g 
 
 V & 

 
 OE CALIF. LIBRARY, LOS ANGELES
 
 THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 
 
 NEW YORK BOSTON CHICAGO 
 ATLANTA SAN FRANCISCO 
 
 MACMILLAN & CO., LIMITED 
 
 LONDON BOMBAY CALCUTTA 
 MELBOURNE 
 
 THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, LTD. 
 
 TORONTO
 
 "Within three days you will be glad enough to choose"
 
 A Gentle Knight of 
 Old Brandenburg 
 
 By CHARLES MAJOR 
 
 Author of "When Knighthood Was in Flower," 
 "Dorothy Vernon," etc. 
 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 
 
 1909
 
 COPYRIGHT, 1909 
 By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 
 
 Set up and electrotyped. Published September, 1909 
 
 TOT MASON-HENRY PB 
 
 SYRACUSE, N. Y.
 
 TO MY WIFE 
 
 2131095
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 "Within three days you will be glad enough to 
 
 choose " Frontispiece 
 
 ' ' I have a word to speak with you, my friend " 20 
 
 The old man shook his cane and growled savagely. ... 7.1 
 
 "Would you not risk death for your lady love?" 148 
 
 "I'll beat you if you don't keep still!" shouted the 
 
 king 166 
 
 Instantly a tremendous commotion arose in the Tabagie 186 
 
 Irate Majesty hurled it, cabbage and all, at the prince's 
 
 head 238 
 
 The margrave stood a very statue of warning 304
 
 A GENTLE KNIGHT OF OLD 
 BRANDENBURG 
 
 To a great majority of persons having the 
 good fortune to possess an imagination, prin- 
 cesses as a class are exceedingly attractive. 
 
 Long ago, kings and princes were found to 
 be of the earth very earthy, and the fact that 
 the clay of which they are made is nothing bet- 
 ter than what in the human pottery might be 
 called " Common Adam Yellow" has become so 
 well known that romance and male royalty have 
 grown to be things apart, even to the imagina- 
 tive mind. 
 
 But the princess has always been treated 
 with such unmitigated cruelty and has been so 
 universally the victim of royal caprice, a mere 
 article of barter and sale, that her sweet clay 
 has become soft and white on the potter's wheel, 
 and she has taken her place in the great throb- 
 bing heart of the world, to be cherished with a 
 
 romantic love that goes out to no one else. A 
 
 i
 
 2 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 cursory glance through history will readily con- 
 vince one that it is better to be born a beggar 
 whose fate is to die of want than to come into 
 the world a princess who will one day die a 
 queen. The head that wears a crown knows 
 nothing of uneasiness compared with the head 
 that lies beside it. 
 
 The only compensation the princess receives 
 for her hard fate lies in the fact that her praises 
 are often oversung. For example, she is al- 
 ways beautiful no one ever heard of a prin- 
 cess who was not usually gentle and wise. 
 The chroniclers assert her beauty with so great 
 insistence that frequently we are led to suspect 
 these old scriveners of protesting too much. 
 But despite our scepticism, we are forced at 
 times to believe all they say. 
 
 Wilhelmina, sister of Frederick the Great, 
 was one against whom our doubts cannot 
 prevail. The evidence in her favor is over- 
 whelming, and we must believe that she was 
 not only beautiful, but wise, learned and witty, 
 gentle, tender, lovable and true. Voltaire was 
 her friend, and probably she was the one per- 
 son of whom that interesting old cynic wrote 
 nothing but good. Guy Dickens, Frederick the 
 Great and a score of others render the same 
 verdict and we must accept it.
 
 OF OLD BEANDENBUEG 3 
 
 "Wilhelmina, too, wrote a great deal about 
 herself, and left us one of the most interesting 
 books ever published. From it this story is 
 taken. The princess does not say she is beauti- 
 ful, for modesty shows its sweet face in and 
 between all the lines of her fascinating memoir, 
 but she proves conclusively her learning, her 
 wisdom and her virtues. 
 
 Of all the princesses ever sung in verse or 
 chronicle, this rare Wilhelmina suffered most 
 during a tedious time from man's selfishness 
 and cruelty. 
 
 Carlyle says of her: ''Never in any romance 
 or stage play was young lady, without blame, 
 without furtherance and without hinderance of 
 her own, so tormented about a settlement in life 
 passive she all the while, mere clay in the 
 hands of the potter, and begging the universe 
 to have the extreme goodness only to leave her 
 alone." 
 
 To those who have read Wilhelmina 's memoir 
 or Carlyle 's history of Frederick the Great, it 
 will be needless to suggest that certain seem- 
 ingly improbable incidents in the following 
 story are true. 
 
 To those who do not happen to be intimately 
 acquainted with the wonderful story of this 
 beautiful girl's life, it may not be amiss to say
 
 4 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 that all the characters here introduced lived 
 and acted the parts assigned to them. 
 
 In many instances it has been necessary to 
 tone down scenes to avoid, if possible, extreme 
 melodrama, since nothing in a work of fiction 
 is so apt to provoke doubt as a startling truth. 
 
 King Frederick William's apparent hatred 
 of his son, Prince Fritz, afterwards Frederick 
 the Great; the grotesque antics of the Tobacco 
 Parliament, worthy to rank with the veriest 
 farce ever played on any stage; the scenes at 
 table where the royal family had nothing but 
 cabbage for dinner; the king's cruelty to his 
 daughter Wilhelmina, and the frightful methods 
 employed to compel her to accept the man 
 chosen for her husband; Grumkow's satanic 
 part in all the terrible proceedings ; the peculiar 
 combination of state reasons that brought 
 Wilhelmina, her sister Charlotte nicknamed 
 Don't Care and the handsome Hereditary 
 Prince of Bayreuth into relations so curious 
 that they seem improbable; the magnanimity 
 and the bravery of the rare, gentle Margrave of 
 Schwedt; and the romantic events preceding 
 Wilhelmina 's marriage occurred with few ex- 
 ceptions substantially as described. 
 
 In passing judgment on Adolph, the Mar- 
 grave of Schwedt, it must not be forgotten that
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 5 
 
 in the middle eighteenth century drunkenness 
 among both men and women was the rule rather 
 than the exception. Sobriety was looked upon 
 as one of the weaker virtues and of itself 
 brought no respect to one practicing it, though 
 joined with other virtues it was not considered 
 objectionable. 
 
 To cover the whole ground of "Wilhelmina's 
 life, even during the short period embraced in 
 this story, would require a large volume in the 
 telling; therefore what follows is but a frag- 
 ment of her history, a page across which walks 
 one of the few unselfish persons with whom she 
 came in contact, the gentle, the magnanimous, 
 the grotesque Margrave of Schwedt.
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 AMONG BRIGANDS 
 
 ON a certain stormy March day in the year 
 1731, the good old Margrave of Bayreuth and 
 his son Frederick Henry, the Hereditary Prince, 
 were sitting before the broad fireplace in the 
 little mountain-bounded, snow-covered castle of 
 Bayreuth, discussing the interesting subject of 
 marriage and giving in marriage. 
 
 Although neither the prince nor his father 
 had ever seen the fair Princess Wilhelmina of 
 Prussia and Brandenburg, nor had dreamed 
 that she could ever become even an incident 
 in their lives, her name sprang to their lips 
 with a persistency that now, in the light of 
 subsequent events, seems to have been almost 
 prophetic. 
 
 Outside the grim little castle the mountains 
 were clothed in snow and ice, and the wind 
 howled among the tiny peaks. The mountains 
 were little more than mimic mountains, as Bay- 
 reuth was a mimic principality and its ruler a 
 mimic prince, though in blood and rank the 
 equal of any king east of the Rhine. 
 
 Although the old Margrave was in a way a
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 7 
 
 mimic prince, because Bayreuth was small, he 
 was not a mimic man. He was a man in the 
 fullest, rarest and best sense of the word, for 
 his life had been one of truth to himself and to 
 all mankind. In his old age he lived happily 
 in his little castle nestling among the mountain 
 peaks, reaped the harvest of a manhood well 
 tilled, and watched the sun as it set tranquilly 
 on a life of sweet content. 
 
 No small part of the Margrave's reward was 
 his son, Prince Henry or "Fritz Henry," as he 
 was familiarly known by his friends. The fact 
 that Prince Henry was oVer six feet tall soon 
 played an important part in shaping his des- 
 tiny. He had spent several years in the armies 
 of England, France and Italy, where of course 
 he had learned the ways of the world, but not- 
 withstanding this questionable wisdom, had 
 retained his father's .gentleness of nature and 
 purity of heart. At a time when nearly every 
 man was a drunken roue, Fritz Henry seemed 
 to have taken disgust from the evil on every 
 side, and had profited by the bad example. 
 
 The old Margrave, too, differed from his 
 princely brothers in many respects. He had, 
 in his youth, made a marriage for love, and 
 later in life had not tried to strengthen him-
 
 8 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 self by forcing Ms children into repugnant 
 alliances. 
 
 At the time of this conversation between 
 Fritz Henry and his father, August the Stark 
 was King of Poland and Elector of Saxony. 
 He was the most dissolute of men. His family, 
 it was said, consisted of one hundred and sixty- 
 five sons and daughters, who were true children 
 of a bad father. For many years he had been 
 a kindly guardian to the small state of Bay- 
 reuth, paying to the Margrave a liberal pension 
 in accordance with the terms of an old treaty. 
 
 Having many daughters to dispose of, King 
 August one day suggested to his ministers a 
 scheme for relieving his family congestion, and 
 at the same time honoring his old friend 
 of Bayreuth, by giving to the Hereditary 
 Prince a fair daughter of Saxony to wife. 
 He selected one of his daughters and asked 
 his advisers to take the subject of her marriage 
 to Fritz Henry under consideration. For- 
 tunately for Henry, affairs of state moved 
 slowly in Saxony, being constantly interrupted 
 by matters of more importance that were con- 
 ducive to the king's pleasure and entertain- 
 ment. 
 
 A hint of this kindly intention had been sent 
 by a friend in Dresden to the Margrave of
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 9 
 
 Bayreuth, and had brought consternation in its 
 wake to father and son. 
 
 The morals of King August's court were not 
 conducive to the growth of perfect womanhood, 
 so as the daughter about to be proposed by 
 his Majesty was neither good, handsome nor 
 rich, Prince Henry quite naturally did not 
 want her for a wife, nor did the Margrave want 
 her for a daughter-in-law. 
 
 While the wind howled and screamed among 
 the turrets and towers of Bayreuth Castle, the 
 Margrave and Prince Henry sat in their arm- 
 chairs before the fire, greatly troubled by the 
 questionable honor their powerful friend and 
 neighbor would thrust upon them. 
 
 "If we refuse King August's daughter, we 
 shall offend him," said the Margrave. "He 
 will withdraw his support from Bayreuth and 
 may cut off our allowance. If he ceases pay- 
 ment how shall we support our old retainers'? 
 We cannot turn them out into the bleak winds. 
 I am not deeply concerned for myself, but I 
 must care for these old men and women who 
 have been my friends and helpers all through 
 life, and though I am poor, I must divide my 
 crust with them. If we offend King August 
 there will be no crust, for I am powerless to 
 compel him to hold to the treaty. Still I can-
 
 10 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 not bear that you should marry this painted 
 courtesan of Dresden." 
 
 "I will marry her, father," said Prince 
 Henry after a long pause, "if my refusal will 
 bring misfortune to you. It would be hard and 
 life would be a dreary prospect afterwards; 
 but I will do it if it is your wish." 
 
 "You shall not marry her, even though your 
 refusal may cost me my state. There is but 
 one way to evade refusal or marriage. You 
 must disappear run away before King 
 August sends word of his intention. Go at 
 once and do not tell me where you are going. 
 Then when Dresden's envoys arrive, I can say 
 with truth that I do not know where you are. 
 Immediately after you have gone I will cause 
 it to be known in Dresden that you are away 
 from home, and we may be able to avert the 
 offer, at least for a time. You have lived so 
 much away from home that your absence will 
 not seem unusual." 
 
 "I'll take your advice at once, father. If 
 King August offers his fine daughter, you shall 
 give your consent, subject, of course, to my 
 approval, and I'll give my approval when 
 when they find me." 
 
 The old Margrave sat musing and gazing 
 into the fire. Presently he said:
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 11 
 
 "I have sometimes hoped that King Fred- 
 erick William of Prussia and Brandenburg 
 might give you his second daughter, Charlotte. 
 They say she is beautiful, but I am told she is 
 very young, willful and thoughtless. Her 
 temper may improve with age, but on the other 
 hand, it may grow to be like her father's, in 
 which case " The Margrave held up his 
 hand warningly, and after a brief pause con- 
 cluded: " in which case I should not want her 
 for a daughter-in-law." 
 
 "Probably she is better than she is painted," 
 suggested Henry. 
 
 "She may be, she may be. I believe the old 
 king might be induced to give her to you if we 
 were to allow him time to make up his stubborn 
 mind, or if we could in some manner convince 
 him that we do not want her. The subject was 
 once broached by Grumkow but nothing came 
 of it." The Margrave sat musing for a 
 moment then continued: "If even a small part 
 of what is said about the Prussian king is true, 
 he must be an old devil stark mad. Prince 
 Fritz, I hear, is a fine boy, and the world is full 
 of Wilhelrnina's praises. But I am told the 
 king hates them, and it is feared at Berlin he 
 will work some great injury to them one of 
 these fine davs in a fit of madness. It is said
 
 12 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 that he dotes on his daughter Charlotte, who 
 defies him, disobeys him and has her own 
 way in everything. Her father has given her 
 the nickname "Don't Care" because that is her 
 one answer when he grows angry and threatens 
 her." 
 
 Henry laughed and said : ' ' She must be inter- 
 esting," and after a long thoughtful pause, the 
 Margrave resumed: 
 
 "The Princess Wilhelmina must be a rare, 
 lovable character. Those who know her say 
 that in all the world there is no princess equal- 
 ing her in beauty, gentleness and wisdom. You 
 know our friend King August fell desperately 
 in love with her during his recent visit to Ber- 
 lin, and doubtless would have married her at 
 once had she not been betrothed to Prince 
 Frederick of England. She may yet become 
 King August's bride if the English treaty falls. 
 It has long been tottering. Did you ever hear 
 of her meeting with the Great Bear of the 
 North, Peter of Russia?" 
 
 "No, father." 
 
 "When Peter first clapped eyes on the little 
 princess, then a child, he was so charmed with 
 her fresh young beauty that he took her in his 
 arms and kissed her till she slapped his face. 
 Then he laughed and cried out: 'Ah, my little
 
 OF OLD BBANDENBURG 13 
 
 beauty, you are fit to be queen of queens !' r Not 
 with you as king of kings!' she replied. The 
 czar was so delighted with her spirit and her 
 quick retort that he would have embraced her 
 again, but she fled in childish indignation. Ah, 
 my son, if you could have this beautiful Wil- 
 helmina for your wife, how happy I should be. 
 But she is for England or Dresden, or for some 
 one who will aid King Frederick William in his 
 Prussian policy, or perhaps I should say, who 
 will answer Grumkow's purposes. I should be 
 content with her younger sister for your wife, 
 and am willing to run the risk of her temper.'* 
 
 "I want neither," said Henry. "I want no 
 wife, not I. I'll be faithful to my sword, and 
 who knows but I may some day win a wife 
 whom I shall want for her own sake. When I 
 find her I'll bring her home to dear old Bay- 
 reuth for your blessing." 
 
 "You shall have it, my son, if she is naught 
 but the virtuous daughter of a burgher." 
 
 Prince Henry rose from his chair and stood 
 with his back to the fire, while the old Margrave 
 walked over to the window and gazed out on 
 the snowstorm. After a long silence Prince 
 Henry rang a bell and a page responded. 
 
 "Tell my servant Peter to come to me at, 
 once," said the prince.
 
 14 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 Henry remained by the fireside and his father 
 continued to gaze out the window. The old 
 Margrave knew what the summons for Peter 
 meant. 
 
 " Are you going now?" he asked, regretfully, 
 turning his face toward his son. "You have 
 been home less than a fortnight, and the storm 
 has an ugly look. ' ' 
 
 "I don't want to go, father," said Henry, 
 going to the Margrave's side and resting his 
 hand gently on his shoulder. "I am running 
 away from the princess of Dresden. Your ad- 
 vice is good, as usual. There is but one way 
 to evade this marriage : lose myself in some out 
 of the way corner of the world. I can't do it 
 too quickly. To-morrow may be too late, so 
 I'll go at once." 
 
 "You are right," answered the Margrave, 
 "and I must not detain you." 
 
 When Peter came Prince Henry said : * ' Sad- 
 dle the horses and arrange my saddle bags for 
 a journey. I'll wear the breastplate and steel 
 cap, and carry my hand guns and sword. Make 
 haste, Peter, and bring the horses to the draw- 
 bridge as soon as possible. I'll be in the court- 
 yard ready to start in half an hour. You, of 
 course, go with me." 
 
 Half an hour later the prince and Peter were
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 15 
 
 riding out beneath the castle gates, bound for 
 any place that would save Henry from King 
 August's kindly purposes. 
 
 Soon after they had left the castle gates, 
 Henry said: "We'll ride off into the mountains 
 and let chance determine our route. I wish to 
 be unknown. From now on, Peter, remember 
 that I am Captain Henry Churchill. You are 
 English and I speak English as if I were Eng- 
 lish born. So I'll take an English name, and 
 we may easily pass for Englishmen. We are 
 Captain Henry Churchill and servant Peter, 
 of Cheapside, London, England." 
 
 "Not Cheapside, your Highness," suggested 
 Peter. "Cheapside is no place for a gentle- 
 man to hail from. We'll say Westminster." 
 
 "Very well," returned Henry. "We are 
 from Westminster. But you must not say 
 'your Highness' ; it must be Captain Churchill." 
 
 "Ah yes," returned Peter. "I'll remember, 
 your Highness that is, Captain Churchill." 
 
 Henry and old Peter soon left the main road 
 and took a mountain path over which their 
 horses ploughed through the snow till near 
 sunset, when they came to the main highway 
 between Coburg and Chemnitz. As they 
 turned into the road they saw six men approach- 
 ing from the west, all heavily armed and
 
 16 
 
 roughly dressed. One of the men hailed in 
 German, and Henry waited till the little com- 
 pany came up to him. The captain or leader 
 of the party seemed to be a Frenchman, for 
 when he addressed Henry he spoke French, 
 freely mingled with English and German. 
 After he concluded that Henry was an English- 
 man, he spoke English. 
 
 "May I ask, are we on the right road to 
 Chemnitz!" the French captain inquired. 
 
 "The way to Chemnitz is a crooked one," 
 answered Henry, smiling and speaking English, 
 which he was sure the fellow would understand, 
 ' ' and it is hard to say when one is on the right 
 road. There are so many turnings and fork- 
 ings in the mountains that you will lose your 
 way if you are unfamiliar with the route. We 
 are traveling to Chemnitz and I shall be glad 
 to show you the way." 
 
 Henry hoped he might be able to induce the 
 rough but stout band of warriors, who were all 
 well armed and well mounted, to enlist under 
 his banner. With so goodly a company, he was 
 sure he would be welcomed into any army of 
 Europe. His offer of guidance, therefore, was 
 not entirely disinterested. 
 
 The French captain, who seemed grateful,
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 17 
 
 promptly accepted Henry's offer, and the party 
 at once started forward toward Chemnitz. 
 
 Soon the storm increased and became so 
 violent that the travelers agreed to stop for 
 the night at a small village inn, where Henry 
 offered to pay the cost of entertainment. 
 
 When he sprang from his horse, one of the 
 troopers muttered to his neighbor: "Himmel! 
 He's a long one. We must capture him. The 
 master would give us a thousand marks for the 
 fellow." 
 
 Prince Henry entered the inn to bespeak 
 entertainment for his party, and Peter led the 
 horses to the stable. The six travelers were 
 left to themselves. 
 
 "Der Teufel, but we must take him," said 
 one of the Germans, speaking to the leader. 
 "He's a fine long one, and will bring us a good 
 price." 
 
 "Shall we try to take him to-night?" asked 
 another. 
 
 "We might take him while he sleeps," sug- 
 gested the first speaker. 
 
 "We'll see, we'll see," answered the captain, 
 impatiently. "All in good time. Don't think. 
 Don't talk. Don't make plans. Leave the 
 talking, thinking and planning to me. All that 
 you blockheads have to do is to keep your 
 2
 
 18 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 mouths shut and mind your own business. 
 Your business is to strike when I tell you, and 
 to keep still at all other times. Understand? 
 As for this fellow, we shall see what we shall 
 see. 'Be quick slowly' is the master's word, 
 'but be quick'." 
 
 "Yes, yes, 'but be quick'. That's the 
 master's word," answered one of the men. 
 
 "And we will be quick," returned the cap- 
 tain. "But our long friend here would fight 
 like forty devils, and we'll wait for a good 
 opportunity to take him without a conflict. We 
 don't want to seek broken heads for ourselves, 
 and the master might break our heads for good 
 and all if we broke this fellow's. He will be 
 worth a great deal more to us with a whole 
 head. Now, I say we'll travel with him till he 
 trusts us ; then he'll fall quietly into our net." 
 
 Soon after a late supper, the house was lost 
 in darkness and its tired occupants were lost 
 in sleep. Henry and Peter occupied a room by 
 themselves, and their six traveling companions 
 slept on the floor of the taproom. There was 
 a whispered discussion among the ruffians con- 
 cerning the best course to be followed in captur- 
 ing their man, but as there were many miles to 
 be traveled before reaching Chemnitz, and as 
 the road wound through a mountainous, barren
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 19 
 
 and uninhabited country, the cautious French- 
 man thought it better to take the chance of 
 surprising him next day in the mountains 
 rather than to try to seize him at the inn. 
 
 The next morning Prince Henry, Peter and 
 their six companions started on their journey 
 in a terrific snowstorm. Henry hoped that 
 when they reached Chemnitz he should be 
 able to capture his friends and form a little 
 company to be offered, with himself, to the 
 prince or king making the highest bid. He 
 hoped to make his capture with blandishments 
 and gold. The six ruffians, on the other hand, 
 expected to make theirs by force. 
 
 After leaving the inn, each mile of the road 
 carried the travelers farther into the moun- 
 tains, and within a few hours they were in the 
 midst of a wild cluster of small peaks and 
 precipices. Snow had fallen heavily over night, 
 and in many places the road was hidden. After 
 the party had penetrated well into the heart of 
 the mountains the road was entirely lost, and 
 Henry sprang from his horse to reconnoiter on 
 foot. Peter and three of the men were two 
 hundred yards in the rear ; the other three, in- 
 cluding the French captain, were with Henry. 
 
 Henry threw his reins over the pommel of 
 the saddle, and leaving his horse, walked a
 
 20 
 
 short distance ahead to sound the snow, hoping 
 to find the road. His pistols were in his saddle, 
 and his sword, being cumbersome, had been left 
 with them. Before he had taken twenty steps 
 from his horse the others dismounted and 
 quickly overtook him. The captain, following 
 closely at his heels, called to him, saying politely 
 but somewhat nervously : 
 
 "I have a word to speak with you, my 
 friend. ' ' 
 
 Henry turned in surprise and looked into the 
 muzzle of a hand gun. 
 
 "Well, why don't you say it?" he returned, 
 concealing his surprise. He did not indicate 
 by even so much as the fall of an eyelid that 
 he saw the hand gun. 
 
 "Because because " stammered the some- 
 what disconcerted captain. "Because I like 
 you and don't like the task ahead of me." 
 
 "What is the task ahead of you?" asked 
 Henry. "Surely you don't intend to murder 
 me." 
 
 "Mon Dieu, Monsieur! No, no, far from it! 
 Far from it, I assure Monsieur," answered the 
 Frenchman, hastily and politely. "It grieves 
 me even to tell Monsieur that he is my pris- 
 oner. ' ' 
 
 The other two men immediately lifted their
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 21 
 
 hand guns and pointed them at Henry. At the 
 same moment the leader whistled, when the three 
 men who were with Peter seized the old man 
 and informed him that, for the small sum of 
 half a pfennig, they would blow his brains out. 
 Trifling as the inducement was, Peter did not 
 offer it, but allowed himself to be made captive. 
 
 "I see you have captured my servant," said 
 Henry, "and as I am unarmed, I will make 
 terms of surrender if you will be at all reason- 
 able." 
 
 "I'm sorry. I grieve I almost weep," said 
 the polite captain, placing his hand on his heart 
 and bowing low before Henry. "But I cannot 
 give myself the pleasure of even promising 
 Monsieur to be reasonable. I passionately 
 wish I could, but it is impossible to make the 
 promise, since the whole proceeding from 
 Monsieur's standpoint, and perhaps from my 
 own, is hardly to be justified between gentle- 
 men. But I'll be pleased to hear what Mon- 
 sieur has to say if he will be so kind as to say 
 it with with what is it you English say? 
 Ah suddenness. ' ' 
 
 "Tell me first why you wish to capture me," 
 asked Henry, smiling at the Frenchman's 
 "suddenness". 
 
 "Ah, Monsieur's request is not at all unex-
 
 22 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 pected, and it is so reasonable that I should 
 gladly make full answer if it would be if it 
 would be what would you English say? Ah 
 to the expediency. But my heart is sore be- 
 cause I cannot tell it to you." 
 
 "Do you expect to rob me?" asked Henry, 
 feeling sure, however, that robbery was not the 
 purpose. 
 
 "Ah, the good God of my father and of my 
 mother forbid," answered the Frenchman. 
 
 "Do you expect to hold me for ransom?" 
 queried Henry. "If so, you will be disap- 
 pointed, for I am poor as a church mouse, and 
 all my friends could not raise a hundred pis- 
 toles." 
 
 "No, no, it is not ransom we want," answered 
 the captain protestingly. "It is only Monsieur 
 Monsieur himself. He will pardon, but it 
 may reassure Monsieur if I tell him that we 
 know he is a poor devil who must coin his 
 sword into crowns and pistoles if he would have 
 money. Yes, we know, Monsieur I should say 
 'Meester', that is the way you English speak it 
 we know Meester has no money that he would 
 not give to us for the asking if we needed it. 
 In our brief comradeship we have learned that 
 he is generous. We have learned to love 
 Meester, and if he will accept our guidance, we
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 23 
 
 will put money in his purse rather than take it 
 from him. ' ' 
 
 "Take our horses, our arms and my purse 
 and let us go. There is more money in the 
 purse than you suppose," said Henry, ceasing 
 to be amused by the Captain's polite speeches, 
 and tossing the purse at the fellow's feet. 
 
 "No, no. We have horses and arms to 
 spare," returned the captain. "As for your 
 purse, keep it, and we will put more gold in it 
 if need be." 
 
 The captain took the purse from the snow 
 and politely returned it to Henry. The situa- 
 tion was growing bewildering to the young 
 man. 
 
 " If it is neither robbery nor ransom, tell me, 
 pray, what in the devil's name you want with 
 me," demanded Henry, smiling in spite of sup- 
 pressed anger. "Do you believe that I am a 
 criminal? Do you imagine that you know 
 me?" 
 
 Henry knew the ruffians did not know him, 
 for evidently the French captain supposed he 
 had captured an Englishman. 
 
 "Indeed we do not believe that Meester is a 
 criminal. We know he is not. We love him 
 and we want him to go with us because just 
 because we want the pleasure of his company.
 
 24 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 That is why we are taking you; at least that 
 is all the why I can give you." 
 
 "You know nothing of me. You do not even 
 know where I am from," insisted Henry. 
 
 "Nor do we want to know," answered the 
 fellow, shrugging his shoulders. * ' Meester may 
 be English. Who can tell? But in view of 
 the uses to which he will be put, it is greatly to 
 our interest not to know what he is or where he 
 is from, and though the information would be 
 to us pleasing, we beg that he will not honor 
 us with it. Monsieur is himself, and that is all 
 sufficient for us to know." 
 
 "Where do you mean to take me?" asked 
 Henry. 
 
 "Ah, Monsieur's request is so reasonable that 
 to refuse it is to pain," responded the captain, 
 bowing before Henry. "Pardon my seeming 
 discourtesy. I cannot give you light. You 
 will learn all these interesting facts from my 
 master after a long journey. If you have any 
 more reasonable questions, I beg you to make 
 haste, for we must be traveling." 
 
 The captain was beginning to show his teeth. 
 
 "One more," answered Henry. "What are 
 you going to do with my servant?" 
 
 "Ah, at last there is to me of pleasure," 
 responded the French captain, still speaking
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 25 
 
 English. "You ask to me a question that I 
 can answer. It will be to detain your servant 
 for an hour after we have resumed our journey. 
 Then it will be to relieve him of his arms, and 
 to warn him not to follow us on pain of death. 
 Then it will be to direct him to return forthwith 
 to his home, and to tell your friends that it has 
 been to you to be captured by a band of kind- 
 hearted brigands." 
 
 "May I have a word with my servant?" 
 asked Henry. 
 
 "Mon Dieu! Again it is to pain. I grieve. 
 I weep. I " 
 
 "Oh, well, let us start at once," interrupted 
 Henry. ' ' If poor old Peter is to be kept in the 
 cold for an hour after we start, he will be frozen 
 if we don't go immediately. Will you give him 
 this silver? I fear the old man has no money." 
 
 "Ah, that is to me of pleasure once more," 
 cried the Frenchman. "But permit. I myself 
 will give to Peter of gold. Silver were un- 
 worthy. ' ' 
 
 The captain hurried down the road to where 
 Peter and his captors were standing, spoke 
 briefly to one of the men, handed Peter a gold 
 coin and said : 
 
 "When you return to England, tell your 
 master's friends he was captured by brigands,
 
 26 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 but tell them also that no harm shall befall him. 
 If you attempt to follow us, you will be shot. 
 Now, you may understand." 
 
 Peter intimated that he fully understood the 
 distressing situation, and the captain returned 
 to Henry. 
 
 After removing all arms from Henry's sad- 
 dle, the Frenchman said again in French : 
 
 "Now, if Monsieur will kindly mount his 
 horse, we'll continue our journey. Will it not 
 be a novel experience for Monsieur to ride with 
 brigands ? ' ' 
 
 "You're not a brigand," answered Henry, 
 * ' and I am sure you are acting under a mistake. 
 A word of explanation from you might save 
 me a great deal of annoyance, and might avert 
 serious trouble for you later on." 
 
 "There is no mistake, Monsieur," answered 
 the French captain. "I pledge you my word 
 we do not even think we know who you are. 
 We hope you are nobody. If you are anybody, 
 our work will all have been in vain, and our 
 master, instead of being pleased, as we hope he 
 will be, may be greatly displeased." 
 
 "Who is your master?" asked Henry. 
 
