharge at least the material part of her debt of
gratitude, was generally held to be a half-witted relation of
Walpurga's.

Her despair and remorse had gradually given way to resigned sadness.
Self-communion had to make up for lack of intellectual intercourse, and
sharpened her perception. In her diary she entered the profound thoughts
suggested to her active intelligence by her observation of events in
themselves insignificant, and analysed with cool aloofness the working