His Serene Highness Heinrich of Saxe-Gunden fancied the task of breaking that ice, and he was an adept and an Apollo, but it broke his reputation instead.
"No doubt she is happy now.

I shall probably never see!" In spite of the poignant nature of the talk, Hylda could not but smile at the last words.
"Don't despair," she rejoined; "one star differeth from another star in glory, but that is no reason why they should not be on visiting terms." "My dear, you may laugh--you may laugh, but I am sixty-five, and I am not laughing at the idea of what company I may be obliged to keep presently.

In any case I'm sure I shall not be comfortable.

If I'm where she is, I shall be dull; if I'm where her husband is, I'll have no reputation; and if there is one thing I want, it is a spotless reputation--sometime." Hylda laughed--the manner and the voice were so droll--but her face saddened too, and her big eyes with the drooping lashes looked up pensively at the portrait of her husband's mother.
"Was it ever a happy family, or a lucky family ?" she asked.
"It's lucky now, and it ought to be happy now," was the meaning reply.
Hylda made no answer, but caught the strings of the 'cello lightly, and shook her head reprovingly, with a smile meant to be playful.

For a moment she played, humming to herself, and then the Duchess touched the hand that was drawing the bow softly across the strings.