 "Our master?" repeated the French captain. 
 "Oh, our master? Why, our master is the 
 devil. Yes, that is it. He is the devil. I tell
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 27 
 
 you not one word not one syllable not one 
 letter of untruth. He is really the devil, and 
 when you know him you will learn that I am a 
 truthful man. I cannot tell you more. There- 
 fore, mount, my dear Monsieur, and though 
 your questions are all reasonable and ought to 
 be answered, please reserve them till a time 
 when you can make them to one who can and 
 doubtless will answer you in full, though per- 
 haps not to your entire satisfaction. Come, 
 come. Shall I bind Monsieur's wrists, or will 
 he give me his parole and go with us peace- 
 ably?" 
 
 "I give my parole," answered Henry. 
 
 "I thank Monsieur for his kindness, and 
 trust him without a doubt, for of course Mon- 
 sieur knows that a broken parole means death. 
 I trust him, but with his permission, I'll tie 
 one end of this rope to his horse's bit, and the 
 other end to Big John yonder. There! Now 
 we are ready! Permit me to assist Monsieur 
 to mount." 
 
 "I need no help," said Henry, laughing. "I 
 am still strong enough to mount a horse. I 
 thank you, captain, for your politeness, but you 
 have not frightened me so badly that I am 
 weak." 
 
 "Would anything frighten Meester?" asked
 
 28 
 
 the captain, smiling pleasantly. "When my 
 master, the devil, learns that we have brought 
 him a man who fears nothing, neither the mouth 
 of a gun nor the face of the devil, he will say, 
 'Good, good', for he loves a brave man, and I, 
 perhaps, shall receive a handful of pistoles the 
 more." 
 
 "May it be a double handful of pistoles," 
 answered Henry, not to be outdone in polite- 
 ness. Then he mounted his horse. 
 
 After all were mounted they moved forward. 
 The French captain, who earlier in the day had 
 affected ignorance of the road, now seemed to 
 know it well enough, and led the way through 
 a mountain pass, leaving poor old Peter tear- 
 fully watching his master, as Henry rode out of 
 sight on his journey to a world of new hap- 
 penings, and perhaps of marvelous fortune.
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 HIS MOTHER AND HEK SON 
 
 AT three o'clock in the afternoon of the same 
 stormy day in March, Adolph, Margrave of 
 Schwedt, was very drunk, and his mother sit- 
 ting near him* was sound asleep. Usually at 
 three o 'clock his serene Highness was still quite 
 alert, for it was not Adolph 's custom to reach 
 his maximum condition until say four or half 
 past. By that time the servants felt themselves 
 more or less aggrieved if he were not asleep, 
 since in the household of the Margrave, the 
 mice would play when Adolph was drunk. 
 
 The cause of the advanced stage reached by 
 the Margrave at so early an hour on that par- 
 ticular day was an exciting conversation, ap- 
 proaching at times to the point of discussion, 
 that had been carried on during the earlier part 
 of the afternoon, chiefly by his mother, the 
 Margravine. 
 
 So it may be easily understood that while the 
 Margravine's animated discourse postponed 
 for a time her Highness 's after-dinner nap, it 
 advanced Adolph 's happiness by an hour, and
 
 30 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 brought forgetfulness before its time, as long 
 continued good advice is apt to do. 
 
 To follow closely the drift of his mother's 
 conversation, Adolph required many extra flag- 
 ons of sour beer to punctuate her Highness 's 
 remarks, to stand as exclamation points when 
 she grew eloquent, and to emphasize her words 
 when she wished to be emphatic. 
 
 Thus it appears that while the Margrave of 
 Bayreuth and his son were holding discourse on 
 the subject of marriage and giving in marriage, 
 Adolph and his mother were discussing the 
 same interesting topic in their good city of 
 Schwedt many hundreds of miles away, and 
 singularly enough, the Princess Wilhelmina 
 was their theme. 
 
 This unusually earnest conversation covered 
 a large field of kindred topics, but it is neces- 
 sary to give only those portions that bear 
 directly on the subject matter of this history. 
 
 "I tell you, Adolph, you're a fool," insisted 
 the Margravine, with sharp emphasis. "You 
 are nearly twenty-eight years old and should 
 know better." 
 
 "Doubtless you're right, mother," returned 
 Adolph. "Nothing so disturbs a man's rest 
 as wisdom. Wisdom makes a man think, 
 mother ; it makes him doubt his sweet illusions ;
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 31 
 
 but worst of all, it makes him believe damnable 
 truths. It makes him ach, well, mother, I 
 hope you're right. A fool I am, a fool may I 
 remain. ' ' 
 
 After delivering himself of a jest or a bit of 
 irony, the Margrave's eyes blinked rapidly for 
 two or three seconds, as if to say, ''I may not 
 laugh at my own humor, but I think that is 
 rather good." 
 
 The Margrave's eyes were of so light a blue 
 that at times they seemed to be almost colorless. 
 He was very short, very round and very fat. 
 His face was very broad, and his hands and 
 feet were larger than any man had a right to 
 possess for his own exclusive use. 
 
 "No, you're not a fool/' impatiently cried 
 the Margravine, regardless of self-contradic- 
 tion. "Many persons who have not one-half 
 your brains, nor one-tenth your wit, nor one- 
 hundredth part of your learning, believe you 
 are a fool, but they don't know you, liebling, 
 they don't know you." 
 
 The old lady reached over to Adolph's chair 
 and caressingly took his hand. This was 
 early in the afternoon, before the Margravine 
 had become either eloquent or emphatic. 
 
 "They think you are a fool," she continued, 
 "because they judge you by the expression of
 
 32 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 your face and by what they call your foolish 
 grin. To me the grin is a sweet smile, because 
 I know that back of it are intelligence, gentle- 
 ness, honor and truth. Others do not under- 
 stand that what they are pleased to call your 
 silly expression is merely beer and kindliness, 
 so judging as the world usually does, by surface 
 appearances, they put you down for a fool. No, 
 my son, you're not a fool in a general way; it 
 is only in this particular case that you are 
 lacking. I am provoked that you, who are wise 
 and of discerning judgment at all other times, 
 should be a fool now when you need wisdom 
 more than at any other period in your life. 
 Great things await you, Adolph; great things 
 of which you are wholly worthy, and your only 
 folly consists in your present fear, doubt and 
 hesitancy. No, my son, you're not a fool." 
 
 " Please, mother, don't take from me my 
 only hope," pleaded Adolph, blinking and 
 chuckling till his fat sides shook. "You are 
 wrong ; I am an elaborate fool in a broad, beau- 
 tiful, comprehensive sense. But in this par- 
 ticular case " The Margrave sighed, quaffed 
 a great potation of beer, and continued: " but 
 in this case well, mother, you will pardon me 
 for saying so, but I am wise and you are a fool ; 
 a fool to believe that any woman, least of all a
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 33 
 
 young and beautiful girl, could care for me save 
 for what she could get from me." 
 
 "No, no, son. No, no," pleaded the loving 
 old mother. 
 
 "Yes, mother, you are wrong. You are not 
 content with mere folly ; you insist on nothing 
 less than downright insanity when you allow 
 your love for me to raise a hope that the most 
 beautiful princess in the world could could 
 Ach, dear mother, you must see a physician 
 that can minister to a mind diseased." 
 
 The Margrave laughed softly, but there was 
 a note of pain in his voice and an expression of 
 keen regret glimmered for a moment on his 
 kindly, ugly face. 
 
 "No, mother," he continued with a sigh; "I 
 am too short by a foot and too broad by nearly 
 two feet to suit a lady's taste. You have just 
 said that my face wears the expression of a 
 fool. Ach, there is nothing about me to please 
 a lady. I know it; please don't arouse my 
 vanity. It sleeps and may cause me a deal of 
 trouble if it wakens." 
 
 The Margrave paused for a moment, straight- 
 ened up in his chair, dropped for a time his 
 bantering mood, and spoke with sorrowing 
 earnestness. 
 
 "I know that I'm not a fool, but with this 
 3
 
 34 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 grinning, thick-lipped, blear-eyed landscape of 
 a face, I can't make the world believe other- 
 wise." Again he fell back to the jesting vein: 
 "It is true that at times pearls of wisdom and 
 gems of wit drop from my lips, but the trouble 
 is this : people see me all the time and hear me 
 only part of the time, so you see the chances are 
 against me proportionately and my face is sure 
 to win. Why, therefore, should I try to to 
 climb to the mountain top only to fall off? I'll 
 remain just a contented fool, drink my beer of 
 afternoons with my dear old mother, and after 
 all, I'll beat the majority of mankind in the 
 race for happiness." 
 
 "No, no, Adolph," said the Margravine, 
 gently. "The Princess Wilhelmina is so kind, 
 so sweet and so wise that she will soon learn 
 to see your worth. She will not laugh at you 
 as giddy fools do. She will revel in your wit, 
 glory in your wisdom, love your gentle strength, 
 and eagerly glean knowledge from your learn- 
 ing." 
 
 "Ach, Mutter-liebling, I wish I could agree 
 with you." 
 
 "You may, you must, you shall!" insisted 
 the Margravine. "Where is there a German 
 born prince that speaks English as you do? 
 and you know Mina loves the language better
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 35 
 
 than she loves her own. She has been instructed 
 in it since her babyhood because of her be- 
 trothal to the English prince. I admit that 
 the treaty of betrothal to Prince Frederick of 
 England still exists in a manner, but it holds 
 only by a thread, and has never been a treaty in 
 fact. The English king, George, will never 
 consent to the marriage, and Grumkow says 
 that Mina's father, though to all appearances 
 abiding by the old contract, would die before 
 entering into an alliance with his hated brother- 
 in-law. ' ' 
 
 "Grumkow knows if any one does," inter- 
 rupted Adolph, only too eager to be convinced. 
 
 "Yes, you may be sure Grumkow knows 
 whereof he speaks," returned the Margravine, 
 "for he is something more than a mere prime 
 minister he is the king's rudder and sails. 
 Frederick William moves only as Grumkow 
 pulls the tiller ropes." 
 
 "True, true," said Adolph, "and Grumkow 
 is our friend." 
 
 "Now listen to me, my dear son, and this is 
 for your ear only. Grumkow writes to me that 
 the King of Prussia will soon repudiate this 
 quasi-treaty with England, and that before 
 many days the beautiful Wilhelmina will be 
 free to marry elsewhere. Listen. Grumkow
 
 36 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 says she shall be yours for the sake of the 
 allodial estates, and and perhaps for private 
 reasons of his own. Whatever Grumkow 
 wishes King Frederick to do, the king usually 
 does." 
 
 "But what has the hatred of the King of 
 Prussia and King George for each other to do 
 with the princess's hatred of me?" asked 
 Adolph, shrugging his shoulders. "She has 
 seen me but once ; that was enough. Adi, GottI 
 too much. She has a sweet voice and a pretty 
 laugh, but no voice is sweet when it laughs at 
 you. There is a vast difference between being 
 laughed at and laughed with. 1 saw the prin- 
 cess two years ago, and as you know, her beauty 
 and sweetness made me lose my heart. I thank 
 God I saved my head, though I also came near 
 losing it. I've carried a burden of unrest ever 
 since. True, it is not killing me 
 "No, no, my son. No, no, it is not." 
 "But I'm no such fool as to want to add to 
 it. The princess saw me, and you attributed 
 her laughter to inexperience and youth. You 
 see, mother, to be laughed at I need but to be 
 seen, and seen too oft, familiar with my face, 
 I'm not endured, nor pitied, nor embraced. A 
 woman is more apt to love a man who she fears 
 will kill her than one at whom she inclines to
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 37 
 
 laugh. Farewell, a long farewell, dear mother, 
 to all your dreams of greatness. I'm wedded 
 to my beer, and I'll remain true to the one mis- 
 tress that I know will be true to me." 
 
 11 What will the Princess Mina have to do 
 with the choice of a husband?" asked the 
 Margravine. "Her mad old father will not 
 consult her. He will consider himself over- 
 indulgent if he notifies her when he makes his 
 choice. His will is law throughout all Bran- 
 denburg and Prussia, and every other will, to 
 whomsoever it belongs, must be opposed for the 
 pure love of stubbornness. Above all, neither 
 Mina nor the Crown Prince Fritz shall have 
 their way in any respect, however just or rea- 
 sonable it may be. Therefore, Mina's inclina- 
 tion for a man would ruin his prospects with 
 the king. ' ' 
 
 "And the lack of her inclination would ruin 
 her prospects with me," said Adolph, gloomily. 
 
 "It is true that Grumkow rules the king," 
 continued the Margravine, unmindful of 
 Adolph 's remark, "but he does it indirectly and 
 frequently accomplishes his purpose by pre- 
 tending to oppose the will of his master. Grum- 
 kow says the king hates Fritz and Mina. No 
 one knows why. But I am sure it is true that 
 he hates his own flesh and blood, and many per-
 
 38 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 sons at the courts of Berlin and Potsdam be- 
 lieve he wishes the prince and the princess 
 dead." 
 
 " Ach, he is an old devil, and Grumkow is his 
 imp," exclaimed Adolph, shaking his head 
 regretfully. 
 
 "Yes yes," returned the Margravine, im- 
 patient at Adolph's interruption. "Grumkow 
 also says the prince is a dissolute young fellow 
 and a disobedient son, and that he would be 
 tried and executed as any other guilty citizen 
 if his disobedience reached a point where trea- 
 son could be charged. Yes, it's hard to believe, 
 but it is true that the old king would not, for 
 a moment, stand in the way of justice or of 
 injustice if his son were on trial for treason. 
 Grumkow has often told me that he believes the 
 old king's bad heart would rejoice if his son 
 should be court-martialed and shot. Oh, he's 
 crazy, that old king ! Mad, mad ! ' ' 
 
 "Not so mad as he is bad," suggested 
 Adolph. 
 
 "Yes, my son, he's mad, and soon will die. 
 Mark my word, Adolph, yon, who are the first 
 prince of the blood, may become King of Prus- 
 sia and Brandenburg without a dissenting voice 
 if the Crown Prince dies too, and yon the hus- 
 band of the Princess Wilhelmina. Our uncle,
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 39 
 
 the Emperor of Austria, ardently desires the 
 match, and our cousin, King George of Eng- 
 land, who hates his brother-in-law, would re- 
 joice. King Frederick William likes you. I 
 know not why perhaps because you can drink 
 so much beer but for some reason he likes you, 
 and if we are on hand when the English 
 betrothal is broken, Grumkow and Baron von 
 Seckendorf, my uncle's spies at the court of 
 Berlin, will see that the hand of the Princess 
 Mina is offered to you, my son, is offered to 
 you." 
 
 ( 'But, mother, I could not marry a woman 
 against her will," objected Adolph. 
 
 "That need not be, my son," returned the old 
 lady, impatiently. "I tell you, the princess is 
 not only sweet of nature and beautiful, as 
 you well know, but she is wise and learned, 
 and will in time see your worth. If she does 
 not love you at first, she will soon learn to after 
 marriage, for any man, unless he be a fool, can 
 win a woman if he has her always by his side." 
 
 The old lady uttered the last sentence hesitat- 
 ingly, and her doubt seemed to infect the Mar- 
 grave. 
 
 "You do not believe what you say, mother," 
 said Adolph, sleepily. 
 
 The long-delayed after-dinner nap was begin-
 
 40 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 ning to assert itself, and the Margravine was 
 almost ready to surrender. "I I think I do, 
 son," ventured the drowsy old lady. "But in 
 any case, I'm sure you could win the princess, 
 and I know she would be contented and happy 
 in your arms." 
 
 "Do you believe what you are saying, 
 mother?" asked the Margrave, arousing him- 
 self and speaking earnestly. "I would give 
 half the years of my life if I could even dream 
 of the bliss of possessing her and her love. In 
 all the world no heart bears a greater burden 
 of love than mine holds for this beautiful prin- 
 cess, and even a faint hope of winning her would 
 make me the happiest man in Europe. But I 
 would not take her without her love. I would 
 die first." 
 
 "We can at least try for it, Adolph," re- 
 turned the Margravine. "She will be com- 
 pelled to marry some one that does not suit her. 
 You can't save her from that fate by refusing 
 her hand. If the unfortunate girl is to be 
 forced to marry against her will, she would be 
 better off to marry you, who are kind and good, 
 than to marry a dissolute fool like the English 
 prince, or a beast like the Duke of Weissenfels. 
 She certainly would choose you before either 
 of these."
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 41 
 
 1 'It would not be flattering to be chosen be- 
 cause I am the least of three evils," suggested 
 the Margrave, drowsily. 
 
 "No, no," said the old lady, whose head was 
 beginning to nod. "But if she is so great a 
 fool as not to see you as you are you are, why 
 why, we'll not marry her we'll not marry 
 her. We'll just let her let her let her her 
 marry Weissenfels, and then she will be will 
 be sorry sorry that that that ' but the 
 good old woman had run out of words. It was 
 three o'clock for the Margravine, and she slept 
 sweetly, soundly, noisily. 
 
 It was near the hour of three for Adolph, 
 also, though he was blissfully unconscious of 
 the fact that the clock had struck for his 
 mother, so he rolled about in his great arm- 
 chair, chuckling, laughing and talking to an 
 audience composed of his sleeping mother and 
 himself. 
 
 "You marry the princess, mother," said the 
 Margrave, chuckling softly and laughing at the 
 thought. "She's more apt to take you than 
 me. You marry her mother I mean you 
 marry her, not her mother. Think of you 
 marrying her mother !" Adolph laughed softly 
 and continued, as if speaking to himself: 
 "Never would do never would do. Don't
 
 42 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 marry her mother; marry Stumpy, the old 
 king." It was rapidly approaching three o'clock. 
 "Let Mina marry Stumpy 's mother. Ach, 
 tush. I don't know who's going to marry who, 
 and I I don't don't care a a kreutzer 
 er er not a kreutz " Neither did he care. 
 His head fell forward, his chin rested on his 
 breast, and the clock struck three for Adolph, 
 Margrave of Schwedt. 
 
 The conversation, brought to an untimely end 
 at three o'clock, was resumed next morning. 
 The Margravine urged upon Adolph her belief 
 that the Princess Mina could and would learn 
 to love him soon after marriage. Poor Adolph 
 than whom there was no gentler, kindlier soul 
 on earth believing that his mother, being a 
 woman, knew more about a woman's heart than 
 any man could know, at length felt the weight 
 of her argument, eagerly grasped at the straw 
 of hope she threw to him, and after much sober 
 reasoning pro and con, began to see the situa- 
 tion as she and he wished to see it. 
 
 But he was wrong in his premises. No 
 woman knows a woman's heart as a man may 
 know it. A woman judges other women by 
 herself, and in all the world there are no two 
 women alike. A woman never sees all of an- 
 other woman's heart. That high privilege is
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 43 
 
 left for a fortunate man. Beyond a few gener- 
 alities and certain small particulars, a woman 
 is at sea concerning her sex, frequently includ- 
 ing herself. If she would know the truth she 
 must appeal to a man of experience, and even 
 then she will not learn much. 
 
 Adolph had no experience to draw upon. He 
 had gained no knowledge of the other sex that 
 would help him in the present case, but down in 
 his heart he feared his mother was wrong, and 
 doubted if it were possible for a man ever to 
 win a woman's love. An instinct born of his 
 gentleness seemed to tell him that it was a thing 
 she must give, and that it must not only be 
 given willingly but because she cannot help 
 giving. 
 
 The Margravine had not thought it necessary 
 to tell her son that she had that day received 
 letters from Prime Minister Grumkow and from 
 Field, Marshal Baron von Seckendorf, asking 
 her to bring Adolph to Berlin with a view to a 
 hasty marriage with the Princess Wilhelmina. 
 These two men, though high in the councils of 
 Frederick William, were secret agents and 
 spies of the Emperor of Austria, who sought 
 to absorb Brandenburg and Prussia, and hoped 
 to use Adolph of Schwedt in his nefarious 
 scheme. The emperor and his agents con-
 
 44 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 sidered the Margrave little more than a half- 
 witted fool. They knew he was in love. with 
 the Princess Wilhelmina, and did not doubt 
 that he would marry her eagerly, and then 
 become a willing tool in their hands. This 
 history will tell whether they were right or 
 wrong in their opinion of him. 
 
 It is a great pleasure to argue with one who 
 wishes to be convinced, and conversely, it is 
 delightful to be convinced along the lines of 
 one's own great desire. So the ardor of the 
 Margravine and the heart of the Margrave pre- 
 vailed, and within a few days they started for 
 Berlin to be present at the explosion which 
 Grumkow had said would soon take place be- 
 tween King George of England and Frederick 
 William, the Stormy King of Prussia and 
 Bradenburg.
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 A WAYSIDE INN 
 
 FOE three days Prince Henry and his friends 
 marched over unfrequented mountain roads, 
 avoiding the more public highways. They trav- 
 eled till dark each day, stopped over night at 
 out of the way inns, and started early each 
 morning on their journey. 
 
 Henry soon lost all knowledge of his where- 
 abouts, and could not even guess at either the 
 distance or the direction he had traveled. 
 
 Late in the evening of the third day, the 
 French captain ordered a halt for the night at 
 an obscure inn on the outskirts of a small mud- 
 ' surrounded village. 
 
 The situation, awkward and wearisome as it 
 was, had begun to have its redeeming qualities. 
 The captain and all the members of the ruffian 
 company seemed to do their utmost to be polite 
 and attentive to their prisoner, and although 
 he was in a constant state of wonder con- 
 cerning his destination and fate, the man- 
 ner in which the whole affair was conducted 
 led him to believe that the outcome of the 
 adventure would not be altogether bad. After 
 
 45
 
 46 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 lie had grown accustomed to the new state of 
 affairs, he began to enjoy it, and the element 
 of uncertainty gave it zest. It must not be 
 forgotten that he was running away from the 
 daughter of August, and wanted to find a hid- 
 ing place. The men that had captured him 
 might be of great assistance in finding it. 
 
 Thus Henry was not only content to remain 
 with his captors, but was eager to reach his 
 destination, wherever it might be, and to learn 
 the fate in store for him. Concerning his fate 
 he had no hint, neither had he fear. 
 
 On entering the taproom of the inn at which 
 the party had stopped for the night, Henry 
 found a solitary guest sitting at a long table, 
 drinking beer A fat, thick-lipped, smiling 
 face beamed up to the newcomer, and the man 
 spoke in good though broken English. 
 
 "Good evening," said he, with a broad grin. 
 
 Henry answered his salutation in the same 
 language, and took a chair on the opposite side 
 of the table. 
 
 "Do you like beer?" asked the fat man, still 
 speaking English. 
 
 "I prefer wine," answered Henry. 
 
 "Ach, Himmel! You should learn to like 
 beer. When you reach Potsdam, you must 
 learn to like beer if you hope to win the favor
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 47 
 
 of the Prussian king. I tell you, my friend, I 
 like you because you speak English so well. 
 Damn this guttural tongue of ours. I like Eng- 
 lish because the Princess Mina speaks it and 
 loves it, and I like you because you speak it. 
 Are you English?" 
 
 "Perhaps I am," answered Henry. 
 
 "Ach, well," replied his fat friend, "as I 
 said, I like you and I want to advise you. You 
 must learn to drink beer by the quart, by the 
 gallon, by the barrel. I'll tell you a secret. 
 King Frederick William is fond of me because 
 I can drink so much beer. I can drink more 
 beer than any two men in Lower Brandenburg, 
 and I'll lay a wager on it. But these Lower 
 Brandenburgers know nothing of the gentle art 
 of beer drinking. In truth, it flourishes only 
 in my good city of Schwedt, and one must go 
 there to see it in its most beautiful develop- 
 ment. My dear sir," continued the beer 
 drinker, giving Henry the English salutation, 
 "I have seen a little Schwedtish man, only half 
 as tall as you, and not half so broad as I, drink 
 a bucketful of beer without taking his lips from 
 the rim. Ach, my friend, it was beautiful. 
 And that little man took the beer home with 
 him, too, but of course he could not wear his 
 belt. I am much larger than the little man, and
 
 48 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 I could easily do it. It was my beer drinking 
 that first attracted his Prussian Majesty and 
 caused him to want me for a son-in-law." 
 
 It is unnecessary to say that the fat man was 
 comfortably drunk. 
 
 "Ah, his majesty wants you for a son-in- 
 law!" exclaimed Fritz Henry, concluding that 
 he had met a lunatic or a great wag. ' ' I salute 
 you, prince." 
 
 "Not 'prince'," answered the humorist, 
 "simply Adolph, Margrave of Schwedt and 
 Knight of Brandenburg, at your service." 
 Whereupon he rose and bowed profoundly. 
 
 Henry turned upon him in astonishment. He 
 had often heard of the Margrave of Schwedt, 
 and remembered many extraordinary stories 
 of his eccentricities. He knew that the Mar- 
 grave of Schwedt was the head of one of the 
 oldest, noblest families in Germany, closely 
 related by blood to the Kings of England and 
 Prussia and the Emperor of Austria. This 
 fellow surely was nothing more than a vulgar 
 inn loafer, created for the sole purpose of 
 consuming beer. 
 
 "My friend, you certainly are both bold and 
 peculiar in the honors you thrust upon your- 
 self," said Henry, good-naturedly. "You elect 
 yourself Margrave of Schwedt, and son-in-law
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 49 
 
 to the Prussian King, as easily as I might call 
 myself a trooper." 
 
 "Auf der Teufel, but I am Schwedt!" said 
 the king's prospective son-in-law, rising to his 
 feet, bending politely, and pressing his finger 
 tips against his expansive breast. "I am 
 Adolph, Margrave of Schwedt, and I can prove 
 it to you by my mother who is upstairs. And 
 I have received an invitation to go to Berlin to 
 marry Princess Wilhelmina, and if you think 
 I lie der Teufel my friend, I'll fight you 
 now ! ' ' 
 
 ''Accept my apology," said Henry, greatly 
 amused, and almost convinced that his com- 
 panion was really the Margrave of Schwedt. 
 ''An invitation to Berlin to marry the Princess 
 Wilhelmina ! My friend, you are a lucky man. 
 Allow me to offer my congratulations." 
 
 Adolph sat down. 
 
 Henry laughed, but the Margrave did not 
 appreciate the irony. 
 
 ''Yes," said Adolph, emphatically; "to 
 marry the Princess Wilhelmina, though there 
 is a condition a condition of my own making. 
 But the offer of the hand of the Princess Wil- 
 helmina, even with an 'if, is better than the 
 offer of any other princess in all the world with- 
 out it." Here the Margrave rose to his feet, 
 
 4
 
 50 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 leaned earnestly over the table toward Henry, 
 and continued: "What is an 'if? Two little 
 letters. Wipe them off the slate and it is easy 
 to put 'is' in their place. Shall I ever wipe the 
 slate ? I cannot tell. You cannot tell. No one 
 can tell. But this I tell you, friend ; she is the 
 gentlest, the wittiest, the most beautiful prin- 
 cess the the Ach! You should see her! 
 Every curve is as perfect as a rainbow's bend. 
 Every line has the grace of the Medician Venus. 
 Her eyes are like the bright stars on a moon- 
 less night, and her voice Ac\i, friend, it is as 
 the music of a glad heart! Her words are 
 gentle and wise, and her thoughts are as sweet 
 and as fresh as a morning breath from a field 
 of roses. Ach, I tell you, I love, I love ! But 
 wait till you reach Potsdam and see her. Then 
 you will know for yourself. Even my love-elo- 
 quent tongue cannot describe to you the smallest 
 part of her perfections. One must see her and 
 love her, and dream of her to realize her beauty. 
 I have said much." 
 
 Exhausted by his efforts, the Margrave re- 
 sumed his seat and buried his face in the mouth 
 of a huge flagon. 
 
 "But I am not going to Potsdam nor Berlin," 
 said Henry, still speaking English. "I am the 
 captive of this band of outlaws and God only
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBUEG 51 
 
 knows where they are taking me and what their 
 intentions are when we reach our journey's 
 end." 
 
 Adolph sprang to his feet, pointed dramat- 
 ically at Fritz Henry, paused for a moment, 
 and said in a tragic manner: 
 
 ' ' You were kidnaped 1 ' ' 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "I knew it," responded the other. "I knew 
 it when I saw you coming in with your fine body 
 guard of ruffians. I knew it by your height. 
 You are intended for The Regiment." 
 
 Adolph leaned backward and fixed his gaze 
 on Henry, who whistled to express surprise, 
 laughed and said : 
 
 "Upon my word, I believe you're right! I 
 have been pondering for three days and nights 
 trying to find out why I was waylaid, and you, 
 who know nothing of my case, have solved the 
 riddle in thirty seconds." 
 
 Henry stretched back in his chair and 
 laughed. The Margrave remained serious and 
 said with suppressed pride: 
 
 "Yes, that is true." 
 
 "I had forgotten all about Frederick "Wil- 
 liam's custom of kidnaping tall men for his 
 Giant Regiment," said Fritz Henry, looking at 
 the Margrave with increased interest. "Prob-
 
 52 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 ably Berlin is my destination, and perhaps I am 
 to become a Prussian Grenadier. Ah, Mar- 
 grave, your wit should make your fortune. ' ' 
 
 The Margrave smiled broadly, shiningly, 
 drank at one swallow nearly a pint of beer, 
 smiled again and said : 
 
 4 'Well, if you will have it so, perhaps I am no 
 fool. But, my friend, I would ask a favor. 
 Please don't tell any one of your discovery. A 
 fool has so niany advantages and immunities in 
 this world that with wit he can overthrow 
 mountains. I have been told that faith is help- 
 ful, but wit, my friend, wit is what will really 
 throw the mountain on his back, and a fool with 
 wit is thrice armed. Wits! Of course I have 
 wits. Fortune? Of course my wits shall win 
 it for me! You are going to Berlin? When 
 you are there, my friend, stand by and see my 
 wits operate. Just watch them, please, but not 
 a word, mind you; not a word to indicate that 
 you even suspect I am not a fool. Wit in one 
 who seems to be a fool is doubly strong. I will 
 show you a mystery. A word which, from a 
 man of acknowledged wisdom, may pass almost 
 unnoticed, falling from my lips, would be looked 
 upon as a wonder of sapiency. The world al- 
 ways considers the source, you see but you 
 understand. ' '
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 53 
 
 "Yes, I understand," replied Fritz Henry, 
 "and I'll respect your unusual wish." 
 
 "Thank you," answered Adolph, gravely. 
 "But concerning the doings of my wit at Ber- 
 lin, listen! Look at me." Henry looked and 
 with difficulty suppressed a laugh. "Notice 
 my face," continued the Margrave. "Beauti- 
 ful?" 
 
 "I should not call it so," answered Fritz 
 Henry. 
 
 "No. It is as far from being beautiful as 
 one can well imagine," said the Margrave, 
 seriously and somewhat sadly. 
 
