She heartily loved her charge, and could not bear to
think how desolate Ermentrude would be without her. And now the poor
girl had become responsive to her care. She was infinitely softened
in manner, and treated her parents with forms of respect new to them;
she had learnt even to thank old Ursel, dropped her imperious tone,
and struggled with her petulance; and, towards her brother, the
domineering, uncouth adherence was becoming real, tender affection;
while the dependent, reverent love she bestowed upon Christina was
touching and endearing in the extreme.
Freiherr von Adlerstein saw the change, and congratulated himself on
the effect of having a town-bred bower woman; nay, spoke of the
advantage it would be to his daughter, if he could persuade himself
to make the submission to the Kaiser which the late improvements
decided on at the Diet were rendering more and more inevitable. NOW
how happy would be the winner of his gentle Ermentrude!
Freiherrinn von Adlerstein thought the alteration the mere change
from child to woman, and felt insulted by the supposition that any
one might not have been proud to match with a daughter of Adlerstein,
be she what she might.
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