"She begs you will not!" the young man replied. "She sends you her love;
she sent me to announce her. She will come and pay her respects to your
father."

Gertrude felt herself trembling again. A Baroness Munster, who sent a
brilliant young man to "announce" her; who was coming, as the Queen
of Sheba came to Solomon, to pay her "respects" to quiet Mr.
Wentworth--such a personage presented herself to Gertrude's vision with
a most effective unexpectedness. For a moment she hardly knew what to
say. "When will she come?" she asked at last.

"As soon as you will allow her--to-morrow. She is very impatient,"
answered Felix, who wished to be agreeable.

"To-morrow, yes," said Gertrude. She wished to ask more about her; but
she hardly knew what could be predicated of a Baroness Munster. "Is
she--is she--married?"

Felix had finished his cake and wine; he got up, fixing upon the
young girl his bright, expressive eyes. "She is married to a German
prince--Prince Adolf, of Silberstadt-Schreckenstein. He is not the
reigning prince; he is a younger brother."

Gertrude gazed at her informant; her lips were slightly parted. "Is she
a--a Princess?" she asked at last.

"Oh, no," said the young man; "her position is rather a singular one. It
's a morganatic marriage."

"Morganatic?" These were new names and new words to poor Gertrude.