 "Perhaps you are right," answered Fritz 
 Henry. 
 
 * ' Now notice, if you please, my belt line ; my 
 legs; my feet. Himmel! Did God ever give 
 such feet to another man?" The Margrave 
 looked at his feet, nodded his head regretfully, 
 and sighed as if the question he had asked were 
 one to be given up. 
 
 Henry laughed outright. 
 
 "Good," continued the Margrave. "The 'if 
 I spoke of in his Prussian Majesty's offer of 
 the princess is this. I may have the princess 
 if I win her and her mother. The 'if* exists 
 because I wish it to exist, not that the will of 
 the princess or the queen would in any way
 
 54 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 affect the king's purposes. With this face, this 
 body, these legs and feet, if I win the princess 
 I say if I win the princess, I believe it will be 
 the greatest achievement ever accomplished by 
 a man's unaided wit. But I'm going to win 
 her. Mother says I shall, and mother is a wise 
 woman. You shall meet my mother to-morrow, 
 and then judge for yourself." 
 
 "With pleasure," answered Henry, who was 
 sleepy. Turning to the French captain, he said : 
 "With your permission, I'll go to bed. You 
 need not set a guard, for I am quite as eager to 
 go to Berlin as you are to take me. Had you 
 told me your destination, you would have saved 
 yourself the trouble of guarding me these last 
 three days. I am glad to go to Berlin, but, my 
 friend, when we reach there, you may be glad 
 to get away. ' ' 
 
 "It may be true. I have doubted of late," 
 answered the French captain. "I told Big 
 John but yesterday I feared we had bitten off 
 more than we could swallow, and perhaps had 
 taken a greater fish than we could land. We 
 have tried to be courteous to Monsieur, and I 
 hope that Monsieur will stand our friend at 
 the Berlin if our master has the displeasure of 
 our zeal. Should Monsieur prefer to travel to
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 55 
 
 Berlin alone, or if he wishes to go free, he may 
 do either to his pleasure." 
 
 "No," said Henry. "You must finish what 
 you have begun, and I'll try to see that no ill 
 fortune overtakes you in Berlin. The adven- 
 ture may fall in strangely with my desire, but 
 we shall see. Good-night, Margrave." 
 
 "Good-night, sir sir Shall I say 'my 
 lord' or 'earl' or I have not the pleasure of 
 your title, nor is your name on my tongue. ' ' 
 
 "There is no title," answered Fritz Henry. 
 "My name is Captain Henry Churchill, one 
 time of the army of of many countries." 
 
 "Shall I not say 'Sir'? I am sure you are 
 a knight?" suggested the Margrave, inter- 
 rogatively. 
 
 "I am not even a knight," answered Henry. 
 
 "Ach, you shall be. I myself will make you 
 a Knight of Brandenburg. It is my own 
 Order. At present I am its only member, but 
 it will grow it will grow, and the day may 
 come when the Cordon Bleu, the Cordon Rouge, 
 and the Garter will not be of greater repute. ' ' 
 
 "I thank you," said Henry. "Good-night." 
 
 The next morning Captain Henry met the 
 Margravine of Schwedt as she was about to 
 enter her coach, and the two parties started on
 
 56 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 the last stage of their journey to Berlin. Late 
 in the same day they entered the muddy city. 
 
 The Margrave and his mother at once pre- 
 sented themselves at the palace and were wel- 
 comed and put to bed. Prince Henry was 
 taken to the castle, and was conducted to a 
 comfortable room. He asked to be presented 
 to the king at once, but the hour was late and 
 the request was refused. He was not disap- 
 pointed, for he had not made up his mind what 
 course he wished to take. He knew he could 
 regain his liberty at any time by announcing 
 that he was the Hereditary Prince of Bayreuth ; 
 therefore his position held no terrors for him. 
 
 Membership in the Grenadier Eegiment 
 under the name of Captain Churchill would 
 secure him the hiding place he wanted, and pro- 
 tect him from the kindly intentions of August 
 the Stark. By becoming a Grenadier, he would 
 find not only a hiding place, but also an oppor- 
 tunity to earn a livelihood. 
 
 On the other hand, to enter the spectacular 
 regiment of this half-mad old king seemed to 
 be so great a degradation that, after thinking 
 it over, Henry determined to tell King Fred- 
 erick "William as soon as possible next morning 
 that his Majesty's over-zealous recruiting offi- 
 cers had kidnaped the Hereditary Prince of
 
 57 
 
 Bayreuth, who in rank was the equal of the 
 Prussian Crown Prince. 
 
 But much that we intend to do to-morrow is 
 like to-morrow itself in that it never comes to 
 pass.
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 THE PRINCESS BEAUTIFUL 
 
 WHEN Fritz Henry wakened the next morn- 
 ing, he was still of the same opinion, and after 
 breakfast demanded to be taken before tho 
 king. A royal audience was easily obtained 
 by the humblest person in Prussia, but the king 
 was always eager to receive new recruits for 
 the Grenadier Regiment, and treated them with 
 great consideration. The Grenadier Regiment 
 was dearer to his heart than the queen and all 
 her children. He loved it better than all his 
 other possessions. He knew every man in it 
 by name, and when his recruiting officers were 
 so fortunate as to kidnap a tall man and bring 
 him safely to Berlin, he made it his most im- 
 portant business to see the new conscript, and, 
 if possible, to win him. So Fritz Henry's re- 
 quest for an audience was granted and he 
 started for the palace, accompanied by an 
 officer of the regiment and the Frenchman 
 who had kidnaped him. 
 
 Henry entered the audience chamber, which 
 in this case happened to be the Mirrored Hall, 
 in an indignant state of mind. He had resolved 
 
 58
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 59 
 
 not only to disclose his own identity and to 
 demand immediate release, but to give King 
 Frederick William to understand that there 
 could be no amity between Brandenburg and 
 Bayreuth until his Prussian Majesty had made 
 humble apology and proper amends. But a 
 man's fate usually turns on the pivot of a 
 moment, and that proved to be true with Fritz 
 Henry on this occasion. 
 
 When he entered the audience chamber, the 
 first person he saw was our friend Adolph, 
 Margrave of Schwedt. The second was a fair 
 girl of nineteen or twenty, standing near the 
 Margrave, and Fritz Henry's life turned on 
 the pivot of that moment. He had never seen 
 the Princess Wilhelmina, but he knew that the 
 girl standing beside the Margrave was her 
 Royal Highness. 
 
 Presently Adolph espied Henry in the crowd 
 of courtiers, nodded to him pleasantly, and then 
 spoke to the princess. She turned her head 
 toward Fritz Henry, discovered him, and much 
 to her own astonishment and to Henry's 
 surprise , nodded as if in recognition. The 
 next instant she was scarlet. She had not 
 intended to nod, for, of course, she did not 
 know even so much as the stranger's name. To 
 punish the young man's audacity in allowing
 
 60 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 her to nod to him, the princess turned away, 
 feeling that in some way she had been badly 
 used. 
 
 Henry's resolve to ask the king to release 
 him, and his purpose to insist upon a royal 
 apology evaporated when he first beheld the 
 princess, but when she nodded to him, he deter- 
 mined to ask the king to take him into the regi- 
 ment as a favor that could not be too highly 
 prized. Hardly had this resolve taken form 
 when he was summoned before the king, who 
 was standing like the statue of stubbornness in 
 a little open space left by the surrounding 
 courtiers. 
 
 "Well," said the king, when Fritz Henry 
 approached. "Well?" 
 
 Henry was about to kneel in saluting his 
 Majesty, but the king said gruffly: "No, no, 
 man. Get up! I hear you have behaved well 
 on your journey and that you desire to enter 
 our regiment." 
 
 "As to my behavior," responded Henry, 
 smiling broadly, "I refer your Majesty to the 
 men who conducted me to Berlin. I am not 
 aware that I have expressed a desire to enter 
 your Majesty's regiment, but but ' Henry 
 paused, looked at the floor for a moment, 
 glanced toward the Princess Wilhelmma, turned
 
 OF OLD BKANDENBURG 61 
 
 his face again toward the king, and said : * * But 
 I now do make the request. I wish to enter 
 your Majesty's Grenadier Begiment." 
 
 On hearing Henry express so unusual a 
 desire, the princess, who stood within three 
 yards of him, quickly turned with a look of 
 unfeigned surprise. Her eyes seemed to be 
 interrogation points, for under like conditions 
 she was accustomed to hear entreaty, indig- 
 nation and threats from men her father had 
 kidnaped. 
 
 Henry returned the princess's gaze and 
 answered the question asked by her eyes as if 
 he were speaking to the king. 
 
 "Yes, I wish to enter the most famous regi- 
 ment in the world under the most famous king 
 in Europe." 
 
 No man was more disposed to shy at flattery 
 than hard Prussian Majesty, so replying to 
 Fritz Henry, he asked: 
 
 1 'What is it you want that you flatter us?" 
 
 "I want nothing, your Majesty," answered 
 Fritz Henry, "unless you wish to give me a 
 commission. I was once a captain in the army 
 of King Charles of Sweden, and for two years 
 bore a captain's commission in the English 
 army. I have served in Italy and France, but
 
 62 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 if your Majesty has no commission for me, I 
 am willing to take my place in the ranks. ' ' 
 
 "What is your name?" demanded the king. 
 
 "I am known as Captain Henry Churchill." 
 
 "You are known as Captain Henry Church- 
 ill?" asked his Majesty. "But what is your 
 name?" 
 
 "I have given you a name, and perhaps if 
 your Majesty will take a second thought, you 
 will not wish to know any other. I am over six 
 feet tall and in good health. I have been led to 
 believe that your Majesty cares to know noth- 
 ing more about a man who wishes to enter the 
 regiment. ' ' 
 
 The king's lips emitted a sound, half grunt, 
 half snort, that seemed to acknowledge the 
 truth of what Prince Henry had said, and after 
 a moment's pause, his Majesty asked: 
 
 "Where are you from?" 
 
 Henry smiled, looked toward the king, and 
 answered: "I should suppose your Majesty 
 would not care to know too much about me 
 since you have caused me to be kidnaped. Too 
 much knowledge, like a little learning, may be 
 a dangerous thing." 
 
 A low ripple of laughter came from the 
 courtiers who had heard Henry's reply. He 
 spoke English, intending to give the king a
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 63 
 
 hint that a subject of King George of England 
 had been kidnaped. His name, Churchill, was 
 more than a hint of his nationality. The 
 thought would hold terror for this rough old 
 king, and might be of use to Henry later on. 
 
 King Frederick William, who loved a spicy 
 epigram tinged with wisdom, looked at Fritz 
 Henry with the expression of a bated bull, but 
 if the young man's flattery had alarmed the 
 king, the blunt speech reassured him. Desir- 
 ing to avoid further public conversation with 
 the new recruit, the king said: 
 
 "I'll see you at the barracks in half an hour, 
 and talk the matter over." 
 
 Henry bowed, took several steps backward 
 from the king, and stopped beside the man who 
 had conducted him to the palace. His Majesty 
 turned toward the prime minister, Grumkow, 
 and spoke in undertones : 
 
 "I believe the fellow is English. If King 
 George knew that I had kidnaped him, we might 
 find ourselves in serious trouble. I have hardly 
 patched up the last incident of that kind. 
 Come with me, Grumkow! Let us go to the 
 barracks and talk with this man. He's a fine, 
 big fellow, and I want to keep him if I can, but 
 I don't want to have Hannover and England 
 swarming about my ears on his account."
 
 64 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 Then lie stepped up to Fritz Henry, saying: 
 1 'Come, my man. Come with Gmmkow and 
 me, and we'll see if we can find a commission 
 for you." 
 
 His Majesty unceremoniously started to leave 
 the audience chamber, regardless of unfinished 
 business, for in the king's mind no affair of 
 state could equal in importance the acquisition 
 of a new Grenadier. 
 
 Grumkow indicated to Fritz Henry that he 
 should follow the king, but the king and his 
 minister were detained by an importunate 
 courtier, and Henry waited until the business 
 was over. While he was waiting, the Margrave 
 of Schwedt approached. 
 
 "Did you see me with the princess?" asked 
 Adolph. ' * My wit, my wit ! I tell you it will 
 win for me, even though the princess is still 
 betrothed to Prince Frederick of England. 
 She has been most gracious to me all morning, 
 and I am very happy. If I had your stature 
 and face there would be no great credit in win- 
 ning her, but to win her with all my my pecul- 
 iarities will be an accomplishment worthy of 
 a genius. Did you see the princess looking at 
 you?" 
 
 "I thought her back was turned toward me 
 most of the time," said Fritz Henry.
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 65 
 
 "That is true," answered Adolph, "but she 
 could see you in a mirror. Never grieve, my 
 man, because a woman turns her back on you. 
 She may be watching you in a mirror. Never 
 rejoice when she turns her face toward you; 
 she may be looking at another man over your 
 shoulder. The princess looked at you in the 
 mirror and over my shoulder. Lucky dog ! If 
 you were of high degree, by Heaven, I'd run 
 you through!" 
 
 * ' In that case, I 'm glad I am of low degree, ' ' 
 answered Fritz Henry, laughing. "Good-bye, 
 Margrave. I hope to see you again." 
 
 Henry nodded to his friend, and in obedience 
 to Grumkow's gesture, followed the minister 
 and the king. When in the street, the king fell 
 back with him and said: 
 
 ' ' Tell me, young man, are you English ? You 
 speak the tongue as well as my Mina speaks it." 
 
 "If your Majesty insists on knowing who and 
 what I am, I shall answer your question," re- 
 turned Fritz Henry. "But if I am English, 
 the time may soon come when you will be glad 
 to be able to answer King George's questions 
 honestly, and say you did not know that I was 
 his subject when I joined the regiment. Per- 
 haps I had better say to you that I am not Eng- 
 lish, even though it may be I do not tell the 
 
 5
 
 66 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 exact truth. If I am an English subject, your 
 Majesty does not want to know it unless you 
 wish to send me home. ' ' 
 
 Henry was in high spirits, and seemed per- 
 fectly willing that hard old Prussian Majesty 
 should know he was laughing at him. The 
 king walked beside Fritz Henry for several 
 minutes, gesticulating and muttering, unde- 
 termined how to meet this unprecedented attack 
 on his dignity. To do the king justice, dig- 
 nity gave him less trouble than any other of 
 his kingly attributes. He was always willing 
 to sacrifice it for a substantial benefit, and of 
 all substantial benefits that could come to him, 
 a six-foot Grenadier was the most cherished. 
 
 The king loved his daughter Don't Care be- 
 cause she did not fear him. Like all violent 
 bullies, he despised those who cringed before 
 him, and respected those who defied him and 
 insisted that they, as well as he, had a right 
 to live. 
 
 At first Henry's language irritated the king, 
 but he could not long remain angry at a man 
 who was about to do him the great favor of 
 voluntarily entering his Grenadier Eegiment. 
 So he soon began to admire the boldness behind 
 Henry's words, and after a great deal of mut-
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBUBG 67 
 
 tering and gesticulating, turned to the young 
 man. 
 
 ''You have more brains than Grumkow, and 
 are as brave as Don't Care. I have more need 
 of you in my council than in my regiment, 
 and may use you in both. Come to me, Grum- 
 kow," said the king, calling to the minister, 
 who was walking ahead. Grumkow went back 
 to his Majesty. 
 
 "Pay that fool," said the king, pointing to 
 the French recruiting officer. "Tell him to go 
 to Spandau, and to say nothing of this affair 
 unless he wants to hang. This young man," 
 indicating Henry, "is free to go when or where 
 he will, or if he desires to enlist in the regi- 
 ment, see that he has an opportunity. Which 
 shall it be, young man?" 
 
 ' ' If your Majesty will give me a commission, 
 I'll enlist," answered Henry. 
 
 "Can you drill a company?" asked the king. 
 
 "Try me," responded Henry. 
 
 "Devils in hell, answer my question!" 
 stormed the king, glaring furiously at his new 
 recruit. Henry paid no attention to the king's 
 anger, but answered smilingly, calmly: 
 
 "I have answered your Majesty." 
 
 "You have not!" shouted the king. 
 
 "If I tell you I can drill a company, will your
 
 68 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 Majesty be any wiser?" asked Henry. "Men 
 are apt to lie in their own interests, and the 
 King of Prussia would not take my word in 
 this instance." 
 
 "Himmell I say, can you drill a company?" 
 demanded the king, stamping his foot and strik- 
 ing his cane violently on the pavement. 
 
 "Again I say, try me," answered Henry. 
 "If I were to tell you I can drill a company, 
 and should fail, your Majesty would despise 
 me. There is but one way to answer your 
 question, and that is by showing you what I 
 can do." 
 
 After watching Henry's face for a moment, 
 the king turned to Grumkow, saying, "Tell 
 Seckendorf to bring out a company of the 
 regiment. Send for that rascal Fritz, and 
 we'll let him see this fellow try. Try, try, try," 
 growled the king. "He seems to know but 
 one word 'try'." 
 
 "It's a good word to know, your Majesty," 
 answered Fritz Henry, smiling. "The King 
 of Prussia knows it better than any man 
 in the world, and the man who knows it will 
 soon or late come to know another word suc- 
 cess." 
 
 The old king's hard face seemed to soften, if 
 anything so hard as Frederick William's face
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 69 
 
 could be said ever to soften, and he turned to 
 Grumkow, muttering slowly: 
 
 1 'Never mind about the company, Grumkow. 
 Tell Seckendorf to make this man a captain of 
 Grenadiers. If there is no company for him 
 now, we'll soon make one, and we'll keep him 
 in the palace until we do have one for him. ' ' 
 
 "I am surprised," interrupted Henry, who 
 felt sure of his ground, and wanted to play his 
 cards for all they were worth, "that your Ma- 
 jesty should be caught by a trick of words, and 
 I hope you will prove me before you give me a 
 commission." 
 
 "Ach! God has sent me a stubborn devil," 
 mumbled the king, far from bad-humoredly. 
 "Nothing that we do suits him, but but he is 
 right. A man is a fool to be caught by a trick 
 of words. Send for Fritz. Get out the com- 
 pany, Grumkow. I wish that rascally son of 
 mine had half this fellow's stubbornness. Stub- 
 bornness is a blessed virtue. Get out the com- 
 pany and send for that rascal Fritz." 
 
 Frederick William, the most stubborn man 
 ever born of woman, stormed at other stubborn 
 men, but in his heart he loved them. The 
 Crown Prince Fritz, his son and heir, was a 
 dainty little gentleman who loved fine dress, 
 music and books, and for that reason the old
 
 70 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 king hated him. Frederick William loved re- 
 sistance, and there was none in Prince Fritz. 
 In fact, there was little resistance anywhere for 
 Prussian Majesty save in his wife, Queen 
 Sophia, and that almost drove Majesty wild. 
 
 The king, who was gouty, took Henry's arm 
 as they walked toward the parade ground. 
 Majesty had never before been known to lean 
 on any man. Stubbornness would walk alone 
 or fall, and the little act of taking Henry's arm 
 was a sure harbinger of favor for our kidnaped 
 prince. 
 
 Under Frederick William's cloak, Fritz 
 Henry felt that he had found a safe hiding place 
 from the lady of Saxony. When his fortunes 
 should be settled, he would write to his father, 
 telling of his adventures, but for the present he 
 would hold communication with no one in 
 Bayreuth. 
 
 Soon the king, Grumkow and Fritz Henry 
 reached the parade ground. Ten minutes later 
 a company of Grenadiers came marching out 
 and halted in front of their master. 
 
 ''That rascal Fritz is late, " growled the 
 king. "Late, late, as usual. There is no hope 
 for a man who is always late." 
 
 After the king had waited ten minutes, Prince 
 Fritz came up and saluted his father respect-
 
 The old man shook his cane anil growled savagely
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 71 
 
 fully. The father gazed at the son angrily for 
 a moment, and said : 
 
 "Take off those gloves silk silk by the 
 devil, silk! French gewgaws! Take off those 
 gloves, I say ! ' ' The old man shook his cane in 
 close proximity to his son's head, and growled 
 savagely. 
 
 Fritz took off the gloves. 
 
 "Now throw them to the ground!" cried the 
 king. Fritz tossed the gloves to the ground. 
 
 "Not there, not there, you popinjay here, in 
 the mud! Take them up and throw them in 
 the mud ! ' ' 
 
 Prince Fritz obeyed and stubborn Majesty 
 walked through the mud, trampling the silk 
 gloves with his heavy, hob-nailed boots, and 
 glaring at the culprit. 
 
 "I want him to meet this man," said the 
 king, addressing Grumkow. 
 
 Thus did Prince Henry of Bayreuth meet the 
 future Frederick the Great. * 
 
 "May I know your name?" asked the Crown 
 Prince, stepping toward Henry and offering his 
 hand. 
 
 "My name is Frederick Henry Churchill, 
 your Highness," answered our friend, bowing 
 to the heir to the Prussian throne. 
 
 "You are to watch this man drill a company
 
 72 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 of your regiment," said the king, turning to 
 Prince Fritz. "I want you to cast off your 
 worthless friends, and take this young man 
 for your associate. He may put a little stub- 
 bornness into you." 
 
 "Yes, your Majesty," answered Prince Fritz, 
 humbly; but he already hated Henry because 
 the king liked him. 
 
 An entire failure on the part of father and 
 son to understand each other had engendered a 
 bitter hatred that lasted as long as Frederick 
 William lived. Perhaps, on the Crown Prince's 
 part, it lasted long after his father's death. 
 
 At the king's command, Fritz Henry took the 
 company through the maneuvers of the parade 
 ground. When the drill was finished, the old 
 king was delighted, for the new recruit had 
 taught the Grenadiers several new movements. 
 
 Turning to Grumkow, who seemed to be not 
 only prime minister, but also major domo of 
 the palace, the king said : 
 
 "Cause tHis man's commission to be made 
 out at once, and have him lodged in the palace. 
 We need a page near us with brains and hon- 
 esty one who can and will serve us faithfully. 
 If the fellow fails us we will hang him. Tell 
 that rascally son of mine to go to his apart-
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 73 
 
 ments and to take the new captain with him for 
 the present." 
 
 The king rarely spoke directly to Fritz, and 
 not the least irritating of his father's many 
 methods of wounding him was this roundabout 
 manner of speaking to him through another. 
 
 When Henry and the prince started toward 
 the palace, Henry easily discovered that he was 
 not in favor. That unpleasant fact, he be- 
 lieved, was owing to the king's gracious intro- 
 duction. He liked Prince Fritz and determined 
 not to be repulsed by the young fellow until his 
 Royal Highness had an opportunity to know 
 him and to judge him for himself. Henry 
 spoke at times as they walked along, but the 
 surly Crown Prince answered only in mon- 
 osyllables. 
 
 After entering the palace, they passed 
 through several rooms, Henry being allowed to 
 follow unheeded by his conductor. Presently 
 they entered a room where ladies and gentle- 
 men were assembled by twos and threes, talking 
 and laughing. Henry recognized none of those 
 present save the Princess Wilhelmina and the 
 Margrave of Schwedt. Prince Fritz uncere- 
 moniously left his companion, went to the 
 Princess Wilhelmina, and took her hand affec- 
 tionately. The princess beamed on her brother
 
 74 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 and any one seeing them together could easily 
 discover the great love between them. The 
 Margrave nodded to Fritz Henry, and sent him 
 a broad, massive smile. The princess glanced 
 quickly, but with evident kindness, toward the 
 door and turned her face away. After she had 
 talked with her brother for a moment, she 
 looked scornfully toward the door and turned 
 her back on her brother's recent companion. 
 
 Presently the Margrave went to Henry and 
 began singing Wilhelmina's praise. There 
 was not her like in all the world, was the Mar- 
 grave's theme, and he was right if all the world 
 that knew her is to be believed. There seems 
 to be but one verdict concerning her. Except- 
 ing her father, every one deemed her of faultless 
 beauty in all respects. The king seemed to 
 regard her and Fritz with an unnatural hatred. 
 
 "But I'm sorry for you," continued the talk- 
 ative Margrave. 
 
 "Why?" asked Henry. 
 
 ' l You have fallen sadly out of favor with her 
 Highness," answered Adolph. 
 
 "How can that be," asked Henry, "since I 
 have not yet had the pleasure of a presentation ? 
 I cannot understand how I can be either in or 
 out of favor with her Highness." 
 
 "You certainly were in favor with her," said
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 75 
 
 the Margrave. "Greatly in favor. She spoke 
 about you when you entered the room with 
 the Crown Prince a moment since and said: 
 'Ah, Schwedt, there is your handsome friend, 
 the new Grenadier.' " 
 
 "That, indeed, was kind in her Highness," 
 responded Henry. 
 
 "But the Crown Prince upset all her kindness 
 by telling her that you had found favor with 
 the king, and that his Majesty had forced you 
 on him as a companion. The king's favor 
 is a sure harbinger of disfavor with the 
 Princess Mina and the Crown Prince Fritz." 
 
 "I can live under their frowns," said Fritz 
 Henry, "and her Highness may grant me her 
 favor when I ask it." 
 
 Henry knew that his words would reach the 
 ears of the princess, nor did he care how soon. 
 
 Presently the Margrave rejoined the prin- 
 cess, but hastened back to his friend at the door 
 to tell him that the Crown Prince was about to 
 go to his apartments, and that if Captain Henry 
 as the Margrave called his new friend- 
 wished, in obedience to the king's command, to 
 accompany his Royal Highness, he should fol- 
 low at his will. 
 
 When the prince started toward the door on 
 the opposite side of the room, Fritz Henry
 
 76 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 reluctantly followed, more amused than cha- 
 grined at the humiliating position in which 
 he, a royal prince, found himself. The humor 
 of the situation and the chance for adventure 
 had a strong appeal for him, and neither the 
 slight put upon him by the Crown Prince nor 
 the scorn of the princess could wound him until 
 he felt sure that their dislike had fallen on him 
 for personal reasons. As yet, this was not 
 true; he believed it was their father's favor to 
 him that caused their aversion.
 
 CHAPTEE VI 
 
 LITTLE PRINCE FEITZ 
 
 WHEN the Crown Prince and Henry entered 
 the prince's apartments, the little fellow 
 changed his rough military coat for a silk 
 dressing gown, took a book from a shelf, seated 
 himself in a window and began to read. Henry 
 went to another window overlooking the palace 
 gardens, and for a time was halting between 
 pity for the Crown Prince and an inclination 
 to be angry. 
 
 But little Fritz seemed to be such a forlorn 
 young prince, stranded on the stormy reef of 
 liis father's unnatural hatred, that Henry's 
 anger soon gave way to sympathy. Presently 
 two pages of the court entered the room and 
 began a conversation with the Crown Prince. 
 They talked at first in undertones, but once in 
 a while Fritz Henry caught the king's name 
 linked with the words "damned old Stumpy", 
 "old brute", "old tyrant". 
 
 The Crown Prince addressed one of the pages 
 as Keith and the other as Katt, though which 
 was Katt and which was Keith, Henry did not 
 know, as the Crown Prince did not present 
 
 77
 
 78 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 them. Soon the conversation became louder 
 and grew excited in tone. Oaths French, 
 German and English fell rapidly from the 
 lips of the three friends, and were frequently 
 associated with the name "Old Stumpy". After 
 a few minutes the Crown Prince and the pages 
 seemed to care nothing for Henry's presence, 
 and spoke aloud, regardless of what he might 
 hear. 
 
 "Stumpy says they must go," said one of 
 the young men. "The harpsichord, violin and 
 flute all must go, and a bonfire shall be made of 
 them on the parade ground. Kate Sonnsfeld 
 told me that Stumpy swears he will beat you 
 with his stick in public, and will imprison you 
 for a month in the dungeons of Spandau Castle, 
 on bread and water, if he catches you playing 
 on either the harpsichord, flute or violin. ' ' 
 
 "I'll play when I choose," said the Crown 
 Prince, showing great spirit in the absence of 
 his father. 
 
 "Ah, but you must not," pleaded one of the 
 pages. "Your father seems to be insane on 
 the subject of your music. He does not object 
 to music in others, so it must be the pleasure it 
 gives you that hurts him." 
 
 I will play. I'll play now," said the
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 79 
 
 prince, who, in a small way, had his father's 
 stubbornness without his force. 
 
 "But your father may come," insisted Katt. 
 "You know he is always slipping around and 
 surprising you at unexpected moments. Judg- 
 ing from the violence of his recent outburst, I 
 should not be surprised to see him try to kill 
 you with his own hand, if he came suddenly into 
 the room and found you playing. I believe the 
 king's hatred of you and Mina has driven him 
 mad. ' ' 
 
 "I'll play anyway," said the Crown Prince. 
 "I wish he would come in and kill me." 
 
 The prince seated himself at the harpsichord 
 and began playing a selection from Handel's 
 "Rinaldo". He had been playing perhaps five 
 minutes, when a heavy footfall and the thump, 
 thump, thump of a rattan cane were heard just 
 outside the door of the room. The sounds of 
 the footfall and the cane were too familiar and 
 too terrifying to every member of the court of 
 Berlin not to be known when heard, so they 
 brought terror to the Crown Prince and his 
 friends. One of the young men quickly drew 
 the prince away from the harpsichord. 
 
 "The king! The king!" he cried. "For 
 God's sake, Fritz " 
 
 But it was too late. The footfall, the cane
 
 80 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 and the ominous, angry growl were just outside 
 the door. Henry turned toward the Crown 
 Prince and saw the pale young face distorted 
 by fear. He had just moved away from the 
 harpsichord, but every one in the room knew 
 he had risen too late, for the offensive notes 
 certainly had fallen on the ears of irate Prus- 
 sian Majesty, and the royal fury could be heard 
 with appalling distinctness. The knob of the 
 door had just begun to turn. The prince was 
 standing by the bench before the harpsichord, 
 and a frightful scene was imminent. Henry 
 sprang to the harpsichord, took the seat 
 Fritz had vacated, and caught up the theme of 
 Handel's beautiful melody just where the 
 Crown Prince had left off twenty seconds be- 
 fore. At the same instant the door opened and 
 in walked the furious king. 
 
 Henry continued playing, seemingly so inter- 
 ested in the music that he did not know of his 
 Majesty's presence. When the king saw that 
 it was the new captain at the harpsichord, his 
 lifted cane came softly to the floor, and he stood 
 listening to the rare, sweet strains. 
 
 "Pardon me," said the prince, laying his 
 hand on Henry's shoulder. "Music is offen- 
 sive to his Majesty. I fear you do not know 
 he is in the room."
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 81 
 
 Henry sprang to his feet, gave a stiff, military 
 salute, and said: 
 
 "I crave your Majesty's pardon. I did not 
 know you had entered the room, nor did I know 
 that you objected to music. I should not have 
 dared to accuse your Majesty of so grave a 
 sin. ' ' 
 
 ' ' I don 't object to it. Go on ! Go on ! " cried 
 the king, much to every one's astonishment. 
 "I'm not so great an idiot as to hate music if it 
 is of the right kind and doesn't rob a young 
 man of his senses. I like your music. If my 
 worthless son would play that sort of music as 
 you play it, I should not object, but his miser- 
 able French dances drive me mad. They are 
 not for men; they are for French courtesans." 
 
