Rojanow still held the field glass to his eyes, and was seemingly
indifferent to his friend's gossip. Now he said in a questioning tone,
"Wallmoden?"

"The new Prussian ambassador to our court. A genuine diplomatist, too,
if I may judge from appearances; aristocratic, cold, dignified and
reserved to the last degree, but good form, very good form. His wife,
the baroness, was not visible, but I bore her absence with resignation,
for he's a white-haired elderly man, and I doubt not his wife's of the
same stripe."

Hartmut's lip curled as he took the glass down from his eyes. He had not
mentioned his meeting with Frau von Wallmoden. Why not forget the very
name as soon as possible?

"Our romantic loneliness will soon end, Herr von Schönau tells me,"
continued Egon. "The whole court is coming to Fürstenstein for the
hunting season, and I can count on a visit from the duke. He'll come
over to Rodeck as soon as he arrives. I'm not overjoyed, I can tell you,
for my respected uncle will preach at me about my morals in a way poor
Stadinger never thought of doing, and I'll have to stand it, too. At any
rate Hartmut, I can take this opportunity to present you."

"If you think it necessary, and the etiquette of the court permits."

"Bah! The etiquette won't be so strictly observed here, and besides the
Rojanows belong to one of the Bojarin families of your country."

"Certainly."