Your majesty will be obliged to force me from him," answered Wilhelmine, defiantly.
"Oh, that will not be necessary, mademoiselle," cried the king.

"There are ways enough.

I will make known my wishes to the prince; I will command him to leave you, and have no further communication with you." "Sire," she answered, gently, "I know that the prince is an obedient and respectful subject and servant to his king in all things, but this command he would not obey." "He would not dare to brave my commands!" "He would not brave them, sire.

Oh, no; it would be simply impossible to obey them." "What would hinder him ?" "Love, sire; the respect which he owes to me as the mother of his two children--who has consecrated her love, her honor to him, and of whom no one can say that she has injured the fidelity which she has sworn to the prince--to the man of her first and only love--even with a word or look." "You mean to say, that I cannot separate you from the prince but by force ?" "Yes, your majesty," cried she, with conscious power, "that is exactly what I mean." "You will find yourself deceived; you will be made to realize it," said the king, with a menacing tone.

"You know nothing of the power that lies in a legitimate marriage, and what rivals legitimate children are, whom one dares acknowledge before God--before the world.