 Fritz Henry had conquered this stubborn 
 king, accomplishing the extraordinary feat 
 within half a day by using the king's own 
 methods, softened and sweetened to suit the 
 occasion. Henry was careful always to make 
 the king feel that nothing Prussian Majesty 
 did was exactly right, but he administered 
 his corrective doses in such sugar-coated di- 
 minutive pills that the king felt the curative 
 effect only and did not realize that he was 
 being drugged. 
 
 "Go on! Play, play! Why do you stop?" 
 G
 
 82 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 said the king, evidently indignant that any one 
 should accuse him of disliking good music, 
 though he had frequently declared his hatred 
 of it in stormy outbursts. 
 
 Henry played, and hard, half-mad Prussian 
 Majesty listened, standing defiantly in the mid- 
 dle of the room and refusing to sit in the 
 presence of his despised son. After playing 
 for a few minutes, Henry rose, and the king 
 walked deliberately away, leaving the aston- 
 ished group staring at each other in open-eyed 
 wonder. 
 
 When the king left, Henry went back to the 
 window where he had been standing. The 
 Crown Prince cast several glances in his direc- 
 tion, and then went over to him. 
 
 "I beg your pardon," said he, speaking Eng- 
 lish, ''and I want you to do me the great honor 
 of giving me your hand. ' ' 
 
 "I'll gladly give you my hand," answered 
 Henry, "but I have nothing to pardon in your 
 Highness." 
 
 "You have, indeed," insisted the Crown 
 Prince. "I have treated you discourteously 
 without the slightest cause, but my apology 
 shall not be in words. From this hour my 
 effort shall be to make amends, if you can find it 
 in your heart to overlook my rudeness. These
 
 OF OLD BBANDENBURG 83 
 
 are my friends. This is Lieutenant Katt, and 
 this, Keith. Each, you see, is over six feet tall, 
 so you may know they are in my regiment, the 
 Grenadiers. ' ' 
 
 Henry acknowledged the introduction, and 
 the Crown Prince continued: 
 
 1 ' There is one other person whom I want you 
 to know my sister. I have but three friends 
 in the world Katt, Keith and Mina. Before 
 I present you to my sister, I want to tell her 
 of the mistake I made in speaking unkindly of 
 you. I foolishly allowed my father's favor to 
 turn me against you. I'll go to my sister at 
 once. She will thank you quite as warmly as I 
 do for the timely help you gave me to-day. I 
 assure you it will never be forgotten by either 
 of us." 
 
 The Crown Prince threw his dressing gown 
 to the floor, donned his military coat, and ran 
 impetuously to tell his sister of the incident at 
 the harpsichord. 
 
 When the prince had left the room, Katt 
 turned to Fritz Henry and asked: "You are 
 newly arrived at court?" 
 
 Katt was a fine, manly young fellow, whose 
 face and manner were frank and engaging. 
 
 "I was never in Berlin until last night," 
 answered Fritz Henry.
 
 84 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 "You doubtless have seen enough to convince 
 you that a sad state of affairs exists in the 
 palace," said Katt. "The king cruelly hates 
 Prince Frederick and the Princess Wilhelmina, 
 though there is no cause for it save the mach- 
 inations of Grumkow. Every one at court ex- 
 cept his Majesty knows that Grumkow and 
 Seckendorf are here in the interest of Austria, 
 and desire the prince's death, but the king is so 
 stubborn and violent that no one would dare to 
 tell him the truth. He would not believe it 
 from the lips of an angel from heaven. 
 
 "I predict that the Crown Prince will meet 
 his death on the scaffold unless it is prevented 
 by an uprising of the Prussian people. If 
 Grumkow fails in his purpose to bring the 
 Crown Prince to the block, I believe the old 
 devil will have him assassinated. I tell you, 
 the life of our prince is in hourly peril. In 
 case of his death, the Princess Mina will be 
 forced to marry the Margrave of Schwedt, and 
 the old king's days will be numbered, for he, 
 too, will fall a victim to Grumkow. When the 
 old king dies, Schwedt will become king in 
 name, but Brandenburg and Prussia will, in 
 fact, fall into the lap of Austria." 
 
 "I can't help believing that you are wrong," 
 said Keith. "A terrible state of affairs exists,
 
 85 
 
 but I don't believe that all you say is true. 
 While poor Schwedt is madly in love with the 
 princess, and desires above all things to marry 
 her, he is an honest fellow at heart, and more 
 of a man than you would believe. If you knew 
 him as well as I do, you would agree with me 
 that he has the soul of a gentleman, and the 
 tender, kindly heart of a child. Not all the 
 crowns of Europe would induce the Margrave 
 of Schwedt to be a party to the frightful plot 
 your imagination has conjured up.'* 
 
 ' * Of course not ! ' ' cried Katt. * ' Do you sup- 
 pose Grumkow would entrust Schwedt with 
 knowledge of his plans! He is but his tool, 
 and as he is madly in love with the princess, 
 you will know one of these fine days that I have 
 just uttered a true prophecy. Mina will fall 
 into his arms, and I pray to God she may die 
 before the hour comes." 
 
 "You may be right," answered Keith, "but 
 bad as Grumkow is, I can hardly believe a heart 
 really beats that is bad enough to hatch so hell- 
 ish a plot. Surely there is no heart so evil as 
 to work upon the half-mad brain of our king for 
 the purpose of inducing him to kill his own 
 son." 
 
 "I tell you, Keith," answered Katt, who was 
 growing excited; "I tell you, Grumkow would
 
 86 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 murder his own mother, or strangle his own 
 child to put money in his purse or to gain 
 power. He has already caused the death of 
 scores of innocent men who have stood in his 
 way, and his career of murder has hardly 
 begun. ' ' 
 
 Katt trembled with excitement. His face 
 was flushed and his eyes glared wildly as if 
 with a touch of madness. He stood gazing 
 vacantly at the ceiling, his hands clinched and 
 his arms outstretched. 
 
 "I do not want to be a prophet of evil," he 
 continued, "but I tell you the heart of the 
 future seems bare to me at this moment. You 
 and I, Keith Fritz's best friends will be 
 Grumkow's first victims. I shall die first. 
 I can see my head on the block! Your fate 
 is not clear, but there is trouble ahead for 
 you. Fritz will be shot by a company of his 
 own regiment, and Mina will be saved for 
 Schwedt. The queen will follow Fritz and me. 
 Then poor old Stumpy will go the way of all 
 flesh, and Grumkow will be the real king of 
 Prussia." 
 
 Henry stood aghast at this frightful proph- 
 ecy, and was half inclined to believe that Katt 
 was drunk. Keith stared in wonder for a mo- 
 ment, and said:
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 87 
 
 "Katt, you freeze my blood!" Then cover- 
 ing his face with his hands, he sank into a chair. 
 
 Katt stood as if in a trance. Henry placed 
 his hand on his shoulder and spoke to him 
 gently. 
 
 " Your fear for those you love has so wrought 
 upon you that you magnify the danger. When 
 you become calm, your forebodings will pass 
 away. ' ' 
 
 11 Per haps you are right," said Katt, relaxing 
 and seating himself on the window sill. "I 
 must be insane, but upon my word, I thought I 
 saw my own head drop from my body, and 
 I seemed to see the Crown Prince blindfolded 
 to be shot. But I suppose, as you say, it 
 was my imagination, overheated by recent 
 events and frenzied by fear. I have been 
 drinking too much. I am crazed by the king's 
 cruelty to his daughter, his son and their 
 friends. I tell you, it is as much as a man's 
 life is worth to be known as the Crown Prince's 
 friend. If it were not for Fritz and Mina, 
 sweet, tender, beautiful Mina, I would not 
 remain at court one hour." 
 
 Katt rose to his feet, looked vacantly out the 
 window for a moment, and said as if speaking 
 to himself: 
 
 "Ah, yes, Mina, Mina! Gott im Himmel!
 
 88 
 
 What will become of her? Dearly as I love 
 her, I wish she could die." Henry raised his 
 hand in protest, but Katt did not allow him to 
 speak. "Yes, yes!" he cried, excitedly. "I 
 love the princess with every drop of my blood. 
 Each spot of earth her foot touches is hallowed 
 and sacred to me. I have no thought of a like 
 return from her heart, though I know she loves 
 me almost as dearly as if I were her brother. 
 But I tell you, friends, she had better die than 
 live." 
 
 "Is she not betrothed to the Prince of 
 Wales?" asked Fritz Henry. 
 
 "I suppose a betrothal does exist," replied 
 Katt; "but Grumkow will never allow it to go 
 further. In my opinion, it will soon be repu- 
 diated, and then the Margrave of Schwedt, or 
 Grumkow 's other tool, the Duke of Weissenfels, 
 will receive this angel. The thought maddens 
 me. Mina could not endure life for one month 
 as the wife of either of these men." 
 
 "Weissenfels?" asked Henry, in surprise. 
 "I had not heard of him as a suitor for her 
 hand. He is old enough to be her grandfather, 
 poor enough to beg crumbs from her hand, and 
 vile enough to contaminate the atmosphere for 
 miles around him." 
 
 "He's the blackest villain unhung," muttered
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBUKG 89i 
 
 Katt ; * ' the blackest save Grumkow. I can put 
 no man ahead of him for villainy." 
 
 Katt had hardly finished speaking when 
 Fritz returned. Grasping Henry by the arm, 
 he said, joyfully: 
 
 "Come with me. I want my sister to know 
 you. ' ' 
 
 "Have you the king's permission to present 
 me to your sister and the queen?" asked Henry. 
 
 "I have not taken the trouble to ask it," 
 answered Prince Fritz. "Were I to speak un- 
 bidden to my father on that or any other sub- 
 ject, he would strike me with his cane. But I 
 shall present you to my mother also if she is 
 with my sister." 
 
 "I am a stranger," suggested Henry, "and 
 your Highness does not know that I am worthy 
 of the honor." 
 
 Henry felt that he was right in cautioning 
 the prince, but back of his words was a reluc- 
 tance to be presented to the queen and the 
 princess save by order of the king. The new 
 captain of Grenadiers did not wish to be em- 
 broiled in the bitter war that was raging be- 
 tween the prince, the princess and the queen on 
 one side and the king and Grumkow on the 
 other. To steer a clear course between these 
 factions would require all the tact and caution
 
 90 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 at his command. A man took his life in his 
 hands when he entered the court of Berlin at 
 that time. 
 
 ''Here at this court, we are not so void of 
 beams in our own eyes that we search too care- 
 fully for the mote in others," answered the 
 prince with a sneering smile. "Knowing our 
 own faults, we are not in any way particular 
 whom our women meet. Most of the men about 
 the court are ruffians, swindlers and adventur- 
 ers. Many of them are spies, and the king is 
 the dupe of all. What my mother, my sister 
 and I need is friends, and a new recruit to our 
 cause will be as welcome to the queen and to my 
 sister as he is to me, even though all we know 
 of him is that his name is Captain Churchill, 
 and that he is nimble of wit and quick to act. 
 Your readiness in taking my place at the harp- 
 sichord is all the introduction you need. My 
 sister will be delighted to hear you play. We 
 have no musician at court that can compare 
 with you. Your performance on the harpsi- 
 chord to-day was the most delightful music I 
 ever heard, and the most profitable to me." 
 
 Fritz's remark concerning the new recruit to 
 his cause emphasized Henry's conviction that 
 it would be safer not to meet the queen and the 
 princess until the king saw fit to present him.
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 91 
 
 The king's introduction might rot be the short- 
 est road to their favor, but it, was surely the 
 safest, and Henry trusted in his ability to win 
 their good opinion later on by convincing them 
 that he was really their friend. 
 
 He was seeking an excuse to decline the 
 prince's offer when an interruption saved him 
 the trouble. There was a knock at the door; 
 an officer entered the room, saluted his colonel, 
 Prince Fritz, and said: 
 
 "His Majesty commands Captain Churchill's 
 attendance at the barracks, and I am to have 
 the honor of conducting him." 
 
 The Crown Prince turned pale as he asked: 
 "Do you know what the king wants with Cap- 
 tain Churchill?" 
 
 "I do not know, your Highness," answered 
 the officer. 
 
 "I hope the harpsichord has not brought you 
 into trouble," said Katt, whose experience with 
 the king had caused him to fear his Majesty in 
 every aspect. 
 
 Henry immediately departed with the officer, 
 leaving his three friends in a state of wonder- 
 ing alarm. Their fears, however, were ground- 
 less. The king had sent for his new recruit to 
 give him a commission and to clothe him in the 
 regimental uniform. His Majesty kept these
 
 92 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 uncouth Grenadier uniforms on hand, always 
 ready. If a Grenadier died, the king tucked 
 the uniform carefully away to await the man 
 who was to fill the vacant place. If the coat 
 did not fit, it was a pity, for the sake of both the 
 coat and the man, but if by stretching a gar- 
 ment a little here, or by taking it in a little or 
 a great deal there, it could be made to do its 
 duty even poorly, the new man wore it and had 
 no alternative. Fortunately, a new and fairly 
 well fitting uniform fell to Fritz Henry's lot. 
 
 The king's delight in his Grenadier Regiment 
 was so keen that he personally superintended 
 the fitting of each uniform. 
 
 When Henry arrived at the barracks, the 
 king was present to deliver the commission in 
 person, to pass upon the fit of the uniform, and 
 to gloat over a new six-footer added to his 
 ranks. A six-footer who was capable of being 
 an officer was of extraordinary value in Fred- 
 erick William's estimation. 
 
 After examining the uniform which the tailor 
 had adjusted, the king said : 
 
 "Ah, it fits you beautifully, and I hope you 
 will wear it always. That rascal Fritz dis- 
 cards his uniform on all possible occasions. He 
 wants to deck himself out with laces, frills, gold 
 buttons and French finery. I wear the uniform
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 93 
 
 of my Grenadiers, and what is good enough for 
 me should be good enough for my son and for 
 my soldiers." 
 
 "I shall be very glad to wear the uniform, 
 your Majesty," returned Henry. 
 
 The new captain was told that he should not 
 take charge of a company until a few more 
 recruits were added to the regiment, although 
 he might frequently be called on to drill the 
 troops. King August of Saxony had promised 
 to deliver to Prussian Majesty ten men more 
 than six feet high. The Czar of Russia had 
 promised to send a present of ten more. The 
 Margrave of Schwedt had agreed to deliver five, 
 so King Frederick "William told Fritz Henry 
 that a new company would soon be ready for 
 him. 
 
 "Perhaps you know of a good, tall fellow 
 who would like to join the regiment?" asked 
 the king, with a miserly gleam in his eyes. 
 
 "I know of no tall man that you could get," 
 answered Henry. 
 
 "If you know of any tall man, tell us where 
 he is to be found, and we will try to get him," 
 said the king, examining Henry's uniform, and 
 smoothing the wrinkles with a loving hand. 
 
 ' ' There is the Hereditary Prince of Bayreuth,
 
 94 
 
 who is over six feet tall. Your Majesty might 
 kidnap " 
 
 "Ach! Don't be a fool!" growled the king. 
 
 The officers standing near by looked at each 
 other in wonder, for stubborn, growling Prus- 
 sian Majesty had been twitted for the first time 
 in all his life. The king took no offense at Fritz 
 Henry's words, but continued to give instruc- 
 tions concerning slight changes to be made in 
 the uniform. 
 
 "If you prove yourself a worthy officer," said 
 the king, still smoothing wrinkles in the back 
 of Henry's coat, "we may some day invite you 
 to our Tobacco Parliament. You have a quick 
 wit, a fearless tongue, and more wisdom than I 
 have ever found in the head of a stupid English- 
 man that is, of course, you're not English." 
 
 The Tobacco Parliament was a nightly gath- 
 ering of the king's chosen friends, where to- 
 bacco and beer were consumed in great quanti- 
 ties, and where all the gossip of the court and 
 the city was discussed. No subject was too 
 small nor too great for serious discussion and 
 open consideration in "The Tabagie," as the 
 Tobacco Parliament was called. No qualifica- 
 tion of birth, rank, education or social standing 
 was necessary to gain admission to this inner 
 circle of the court life of Berlin and Potsdam.
 
 OF OLD BKANDENBUEG 95 
 
 The most errant vagabond, the veriest adven- 
 turer, the greatest charlatan might, and often 
 did, obtain a seat in The Tabagie. In truth, 
 one need not be a gentleman, need have no shred 
 of reputation, no touch of virtue to get a foot- 
 hold in the palace of this half-mad old Fred- 
 erick William. All that was needed was to 
 coddle the king's whims, abuse the Crown 
 Prince, and damn the king of England. 
 
 Henry was a stranger, but his instantaneous 
 rise to favor was not a surprise to any one but 
 himself. He might as easily fall, and of that 
 ominous fact he was fully aware. This history 
 will tell you whether he rose or fell.
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 THE TORRENT OE THE TIDE ? 
 
 ONE evening not long after Henry received 
 his uniform, the king invited him to the queen's 
 drawing room and presented him to her Majesty 
 and to the young Princess Charlotte, nicknamed 
 by the royal family "Mam'selle Don't Care". 
 She was the one person who dared express her 
 mind to the king, and he loved her better than 
 he loved all the rest of his family. Recently 
 another had arisen who did not fear his 
 Majesty, and the king respected him accord- 
 ingly. 
 
 Don't Care was a little beauty of seventeen. 
 Fritz Henry was a big, handsome fellow of 
 twenty-six, and immediately the eyes of Don't 
 Care disclosed the fact that she did care. 
 Though a modest man, Henry had seen enough 
 of the feminine world to know when a woman 
 was making eyes at him, and Don't Care's 
 glances told him their story very quickly. 
 
 The eyes were very attractive ; the fair, rosy 
 skin was very pleasing ; the red, moist lips, with 
 their cluster of dimples and their array of 
 gleaming little teeth were very enticing. But 
 
 96
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 97 
 
 standing at the other side of the room was a 
 fair, beautiful girl, whose calm, pale face wore 
 an expression of sadness, and whose wonderful 
 gray eyes told of depths in which lay a wealth 
 of love, tenderness and truth that would enrich 
 a man beyond the dream of avarice. To the girl 
 with the marvelous gray eyes and the fair, sad 
 face, the king did not present his guest ; an 
 omission for which neither the showy charms 
 nor the effusive graciousness of Don't Care in 
 any way compensated. 
 
 The Princess Mina did not turn her back on 
 Henry this time, but spoke to her brother, who 
 was standing near. After Henry had made his 
 bow to the queen, he was presented to Don't 
 Care and stopped beside her. Presently the 
 Crown Prince came to him and said: 
 
 "The king will leave in a few minutes for 
 The Tabagie, and when he goes I want to pre- 
 sent you to my sister." 
 
 The prince returned to Wilhelmina, and 
 Don't Care said, laughing: 
 
 "Fritz means Sister Mina. He always means 
 her when he says 'my sister*. When he speaks 
 of me he says 'Don't Care'." The girl laughed 
 softly, shrugged her white shoulders, and con- 
 tinued: "He and Mina are jealous because my 
 father loves me best." 
 
 7
 
 98 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 Henry could find no suitable reply to Don't 
 Care's remark, so he remained silent for a mo- 
 ment and turned his face toward the king, who 
 was moving in the direction of the door. 
 
 "Now Fritz will soon return," said Don't 
 Care, "and carry you off to his * sister'. Then 
 I'll see you no more. If once Mina gets her 
 clutches on a man, I and all the other ladies 
 may as well cry quits." 
 
 "The Princess Wilhelmina is certainly very 
 beautiful," said Henry, "but but pardon 
 me, your Highness, too, is most amply equipped 
 to make other ladies 'cry quits'." 
 
 "I don't know what she does to men," said 
 the girl, shrugging her shoulders and shaking 
 her head dolefully, "but in some way she cap- 
 tures them all and manages to hold them. She 
 opens her big gray eyes, and I suppose makes 
 men pity her. Men are so gullible. If a woman 
 cries 'help, help!' they believe in her wail and 
 at once try to comfort her." 
 
 "The Princess Wilhelmina surely needs no 
 man's pity," answered Henry, almost in a 
 reverie. "She is above the ordinary sorrows 
 of life." 
 
 "No one is above the ordinary sorrows of 
 life," answered Don't Care. "But Mina's 
 troubles are of her own making. She has ogled
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 99 
 
 so many men that all the marriageable world 
 seems to want to marry her." 
 
 Don't Care's words irritated Henry, but he 
 laughed and answered: 
 
 "I should suppose that to be a source of 
 happiness." 
 
 "Not in Mina's case," responded Don't Care. 
 "The men who want to marry her would 
 frighten a hag, and it seems that after she wins 
 them she hates them ; so she is unhappy. When 
 very young she was betrothed to our cousin, 
 Prince Frederick of England, but when he came 
 to see her, she took so great a dislike to him 
 that now she is wretched at the thought of mar- 
 rying him. He is madly in love with her great 
 owl eyes and her pale face, but he is a fool and 
 I told him as much. I think, however, there is 
 little chance of the marriage ever taking place. 
 Father wants to get rid of her, and is eager to 
 marry her to any one who will have her, but I 
 doubt if he ever consents to the English mar- 
 riage. The handsome, gallant creature stand- 
 ing by her side, the Margrave of Schwedt, will 
 probably be the lucky man, for I am sure father 
 will soon send Prince Frederick and King 
 George about their business." 
 
 Don't Care's words troubled Henry, for the 
 vision of the Margrave of Schwedt, and still
 
 100 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 worse, the image of the Duke of Weissenfels, 
 came before his mind, and he saw the sad, sweet 
 face and the wonderful gray eyes linked with 
 misery and woe. 
 
 "I hope that no such fate is in store for your 
 sister," said Henry. ''She would probably be 
 unhappy if married to the man to whom she is 
 talking. ' ' 
 
 "Why should she be unhappy?" asked Don't 
 Care. "If she would not be content with him 
 for a husband, why does she treat him so 
 kindly? But she will have to take him even 
 though she doesn't want him, if father wills it." 
 
 "Perhaps your sister's kindly heart prompts 
 her to be kind to every one," returned Henry. 
 
 "Ah, I see you are caught already, though 
 she has looked at you less than a dozen times." 
 
 "I have not noticed the princess conferring 
 such an honor on me even once." 
 
 "Then you are duller than I think you are," 
 retorted Don't Care, laughing softly. "But 
 father has left the room, and here comes Fritz 
 to take you away. Go! Don't Care doesn't 
 care. Go to your fate." And that is exactly 
 what Fritz Henry, the Hereditary Prince of 
 Bayreuth, did then and there. 
 
 "Sister, this is the gentleman who plays 
 Handel so beautifully," said the Crown Prince.
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 101 
 
 The princess offered her hand, and Henry, 
 bowing low, kissed it. 
 
 "I hope I may soon hear you play," said the 
 princess, lifting her great gray eyes to Henry's 
 face. 
 
 "I shall be delighted to obey your Highness 's 
 command at any time," answered Henry. 
 
 "My request, not my command," returned 
 the Princess Mina. "My brother has told me 
 of your playing, and I would not command " 
 
 "She will not command is what she means," 
 interrupted our old friend, the Margrave of 
 Schwedt. "Her Highness is too gentle and 
 too kind to command, though her slightest wish 
 has all the force of a royal edict. You must 
 not forget what I told you, sir," continued the 
 Margrave, speaking English. "There is no 
 other like her." 
 
 The princess was annoyed at the uncouth 
 flattery, and Fritz Henry was amused at the 
 expression on the Margrave's face, which 
 seemed to say: "Observe my wits at work." 
 
 Wilhelmina, desiring to change the subject, 
 turned to Henry and said : 
 
 "I see that you speak English?" 
 
 "Yes," responded Henry. 
 
 "I am glad," she continued, speaking Eng- 
 lish. "One may converse more freely in a
 
 102 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 tongue that is not understood by every one, and 
 I like your language for its own sake." Evi- 
 dently she was endeavoring to keep the con- 
 versation going until Adolph should leave, 
 when she would speak what was in her mind. 
 Presently the Margrave left, and the princess 
 said, somewhat hurriedly: 
 
 "I want to thank you for your ready and 
 generous help to my brother at the harpsi- 
 chord. ' ' 
 
 "It was a very small thing, easily done," 
 answered Henry. 
 
 "The thing itself was small," returned 
 Wilhelmina, "but to think of it at the right 
 time was great. You cannot know how great. 
 It saved my brother, at least, a beating from 
 the king's stick, and probably a month in the 
 dungeons of Spandau Castle." 
 
 "Impossible!" exclaimed Henry. "I cannot 
 believe that the king would inflict so great a 
 punishment on your brother for so slight an 
 offense, and I don't understand why playing 
 the harpsichord should be an offense at all." 
 
 The princess looked at the floor, paused for 
 a moment to suppress her evident emotion, and 
 said, hesitatingly: 
 
 "You do not know what terrible things hap- 
 pen in this palace, nor can you dream of the
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 103 
 
 frightful fate that hangs over my brother and 
 me, like the sword of Damocles." She stopped 
 speaking because her voice was choked, but 
 presently continued: "I should not speak of 
 such things to a stranger, but but since your 
 kindness to my brother, I cannot help feeling 
 and hoping that you are our friend. We need 
 a friend, for saving Katt and Keith, whose 
 friendship is stronger than their judgment, we 
 have no friends in all the world. Even the 
 queen, who loves us dearly, is constantly bring- 
 ing trouble upon us." Again the princess 
 paused to regain composure, but soon con- 
 tinued: "It seems that your days in Berlin have 
 been days of triumph. You have accomplished 
 the wonderful feat of winning my father and 
 my brother, and I believe that in all the world 
 there is not another man who could win both." 
 
 "I thank your Highness, and hope you are 
 right in saying that I have won both the prince 
 and the king," returned Henry. 
 
 "I do want to say," continued the princess, 
 ' l that when you win my brother, you of course 
 win me, and I am sure you will not in any way 
 misunderstand me, but Again the princess 
 paused. Henry remained silent, feeling that 
 she had not finished speaking; " but I am 
 wondering if it is fair to allow you, who know
 
 104 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 nothing of the perilous conditions here at court, 
 to bear the dangerous burden of two such 
 friendships. My father and my brother are as 
 oil and fire, and between the two you will perish 
 unless your judgment and discretion are greater 
 than than it seems possible any man's can 
 be." 
 
 Again the princess paused, then spoke hesi- 
 tatingly : "I suppose you do not care for my ad- 
 vice, and I cannot tell why I wish to warn you; 
 but with all the need my brother and I have for 
 your friendship, which, for some reason, I am 
 ready to believe is true, I do advise you not to 
 remain in Berlin unless you wish to take your 
 stand on my father's side and against us. 
 Great misfortune surely awaits us and all our 
 friends. If you feel that the the curse of our 
 friendship is to fall on you, I urge you to leave 
 Berlin without delay." 
 
 The princess finished speaking with difficulty. 
 Her words fell so heavily on Henry's heart 
 that, for the moment, he could not reply. Don't 
 Care was right ; Mina certainly made men pity 
 her. One, at least, was completely carried off 
 his feet by his yearning to help the rare, beau- 
 tiful girl whose life was darkened by so much 
 grief and trouble. Presently he answered in 
 low, earnest tones:
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 105 
 
 "I hope affairs are not so bad as you fear, 
 but if they were a thousand-fold worse, if my 
 life were in hourly peril, I should remain for 
 the sake of being near your Highness, to render 
 what help I could in case of need." 
 
 The girl looked up to his face with surprise 
 in her eyes. There was also gratitude, but she 
 did not speak, and Henry continued : 
 
 "I had heard your praises sung long before 
 I thought of coming to Berlin, but the song was 
 a poor tribute to to " 
 
 "I supposed you had come to Berlin involun- 
 tarily," interrupted Mina, with evident desire 
 to change the subject. 
 
 "You are right," answered Henry. "I and 
 an old servant were surrounded by a company 
 of rascals in the mountains while we were on a 
 journey. There were six of them and two of 
 us. I was unarmed, so I surrendered uncon- 
 ditionally. My servant was sent home a long 
 journey to tell my father I had been captured 
 by brigands, and I was carried off, having no 
 knowledge of my destination. I did not know 
 why I was seized until I met the Margrave of 
 Schwedt at an inn a few miles from here. The 
 Margrave shrewder far than he appears to 
 be discovered the truth, and I learned from 
 him that I was intended for the Grenadier
 
 106 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 Eegiment. All Europe, of course, has heard 
 of your father's peculiar methods of recruiting 
 for his favorite regiment. When I learned 
 that Berlin was my destination, and that I had 
 been kidnaped to make a Grenadier, I was 
 relieved of all forebodings, because I knew I 
 could at once obtain my release by telling your 
 father my my nationality." 
 
 Henry did not want to disclose his identity 
 to the princess, but he felt that, in a way, he 
 must follow up what he had said concerning 
 himself, even though he should mislead her by 
 an untruth; so he continued: 
 
 ''Knowing that your father recently had 
 trouble over kidnaping one of King George's 
 subjects, I felt sure he would be only too glad 
 to avoid another controversy, and was certain 
 he would release me on demand." 
 
 The princess glanced swiftly at Henry's face. 
 He thought she intended asking him if he was 
 an Englishman, so wishing to prevent the ques- 
 tion, he hurriedly continued: 
 
 "Before seeing the king and and yourself 
 in the Mirrored Chamber, I had made up my 
 mind to refuse to enter the regiment, but after 
 after seeing you A man's mind may take 
 a very great leap in a very little moment, so
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 107 
 
 after after seeing your Highness, I suddenly 
 determined to remain." 
 
 Henry's manner was more significant than 
 his words, though he, perhaps, was unconscious 
 of it. 
 
 The princess lifted her eyes quickly to 
 Henry's face, looked away from him, and said 
 rather coldly : 
 
 ' ' I fear you forget yourself. ' ' 
 
 "No, I do not. I have good right to say that 
 it was you who kept me here, if what I say is 
 true, and if I seek no reward save the happiness 
 of serving you faithfully, you have no right to 
 deny me the pleasure of offering my services. 
 You need not fear that I shall misunderstand 
 your graciousness, nor that I shall make a fool 
 of myself by expecting reward for any service 
 I may be so fortunate as to render. But I am 
 glad to have this opportunity to tell you, for 
 the first and last time, what what it is right 
 that you should know. When I prove false, I 
 hope I may win your hatred. I do not ask your 
 Highness to accept me on faith. I may be a 
 mere adventurer, or may be false, but when I 
 have proved myself, I hope you will give me 
 my reward the only reward I shall ask your 
 trust." 
 
