When the three girls, their eyes very large, and speaking in whispers,
although their father was at a yearly talk-fest with his old brothers in
arms, confided to their mother their resolution never in any
circumstances to adopt a household tyrant of their own, she nodded
understandingly.

"Leave it to me," she said. "Your father can be managed, little as he
suspects it. I'll find the weak spot in each of the suitors he brings
to the house and set him against all of them."

"And my voice?" asked Lili timidly. But the Frau Gräfin shook her head.
"There I cannot help you. He thinks an artistic career would disgrace
his family, and that is the end of it. Moreover, he regards women of any
class in public life as a disgrace to Germany. My assistance must be
passive--apparently. It will be enough to have no worse. Take my word
and Mariette's for that."

The Gräfin, true to her word, quietly disposed of the several suitors
approved by her husband, and although the autocrat sputtered and
raged--the Gräfin, her youngest daughter shrewdly surmised, rather
encouraged these exciting tempers--arguing that these three girls bade
fair to remain on his hands for ever, he ended always by agreeing that
the young officers were unworthy of an alliance with the ancient and
honorable House of Niebuhr.

The battles ended abruptly when Gisela was eighteen and a fat Lieutenant
of Uhlans, suing for the hand of the youngest born, and vehemently
supported by the Graf, had just been turned adrift. The Graf dropped
dead in his club. He left a surprisingly small estate for one who had
presented so pompous a front to the world. But not only had his sons