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girls themselves was not of a kind to raise their position.
They would never stand together, but if one could
humiliate another, she was only too glad to do so. They had no
idea of surrounding themselves with an air of dignity by
attending to the forms of polite society the way the young
married women did.
Her position was not enviable, and when Mistress
Rigitze let fall a few words to the effect that she and other
members of the family had been considering a match
between Marie and Ulrik Frederik, she received the news
with joy. Though Ulrik Frederik had not taken her fancy
captive, a marriage with him opened a wide vista of
pleasant possibilities. When all the honors and advantages had
been described to her—how she would be admitted into
the inner court circle, the splendor in which she would live,
the beaten track to fame and high position that lay before
Ulrik Frederik as the natural son and even more as the
especial favorite of the King,—while she made a mental
note of how handsome he was, how courtly, and how much
in love,—it seemed that such happiness was almost too
great to be possible, and her heart sank at the thought that,
after all, it was nothing but loose talk, schemes, and hopes.
Yet Mistress Rigitze was building on firm ground, for
not only had Ulrik Frederik confided in her and begged
her to be his spokesman with Marie, but he had induced
her to sound the gracious pleasure of the King and Queen,
and they had both received the idea very kindly and had
given their consent, although the King had felt some
hesitation to begin with. The match had, in fact, been settled
long since by the Queen and her trusted friend and chief
gentlewoman, Mistress Rigitze, but the King was not
moved only by the persuasions of his consort. He knew
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