 "I know you are not an adventurer," re-
 
 108 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 turned the princess impulsively. "You have 
 proved yourself to be a faithful friend to my 
 brother, and I will meet your candor half way 
 by telling you that I now take you on faith 
 and without probation." 
 
 "I thank your Highness," answered Fritz 
 Henry, i l but if I am to help you and the Crown 
 Prince, I must also have your father's favor, 
 and if I have that, I fear you and your brother 
 will doubt me." 
 
 A cloud came for a moment to the princess's 
 face, but after a brief hesitancy, she said : 
 
 "You are right. A wise friend is a double 
 friend. My brother and I have found so much 
 duplicity in the hearts of men, and have been 
 deceived so often by my father's friends who 
 have pretended to be ours that we are naturally 
 suspicious, but I feel sure that the hope of gain 
 from Grumkow and my father would not induce 
 you to be false to us." 
 
 ' ' I shall make no grand promises, ' ' answered 
 Fritz Henry. "What I do shall be my promise. 
 If, apparently, I take my stand among those 
 who wish evil to you and the Crown Prince, it 
 will be because I can be of better help to you. 
 Neither your father nor Grumkow has any 
 favor to grant that could be of personal value 
 to rne. I have nothing to gain by remaining in
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 109 
 
 Berlin save the great pleasure of serving you.'* 
 
 The queen had been glancing with evident 
 displeasure toward Wilhelmina and Henry, 
 whose conversation had lasted too long to suit 
 her Majesty, so he bowed and said: 
 
 "I hope your Highness will often give me 
 the privilege of speech with you." 
 
 " It is a privilege that I shall seek for my own 
 sake," replied the princess, lifting her eyes for 
 a moment to Henry's face, and then looking to 
 the floor. 
 
 "I beg to bid your Highness good-night," 
 said Henry. 
 
 "Good-night." 
 
 Fritz Henry left the princess, spoke a word 
 to the Crown Prince, talked for a moment with 
 the Margrave of Schwedt, asked leave of the 
 queen to withdraw, made his adieux and went 
 to his bedroom, a garret near the apartments 
 of Prince Fritz. Not far from Fritz Henry's 
 bedroom were the wretched little pigeon-holes 
 occupied by Katt and Keith, and near by was 
 the room of the Margrave of Schwedt. 
 
 When the queen reached her bedroom that 
 evening, she sent her maid, Ramen, to fetch 
 Wilhelmina. "When the princess arrived, her 
 Majesty glared angrily at her, and said :
 
 110 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 "You made a beautiful spectacle of yourself 
 this evening." 
 
 "In what respect, mother?" asked Mina. 
 
 "You talked to your father's new creature 
 for half an hour. With blushing and casting 
 down your eyes, and looking up to his face, one 
 would have thought you were a country maiden 
 talking to her yokel in the lane." 
 
 "You talked to him, mother, and Don't Care 
 talked to him longer than I did," answered 
 Mina. 
 
 "She must have been timing all who talked 
 to her handsome captain," suggested Don't 
 Care. 
 
 "I timed nobody," said Mina. "I talked to 
 the gentleman whom my father presented to 
 you and whom my brother presented to me. 
 No one else came near me, and while he re- 
 mained at my side, I cannot see how I could 
 have avoided talking to him, so I I talked to 
 him." 
 
 "Indeed, you did talk to him half the even- 
 ing," retorted the queen. "I hear he has 
 already found favor with Grumkow and the 
 king, though he has been in Berlin only a few 
 days. Perhaps he was brought here to spy 
 upon your brother and me. For all you know, 
 he may be here for the purpose of assassina-
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 111 
 
 ting the Crown Prince and abducting you." 
 
 "Mother, mother, you don't understand,'* 
 said the Princess Mina. "This man is is " 
 
 The princess stopped speaking because she 
 knew that the queen would repeat every word 
 to Ramen. Mina also knew that Ramen was 
 Grumkow's spy, though the queen could never 
 be brought to believe it. 
 
 Ever since the birth of Wilhelmina, the 
 queen's great desire had been for the marriage 
 of the princess to Prince Frederick, the eldest 
 son of her Majesty's brother, George II of 
 England. Queen Sophia was a foolish, bad- 
 tempered, though affectionate mother, and for 
 some unaccountable reason, blamed Wilhelmina 
 because the English marriage had not been con- 
 cluded, though the princess had no more to do 
 with it, pro or con, than she had to do with an 
 eclipse of the moon. 
 
 Mina knew her English cousin and despised 
 him, but she was well aware that her feeling 
 in the matter would not be given even a pass- 
 ing thought by either of her parents, and 
 the poor helpless girl was ready to meet her 
 fate, whatever it might be. At twenty she was 
 almost tired of life, and was resigned to be the 
 victim of either her father, her mother, or both. 
 Many marriages had been proposed by the king,
 
 112 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 but the queen clung to one that with Eng- 
 land's prince. 
 
 Nearly all of the men Wilhelmina had 
 met were repulsive in person and character. 
 Up to the time of meeting Fritz Henry, she had 
 spoken to but few men who were worthy to be 
 accepted by her as friends, save two or three 
 of her brother's associates, who were hardly 
 more than boys. Fritz Henry had furnished a 
 new standard by which she could measure men, 
 and, in a way, had changed her opinion of the 
 entire race. He had prompted a new thought 
 in her mind, and had inspired a new impulse in 
 her heart concerning that hitherto frightful 
 nightmare, her future husband. She could not 
 help thinking that if Prince Frederick of Eng- 
 land were like this man, if the Margrave of 
 Schwedt were of his pattern, or if any man 
 seeking her hand were similar even in a small 
 degree to this gentle spoken, handsome captain, 
 life would have a very different hue, and the 
 future would be as rosy as the morning's dawn. 
 
 All these new emotions in the breast of the 
 Princess Mina found expression in tears that 
 evening when she was alone with her friend and 
 lady in waiting, Kate Sonnsfeld. While ar- 
 ranging the princess's toilet for the night, 
 Sonnsfeld, who always spoke to Mina in Eng-
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 113 
 
 lish, though she spoke the language brokenly, 
 had a great deal to say: 
 
 "Ah, Mina, I saw you talking to the Hand- 
 some Captain. That is the name your sister 
 Charlotte gives him. Have I not often told 
 you that all men are not to be hated?" 
 
 "You have often told me so," answered 
 Mina, "but why do you tell me now?" 
 
 "Because, my Mina," returned Sonnsfeld; 
 "the man you talked to this evening is not one 
 to be hated; neither is he to be talked to too 
 much unless my Mina would be unhappy. One 
 could easily see by your face that he was not 
 one to be hated by you. You looked happier 
 and brighter than I have seen you in months, 
 and that makes me happy. Yes, liebling, it 
 makes me happy ' 
 
 Sonnsfeld kissed Mina's bare shoulder, and 
 continued: "No, no, dear one. All men are not 
 to be hated. In truth, there are thousands of 
 men who are to be loved by women as nothing 
 else in all this world can be loved. A child's 
 love for its parents is sweet and beautiful; a 
 mother's love is deep and marvelous; but ah, 
 Mina mine, if you take all the different kinds 
 of love the human heart can give and roll them 
 into one, and multiply their utmost strength a 
 thousand-fold, you will still have only a small 
 8
 
 114 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 part of that love which a woman may give to 
 the man who is to be loved by her. ' ' 
 
 "If her love be right," suggested Mina. 
 
 "It matters not whether the world calls her 
 love right or wrong," answered Kate, em- 
 phatically; "if she must love, she must; if 
 it is her fate, she can in no way avoid it. 
 It pulses in her breast with the first drop of 
 blood that passes through her baby heart. It 
 burns her in womanhood and is all of life 
 that is left to her when death comes to give her 
 rest. But the love ah, Mina, it cannot die. 
 It is God Himself. Some have naught of God 
 in them. God must pity them, for their souls 
 will rest forever in the earth. Some seem to 
 have too much of God in them, and when that is 
 true, life is apt to be a sweet torture." 
 
 "Why Sonnsfeld, what has come over you 
 that you preach me this long sermon on love ? ' ' 
 asked the princess. 
 
 "Because, Mina, you have God within your 
 heart, and you will know all too soon why I 
 preach to you if many times you talk to this 
 Handsome Captain," answered Sonnsfeld. 
 
 After a long pause, the lady in waiting con- 
 tinued: "This love comes in so many ways. 
 Sometimes it comes like the overlapping tide, 
 ever encroaching upon the heart until it engulfs
 
 OF OLD BEANDENBUEG 115 
 
 it. But like the tide, it cannot be stemmed, and 
 no man, much less woman, can stop, for a mo- 
 ment, its ebb or flow. Again it comes like a 
 mountain torrent in flood, carrying all before 
 it, and that sort of love sometimes brings death 
 in its wake. I cannot tell which will come to 
 you. I often fear it will be the mountain tor- 
 rent. If you see much of the Handsome Cap- 
 tain, Mina, it will surely be the torrent or the 
 tide." 
 
 Wilhelmina stretched forth her hand pro- 
 testingly, and was about to speak. She tried 
 to laugh, but ended by throwing herself on the 
 bed, face downward, in a flood of tears. Mina 
 feared that the tide had begun to flow, and she 
 also feared that she would be powerless to say : 
 "Thus far and no farther."
 
 CHAPTEE VIII 
 
 THE TOBACCO PARLIAMENT 
 
 AT the Tobacco Parliament that evening was 
 enacted a scene worth depicting, because of its 
 bearing on the persons of whom this history 
 treats, and because it was one of a multitude 
 of similar scenes occurring during the reign of 
 this half-mad stormy king. 
 
 Near the hour of seven o'clock, those who had 
 been invited to the Tobacco Parliament began 
 to drift into the long, low room in the north 
 wing of the palace, where The Tabagie usually 
 assembled. In this motley crew there were 
 philosophers in rags and fools in uniform. 
 There were old men, young men, sober men and 
 drunken. They would all be more or less drunk 
 before the Parliament adjourned, since no man 
 had Frederick William's entire respect who 
 was not capable of turning himself into a beer 
 vat and walking home with the beer. 
 
 When the king arrived, lie went to the head 
 of the table, struck it a sounding blow with his 
 cane, and the members of the Parliament 
 scrambled into chairs, that is, those who could 
 get them. Those who failed to secure chairs 
 
 116
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 117 
 
 stood against the wall. When the king was 
 seated a lackey handed him a long- stemmed clay 
 pipe and a large box of tobacco, from which he 
 helped himself. Another lackey carried a box 
 of ignited peat and offered the king a light. 
 Candles and wax tapers were too expensive to 
 suit the frugal taste of Prussian Majesty, so 
 peat, which held fire well, was used for lighting 
 pipes, notwithstanding its offensive smell. 
 
 On the king's right sat Grumkow. At the 
 left of his Majesty was General Seckendorf. 
 Near the center of the room, against the wall, 
 stood our friend from Schwedt. Being clumsy 
 and slow of movement, he had failed to get a 
 chair. 
 
 Scattered about the room and seated at the 
 table were a few men of some slight degree of 
 virtue, but there were more of every degree of 
 vice. Most of the members of The Tabagie 
 were men who hoped to profit in some way by 
 imposing upon the king's credulity, cajoling his 
 prejudices, or pandering to his violent whims. 
 One sure road to his favor was to abuse the 
 Crown Prince, and to encourage the king in the 
 belief that little Fritz was a traitor to his 
 father, consequently to his country, and de- 
 served to be beheaded as any other traitor. 
 Many of the Tabagians were spies sent to Ber-
 
 118 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 lin in the interest of other nations. No other 
 monarch was ever so great a dupe as was this 
 Frederick William, yet no other man ever 
 accomplished as much as he by the sole use of 
 the triple vices, stubbornness, violence and 
 greed. 
 
 Another way to please his Majesty, when he 
 was to be pleased at all, was to talk about his 
 Grenadiers. 
 
 "I see your Majesty has a new recruit for 
 the regiment," said a slim little minister of the 
 Eeformed Church, who sat next to Grumkow, 
 and was anxious to introduce a pleasing topic 
 of conversation. 
 
 Puff, puff Majesty did not care to answer; 
 even the Grenadier Regiment did not interest 
 him. Something had gone wrong with Majesty. 
 Silence ensued all along the line, Majesty not 
 being ready to talk. After ten minutes of 
 rapid puffing, during which the ceiling beams 
 were nearly obscured in smoke, the king cried 
 out: 
 
 "Tobacco!" A lackey sprang to his side 
 with a box of tobacco from which he refilled his 
 pipe. When other lackeys had helped the 
 guests, the king shouted: 
 
 "Beer!" Then the stone mugs began to 
 clink along the table. After the king had
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 119 
 
 emptied two or three stones or steins, as they 
 were called, he delivered himself of one bril- 
 liant though incomplete sentence: 
 
 "Cold ' (A long pause; five or six puffs) 
 "outside." 
 
 "Yes, yes! It is indeed very cold, your 
 Majesty. Very, very cold, indeed. Yes, yes, 
 very cold," said the little minister, eager to be 
 the first to concur in his Majesty's opinion. 
 
 Majesty did not answer at once, but waited 
 until he had thrown several clouds of smoke 
 into the room, when he said : 
 
 "Nonsense. It's not very cold. It's just 
 cold." 
 
 Majesty was not to be pleased. 
 
 "True, true, your Majesty," piped the little 
 minister. "It is just cold not very cold. I 
 might say it is cold for this time of the year. ' ' 
 
 "It is not cold for this time of the year," 
 replied the king. "But it is cold." 
 
 "Yes, yes, your Majesty, it is cold. Doubt- 
 less, your Majesty is right. It is not cold for 
 this time of the year. It is, as your Majesty 
 truly says, just cold." The little minister, like 
 many another man, talked when he should have 
 kept his mouth shut. 
 
 "I didn't say 'just cold'," growled the king.
 
 120 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 * ' I thought your Majesty said I understood 
 your Majesty to say " 
 
 Majesty glanced significantly at Grumkow, 
 who unceremoniously thrust his elbow into the 
 little minister's ribs, and the worthy parson 
 had no further breath to waste. 
 
 A pause of several minutes ensued, broken 
 only by the clanking of steins. Vast quan- 
 tities of beer were rapidly disappearing, and 
 soon many tongues would be loosened. The 
 king talked little at these parliamentary ses- 
 sions, but heard all that was said, and in a gen- 
 eral way, directed the subjects of conversation. 
 
 This evening, several topics were introduced 
 by a word from the king, and freely discussed 
 by the members until his Majesty, growing 
 tired of a particular subject, informed the par- 
 liamentarian then holding the floor, in polite 
 though emphatic terms, that he was a fool. 
 That epithet applied to a member while speak- 
 ing was equivalent to a motion, put and carried, 
 to lay the subject under discussion on the table. 
 
 It was easily noticeable, on this particular 
 evening, that the king was in a bad humor. He 
 glanced furtively at the door, and seemed to be 
 expecting some one who did not come. A 
 talkative member was discussing a subject that
 
 OF OLD BEANDENBUEG 121 
 
 had been introduced, when suddenly the king 
 cried out: 
 
 "You are a fool!" 
 
 The member took his seat, and the subject 
 under discussion was laid on the table. The 
 king glared angrily about the room for a mo- 
 ment, and demanded: 
 
 "Where is that rascal, Fritz? Where is the 
 blackguard? Did I not command him to come 
 to The Tabagie this evening?" 
 
 "You did, indeed, your Majesty. You did!" 
 answered Grrumkow, sympathetically desirous 
 of justifying the king's anger. "The Crown 
 Prince is the most undutiful son I ever knew ' 
 
 A murmur of assent rumbled through the 
 room. The king, still glaring angrily, held his 
 pipe in his hand and looked as if he would 
 burst. 
 
 "In my opinion," said Grumkow, "the dis- 
 obedience of the Crown Prince is treason to our 
 king and to our country." 
 
 Cries of "True! True!" came from every 
 throat save that of the Margrave of Schwedt. 
 Nearly all of the members sprang to their feet, 
 eager to flatter the king by abusing the Crown 
 Prince. Many of them spoke at the same time, 
 and grew eloquent in their denunciation of the 
 crime, the treason, the black ingratitude exhib-
 
 122 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 ited by the Crown Prince toward the kindest, 
 gentlest, wisest and most indulgent of parents. 
 
 The Tabagie was getting drunk by leaps and 
 bounds. 
 
 Again and again it was insisted that poor 
 little Prince Fritz should suffer the punishment 
 meted out to traitors for his crime in remaining 
 away from The Tabagie. All expressed that 
 opinion with sad, deep emphasis save our friend 
 from Schwedt. In the midst of the hubbub he 
 stole a chair from an enthusiastic member who 
 had risen to deliver a tirade against the Crown 
 Prince. The Margrave stood on the chair to 
 lift himself above the heads of the crowd, and 
 with violent gesticulations, screamed for recog- 
 nition and begged permission to speak. When 
 this was obtained and when silence again pre- 
 vailed, he delivered himself of this blessed lie : 
 
 "Your Majesty and honorable gentlemen: I 
 feel that I am to blame in this grievous matter, 
 and my heart is heavy that all this abuse, 
 though well meant, and coming from the hearts 
 of those who love his Majesty, should fall 
 unjustly on the innocent head of our noble 
 Crown Prince. It should rest on my shoulders 
 mine, because of my failure to deliver the 
 Crown Prince's message of deep regret that 
 he was unable to come to The Tabagie this
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 123 
 
 evening, to participate in this most enjoyable 
 occasion. This is an occasion made memorable, 
 I would say, not only by the wit and learning 
 of the wisest of kings, but by the wisdom and 
 sagacity of of of those who who let me 
 add I would say in addition, of those who 
 The Romans, your Majesty, delighted to hold 
 meetings similar to this. The Spartans like- 
 wise, your Majesty, held their congregations in 
 the Forum, and " 
 
 "No, no, not the Forum," interrupted the 
 little minister. "The Forum was at Rome." 
 
 "Sit down!" cried the king, glaring at the 
 little man. "It is warm, I tell you! It is not 
 cold! Sit down!" 
 
 The king, who was comfortably drunk, shook 
 his stick at the little minister, and the discom- 
 fited parliamentarian sat down. 
 
 "Yes, your Majesty," continued Schwedt, 
 waving his hand pityingly toward the little 
 minister. "I assert that the Spartans met in 
 the Forum, and I defy any man to disprove it." 
 Adolph, whose beer was active within him, 
 pressed his left hand on his breast, defiantly 
 lifted his right on high, and continued, as if 
 addressing the world at large: "Who was 
 there let me ask again who was there that 
 now is here, your Majesty? If I was not there,
 
 124 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 if you were not there, if the gentlemen within 
 the sound of my voice were not there, if no one 
 that is now alive was there, have I not again 
 I ask have I not as good a right as any other 
 man to say that the Spartans held meetings 
 similar to this in the Forum; that the Spar- 
 tans " 
 
 A Greek professor rose to his feet, took issue 
 with the princely Margrave of Schwedt, and 
 insisted with drunken earnestness that the 
 Ptolemys built the Forum, and that the pyra- 
 mids were the most remarkable structures in 
 the world. Others joined in the wordy conflict, 
 the subject of which soon got far afield, and 
 Adolph, who had no message of any sort from 
 Fritz, thought he had accomplished his purpose 
 by turning the tide of discussion from Fritz's 
 treason to the Forum, the Spartans, the pyra- 
 mids and the rest of the ancient world. 
 
 The Margrave dropped out of the discussion, 
 laughing softly to himself over the trick he had 
 played the king and The Tabagie. But after 
 a time, Grumkow, who was determined that the 
 Crown Prince should not get off so easily, 
 whispered a poisoned word to the king. Majesty 
 called somebody a fool, Sparta and the pyra- 
 mids were laid on the table, and Grumkow 
 spoke sadly but earnestly:
 
 OF OLD BEANDENBUEG 125 
 
 "I should like to ask what message the 
 princely Margrave of Schwedt has brought 
 from the rebellious Crown Prince if any. The 
 most indulgent of fathers honors the most 
 disobedient, most ungrateful of sons with a 
 command to attend the meeting of this distin- 
 guished and honorable assembly. The son fails 
 to obey. His Majesty rightly desires that the 
 future king of Prussia shall not only learn wis- 
 dom at these meetings, but it is our gracious 
 king's wish that the Crown Prince shall also 
 learn the arts of smoking and drinking, that 
 his brain may be strengthened by beer and 
 hardened by tobacco." 
 
 "Hear! hear!" interrupted the Tabagians. 
 
 "Yes, friends, hardened by tobacco to the end 
 that he may be able to govern this country in 
 some faint degree with the wisdom of his great 
 father. His disobedience to his father is trea- 
 son to the king. His failure to come here and to 
 acquire those qualities which will enable him to 
 govern this country wisely and justly is treason 
 to the people. Therefore I demand, in justice 
 to his Majesty, as the right of this nation, and 
 as the privilege of this assemblage, that the 
 princely Margrave of Schwedt do now publicly 
 deliver the Crown Prince's excuses, if any lie 
 has."
 
 126 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 "Ah, gladly!" cried Adolph, speaking as if 
 the moment were the most joyful of his life. 
 "I would say I wish to inform his Majesty 
 I wish to say I am glad to to in truth, the 
 Crown Prince is very ill, your Majesty. He 
 had just donned his regimentals, and was happy 
 at the prospect of a delightful evening to 
 be spent with his gracious father, and with 
 these wise, congenial spirits, when a sudden ill- 
 ness a frightful cramping, your Majesty- 
 came upon him and he fainted away fainted 
 away. Just before he became entirely uncon- 
 scious, your Majesty, he said: 'Tell tell father 
 I cannot come.' I have said much." 
 
 Adolph, having consumed large quantities of 
 beer, and being naturally of an emotional 
 temperament, could easily weep, so when he had 
 finished his recital of the Crown Prince's pains 
 and tortures, he pressed his handkerchief to his 
 eyes and brushed the tears away. 
 
 The king gave utterance to a sound between 
 a grunt and a growl, and after a moment, mut- 
 tered into his beer stein: 
 
 "It's a lie!" But his Majesty liked the 
 Margrave of Schwedt, and did not wish to push 
 the matter of the lie too far. Perhaps, on the 
 hard old king's hard heart, all unknown to him- 
 self, there was a soft spot for his son, and it
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 127 
 
 may be that Majesty wanted to believe the Mar- 
 grave's lie. Had Adolph carried less beer, his 
 lie would have been less ornate but far more 
 convincing. It was, however, a good lie, meant 
 to help a friend, and nothing is evil which adds, 
 however little, to the sum of human happiness, 
 or detracts in any degree from the sum of 
 human misery. 
 
 Perhaps the Margrave's lie would not have 
 been accepted by the king if it had been uttered 
 earlier in the evening, when the king and his 
 counselors were sober. No one can estimate 
 the amount of evil that was averted by beer 
 in The Tabagie during Frederick William's 
 reign. Doubtless many a man has owed his life 
 to the fact that the king and the members of 
 The Tabagie became drunk before they had 
 time to condemn him to death. 
 
 Of late, the hated English marriage had been 
 a theme over which, upon the slightest provoca- 
 tion, the king would grow most en joy ably 
 violent. Therefore, having failed in thoroughly 
 arousing him by an attack upon the Crown 
 Prince, Grumkow hoped to help his Majesty 
 toward happiness by saying: 
 
 "Every one seems to try to anger our kind 
 monarch. His family, his relatives, his allies 
 all conspire to give him trouble. England
 
 128 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 plays fast and loose in the matter of Prince 
 Frederick's marriage to the Princess Wilhel- 
 mina, and " 
 
 "But all that shall be brought to an end at 
 once, ' ' cried the king, springing to his feet, and 
 striking the table a great blow with his cane. 
 "My brother-in-law shall make a dupe of me 
 no longer!" 
 
 * ' No, no ! " came in stentorian tones from the 
 Margrave of Schwedt. 
 
 The king did not notice the interruption, but 
 continued: "He has delayed the fulfillment of 
 this treaty of marriage on so many flimsy pre- 
 texts that now I openly declare it abrogated 
 absolutely and unconditionally abrogated." 
 
 "I thank your Majesty!" cried Adolph of 
 Schwedt, dancing about the room as if he were 
 insane with joy. 
 
 The long Duke of Weissenfels rose like a 
 Jack from a box, bowed majestically, and said : 
 "I thank our gracious king. I thank him from 
 the bottom of my heart for this manifestation 
 of his regard for me, his Majesty's old friend 
 and loyal ally." 
 
 "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the Margrave of 
 Schwedt. "Why do you thank his Majesty? 
 Do you suppose that the abrogation of the 
 treaty with England will result in any benefit
 
 OF OLD BRAND3NBURG 129 
 
 to you you you long, lean, drunken fool?" 
 The Margrave danced joyfully, but menac- 
 ingly up to the tall thin Duke of Weissenfels, 
 who was standing by the table. His Grace, 
 fearing that the Margrave was going to attack 
 him, placed the ducal hand slowly but forcefully 
 on his enemy's breast and pushed. The Mar- 
 grave, being top-heavy with beer and unable 
 to withstand even a slight pressure, real- 
 izing that he was about to fall backward to the 
 floor, grasped the ducal wrist. The duke was 
 unable to sustain the Margrave's weight, so 
 when the Margrave fell, with his Grace on 
 top of him, each thought the other was attacking 
 him, and both were badly frightened. After 
 the fall, the duke's energies were exerted to 
 get himself off the Margrave, and the Mar- 
 grave's utmost efforts were put forth to get 
 himself from under the duke. Therefore, the 
 belligerents were separated easily, and rose 
 to their feet, more frightened than hurt, and 
 more angry than frightened. 
 
 The incident turned the tide of discussion 
 from the English marriage, and other subjects 
 were taken up. 
 
 Many topics of all degrees of importance, 
 ranging from scandalous intrigues among the 
 servants to the gravest matters of state, were 
 
 9
 
 130 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 discussed, as usual, this evening at The Tabagie. 
 But when the subject of Wilhelmina's marriage 
 to Prince Frederick was dropped, Adolph lost 
 interest in the further proceedings, and asked 
 to be excused on the ground that he had no 
 chair, and that he suffered great pain in his 
 feet. 
 
 When the Margrave escaped from The Taba- 
 gie, he hurried to Henry's bedroom, where he 
 found his new friend reading. 
 
 " Congratulate me, congratulate me, my 
 friend!" cried the Margrave, trying to kiss 
 Henry. "At last I am to have the princess!" 
 
 Henry thought the Margrave was mad, but 
 said : "If what you say is true, I do congratu- 
 late you." 
 
 "It is true!" cried the Margrave, excitedly. 
 1 ' True, true, true ! Ah, I am to have the angel ! 
 Was ever man so fortunate? I shall be so 
 happy so happy that heaven itself would be 
 hateful to me. I shall have my heaven here 
 with my angel, meine liebling. I shall be her 
 knight her slave. The English betrothal was 
 annulled this evening by the king in open Taba- 
 gie. Grumkow told me to-day it would be, and 
 he told me, too, that the king would give me 
 the princess at once. Lieber Himmel! The 
 happiness will burst my heart!"
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 131 
 
 The Margrave's words did not seem like the 
 ravings of a madman, and a convincing sense 
 of their truth beat painfully on Henry's heart. 
 He had seen but little of the princess, and had 
 talked with her but once. He was not a sus- 
 ceptible youth, ready to fall in love with every 
 pretty face he met, but in Wilhelmina he had 
 found a girl who was of his class royal; who 
 was beautiful in every sense of the word, but 
 whose real appeal was stronger than the attrac- 
 tion of mere physical beauty could possibly be 
 to a man of his temperament. He saw in this 
 rare girl intellect, gentleness, purity and wis- 
 dom, but he also saw something more that drew 
 him to her with greater force than all her 
 charms. He saw that she suffered and that she 
 needed help. He saw that she longed for that 
 which is every woman's due love, tenderness 
 and protection. 
 
 The poor princess had known none of these 
 since her babyhood save protection, and of that 
 she had had too much. The queen loved her, 
 but was an ill-tempered, peevish, foolish woman, 
 venting all her spleen on Wilhelmina. The king, 
 who seemed to hate the princess, treated her 
 with all the brutality at his command, and in 
 that respect Frederick William was a genius. 
 
 All this had been made clear to Henry during
 
 132 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 his short residence in the palace of Berlin. To 
 the right sort of a man, no appeal is stronger 
 than a call for help from a woman. That call 
 had come with all the distinctness of a cry. 
 
 Henry pulled himself together after the first 
 shock of the Margrave's announcement, and 
 asked : 
 
 "How about the princess? Has your wit 
 triumphed with her?" 
 
 "I feel sure that it has, or will," answered 
 Schwedt. "You have noticed the kindness with 
 which she receives you?" 
 
 "I have been delighted by her graciousness, " 
 returned Henry. 
 
 "You see you understand. She is kind to 
 you because you are my friend, ' ' said the Mar- 
 grave, standing dramatically before Henry, 
 and emphasizing his remark with outstretched 
 arms, as if he were bestowing a benediction. 
 He also smiled a genuine Schwedtish smile 
 and shook his head knowingly. The Margrave, 
 being still under the influence of beer, was 
 excited. He was also joyful. 
 
 "So she loves you?" asked Henry, who was 
 inclined to smile, despite his fear that the im- 
 portant fact, Wilhelmina's marriage to the man 
 standing before him, might easily become a 
 fact indeed.
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 133 
 
 * ' Ah, my friend, I cannot say with certainty, ' ' 
 answered Adolph. "But this I know. Even 
 I Lieber Gott! Lieber Gott! I love! I love! 
 In all the world there lives not a man, my 
 friend, who can give to this beautiful princess 
 the devotion, the tenderness and the love that 
 she shall have from me, her gentle knight. 
 There is in my breast pain for her, joy for her, 
 the tenderest love for her, such as all the world 
 cannot match, and when she is my wife, I shall 
 live for her, and to make her happy, I should 
 gladly die for her. I should, I should!" 
 
 ' ' But if she does not love you, would you not 
 make her unhappy by marrying her?" sug- 
 gested Fritz Henry. 
 
 "That may be true," answered the Margrave, 
 sighing. "But my mother says kindness will 
 win her in time." 
 
 He took a chair, was silent for a moment, and 
 then, turning to Henry, asked : 
 
 "Would it not? Would not tenderness and 
 love win her? I know nothing of woman's 
 heart. You must be wise in the strange lore. 
 I ask you, would she learn to love me if I poured 
 out my whole life in adoration at her feet?" 
 
 Loath to answer the question, Henry did not 
 at once respond. The Margrave waited a mo-
 
 134 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 ment with pleading in his eyes, then insisted 
 on an answer. 
 
 "Tell me truly, friend. Could I win her love 
 by devotion if now she loves me not?" 
 
 "No," answered Henry. "The devotion of 
 a man she does not love is to a woman what 
 the salt sea brine is to a shipwrecked sailor 
 a mocking hope, a fatal remedy." 
 
 "Ach, Gott!" whispered the Margrave, dry- 
 ing the perspiration on his face with a great 
 red handkerchief. "Ach, Gottl I feared as 
 much. In my heart I knew it was true and 
 there was no need to ask you." 
 
 "It is true, Margrave," said Henry. "If 
 you win her from the king and do not gain her 
 love, you will inflict on her the greatest of 
 tortures." 
 
 "Ach, Gottl I'll never do it. I'll never do 
 it!" cried the Margrave. 
 
 "Do you mean," asked Henry, springing to 
 his feet, "that you would not marry her if the 
 king forces her to accept you against her will ? ' ' 
 
 "Ach, truly I mean it," answered Schwedt, 
 hoarsely. "May God judge me as I treat this 
 beautiful princess. No, no! If my love for 
 her kills me, I will not take her for my wife 
 against her will." 
 
 The Margrave rose to his feet and walked 
 distractedly about the room. Henry following
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 135 
 
 him, placed his hand on the honest fellow's 
 shoulder, looked into his face, and found truth 
 behind his words. He seized his hand, and said 
 almost lovingly: 
 
 "Truly, it is a heart of gold." 
 
 "Yes, yes," sighed the Margrave, "but no 
 one sees it save mother and you, and and 
 perhaps the Princess Mina. Good-night, my 
 friend, good-night. You have drained my heart. 
 There is no blood in it. There is no hope, and 
 hope is the life of the blood." 
 
 The Margrave took his leave, and after 
 extinguishing the candle, Henry sat by the win- 
 dow, gazing through the darkness down to the 
 palace gardens. 
 
 After half the night spent in meditation, 
 he said, haltingly to himself: "I will remain 
 in Berlin. I am not so simple as to make 
 a fool of myself about this girl. I will stay 
 here. It may be that I can be of help to her, 
 and perhaps I can make her life happier. My 
 life may not be so happy when this curious 
 adventure is ended, but I am willing to carry 
 a heartache if it will relieve her of even a part 
 of her burden. ' ' After looking out the window 
 for a moment longer he sighed: "I'll go to 
 bed and shut Wilhelmina out of my mind by 
 shutting my eyes." 
 
 But he failed.
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 DON'T CAKE MAKES LOVE 
 
 During the next fortnight Henry was engaged 
 in military duties at Spandau and Potsdam. 
 He was in Berlin once or twice for short visits, 
 and took supper with the Crown Prince, but 
 did not see Wilhelmina. 
 
 One evening, after Henry had returned to 
 Berlin, the Crown Prince invited him to visit 
 the house of a merchant named Bitter. The at- 
 traction at the merchant's house for the Crown 
 Prince was the daughter Doris She was not 
 beautiful, but she was of a kindly nature, and 
 played on the harpsichord with great skill. 
 There was no thought of gallantry between her 
 and the prince ; music was the only bond. 
 
 On the evening of the visit, Doris and Henry 
 played in turn at the harpsichord, while little 
 Fritz breathed his soul, with some skill and 
 great fervor, into his flute. On the prince's 
 invitation, the elder Bitters sat listening to the 
 music, and the evening was passed in innocent, 
 healthful enjoyment. 
 
 Before nine o'clock the prince and Henry 
 
 136
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 137 
 
 left Ritter's house and hurried toward the 
 palace. 
 
 "We must make haste," said little Fritz. 
 "If the king returns from The Tabagie and 
 does not find me at home, he might burst a 
 blood vessel, and that would be a pity." 
 
 Soon after they left Ritter's, Henry noticed 
 a man following them, and called Fritz's atten- 
 tion to him. 
 
 "He is probably a spy of Grumkow's," said 
 little Fritz. * ' But as we have done no mischief, 
 he will have his trouble for his reward." 
 
 "Our only mischief has been our music," 
 said Henry, laughing. "Perhaps the king 
 would consider it mischief." 
 
 "No," returned Fritz. "He wishes me to 
 associate with the burgher families. His aver- 
 sion to music is confined to my music, and is 
 but a vent for his hatred of me." 
 
 "The king does not hate you," said Henry, 
 protestingly. 
 
 "Indeed he does," returned the Crown 
 Prince, emphatically; "and I fully realize that 
 my life is in hourly peril from his violence. 
 I am also in danger of assassination at Grum- 
 kow's hands. I wish I could believe that it is 
 not true, but Grumkow will rid himself of me 
 one of these fine days, and the king will give
 
 138 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 my poor dear sister to Schwedt. Uneasy lies 
 the head that expects to wear the crown." 
 
 "The Margrave of Schwedt will not marry 
 the princess against her will," said Henry. 
 
 Looking up in quick surprise, Prince Fritz 
 answered: "Mina will have no will in the 
 matter. Schwedt will not know her wishes, 
 but should he know of her antipathy and should 
 he refuse to marry her, the marriage will take 
 place anyway, with or without the consent of 
 either my sister or Schwedt. Why do you 
 say he will not marry her against her will?" 
 
 "He told me he would not," answered Henry. 
 
 "Poor, foolish Adolph. He will do whatever 
 my father commands, and the king will do 
 whatever Grumkow wills. Adolph has been 
 madly in love with Mina since he first saw her 
 two years ago, and my sister and I feel very 
 sorry for the poor, simple, harmless fellow." 
 
 "She seems to treat him kindly," said Henry, 
 speaking to fill up the pause. 
 
 "Of course she does," returned Prince Fritz. 
 "Mina treats every one kindly. She is gentle 
 and forgiving even with Grumkow, her arch 
 enemy. My sister is the most beautiful char- 
 acter in the world; without her I should not 
 want to live another day. She is the one bright 
 spot in my miserable life. I want you to know
 
 OF OLD BBANDENBUEG 139 
 
 her better, but you must not misconstrue her 
 kindness and fall in love with her, as every 
 man has done who has come near her since 
 she was a child. We will take her to Bitter's 
 the next time we go, and you shall walk with 
 her. That, I wish to tell you, is the greatest 
 favor I can confer on you." 
 
 "It would be a great pleasure, and I should 
 value the honor if I felt sure your father would 
 not object. I hear he is very strict with the 
 princess," answered Henry. 
 
 "You had better say cruel to her. That 
 would be nearer the truth, and it is the great 
 pain of my life. I could suffer all his cruelties 
 without flinching, but the torture he inflicts 
 on her is at times more than I can bear, and 
 I almost wish that he were dead. When I 
 think of Mina's future, I do sincerely wish 
 that she could die. She was very ill a year 
 ago, and I hoped she would die. She, too, 
 hoped to die, but God has turned his face from 
 my sister and me, and will not give us death 
 because because we want it. I tell you, 
 friend," continued the Crown Prince, bitterly, 
 "I am doomed, unless the king dies soon, and 
 Mina is doomed to live." 
 
 Beside the path was a closed board fence, 
 on the other side of which Henry fancied he
 
 140 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 heard footfalls. Twice lie looked back to see 
 if the man he had noticed was following, but 
 the fellow had disappeared. When the Crown 
 Prince expressed his wish that his father might 
 die, Henry's mind reverted to the supposed 
 spy. 
 
 "Some one is on the other side of the fence," 
 he said, speaking in low tones, "I caught 
 the sound of footfalls, and I fear your words 
 have been overheard." 
 
 "Probably you are right," said Fritz. 
 "Spies and assassins are always on my track. 
 The fence ends a short distance ahead of us, 
 and we will investigate." 
 
 The Crown Prince drew his sword and 
 Henry grasped the hilt of his own blade, hold- 
 ing it ready for instant use. When they 
 reached the end of the fence, they moved 
 cautiously, fearing an attack from ambush. 
 Their fears were justified. Three men sprang 
 from behind the fence and attacked the prince, 
 paying no attention to Henry. Many years 
 afterwards, it was learned that Grumkow had 
 hired the assassins to kill the Crown Prince, 
 and intended fastening the crime on Fritz 
 Henry. When the attack came, the little 
 prince, who fenced beautifully, held his assail- 
 ants off till Henry got into the fray, after which
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 141 
 
 the fight was soon ended and the three ruffians 
 were put to flight, with the plucky little prince 
 in pursuit. 
 
 "Let them go," cried Henry. "They may 
 be leading you into another ambush. We have 
 driven them off. Now let us make our way 
 home as soon as possible. I hope your words 
 concerning the king were not overheard.'* 
 
 "No, no, they were not overheard," returned 
 the prince. "I was speaking very low. I am 
 sure no one could have heard me five feet away. 
 But if they were overheard, and if Grumkow 
 could convince my father that I spoke them " 
 
 The Crown Prince was silenced by the 
 thought of probable consequences. 
 
 "If Grumkow should convince the king, what 
 do you suppose would be the result?" asked 
 Henry. 
 
 "Infanticide," answered the prince, laughing 
 at his own gruesome jest. 
 
 The Crown Prince and Fritz Henry entered 
 the palace by a private door, and hastened to 
 the queen's parlor, the prince wishing to say 
 good-night to his mother. 
 
 The queen was seated in a great armchair, 
 busy with her needle-work, while her maid, 
 Ramen, read aloud. When the prince and 
 Henry were announced, the reading stopped
 
 142 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 and all the ladies rose save the queen. There 
 were present, besides her Majesty, the Princess 
 Wilhelmina, the Princess Don't Care, Sonns- 
 feld and Eamen. Soon the Margrave of 
 Schwedt was announced. 
 
 The prince kissed his mother's hand and was 
 about to leave the room when the queen asked 
 him to sit beside her for a moment. Henry 
 made his bow to her Majesty and turned to 
 Wilhelmina. The princess's face lighted up 
 beautifully when he approached, and she gave 
 him her hand to kiss. She was standing apart 
 from the others, and when Henry had made his 
 bow, said laughingly: 
 
 "When last we met, I believe you expressed 
 a desire that you might have speech with me 
 soon again." 
 
 "Yes, your Highness," answered Henry. 
 
 "I can hardly believe that you said it," she 
 responded, laughing softly. "Two long weeks 
 is not 'soon again'." 
 
 "I have been at Spandau and Potsdam," 
 answered Henry, "and have almost determined 
 to resign my commission and to leave the 
 court. ' ' 
 
 "I don't blame you," returned Wilhelmina, 
 "but I hope your determination will remain 
 ' almost', and will not become complete."
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 143 
 
 Henry again observed the queen glancing 
 toward Wilhelmina, and imagined that the 
 princess was uneasy because of his presence. 
 So he said: "I thank your Highness. I shall 
 remain. ' ' 
 
 He bowed to the princess, crossed the room, 
 and stopped in front of Don't Care, who gave 
 him her hand to kiss. 
 
 1 'You are late in reaching me, Sir Henry," 
 she said, giving the English knightly title, 
 partly by accident, partly in jest, and continuing 
 with a sigh: "Every one comes before Don't 
 Care." 
 
 "It is only modesty that keeps your Highness 
 from knowing that the Princess Don't Care 
 comes before every one," responded Henry. 
 
 "Did you make that pretty speech to Mina, 
 too 1 ' ' asked the little princess. 
 
 "All I said to your sister was that I had 
 almost determined to leave Berlin." 
 
 "But you will not. You shall not," said 
 Don't Care, pettishly. "You are the only real 
 gentleman that has visited Berlin in months. 
 I wonder who you are. Why don't you tell us? 
 The queen says you are surely of noble blood. 
 Mina, as usual, is non-committal, and when I 
 asked father about you, he said he knew noth- 
 ing save that you were six feet tall. That's all
 
 144 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 father cares to know about any man. He did 
 say, however, that you had more brains than 
 Grumkow. He also said that he would beat 
 any one with his stick who tries to learn who 
 you are. You see there is a delightful mystery 
 about you. For all I know, you may be a 
 prince in disguise, but Mina says if you were a 
 prince, you would not be so great a fool as to 
 bury yourself in this hole, where we have noth- 
 ing but cabbage to eat." 
 
 " Every man is a fool at some time in his life, 
 and perhaps my time has arrived, or has always 
 been here," answered Henry, laughing. He 
 was about to make his bow to the little beauty, 
 when she said : 
 
 "Are you going?" 
 
 "I fear I must," answered Henry. 
 
 "I have not seen you for a long time," said 
 the princess, "and we have never had one 
 moment together, by ourselves. Meet me at 
 ten o 'clock to-morrow morning at the new foun- 
 tain in the west garden, and we'll see if Don't 
 Care can offer you an inducement that will keep 
 you in Berlin." 
 
 Don't Care's astonishing request startled 
 Fritz Henry, but of course there was only one 
 reply to be made, so he said : 
 
 "I shall be honored."
 
 OF OLD BBANDENBUBG 145 
 
 At this point the king entered, having come 
 from The Tabagie. 
 
 The prince and Fritz Henry soon made their 
 bows to the queen, and as they were passing 
 out, Don't Care ran to Henry's side and 
 whispered : 
 
 ''Don't forget Don't Care to-morrow morn- 
 ing." 
 
 Henry glanced toward Mina, and saw that 
 she had heard Don't Care's words. 
 
 When the king and the Margrave had de- 
 parted, the queen asked sharply of Wilhelmina : 
 
 "Why did you give your hand to the stranger 
 to kiss? You are as good as married to Prince 
 Frederick. " 
 
 "If I were married, mother," answered 
 Mina, "there could be no harm in what I did. 
 He kissed your hand and Don't Care's." 
 
 "Don't answer me, but go to bed!" cried the 
 queen. 
 
 Glad to be dismissed, Mina and Sonnsfeld 
 hurriedly left the room. 
 
 The next morning Henry awakened to a day 
 of trouble because a beautiful princess had made 
 a tryst with him. He cared little for Don't 
 Care's beauty, and the girl had nothing else to 
 recommend her. On the other hand, her evi- 
 dent ill feeling for her sister Wilhelmina 
 10
 
 146 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 antagonized him. He felt that the younger 
 princess not only did not love her sister, but in 
 a way, shared her father's aversion. 
 
 Henry suspected, too, that notwithstanding 
 her simplicity and vivacity, Don't Care had 
 inherited at least a part of her father's bad 
 temper, and felt sure that occasion might easily 
 develop it. In short, he was far from wishing 
 to meet the little princess at the new fountain, 
 even had it not been a dangerous adventure A 
 secret meeting with one of the royal princesses 
 was an honor that none but a reckless man 
 would desire, though there seemed to be no way 
 for Henry to refuse it. 
 
 It is true that Berlin was the most demo- 
 cratic court in the world, and that any ruffian 
 might gain access to the royal family. It 
 was equally true that Don't Care was allowed 
 to exercise the liberty of a burgher girl, and 
 in many instances had been guilty of im- 
 prudences from which a virtuous burgher girl 
 would have shrunk. Still she was a prin- 
 cess royal, and to meet her clandestinely might, 
 if discovered, prove a costly piece of gallantry. 
 But Henry could not well remain away, so he 
 determined to keep the tryst, and to act as 
 prudently as possible under the circumstances. 
 
 All that is necessary to give of the interview
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 147 
 
 is a small portion to show Don't Care's bud- 
 ding love for Henry, and to throw light upon 
 its consequences. 
 
 "Ah, here you are!" cried Don't Care, run- 
 ning down the path, looking like the spirit of 
 morning. She came quickly to Henry, placing 
 her hands familiarly on his shoulder. He 
 stepped back and bowed respectfully. 
 
 "Oh, you need not be so respectful and dis- 
 tant," cried Don't Care, smiling and dimpling 
 exquisitely; "no one can see us. The trees and 
 the shrubbery hide us." 
 
 "But there are no leaves on the trees," 
 returned Henry, "and I fear we may be seen." 
 
 "If I don't care, why should you? Most men 
 would be proud of a chance to meet the Princess 
 Don't Care." 
 
 "I should be, your Highness, if 
 
 "Don't say 'your Highness'; say 'Don't 
 Care'. That is my name to to you," inter- 
 rupted the princess. "You see we have pro- 
 gressed rapidly in in our friendship." 
 
 "I wish I might tell you how highly I value 
 your Highness 's condescension, and the favor 
 you show me. But I fear I fear You must 
 know that if your father were to discover were 
 to know of your great condescension of your 
 willingness to grant me the favor of calling you
 
 148 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 Don't Care, and the great pleasure of meeting 
 you here, his Majesty would be angry, and the 
 result might be ruin to me perhaps death." 
 
 "Would you not risk death for your lady 
 love ? ' ' she asked, looking up with an expression 
 in her eyes half mirthful, half wistful. "Any 
 true knight would." 
 
 "I might risk all, your Highness, if condi- 
 tions were different, but a wise man, though 
 brave, runs away from a danger against which 
 there is no defense. I should not have come to 
 meet your Highness had I listened to the dic- 
 tates of prudence, and I beg permission to leave 
 you. ' ' 
 
 Henry started backward down the path, re- 
 treating from the fiery little beauty, but she 
 ran after him, uttering a cry. 
 
 "At least, tell me before you go that you 
 care that you would stay if you dared," 
 whispered Don't Care, pleadingly. 
 
 It would have been hard and perhaps danger- 
 ous to tell the princess the truth, so he evaded 
 a direct answer by saying: 
 
 "If your Highness were of my rank, or I of 
 yours, I should be only too glad oh, I beg 
 your royal Highness to let me leave you. I 
 must not 'answer your question and you must 
 not ask it."
 
 'Would you not risk death for your lady love?"
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 149 
 
 He took the princess's hand, kissed it form- 
 ally, and ran away from her. 
 
 Do not believe that Henry was an over 
 modest man, or that his treatment of the prin- 
 cess was at all due to the fact that he was of 
 the blood of Joseph, for he was not. Later on, 
 if you read this true history, you will find that 
 he was bold enough when he wished to speak, 
 and that neither fear nor modesty sealed his 
 lips when love prompted him to open them. 
 Don't Care was the wrong girl. 
 
 When Henry ran away from the princess, she 
 was greatly piqued, but soon her vanity came 
 to her rescue, and she attributed his retreat to 
 his fear of her exalted rank and her still more 
 exalted beauty. She believed that her power 
 of attraction was almost omnipotent with men, 
 and experience had gone a long way to justify 
 the assumption. Although she was disappointed 
 with the interview, her heart throbbed with joy 
 at the thought of Henry's evident emotion, and 
 from her point of view, his great fear of her 
 beauty and rank was the highest compliment he 
 could pay her. 
 
 These considerations, coupled with the fact 
 that he had not been brought to her feet so 
 easily as other men, greatly enhanced his value 
 in her eyes, for to Don't Care, nothing was as
 
 150 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 attractive as the unattainable. She felt sure, 
 however, that she should soon be able to calm 
 the Handsome Captain's fears, to beguile his 
 caution, and bring him to his knees. To sub- 
 jugate him to the power of her charms was, at 
 the time of the interview, Don't Care's only 
 purpose. Once subjugated, her use for him 
 would cease. Henry's reluctance to yield to her 
 blandishments might, if he proved too stub- 
 born, anger her Highness, though eventually it 
 would result in a passionate attachment on her 
 part, owing to the powerful allurement of the 
 unattainable as represented by Henry's hand- 
 some person. But vanity alone was at the 
 bottom of her motive in the beginning. 
 
 Soon after Henry had gone, Don't Care 
 sauntered back to the palace, humming a 
 French waltz as she went, and, after a few 
 minutes' meditation, feeling surer of her con- 
 quest than if Henry had made passionate love 
 to her.
 
 ROYAL DOMESTIC BLISS 
 
 AFTEB leaving the garden, the little princess 
 entered the palace and went to the queen's par- 
 lor, where she found her sister. 
 
 "Where have you been so early this morn- 
 ing?" asked Wilhelmina. 
 
 "I have been talking to your friend, the 
 Handsome Captain, at the new fountain," an- 
 swered Don't Care, with significant emphasis 
 on the words "your friend". 
 
 Mina flushed despite her effort to appear 
 unconcerned, and asked, with a shade of irrita- 
 tion in her voice: 
 
 "Why do you call him my friend? I have 
 hardly spoken a hundred words to him." 
 
 "Perhaps he is not so much your friend as 
 you imagine, ' ' returned Don 't Care. ' ' But you 
 have not missed a great deal in losing him to 
 me. He amounts to little. There is nothing 
 about him worth mentioning except his good 
 looks. He certainly is handsome the hand- 
 somest man I ever saw but he has neither 
 learning, good manners, wit nor boldness. I 
 love a bold man. He is already silly for love 
 
 151
 
 152 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 of me, and begged me last night to meet him 
 at the new fountain this morning, though he 
 was almost afraid to speak. I met him only 
 to make a jest of him." 
 
 If the first part of Don't Care's speech caused 
 Wilhelmina a moment's pain, the latter part 
 neutralized it, for Mina had heard her sister 
 ask Henry to meet her at the new fountain, and 
 felt sure that the initiative had all been on the 
 part of the little princess. Applying the doc- 
 trine l 'false in part, false in all", Mina con- 
 cluded that Henry's infatuation existed only in 
 Don't Care's imagination, or was purely an 
 invention. The fact that Mina analyzed the 
 situation at all was evidence that she was inter- 
 ested in the Handsome Captain to a degree 
 unsuspected even by herself. 
 
 After Don't Care had dubbed Henry the 
 "Handsome Captain," he became known at 
 once among the ladies of the immediate royal 
 circle by that name. No one knew who he was, 
 but soon all knew that he was of noble blood, 
 for the king had interrogated him on the sub- 
 ject of his rank. 
 
 "Are you of noble blood?" the king had 
 asked. "Don't don't tell me any other word 
 about yourself. I am curious to know only one 
 thing are you of noble blood?"
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 153 
 
 "I am, your Majesty," answered Henry. 
 
 After a long pause, the king again spoke, fix- 
 ing his glittering eyes on Henry : 
 
 "Grumkow says you are a spy." 
 
 "Do your recruiting officers kidnap spies for 
 your Majesty's regiment?" asked Henry. "If 
 they are such fools, your Majesty should dis- 
 miss them or hang them. Did I come to Berlin 
 of my own will ? ' ' 
 
 "No, no, you did not. You did not. Surely, 
 you did not," answered the king. 
 
 "Baron Grumkow doubtless is a wise coun- 
 selor, but in this instance one would almost be 
 justified in saying that he is a fool," said 
 Henry, looking unflinchingly into the king's 
 eyes. 
 
 "What!" cried the king, stepping back in 
 surprise. "But you're right. You are right. 
 None but a fool would believe you are a spy 
 under the circumstances. Grumkow pretends 
 to suspect every one who finds favor in my 
 eyes." The king paused, muttered unintelli- 
 gibly for a moment, laughed softly, and contin- 
 ued as if speaking to himself : ' ' Bless the good 
 God for sending me one man who is not afraid 
 to speak his mind. Grumkow, a fool! Good! 
 Good! There's not another man in my king- 
 dom that would have dared to say it to my face.
 
 154 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 He's not afraid of the devil himself. Good! 
 Good! Not afraid of the devil!" Turning to 
 Henry, his Majesty said: "The troops are 
 rested. Set them to work." 
 
 This conversation occurred on the day that 
 Henry met Don't Care at the new fountain, 
 the day after the visit to Eitter's. Early 
 in the evening of the same day, his Majesty 
 said to the queen : 
 
 "My new captain of Grenadiers is of noble 
 blood. Receive him kindly. Perhaps that 
 rascal Fritz will profit by his company." 
 
 The Crown Prince and Mina heard their 
 father's order to the queen, and so great was 
 the breach between the king and his two chil- 
 dren that his Majesty's favor, shown in so 
 marked a degree, placed Fritz Henry in the 
 rank of their enemies. Forgetting past serv- 
 ice, the Crown Prince at once concluded that 
 his new friend was the king's spy, and im- 
 pressed "Wilhelmina with at least a part of his 
 suspicion. 
 
 Mina and Fritz had learned from sad expe- 
 rience to believe that no man could win the 
 king's favor who was not their enemy. Mina 
 also knew of Henry's meeting with Don't Care, 
 and it served to strengthen her distrust, not- 
 withstanding her knowledge of the manner in
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 155 
 
 which the meeting had been brought about. 
 The Crown Prince's influence over Wilhelmina 
 was so great that he easily convinced her she 
 would be a great fool to trust the Handsome 
 Captain, and the result was that the princess 
 was very unhappy. 
 
 Soon after the king had spoken to the queen 
 about Fritz Henry, his Majesty left the room, 
 and the Margrave of Schwedt joined the Crown 
 Prince and the princess. 
 
 "Your new friend, the Handsome Captain, 
 has joined the ranks of Don't Care," said Mina, 
 laughing, as Adolph approached. ' * Her friends 
 do not long remain our friends, so I suppose we 
 shall soon be compelled to number him with the 
 host of our enemies." 
 
 "Why do you say he has joined the ranks of 
 Don't Care?" asked the Crown Prince, who 
 knew nothing of the meeting at the fountain. 
 
 "Yes, why?" queried the Margrave eagerly. 
 "I believe he is a true man, and the first requi- 
 site for a true man is to be a true friend. ' ' 
 
 "He met Don't Care by appointment this 
 morning at the new fountain, and she says he 
 is dying for love of her," answered Mina, 
 laughing nervously. 
 
 "Ach, she lies!" cried the Margrave excit- 
 edly, mopping the perspiration from his broad
 
 156 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 face with a huge red handkerchief. The Mar- 
 grave hated Don't Care, as nearly as his gentle 
 heart could hate any one, because of her open 
 ridicule and contempt. "That is you know 
 I mean I beg your Highness to forgive me 
 for using the ugly word. I spoke in excite- 
 ment, anger, indignation. The the beautiful 
 Princess Charlotte is mistaken. I should not 
 have used that ugly word not for worlds had 
 I not been surprised and excited, too, yes, 
 excited. ' ' 
 
 The Margrave paused to regain his breath, 
 and continued: "Listen. The captain, my 
 friend, was not to blame in the matter. I, with 
 my own ears with these ears heard the prin- 
 cess, your sister, invite, ask, and entreat the 
 captain to meet her at the new fountain. Lis- 
 ten! I'll tell you. She followed him to the 
 door and said to him imploringly she said 
 ach Gott, she said what did she say? I almost 
 forget what she said! Ach! She said, 'Come' 
 she said, 'Come to the new fountain sure 
 don't fail'. It was so." 
 
 "But he went," suggested "Wilhelmina, 
 laughing. 
 
 The Margrave gazed steadily at the princess 
 for a moment. * ' Of course he went. He could 
 not do otherwise," he answered, blinking,
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 157 
 
 stretching out his hands imploringly, and 
 speaking under great excitement. Adolph was 
 Henry's friend, and Adolph 's friendship was 
 of the quality that does battle for a friend 
 assailed. "You see," he continued, striving to 
 be calm, but almost out of breath from excite- 
 ment, "you see, he is a man, and must go 
 when the princess says, 'Come'." 
 
 Notwithstanding the Margrave's effort to 
 calm himself, his excitement grew upon him, 
 and he danced about with an agility little to be 
 expected in a short mountain of flesh. "It is 
 this way, my princess," he continued. "We'll 
 say that you are a man. We'll say that I am a 
 beautiful woman, and and 
 
 Mina and the Crown Prince could not re- 
 strain a smile. 
 
 "Yes, yes, it is funny. I know it is. If I 
 were a woman ! ' ' Adolph laughed nervously 
 "Lieber Himmel! What a sight I should be if 
 I were a woman! People would travel long 
 journeys and would pay a mark to see me two 
 marks for a good seat. Yes, yes, it is funny. 
 I'll change the metaphor. If you were a man 
 we'll leave that stand as it is. Ach, if you 
 were a man, my princess, no other man would 
 have any chance against you of winning any 
 woman. Then I could take your hand and
 
 158 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 The Margrave reached out eagerly for the 
 hands of the princess, but quickly drew back 
 without touching her. "Pardon, my princess. 
 My love will not obey. This evening he is a 
 foolish fool." 
 
 "Is not love always a foolish fool?" asked 
 Mina, smiling. 
 
 "Yes, princess, love is always either a fool- 
 ish fool, or the wisest fool on earth," answered 
 the Margrave. * ' There is no middle ground of 
 mere common sense for the little rascal, and he 
 who lacks common sense is always a fool, though 
 there are wise fools in the world. Unfortu- 
 nately, my princess, it was the foolish fool love 
 that took up his home in my poor heart. But 
 but to come back. If your Highness were a 
 man and the Crown Prince here were a woman, 
 and if the woman should say to you: "My 
 friend, don't fail to meet me at the west foun- 
 tain in the new garden no, the new garden in 
 the west ach, I am foolish at the new foun- 
 tain in the west garden, what would the woman 
 mean?" 
 
 "What would she mean?" asked the princess, 
 smiling. 
 
 "Love foolish love. You, being a man, 
 could not turn away your face as a woman 
 may, and feigning modesty when you feel dis-
 
 159 
 
 gust, say, with downcast eyes : ' Oh, I may not. 
 I fear I fear my hard, cruel father would be 
 angry. Oh, I dare not.' No. You could make 
 no excuse two penalties a man must pay for 
 being a man. He must forego the love he wants 
 but cannot have, and may not refuse that which 
 he does not want, but still must take. Then, 
 too, he must endure in silence the little lies a 
 woman sometimes tells about him. He cannot 
 say: 'It is not so' when she says that he is 
 desperate for love of her. Woman has her 
 burdens, but a man of fine honor also has 
 burdens that are none the lighter because he 
 may, if he wishes, throw them off. He will 
 often carry a heavy burden rather than explain 
 at a woman's expense." 
 
 The Crown Prince showed signs of annoy- 
 ance, but Adolph must finish his speech. 
 
 "If Captain Henry met the princess, he did 
 so because he had no alternative. God has 
 given me but few talents very few but every 
 day I am thankful that He has given me to 
 know a true man when I see him, and to trust a 
 true friend when I have one. Captain Henry 
 is both. I have said much." 
 
 Neither the prince nor the princess responded 
 at once to Adolph 's long speech, but after a 
 moment's silence, the prince said:
 
 160 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 1 'My dear Margrave, what you have said is 
 very interesting, but pray leave me with my 
 sister, that we may have a few words together. 
 It is a privilege we seldom enjoy." 
 
 The Margrave at once withdrew, greatly 
 humiliated, not by the prince's words, but be- 
 cause he, Adolph the Shrewd, had not earlier 
 caught the signals of dismissal. 
 
 When Adolph left, Fritz said hurriedly: ",I 
 am glad you told me about our new friend's 
 meeting with Don't Care. Stumpy 's great 
 favor made me suspicious, and now this inti- 
 macy with Don't Care convinces me that the 
 fellow is not to be trusted. I'm sorry to be 
 forced to the belief, for I have formed a plan 
 of escape from this Prussian hell, and intended 
 taking the new captain into my confidence. I 
 hoped to have his help, but now 
 
 " Don't try to run away," pleaded Wilhel- 
 mina, almost wailing out her words. "If you 
 go, I shall be entirely alone. You are my only 
 comfort, my only joy. Pray do not leave me. 
 If you go, I shall die. ' ' 
 
 "That is a selfish request, Mina," answered 
 the Crown Prince, petulantly. * ' You, of course, 
 are bound hand and foot here. It is impossible 
 for you to escape unless you go as the wife of 
 one of the bestial creatures old Stumpy has
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 161 
 
 chosen for you. But if you were generous, you 
 would not wish me to suffer just because you 
 can escape. You are always thinking only of 
 yourself. Every one is no one gives a gener- 
 ous thought to me." 
 
 "I know, brother, it was selfish to want you 
 to remain for my sake, but that was not the real 
 reason for my protest. You cannot escape 
 it is impossible and if you try and fail if the 
 king takes you I fear, oh ! I fear he will be the 
 last man in the kingdom to save you from death. 
 You will be hanged as a deserter. Father and 
 Grumkow will call it treason. Ah, brother, let 
 us cling to the ills we have, and God will bring 
 us help in His own good time." 
 
 "I've already waited too long for the help 
 that God is going to bring," answered the 
 prince, sullenly. "Nothing that you can say 
 will alter my determination. I am going to run 
 away. If I am caught and hanged, so much the 
 better. I don't want to live. Stumpy told me 
 only the other day he is always telling me 
 that if I had a spark of manhood in me, I would 
 not endure the abuse he puts upon me. He's 
 right. The queen, too, says I am a fool for not 
 running away. She advises me to go to Eng- 
 land, where King George would be only too 
 glad to receive me. All my friends but you ad- 
 11
 
 162 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 vise me to make my escape, and I'm going to 
 do it. I tell you, Mina, I'm going. A few days 
 more and I'll be out of this purgatory unless 
 my damnable luck clings to me. I wish I could 
 trust this new captain. I need him and could 
 use him, for, as the king says, he fears nothing. 
 A brave, calm, daring man, such as this fellow 
 is, would be just the companion I need." 
 
 After the Margrave's abrupt dismissal, the 
 prince and his sister went to the anteroom 
 through which the queen's parlor was reached 
 from the long hall, and closed the door after 
 them. The king had left a few minutes before 
 and was not expected to return, but with Fred- 
 erick William the unexpected was always to be 
 looked for. 
 
 Presently the conversation between the prince 
 and the princess was brought to an abrupt 
 end by sounds of a well-known halting foot- 
 step and echoes of a thumping cane coming 
 down the corridor. The king was returning, 
 evidently in great fury, for his breathing could 
 be heard even above the noise of his footstep 
 and cane. 
 
 Mina hurriedly returned to the queen's par- 
 lor just before the king entered the anteroom 
 by the outer door. When the king saw the 
 prince, the ire of Prussian Majesty began,
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 163 
 
 as usual, to make itself furiously manifest. 
 
 "What are you doing here, you you ras- 
 cal ? ' ' demanded the king. 
 
 "I am standing here," answered Fritz. 
 
 * * Ah, you would be impertinent, would you ? ' ' 
 cried the irate father, lifting his stick. "You 
 would answer me insolently? If I were to do 
 my duty as a father, I'd lay this stick across 
 your back. What are you doing here? An- 
 swer civilly or I '11 I '11 beat you. ' ' 
 
 "I was about to enter the queen's parlor," 
 answered Fritz, "but hearing your Majesty's 
 approach, I waited till you should go first." 
 
 "Ach! Fine humility! Beautiful meek- 
 ness! If you had the spirit of a man, you 
 would resent my treatment of you. The new 
 captain answers me sharply and speaks his 
 mind. He is not afraid of me. He resents an 
 insult or an imputation even from me. Yes, and 
 quickly, too. 'Tis a sure indication of honesty. 
 There's no resentment, no courage, no pride in 
 you. I would to God that you were a girl and 
 that your sister Don't Care were you. If my 
 father had treated me as I treat you, I should 
 have run away, or or have killed myself. I 
 should not have endured it. Come with me, you 
 rascal, while I speak to your mother. I want 
 you to go to The Tabagie with me. There'll be
 
 164 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 something for you to hear at The Tabagie 
 to-night something to hear. Yes, by the devil, 
 to hear ! ' ' 
 
 The king entered the queen's parlor and the 
 prince followed, making an effort to smother 
 his anger. 
 
 The king and Fritz found the queen, the two 
 princesses, Sonnsfeld and Bamen busily en- 
 gaged with their needle-work. All rose when 
 the king entered. After his Majesty had 
 spoken, the queen resumed her seat and he took 
 a chair beside her. All others, of course, 
 remained standing. 
 
 The king was in a furious mood, and soon 
 began to express himself on the subject of 
 household expenses. His Majesty economized 
 in all things to save money for the maintenance 
 of his army, and thus laid the foundation of 
 the Prussian empire. Turning to the queen, 
 he said: 
 
 "You all eat like gluttons. Gluttony is a sin 
 of the flesh. You not only sin against God, but 
 you drain my treasury and waste money that is 
 needed for the nation's defense." 
 
 "Draining your treasury, I take it, is a much 
 greater sin in your eyes than the offense against 
 God," spoke up intrepid little Don't Care, 
 impatiently tapping the floor with her foot.
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 165 
 
 The king continued, without noticing the in- 
 terruption : " You're all gluttons, I tell you, and 
 you'll ruin me and spoil your health if you keep 
 it up." 
 
 "If our health is ruined, it will be by starva- 
 tion, not by over-feeding," said Don't Care, 
 again interrupting her father. "We had noth- 
 ing for dinner to-day but cabbage and carrots, 
 and not enough of those. After you had helped 
 yourself to the carrots, you threw the dish at 
 Fritz, leaving only boiled cabbage for the rest 
 of us. I have no fear of taking gout from eat- 
 ing too much cabbage, neither have I fear of 
 offending God on the score of gluttony at your 
 table. Leviticus contains not one word against 
 eating too much cabbage." 
 
 The king tried to speak, but his daughter had 
 the floor and kept it. "There is not a decent 
 burgher in Berlin that did not have a better 
 dinner on his table than we had to-day. Ruin 
 you? Drain your treasury? You are starving 
 your wife and children starving them just 
 because you hate to see them eat, and because 
 you are so miserly that you begrudge them even 
 a poor mouthful of cabbage. When I am hun- 
 gry I go out and get my dinner at an inn, and 
 tell the keeper to collect the charges from you. 
 You pay them, too, for you brought me into this
 
 166 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 world, and you know you're bound to feed me. 
 I'll not starve, I'll give you that to understand. 
 You may starve the others, if they'll let you, 
 but I'll find enough to eat, and you'll pay the 
 bill." 
 
 "I'll beat you if you don't keep still!" 
 shouted the king. 
 
 "I don't care if you do," answered Don't 
 Care, stepping up to her father defiantly. "I 
 don't care, don't care, don't care! Beat me, 
 if you wish, but you can't silence me unless you 
 cut my tongue 'out, and then I'll scream like a 
 deaf mute." 
 
 Helpless Majesty mumbled a few words 
 under his breath, became silent, and Don't Care 
 walked away in triumph. 
 
 The Margrave had left the room, but returned 
 presently with Fritz Henry and at once sought 
 Wilhelmina. Henry wished to speak to her, 
 but felt that the queen was watching him ; so he 
 stopped beside Don't Care. 
 
 "You're a coward," said the little princess. 
 " 'He who fears' you know the rest." 
 
 "I freely confess that I am a coward," 
 answered Henry, laughing. "A man who is 
 not a fool will not allow himself to begin to 
 yearn for what he can never have. The fox 
 that convinced himself the grapes were sour
 
 I'll beat you if you don't keep still!" shouted the king
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 167 
 
 set an example that all wise men should fol- 
 low. Had the fox encouraged his belief that 
 the grapes were sweet, he might have gone 
 through life with a heartache yearning for 
 them." 
 
 Don't Care shrugged her white shoulders, 
 smiled till her little teeth gleamed between her 
 red lips, and said: 
 
 "Oh, foolish fox! Why did he not jump?" 
 She jumped very gracefully to show how it 
 should be done. 
 
 "Doubtless he knew his limitations, and knew 
 how high he could jump, or rather how high he 
 could not jump," suggested Henry. 
 
 "If he had tried with all his might to jump, 
 and had been unable to reach the vine, it might 
 have bent down to him. Who knows?" said 
 Don't Care, bending as the vine might bend, 
 glancing demurely up to Henry's face, and then 
 quickly looking toward the floor as if in a vio- 
 lent fit of modesty. Modesty and Don't Care 
 were total strangers. 
 
 "The vine cannot bend, and the fox that 
 hopes for it will hope in vain. It is a cruel vine 
 that will hold out the vain hope," said Henry, 
 with apparent regret. 
 
 "But if the vine wishes very much for the 
 fox to have its grapes?" asked the dimpling
 
 168 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 princess, with quick-coming breath and glowing 
 eyes. 
 
 "In that case, both are in danger, and there 
 is but one course left for the fox." 
 
 "What is that?" asked Don't Care. 
 
 "He must run away," replied Henry, "and 
 that is what I shall do." 
 
 The princess laughed. Henry bowed and 
 went to where the Crown Prince, "Wilhelmina 
 and the Margrave were standing at the opposite 
 side of the room. The prince took no notice of 
 Henry, but the princess bowed. 
 
 "I hear you are to be at The Tabagie this 
 evening," said the Margrave. 
 
 "Yes, I am to have that honor, and and that 
 pleasure," answered Henry. 
 
 "Are you so great a beer drinker," asked 
 the princess, "that you can confront the honor 
 of The Tabagie with confidence and pleasure ? ' ' 
 
 "I do not like beer," answered Henry, 
 "and I shall face the ordeal with fear and 
 trembling." 
 
 "You shall sit by me and I will drink your 
 beer," said Adolph. "That arrangement will 
 work a double good. I shall have the beer and 
 you will have the credit of drinking it." 
 
 "I thank you, Margrave," returned Henry. 
 * ' The beer drinking would have inclined me to
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 169 
 
 evade the honor had I not feared to offend his 
 Majesty. Just at this time I value the king's 
 favor because I hope that I may be able to use 
 it to benefit my friends." 
 
 "And incidentally, yourself," interrupted 
 the Crown Prince, with a sneering smile. 
 
 Henry was startled, but did not at once reply, 
 hoping that the prince would say something to 
 soften his too evident meaning. But the Crown 
 Prince remained silent, and after a long, awk- 
 ward pause, Henry answered: 
 
 "Perhaps if your Highness knew more about 
 the real situation, you would understand that 
 the King of Prussia has nothing to give that I 
 covet. I have nothing to gain by his favor and 
 nothing to lose by his frown, save the power to 
 help those who, I have hoped, would give me 
 their faith." 
 
 The little prince tossed his head disdainfully 
 and walked away. The Margrave, evidently 
 much disturbed, followed him, leaving Fritz 
 Henry alone with Wilhelmina. 
 
 "Forgive my brother," said the princess. 
 "He has been betrayed so often by false friends 
 that he suspects every one who receives the 
 king's favor." 
 
 "I care very little what the prince thinks 
 or feels," returned Henry, "so long as I am
 
 170 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 sure of iiis sister's confidence. I hope that yon 
 will tell me frankly when I lose it, for on that 
 day I shall leave Berlin, never to return. You 
 see, if you distrust me or fear me, you may 
 easily rid yourself of me. I implore your 
 Highness to pardon me for speaking so plainly, 
 and for saying what I am about to say, but I 
 speak with full knowledge that all the reward 
 I can ever receive for any good that I may 
 bring to you, or for any evil that I may be able 
 to avert, is your faith in me. It is all I ask- 
 all I expect. I have just told you that the king 
 has no favor to grant that I would accept other 
 than the privilege of living in the palace near 
 you. I should be glad to give all I have my 
 life almost my soul to bring happiness to you, 
 and to avert the frightful evils that threaten 
 you. I would gladly 
 
 "Don't, don't! Please do not speak to me 
 in that way," pleaded the princess, greatly 
 moved. "I beg of you not to speak not to 
 I do trust you, indeed I do. I care not what 
 my brother may say, nor what may happen to 
 make you seem untrue to us, I shall still believe 
 in you. Even though appearances may be 
 against you, I shall hold fast to my faith in 
 you, and will try to keep my brother's confi- 
 dence unshaken. He is of a suspicious nature,
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 171 
 
 and and thought he had reason to suspect 
 you. ' ' 
 
 "May I ask what I have done to cause him 
 to doubt me?" asked Henry. 
 
 "I don't like to say," answered the princess. 
 
 "I do not urge you to speak, but if I do not 
 know my fault, I may commit it again," said 
 Henry, plainly showing his eagerness. 
 
 By an effort that was very apparent, Wilhel- 
 mina forced herself to speak: "It is hard for 
 my brother and me to believe that a friend to 
 the king can be a friend to us, but it is harder 
 for us to believe that that I fear I cannot 
 tell you what I was going to say." 
 
 "I implore your Highness to tell me," in- 
 sisted Henry. 
 
 The princess lifted her eyes, but they fell be- 
 fore his gaze, and she continued haltingly : 
 
 "It is harder for us to believe that one who is 
 my sister's friend can long be ours. Oh, it is 
 hard for me to say that to to you, who are 
 almost a stranger. I love my sister, but she 
 does not love my brother and me." 
 
 Tears were hanging in Mina's eyes, and her 
 voice was almost choked by emotion. Henry 
 remained silent to give the princess a moment 
 in which to recover her self-possession, then 
 turned to her and asked :
 
 172 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 "Why do you and the Crown Prince believe 
 I am your sister's friend?" 
 
 "Pray do not ask me to explain," returned 
 Mina, speaking in low tones and looking toward 
 the floor. 
 
 "I shall not," returned Henry. "I feel sure 
 that the Crown Prince has based his conclusion 
 on the fact that I met the princess, your sister, 
 this morning at the new fountain. I cannot 
 explain why or how the meeting came about, 
 but " Henry paused, turned quickly toward 
 Wilhelmina, then spoke with a touch of anger 
 and a note of command in Ms voice : ' ' But I am 
 going to speak what is in my heart, although 
 one minute ago I had not supposed it possible 
 that I should ever utter it. What I am about 
 to say will explain all that has happened, and 
 will be the key to all that may hereafter hap- 
 pen. I love you, and my life is at your service." 
 
 The princess turned to leave Henry, but he 
 checked her in a tone that was almost a com- 
 mand: 
 
 "You shall hear all I have to say, and when I 
 have finished, I shall, if you wish, leave Berlin 
 forever. Turn your face slightly from me and 
 look up; I fear the queen is watching you. 
 I did not intend to say what I have just said, 
 but it is out, and now I must leave no shadow
 
 OF OLD BBANDENBURG 173 
 
 of doubt in your mind that I spoke the truth. 
 I do not ask to touch your hand. I do not ask 
 even one word from your lips. I ask nothing 
 in return for my love save that you believe 
 save that you know it to be true. I shall never 
 again speak of my love unless unless by your 
 command, and for that I do not even hope. ' ' 
 
 "No, no," whispered the girl, almost inau- 
 dibly. 
 
 "You need not assure me of that," returned 
 Henry. ' ' I beg you to believe that I know my 
 love is hopeless, but I also beg you to believe 
 that it will last to the end of my life. That 
 which has come upon me so suddenly must be 
 of tremendous force to induce me to remain in 
 Berlin without hope of reward, and to say to 
 you what I have just said. It has taken entire 
 possession of me. It is beyond my control, and 
 I do not seem to be myself. I hope that through 
 all your life you will know that I speak the 
 truth." 
 
 An awkward pause ensued, lasting so long 
 that Henry was beginning to fear he had 
 offended the princess and that he must leave 
 her, and take his departure from Berlin at the 
 earliest opportunity. But when, by chance, 
 she turned her face toward him and looked 
 into his eyes, an impulse seized her which
 
 174 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 she could not resist, and against her will, she 
 said in a low whisper: "I do know. Whatever 
 happens, I shall always know. I never shall 
 doubt never again." 
 
 If at that moment the queen had been watch- 
 ing the princess, her Majesty could not have 
 failed to read what was in the girl's heart. 
 
 Henry and the princess stood for several 
 minutes in silence. 
 
 Presently she took her handkerchief from 
 a pouch in her flowing sleeve. Henry saw that 
 tears were coming, so he nodded to the Mar- 
 grave of Schwedt, and that worthy friend 
 approached. 
 
 "When does The Tabagie convene?" asked 
 Henry. 
 
 "We must follow the king when he leaves," 
 answered Adolph. 
 
 Hardly had the Margrave spoken when the 
 king started to leave the room, marching with 
 uplifted cane and thunderous rumblings as he 
 drove the Crown Prince before him. 
 
 Adolph laughed as he watched the king and 
 Fritz leaving the room, but Henry, seeing tears 
 in Wilhelmina's eyes, longed to strangle Prus- 
 sian Majesty, and to make an end of it all then 
 and there. 
 
 "To The Tabagie!" cried Adolph, lifting his
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 175 
 
 clenched hand on high and marching after the 
 king. 
 
 Fritz Henry, left alone for a moment with 
 the princess, said: "Forgive me if my words 
 have added to your unhappiness. " 
 
 "I I am sorry very sorry to say that they 
 have not, ' ' answered Mina, blushing beautifully, 
 and making a careful study of the floor, "and 
 I am sorrier to have told you so. But but you 
 know how easy it is to say the thing one does 
 not intend to say." 
 
 "It is with speech as with all else. We do 
 and say the things we must, and for my part, 
 I am glad that I spoke," answered Henry. 
 
 "And I, too, am glad," she answered, as he 
 took his leave.
 
 CHAPTEE XI 
 
 THE MARGRAVE'S BLESSED LIE 
 
 WHEN Henry and the Margrave entered The 
 Tabagie, they found the king in earnest con- 
 sultation with Baron Grumkow and Field 
 Marshal Seckendorf, standing apart from the 
 other members of the Parliament. The Crown 
 Prince stood alone near the king's end of 
 the table. The Tabagians were scattered in 
 groups about the room, and every one but the 
 little prince was talking. 
 
 The kindly Margrave at once went to him, 
 but received a sullen response to his greeting. 
 Fritz Henry had stopped near by, hoping that 
 the little fellow would make some kindly sign 
 of recognition. But when the Crown Prince 
 caught Henry's eyes, he turned away with 
 a well-defined sneer on his face. Henry's 
 sympathy was so great, and his sorrow for 
 the boy's unhappy lot was so keen, that the 
 Crown Prince's contempt aroused only a feel- 
 ing of pity. The unfortunate young fellow en- 
 joyed the high privilege of being the brother of 
 the girl to whom Fritz Henry had just spoken 
 his love, and from whom he had received an 
 
 176
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 177 
 
 answer that was as near an admission of love 
 as the princess could give. All these consider- 
 ations made it easy for Henry to overlook the 
 prince's frowns and to render him a great 
 service later in the evening. 
 
 Notwithstanding Adolph's persistent kind- 
 ness, the Crown Prince ignored his advances. 
 With no effort to conceal his contempt and ill 
 temper, he moved two or three steps away, 
 where he stood, scowling on all about him. The 
 gentle Margrave, feeling only pity for the 
 Crown Prince, smiled broadly when his ad- 
 vances were repulsed, returned to Henry, 
 shrugged his shoulders and said : 
 
 ' ' What does it matter ? Is he not the brother 
 of the princess?" 
 
 The Margrave soon had an opportunity to 
 "heap coals of fire" on the prince's head, and 
 like a man, he did it. 
 
 "Did you see him run from me?" asked the 
 Margrave, looking up at Henry's face. 
 
 "Yes," answered Henry, smiling, "and did 
 you see him turn his face from me when I was 
 about to speak? I am sorry for the boy, and 
 am sure that if I were in his place, my temper 
 would be worse than his." 
 
 "Do you know," said the Margrave, "it is 
 generous in you to feel as you do toward the 
 
 12
 
 178 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 Crown Prince, who owes you so much and treats 
 you so unkindly. It is easier for me to for- 
 give him than it is for you to overlook his 
 faults. He is Wilhelmina's brother and I love 
 her. You don't. I tell you, my friend, if you 
 loved the princess, you would love every one 
 with her blood in his veins. You would love 
 old Stumpy. There would be times when 
 lieber Himmel, yes when you would want to 
 kiss him." 
 
 "No, no," cried Henry, laughing. 
 
 "Perhaps not," returned the Margrave, 
 seriously. "But I could I could kiss any- 
 thing. When a man is in love, don't you know, 
 if he doesn't watch himself, why he loves he 
 loves the very devil himself. You don't know 
 how wonderfully love softens the heart." 
 
 Henry thought he knew, but he did not en- 
 lighten the Margrave. He turned the subject 
 of discussion back to the prince. 
 
 "I am very sorry for him," said Henry. 
 "Nothing that he could do would arouse my 
 resentment. He is barely responsible for his 
 acts. His troubles, I know, would unbalance 
 my mind." 
 
 Suddenly the Margrave evinced signs of ex- 
 citement, tinged with alarm. 
 
 "The king is going to take his seat," he
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 179 
 
 cried. "Let us get chairs. I had to stand dur- 
 ing the last Tabagie I attended. I have the 
 very worst feet in all Germany, and I suppose 
 Germany has the worst feet in the world. Mine 
 don't seem to have been made to walk on, but 
 to hold me down and to ache." 
 
 The Margrave seized a chair, and Henry got 
 one beside it When the king was seated, 
 Henry slipped quickly into his chair, but two 
 men tried to appr opiate the Margrave's, not- 
 withstanding that worthy potentate's desperate 
 effort to cling to it. One enterprising Tabagian 
 with cuckoo tendencies went so far as to crowd 
 in front of Adolph and was about to sit in his 
 chair, when he drew it back from the table, 
 and the intruder sat on the floor. After his 
 enemy's fall, Adolph hurriedly occupied the 
 chair. The fallen member rose to his feet, re- 
 mained standing for a moment at the table, 
 glared fiercely at the Margrave, then stepped 
 back to the wall, where he stood in wrath among 
 the unseated. The Margrave drew his chair 
 to the table beside Fritz Henry, saying: 
 
 1 1 Now, I '11 drink your beer. I may get very 
 drunk, but I'll do you this favor if I die for it." 
 
 "You're always ready to do any one a favor, 
 Margrave," responded Henry. "Your heart 
 is as kind as vour head is wise."
 
 180 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 "I thank you, my friend," said Adolph, 
 seizing Henry's hand and giving it a friendly 
 squeeze under the table. * ' Do you know, that is 
 the first disinterested bit of flattery I have ever 
 had from any one except my mother and the 
 princess." Adolph 's great face shone with the 
 luster of joy, and one of the gentlest, tenderest 
 hearts in all the world was overflowing. 
 
 Henry was rapidly learning to love the Mar- 
 grave, though the good fellow's grotesque face 
 and figure, his eccentricities of manner and 
 his propensity to drink beer all militated 
 against respect, making Adorph more to be 
 laughed at than revered. 
 
 Henry was about to answer when the king's 
 cane came down on the table with a terrific bang, 
 and all general conversation ceased until his 
 Majesty should see fit to set it going. Until 
 the Tabagians had become drunk, conversation 
 was directed to and by the king, but when 
 the honorable body had swallowed a sufficient 
 amount of beer to loosen its tongues, pande- 
 monium set it, and every man talked until 
 he was hoarse, or until he could talk no 
 more. Members often slept the night through 
 in their chairs or under the table, and the 
 king frequently required help in going to his 
 apartments.
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 181 
 
 When his Majesty began to smoke, pipes and 
 tobacco came down the line, and for a quarter 
 of an hour the Tabagians puffed in silence as if 
 they were trying to get up steam. The Crown 
 Prince sat at his father's left, sullenly doing 
 his best to smoke the intolerably strong 
 tobacco used by the king and his friends. 
 Grumkow was on his Majesty's right, and 
 Field Marshal Seckendorf was next to Prince 
 Fritz. The Margrave and Henry sat modestly 
 at the foot of the table, facing the king. 
 
 A silence, which for some reason seemed 
 ominous to Henry, accompanied the smoking of 
 the first pipe. The long whispered conversa- 
 tion that had taken place between the king, 
 Grumkow and Seckendorf seemed in some 
 mysterious way to have oozed into the stillness, 
 and the smoke that filled the room seemed to 
 float in threatening clouds laden with impend- 
 ing trouble. The affair of the night before, 
 when Henry and Fritz were returning from 
 Ritter's when the Crown Prince spoke of the 
 happiness that would ensue from his father's 
 death constantly intruded itself on Henry's 
 thoughts. The whispered consultation, the 
 ominous silence, the king's determination 
 earlier in the evening to have the Crown Prince 
 at The Tabagie, all pointed to serious trouble
 
 182 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 for the poor little prince. If the trouble should 
 prove to be the outgrowth of the encounter on 
 the way home from Bitter's, Henry might be 
 involved in the storm to come 
 
 The king smoked his first pipe, and when 
 it was finished called in thunderous tones: 
 "Tobacco!" His pipe was refilled, he puffed 
 violently for a moment, and said in rasping, 
 guttural tones: 
 
 4 'General Grumkow has a matter to lay be- 
 fore The Tabagie." 
 
 Grumkow rose to his feet, hung his head for 
 a moment as if in prayer, and said in slowly 
 spoken, measured words that seemed to come 
 from a heart of grief: 
 
 "Your Majesty and gentlemen of The 
 Tabagie: It is my painful duty to make a 
 charge of treason against the Crown Prince of 
 Prussia." 
 
 "Stand up!" cried the king, addressing his 
 son and striking the table with his cane. Fritz 
 rose and Grumkow continued: 
 
 "Last night his Eoyal Highness, after spend- 
 ing the evening in revel and debauch with dis- 
 reputable associates in the city, was returning 
 to the palace accompanied by an unknown man. 
 True and trusted agents of his Majesty followed 
 the two revelers and overheard the false son,
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 183 
 
 the traitorous prince, the treasonable soldier 
 express the wish that the king were dead, and 
 utter a diabolical intention to kill his Majesty. 
 He declared furthermore that our gracious 
 ruler, who is the wisest king in all the world, 
 whose wisdom has not been equaled by any 
 king since the days of Solomon, whose great- 
 ness has not been matched since Alexander, was 
 mad, insane and irresponsible, that he should 
 be killed, deposed and set aside, and that he, 
 the said false son, the traitorous prince, should 
 occupy the throne of his wise, gentle, just and 
 merciful father." 
 
 To illustrate his gentleness, Majesty rose to 
 his feet and struck at the Crown Prince with 
 the royal cane. Little Fritz stepped back, 
 avoiding the blow, which fell on the table. Had 
 it fallen on his head, there might have been no 
 need for further parley. Having missed his 
 aim, the king mercifully resumed his seat, glar- 
 ing about him and frothing at the mouth. When 
 quiet was restored, Grumkow proceeded : 
 
 "His Majesty, the most just of men, would 
 be justified in condemning the traitorous prince 
 without a hearing, but the kindest and most 
 indulgent of fathers, through me, now offers his 
 son an opportunity to defend himself." 
 
 When Grumkow sat down, the kindest of
 
 184 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 fathers rose, lifted Ms cane and started toward 
 the Crown Prince. Grumkow caught Majesty 
 by the arm, saying: 
 
 "I implore your Majesty, for my sake, for 
 the sake of the love I bear you, for the sake of 
 your friends, for the sake of your health, so 
 precious to your loving people, calm yourself, 
 calm, calm, calm!" 
 
 One might have thought that Grumkow was 
 a neat-herd, striving to quiet an angry bull. 
 
 The king allowed himself to be ''calmed", 
 and instead of striking the prince, struck the 
 table, at the same time screaming to his son : 
 
 "What have you to say, you you you ras- 
 cal? What have you you you blackguard 
 what have you to say?" 
 
 "Nothing," answered Fritz. 
 
 After waiting to give the prince time to 
 speak, Grumkow rose and continued his 
 harangue : 
 
 "It is as I supposed. The Crown Prince has 
 nothing to say nothing. I am inclined to be- 
 lieve that it is to the prince's honor that he can 
 say nothing in defense of his treasonable, un- 
 natural words, and now his Majesty wishes me 
 to ask these assembled friends for their help, 
 their counsel and their prayers. Speak plainly, 
 friends, I pray you. Speak without fear. If yon
 
 OF OLD BKANDENBURG 185 
 
 have aught to say in defense, in justification, 
 in palliation of the Crown Prince's conduct, say 
 it freely, plainly, truthfully, as I speak. If you 
 have aught to say against him, speak with like 
 candor. Your king needs and implores your 
 help in this his hour of trouble. Pray to God 
 for light that your advice may be true, that 
 your words may be words of wisdom, and that 
 your motives may be inspired from on high." 
 
 Grumkow again hung his head as if in prayer, 
 and took his seat. 
 
 Before any one else could rise, Fritz Henry 
 was on his feet. 
 
 "At what hour last night were the words 
 imputed to his Highness supposed to have been 
 uttered?" he asked. 
 
 No answer. Henry appealed directly to the 
 king: "Will your Majesty tell me at what hour 
 the Crown Prince is supposed to have uttered 
 the treasonable words charged by Baron 
 Grumkow?" 
 
 The expression of terror that had come to 
 the prince's face gave place to one of glad sur- 
 prise and gratitude. The king nodded to 
 Grumkow, and that worthy limb of Satan rose, 
 addressing his Majesty. 
 
 "The horrid words, your Majesty, were 
 uttered last night between the hours of nine and
 
 186 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 ten o'clock. The three men who heard them are 
 waiting in the anteroom to give their evidence. 
 The three worthy agents of your Majesty were 
 all grievously wounded by the Crown Prince 
 and his companion. Perhaps the companion 
 was this this captain of your Majesty's Grena- 
 diers." Turning to Henry, Grumkow continued 
 sneeringly: "What do you know about the 
 charge against the Crown Prince, and what 
 have you to say concerning it? Let your 
 remarks be brief, sir, and give place to your 
 elders." 
 
 "My remarks shall be brief, your Majesty ; 
 very brief," said Henry. "They will consist 
 of the simple statement that the charge against 
 the Crown Prince is false a lie from beginning 
 to end, manufactured out of whole cloth by 
 those who seek to ruin his Highness." 
 
 Grumkow sprang to his feet, shouting frantic 
 invectives against Fritz Henry, and instantly 
 a tremendous commotion arose in The Tabagie. 
 Grumkow 's face was black with rage; the little 
 minister was screaming at the top of his voice, 
 calling down God's wrath upon Henry's head. 
 The devoted tools of Grumkow were shouting, 
 cursing, clamoring and shaking their fists at 
 Henry, who stood calmly at the foot of the 
 table. After two or three minutes of tremen-
 
 be 
 
 rt 
 
 ,0
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBUEG 187 
 
 dous uproar, the king brought his cane down 
 on the table to command silence and spoke 
 directly to Henry: 
 
 "Proceed! Proceed! You're no fool! If you 
 say it is a lie, you have good reason for saying 
 so. Proceed, and if any man interrupts you, 
 he shall get my stick across his head." Then 
 he sat down, mumbling to himself: "He's not 
 afraid of the devil." 
 
 "My reason, your Majesty, is this," said 
 Henry. "I was with the Crown Prince all yes- 
 terday evening. I supped with him at six 
 o'clock, and 
 
 " And I, too, was with him," cried the Mar- 
 grave of Schwedt, springing to his feet, climb- 
 ing to his chair and thence to the table. "My 
 friend, the brave captain here, and I supped 
 with the Crown Prince, and remained with his 
 royal Highness in his room from supper time 
 until near the hour of nine, when we went to 
 the queen's parlor, where we remained till the 
 hour of eleven o'clock. Your Majesty was 
 there at nine o'clock and saw us. Your Majesty 
 needs no other evidence than your own memory 
 to clear the Crown Prince of this false charge. 
 My friend here is right. Who makes the charge 
 against the Crown Prince lies." 
 
 "I hope so," said the king, with a sigh.
 
 188 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 His Majesty rose, pointed Ms cane toward 
 Fritz Henry, and asked: "Do you vouch for 
 the truth of what the Margrave of Schwedt has 
 just said?" 
 
 Henry would not convict the Margrave of a 
 lie, even though it was a blessed one, so he 
 tried to find a way to confirm his statement, at 
 least in substance, without vouching for its 
 truth in detail. He had determined to tell the 
 exact truth about the visit to Bitter's, the re- 
 turn to the palace, and the attack from behind 
 the fence. He intended denying that the prince 
 had uttered the exact words with which he was 
 charged. He could have done so truthfully, 
 but he intended also to lie unhesitatingly if the 
 occasion demanded. 
 
 After the Margrave had uttered his elaborate 
 falsehood, Henry could not tell the real truth 
 of the situation without convicting Adolph. To 
 do so would fasten the charge more firmly on 
 the prince, and might involve Henry and the 
 Margrave in the difficulty The exact truth, 
 after all, was not so much a question of detail 
 as of main fact. Did the prince speak the 
 treasonable words as charged? He did not. 
 All these considerations quickly passed through 
 Fritz Henry's mind, and he answered the king: 
 
 "The Margrave speaks the truth. The
 
 OF OLD BBANDENBUBG 189 
 
 Crown Prince did not utter the treasonable 
 words, of which Baron Grumkow accuses him, 
 between the hours of six and eleven o'clock 
 last night, unless he did so in the queen's par- 
 lor between the hours of nine and eleven. Your 
 Majesty was there during that time and must 
 have seen the prince. I now declare that any 
 man who asserts that the prince spoke the 
 words with which he is charged, lies, and I am 
 willing to make good my words in court or with 
 my sword." 
 
 "I thank God for sending me a man who is 
 not afraid to speak his mind in plain, unvar- 
 nished words," growled the king. " A lie is a 
 lie wherever it is found, and it ought to be 
 called a lie Why mince the matter with deli- 
 cate words? Plain words suit me; plain- words 
 spoken plainly. This fellow would slap the 
 devil in the face. You hear, Grumkow, what 
 he and the Margrave say. They say it is a lie, 
 and that the man who asserts it lies. I remem- 
 ber seeing my son in the queen's parlor before 
 nine o'clock and after ten. What have you to 
 say?" 
 
 Grumkow rose and said with deep humility: 
 "I do not make the charge against the Crown 
 Prince, your Majesty. I state only what others 
 have told me. My informants may be wrong.
 
 190 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 They may have been mistaken when, in their 
 zeal for your Majesty, they supposed it was the 
 Crown Prince who uttered the treasonable 
 words. Doubtless they were mistaken. The 
 noble Margrave of Schwedt and and his friend 
 must be right. They could not easily be wrong. 
 Your Majesty could not possibly be wrong, and 
 I offer thanks to God that those who, through 
 their zeal for your Majesty, made this charge, 
 are wrong." 
 
 After a long hesitancy the king spoke, mum- 
 bling his words to the table: "But you would 
 have been more thankful if the Margrave and 
 his friend had not spoken." 
 
 Grumkow's favor was tottering. It had 
 tottered many times before, but he had always 
 saved it; he would doubtless be able to do so 
 again by frankly acknowledging his grave 
 error, by punishing the men who had "misled" 
 him, and by justifying his mistake on the 
 ground that it grew out of his great love and 
 his tender solicitude for Prussian Majesty. 
 
 When Grumkow sat down, the king rose from 
 his chair, walked around the table to where 
 Henry was standing, and embraced him. Turn- 
 ing, he paused for a moment, and said, as if 
 speaking to himself: "He's not afraid of the 
 devil! Ach, Gott! Not afraid of the devil V
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 191 
 
 That was the highest praise Frederick William 
 could bestow on any man. 
 
 Having delivered himself of these words, 
 Prussian Majesty hobbled back to his chair, 
 with tears in his eyes and rumblings in his 
 throat. When, after a great effort and a deal 
 of growling, Majesty was again seated, he 
 beckoned the Crown Prince to the chair on his 
 left, struck the table a blow with his cane, and 
 cried in thunderous tones: "Beer!" 
 
 The Crown Prince was very happy when he re- 
 sumed his seat beside his father, and he drank 
 the sour beer as if he liked it, though the greater 
 part of each stein went under the table. Beer 
 soon clarified the atmosphere, but The Tabagie 
 adjourned early that evening, and the Margrave 
 and Henry went to their rooms in the attic. 
 
 The Margrave stopped at Henry's room, sat 
 on the bed for a moment in silent meditation, 
 and then began to laugh softly. 
 
 "Ach, Gott, what a noise it made, and what 
 a lie it was large and black ! What a lie was 
 that we told!" 
 
 Henry was inclined to laugh at the Mar- 
 grave's use of the word "we", for the lie was 
 Adolph's sole and separate property, though 
 Henry had in a way adopted it by confirmation.
 
 192 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 "The Crown Prince and I were at Bitter's 
 last night," said Henry. 
 
 "Der Teufel!" exclaimed Adolph. "Then 
 Grumkow told the truth!" 
 
 * * No, he did not, ' ' said Henry, * ' for the Crown 
 Prince did not use the language charged by 
 Grumkow. But we did visit Bitter's yesterday 
 evening and were attacked on the way home. 
 If we wish to avoid trouble, the Bitter's should 
 be informed of what took place at The Tabagie, 
 so that they may not spoil our lie if Grumkow 
 questions them." 
 
 * * Bight ! You 're right ! ' ' exclaimed the Mar- 
 grave. "Let us go to Bitter's at once. To- 
 morrow may be too late." 
 
 "Can we pass the palace gates without the 
 word for the night ? ' ' asked Henry. 
 
 "There is a postern to which I have a key. 
 "We'll go and return that way," answered 
 Adolph. 
 
 Without further delay, Henry and the Mar- 
 grave went to Bitter's, awakened the good 
 friends, explained the situation, and received 
 assurances that Grumkow should learn nothing 
 from them. 
 
 When Henry reached his room, he opened the 
 door, entered in the dark and found a man 
 sitting in the window.
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 193 
 
 "What are you doing here?" demanded 
 Henry, grasping the hilt of his sword. 
 
 4 1 1 'm waiting to thank you, and to beg you to 
 forgive me," answered the man, who proved 
 to be the Crown Prince. "I am so humiliated 
 when I think of the manner in which I treated 
 you that I am almost ready to fall on my knees, 
 if necessary, to gain your pardon. My sister 
 and I doubted you because you have enjoyed 
 my father's favor and have fallen a victim to 
 Don't Care's wiles, but my doubt has vanished 
 for all time, and my sister's confidence will 
 return when I tell her of what you did for me 
 this evening. You saved my life." 
 
 "Surely your life was not in danger," said 
 Henry. 
 
 "It was," returned the prince. "Grumkow 
 and my father are eager to fasten the charge of 
 treason on me, and they thought they had it 
 until you spoiled their fine scheme." 
 
 "It was the Margrave who spoiled it," sug- 
 gested Henry. 
 
 "No, no, it was you," insisted the prince. 
 "No other man's word would have been taken 
 by the king. You seem to have thrown a spell 
 over him. Mina says it is the spell of a brave 
 heart." 
 
 If the little prince could have seen Henry's 
 
 18
 
 194 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 face, he might have learned an interesting fact 
 from the joy it showed when Wilhelmina's 
 name was mentioned. 
 
 "Why do you and the Princess Wilhelmina 
 believe I have fallen a victim to the wiles of the 
 Princess Charlotte?" asked Henry. 
 
 "Did you not meet her at the new fountain 
 in the west garden?" asked Fritz. 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "Why did you meet her at that secluded spot 
 if if " 
 
 "I can't explain," interrupted Henry. 
 
 After a moment's thought, the prince ex- 
 claimed : 
 
 "Ah! I understand; I understand. The Mar- 
 grave said she asked you to meet her, and of 
 course you could not refuse. You won't explain 
 at her expense. I wondered how you could 
 think twice of Don't Care when Wilhelmina 
 is smiling on you, as she certainly does." 
 Henry remained silent, though the prince's 
 words made him want to shout for joy. "But, 
 my friend," continued the prince, "let me warn 
 you. Mina's smiles are the most beautiful and 
 the most dangerous in the world. Her beauty, 
 with its veil of sadness, her intellect, her tender 
 heart, her fear of giving pain, and her yearning 
 to make every one happy have filled many a
 
 195 
 
 heart with the pain of love. She is not a 
 coquette, and I arn sure has never smiled on 
 any man to gain his love, but in some way 
 she seems to win it from all who come near 
 her." 
 
 "The Princess Charlotte told me as much," 
 answered Henry, hardly conscious of his words. 
 
 "Did she?" exclaimed the prince. "So? 
 Don't Care has begun her campaign against 
 Mina already?" 
 
 "I should say the Princess Charlotte had 
 paid her sister a great compliment," returned 
 Henry. 
 
 "I know the spirit in which the compliment 
 was paid, ' ' said the Crown Prince, ' ' and doubt- 
 less you, too, understood. But don't misunder- 
 stand Mina's smiles. She smiles on Adolph 
 because she pities him. She will probably be 
 his wife before many months. The thought 
 almost drives me mad, and the marriage, if 
 accomplished, will kill the fairest girl on earth." 
 
 ' ' It would be a crime, ' ' said Henry ; ' * and the 
 king will not permit it." 
 
 "He will compel it," returned Fritz. "The 
 poor girl will soon have to marry Frederick of 
 England, whom she loathes, the Margrave of 
 Schwedt, or the Duke of Weissenfels. The 
 Margrave is the least, by far the least, of these
 
 196 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 evils. If the duke falls to her lot, I believe it 
 will be my duty to kill him or her. The Mar- 
 grave seems to be her only hope, and if the king 
 learns of Adolph's blessed lie, my sister will 
 soon become the Duchess of Weissenfels." 
 
 The prince again thanked Henry, and left 
 him with material for thought that would last 
 till morning. 
 
 When Henry lay down that night, the pano- 
 rama of the last few weeks passed before his 
 mind. He recalled his first meeting with the 
 Margrave of Schwedt at the country inn, re- 
 membering vividly how absurd Adolph's pre- 
 tensions had then appeared. As the past 
 merged into the present, he thought of his own 
 great change of heart toward the Margrave, 
 and viewed with fear almost with consterna- 
 tion his altered feeling toward the princess. 
 At the inn Henry had despised Adolph ; now he 
 loved him. At the inn Wilhelmina was but a 
 name to the Hereditary Prince of Bayreuth; 
 now, after the lapse of a few short weeks, she 
 had become everything. 
 
 Henry knew that the timely help he had given 
 the Crown Prince would touch Wilhelmina 's 
 heart, and would give a lasting quality to her 
 faith. He also felt and feared that it might 
 win for him her love, in which case his own
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 197 
 
 heart would be filled with a burden of unhappi- 
 ness that would last him all his days. 
 
 Henry could not forget the Margrave's part 
 in the affair, and knew that Adolph's lie would 
 hang like a halo about the poor fellow's head, 
 and glorify him in Mina's eyes. The evening's 
 work might intensify Wilhelmina's love for 
 Henry, but it would also make it much easier 
 for the king to bend her to his will when the 
 order should go forth for her to become the 
 Margravine of Schwedt. 
 
 Taking it all in all, the last few weeks of 
 Henry's life had developed good cause for 
 unhappiness, and he knew that his only safety 
 lay in retreat from Berlin.
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 TOO MANY PRINCESSES 
 
 THE following day Adolph handed Henry a 
 letter. The only signature was * ' Your Friend, ' ' 
 but Henry knew at once that it was from the 
 Princess Wilhelmina. It said: "I thank you. 
 Your words yesterday evening sank deep into 
 my heart. I shall never forget them, even for 
 one moment. Your Friend." 
 
 Henry read the brief note over and over, for- 
 getting, for the time, the Margrave who stood 
 beside him ; forgetting everything but the letter 
 before him. The words the princess referred 
 to in her note were those Henry had spoken to 
 her. The meaning was so luminous to him that 
 he drew the paper away hastily when the Mar- 
 grave attempted to read it. 
 
 1 ' Forgive me, ' ' said Adolph, when his inspec- 
 tion of the note was interrupted. "I did not 
 realize what I was doing. She never wrote a 
 line to me, and do you know, I am almost 
 jealous of you." 
 
 Poor Adolph 's face plainly showed his dis- 
 tress, so Henry hastened to relieve him by 
 saying : 
 
 188
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 199 
 
 "You need not be jealous. The princess 
 simply thanks me for my words in her brother's 
 behalf yesterday evening." 
 
 Henry handed over the note, and Adolph, 
 putting on his immense spectacles, read it. 
 
 "That is about what she said to me," re- 
 marked the Margrave, sighing and smiling. * ' I 
 wish she had written it to me. Let me keep the 
 note. It is not addressed to you. I will make 
 myself believe it was written to me, and how 
 happy I shall be. I'll kiss it every hour in the 
 day." 
 
 Henry regretted to part with the note, for it 
 would make him happy, too, but if she had used 
 the language of the note to the Margrave, the 
 "words" referred to might be those uttered by 
 Henry on behalf of Fritz at The Tabagie. 
 Henry was beginning to doubt the meaning of 
 the note, and soon convinced himself that his 
 first construction could not be the right one. 
 He did not want the Margrave to know that he 
 greatly valued the note, so he said : 
 
 "Keep it, Margrave." 
 
 Adolph tried to kiss Henry's cheek, but could 
 not reach it by ten or twelve inches, so he kissed 
 a button of his coat, and said : 
 
 "You save my life. Once more am I happy. 
 No longer am I jealous. I thought for a mo-
 
 200 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 ment that you had fallen in love with her, but 
 now I know I was wrong. To lose her and to 
 lose my friend both in one moment would have 
 broken my heart." 
 
 Henry's conscience smote him when he con- 
 sidered the truth of the Margrave's suspicions 
 and the steadfastness of Ms affection. 
 
 "You have not lost your friend, Margrave, I 
 assure you," said Henry. 
 
 "No," returned Adolph, "but I wish I could 
 exchange my rank and title for for you, your- 
 self." 
 
 "Then you would never win the princess," 
 answered Henry, laughing. 
 
 "That is true, true," returned Adolph, sigh- 
 ing. After a moment's reverie, he declared: "I 
 am going to win not only her, but her love, too. 
 I told you I should when I first met you at the 
 inn. I thought then I loved the princess, but, 
 lieber Himmel, my friend, I did not know the 
 meaning of the word! Now I know it all too 
 well, and I do believe I shall die if I fail." 
 
 "You said you would not marry her against 
 her will if she did not love you," suggested 
 Henry. 
 
 "Yes, and I meant it at the time," returned 
 Adolph, sighing and rubbing his face with the 
 great red handkerchief. "I would mean it
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBUBG 201 
 
 now, too, if my sacrifice would save her, but 
 listen, friend, listen. She had better marry me 
 than to be cursed all her life long with Weissen- 
 fels. I am, you see, the less of two evils. I 
 am, in fact, the least of all the evils that beset 
 the princess. Ach, Gott!" he continued, laugh- 
 ing and shaking his head in profound dis- 
 gust. "There's an honor; there's a privilege; 
 there's a glory for you. To be the least of all 
 evils! Who could ask more? I have always 
 thought that man's ambition should prompt 
 him to be great, even though he can be only a 
 great evil like Grumkow or Weissenfels, but 
 here am I, so fallen and so degraded, so 
 humbled by love that I am content, aye, even 
 delighted, to be the least of all evils. What a 
 very Publican am I ! " 
 
 Again Adolph paused in reverie, holding his 
 handkerchief half way to his face. He breathed 
 a sigh and continued his speech, which had be- 
 come almost a soliloquy: 
 
 "Is it worth while, this life we all so strive 
 to live? Did God really do us a kindness by 
 placing us here, and when we pray to live, 
 should we not rather say with the priests : l Thy 
 will be done,' and the quicker, the better. Is 
 death, after all, an evil, or is it the greatest 
 blessing that can come to us, and are we con-
 
 202 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 stantly running from it to our own undoing? 
 Ach, Gott! I don't know and I don't care. But 
 this I do know, that poor, suffering humanity 
 would have missed an infinite deal of pain, 
 trouble and degradation if the Creator had 
 seen fit to leave love out of our hearts and 
 imagination out of our brains. But I have the 
 proud distinction of being the least of all evils, 
 and even if the princess does not love me, it is 
 clearly my duty to marry her, and save her from 
 the worst of all evils. I have said much." 
 
 "Will the king force her to marry Weissen- 
 fels if you refuse her hand?" asked Henry. 
 
 "The king is determined to have both his 
 daughters married very soon," answered 
 Adolph. "I am sure the English marriage is 
 broken off forever. Nothing that the queen can 
 do will change his Majesty's purpose. The 
 official notice of withdrawal will be sent this 
 week, and the princess will be given her choice 
 of husbands; but the choice will lie between 
 Weissenfels and me." 
 
 The Margrave turned appealingly to Henry : 
 "Tell me, friend, what shall I do? Shall I 
 refuse the beautiful princess because I fear she 
 will be unhappy with me, and thus allow her to 
 fall to the lot of Weissenfels, with whom life 
 would be a torture ; or shall I accept her, even
 
 OF OLD BKANDENBUEG 203 
 
 though she come to me reluctantly, and devote 
 my life to making her happy, at least, to soft- 
 ening her wretchedness? I know that reasons 
 to justify the pursuit of one's great desire come 
 swiftly and in legions, as the wild pigeons fly 
 north in spring-time, but tell me, friend, you, 
 whose logic is not spurred by deep yearning, 
 tell me, am I right? What shall I do? I seek 
 only this woman's happiness. As for myself, 
 it matters not. Wretchedness or happiness, 
 life or death ; I tell you, they are one to me if I 
 can bring happiness to the woman I love." 
 
 The Margrave placed his hands on Henry *s 
 knees, looked wistfully into his face, and after 
 a long pause, continued : 
 
 "Put my love out of the question. I am will- 
 ing to die for her or to live for her. I ask you 
 to tell me which I shall do." 
 
 "Only God knows, my noble Adolph," an- 
 swered Henry. "If Weissenfels is her alter- 
 native, you must marry her." 
 
 "I agree with you," returned Adolph, sor- 
 rowfully. "I have pondered much the ques- 
 tion. I have even prayed; yes, I, who do not 
 believe in prayer, have prayed, and have come 
 to this conclusion : I agree with you. Poor girl 
 and and, lieber Himmel, poor me!"
 
 204 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 "Noble you!" said Henry, taking the Mar- 
 grave's hand. 
 
 "Don't, don't," pleaded Adolph, snatching 
 his hand from Henry's grasp. "Don't speak 
 to me so, or I '11 cry like a woman, like a baby. ' ' 
 
 Henry was deeply affected, and wishing to 
 change the subject to one that would be indif- 
 ferent to them both, asked : 
 
 "You say the king has determined to have 
 both his daughters married. Whom has he 
 chosen for the Princess Charlotte?" 
 
 "Ach, my friend, now I may be sorry for 
 you. You have, I fear, learned to love the little 
 princess ? ' ' 
 
 "I am happy to say that your fear is ground- 
 less, and that I do not stand in need of your 
 sympathy," answered Henry. 
 
 "Of course, you would deny it," returned 
 the Margrave, winking knowingly at his friend. 
 
 "I might deny it even if true," said Henry, 
 "but it is not true. I assure you the Princess 
 Charlotte is nothing to me, nor do I care whom 
 she weds. I am simply curious to know who 
 has been chosen for her husband. It is a mat- 
 ter of indifference to me." 
 
 "No one has been definitely selected," re- 
 turned Adolph, "but I heard the queen say she 
 would be content with one the king has men-
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 205 
 
 tioned; one with whom the Princess Charlotte 
 seems delighted the Hereditary Prince of 
 Bayreuth." 
 
 Henry was so startled that he sprang from 
 his chair. The new topic was less indifferent to 
 him than he had supposed it would be. In- 
 deed, it was so intensely interesting that he 
 could not for a moment grasp the thought. The 
 offer of the Princess Charlotte's hand to the 
 Hereditary Prince, if made, would have to be 
 accepted. Henry's life was becoming complex, 
 but the last evil that threatened, if it came to 
 pass, would effectually solve all problems and 
 reduce all complications to a painful condition 
 of simplicity. 
 
 "When, where and how, in God's name, did 
 the scheme of marriage with the Prince of Bay- 
 reuth originate?" asked Henry, resuming his 
 chair and trying to speak calmly. 
 
 "I believe it was suggested a week ago by the 
 Princess Charlotte herself," answered Adolph. 
 "The king told her he intended to have her 
 married soon, and she was very much pleased. 
 'Oh, do find me a husband!' she cried delight- 
 edly. t There is the Hereditary Prince of Bay- 
 reuth, who, I have heard, is a large man and 
 very handsome.' 'The very man! What says 
 Feekin?' asked the king, turning to his wife.
 
 206 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 The queen, for once in her life, agreed with her 
 husband, and after discussing the question for 
 a few minutes, it was settled among them in a 
 way. Don't Care is much more stubborn and 
 willful than her sister, and her father knows 
 that he might kill her, but he could not force her 
 to marry against her will. Even the king is 
 powerless when Don't Care says 'I won't', and 
 he is practically helpless when she says 'I will'. 
 Therefore, in choosing a husband, their Majes- 
 ties will consult her, for her consent will be 
 necessary. " 
 
 "Have negotiations been opened!" asked 
 Henry, anxiously. 
 
 "I think not," replied Adolph. "Negotia- 
 tions of that nature usually are born and dis- 
 cussed in The Tabagie. There was no mention 
 of it last night, as you know. The Princess 
 Charlotte is not yet seventeen, and perhaps the 
 king is not in so great a hurry to marry her off 
 as he imagines he is. The thought has got into 
 her head, however, and probably she will bring 
 the marriage about, as she seems to have heard 
 that the Hereditary Prince is a rare fine fellow. 
 I understand that he is very poor, very long, 
 very lean and very stur>id dull and heavy in 
 the head, you understand." 
 
 Henrv nodded to intimate that he understood,
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 207 
 
 and the Margrave continued: "If the princess 
 learns that the Hereditary Prince is a disagree- 
 able person and a fool, all negotiations will be 
 broken off, for a thousand Frederick Williams 
 could not force that little mite of a girl into a 
 marriage that did not suit her. When she 
 learns the truth, Bayreuth will be mentioned 
 no more in Berlin Palace." 
 
 "I wish the Princess Wilhelmina had a dash 
 of her willfulness," said Henry. 
 
 "Ach, yes," returned Adolph, sighing, "but 
 if she had, she would not be Wilhelmina. 
 When she refuses to obey, she brings her 
 father's heavy hand not only on herself, but on 
 her brother and her friends. She must obey 
 or others will suffer. If she alone were con- 
 cerned, I imagine you would find her strong 
 enough to take care of herself. Her love for 
 her brother Fritz and her devotion to her 
 friends are the old king's weapons against her, 
 and Mina must obey she must obey." 
 
 After the Margrave left, Henry locked the 
 door of his room and lay down on the bed 
 to think it all out. The Margrave's suggestion 
 concerning the personality of the Prince of 
 Bayreuth had given him a valuable hint, and 
 after an hour's meditation, he formulated at 
 least one plan which he hoped would prevent the
 
 208 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 offer of Don't Care's hand. He had another 
 in reserve if the first plan failed. 
 
 The fates seemed to be as perverse in threat- 
 ening to force upon Henry the princesses he 
 did not want as they were cruel in withholding 
 the one he wanted. One advantage only lay 
 with the first-named difficulty; he could run 
 away from it. The second seemed impossible 
 to surmount. 
 
 After carefully thinking over his plans, 
 Henry rose, dressed for parade, and hurried to 
 the barracks. The regiment was brought out, 
 and he was soon in the midst of military 
 maneuvers. 
 
 The day was pleasant and many ladies in 
 carriages were watching the drill. In one of 
 the carriages were the queen and the Princesses 
 Wilhelmina and Charlotte. 
 
 When Henry's duties were finished, he rode 
 near the royal carriage and was greeted form- 
 ally by the queen, kindly by Wilhelmina, and 
 effusively by Don't Care. 
 
 "Oh, stop by our carriage," cried the little 
 princess. 
 
 Henry dismounted, moved a few steps nearer, 
 lifted his chapeau, and asked : 
 
 1 'Have I her Majesty's permission?" 
 
 The queen nodded consent, and Henry, with
 
 OF OLD BEANDENBUEG 209 
 
 Ms bridle rein over his arm, stood uncovered 
 by the carriage while Don't Care chatted, chat- 
 tered, smiled and dimpled entertainingly. 
 
 Presently she said: "Perhaps I am to be 
 married." She threw back her head and 
 laughed as if it were a huge joke. 
 
 "Is that true?" asked Henry. "I congratu- 
 late your Highness. Has the fortunate man's 
 name been announced?" 
 
 "Oh, yes," cried the princess. "He is the 
 Hereditary Prince of Bayreuth." 
 
 Henry wondered if the little princess sus- 
 pected that he was the Hereditary Prince of 
 Bayreuth. The thought was so full of trouble 
 that he was hardly conscious of what he said 
 when he asked : 
 
 "Is it definitely settled?" 
 
 "Oh, yes," responded Don't Care, laughing 
 and shrugging her shoulders; "I am delighted, 
 and no one else need be considered unless it be 
 the prince. Of course, he, too, will be delighted. 
 But in this case the fates seem propitious, for 
 the king and the queen also are pleased. It is 
 a marvel of marvels that they agree. Yes, it is 
 all arranged, or will be very soon." 
 
 The last clause brought a sigh of relief from 
 Henry's lips, so audible that Don't Care heard 
 it and accepted it as a tribute to her charms. 
 
 14
 
 210 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 "Are you not jealous of the prince? I am 
 anxious to see him. I have heard that he is a 
 fine, large, handsome man. Some one said that 
 he is stupid, but if he is big and handsome, I'll 
 be satisfied. I hope to see him soon." 
 
 "Perhaps you will change your mind when 
 you see him," suggested Henry, taking the first 
 step in his plan of self-defense. 
 
 "Ah, do you know him tell me, do you 
 know him?" asked Don't Care, eagerly. 
 
 "I have often seen him, and know him 
 slightly, as a man of my rank may know one of 
 his exalted station," answered Henry. 
 
 "Yes, yes, tell me," pleaded Don't Care. 
 
 "He is large," answered Henry, "but the 
 Duke of "Weissenfels, whom he resembles, is an 
 Apollo compared to him." 
 
 At that moment the king arrived ; Henry be- 
 came silent, and presently took his leave. 
 
 Soon after leaving the queen's carriage, 
 Henry met Grumkow, and that interesting vil- 
 lain favored him with a view of his back. 
 Henry mentioned the fact a few minutes later 
 to the Crown Prince, who said : 
 
 "I was sure that Grumkow would resent 
 your language at The Tabagie. He had a fine 
 scheme concocted to behead me, but you spoiled
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 211 
 
 it. He never forgets nor forgives, and I fear 
 you are in danger." 
 
 "I agree with you, but I see no way to avert 
 trouble unless I choke Grumkow or run away," 
 answered Henry, laughing. 
 
 "Nor do I," responded Fritz. "I am glad 
 you find the situation amusing, and am more 
 than pleased that you can laugh at it. I don't 
 just see how you are going to strangle Grum- 
 kow, but if I were you, 'run away' would be the 
 word. You must take your chances, and des- 
 perate they are, if you remain in Berlin. You 
 have said that if you wish to leave, you may 
 do so, and that you have nothing to gain by 
 remaining. Take my advice ; go. Why do you 
 remain? I hope you have not fallen under the 
 spell of Mina's eyes and smile." 
 
 "I, too, hope not," interrupted Henry, 
 smiling. 
 
 "You are different from other men who 
 have approached her, and your appeal might be 
 stronger than any she has ever felt; but, my 
 dear captain, remember that she is not for you, 
 and that sentiment between you and her would 
 be worse than wasted. You, perhaps, have not 
 yet felt the full force of her charm. Leave be- 
 fore you do, for in all the world there is no
 
 212 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 woman so gentle, beautiful and strong as my 
 sister Wilhelmina, nor so dangerous." 
 
 "I know the truth of all you say," returned 
 Henry, ' ' and I hope I am not so great a fool as 
 to forget it." 
 
 Fine, strong words were those in Henry's 
 mouth, but they were only words.
 
 CHAPTER Xin 
 
 MINE ADVERSARY WRITES A LETTER 
 
 THREE or four evenings after the incident of 
 the parade ground, Henry was talking to Don't 
 Care in the Mirrored Chamber, where the queen 
 was giving a ball. The little princess had 
 found no opportunity early in the evening to 
 speak privately with him, having been sur- 
 rounded by a swarm of admirers, but when he 
 came up to claim a cotillion, she whispered 
 hurriedly : 
 
 "Meet me again at the new fountain early 
 to-morrow morning. I want to see you. I have 
 news of great importance. Grumkow hates 
 you. Beware of him. I also want you to tell 
 me of the Prince of Bayreuth. If he is hideous, 
 I will have none of him. If he were like you, 
 he should never get away from me. Why were 
 you not born a prince?" 
 
 "When I see your Highness looking so beau- 
 tiful, and when you speak to me so graciously, 
 I do wish I had been born a prince, although I 
 have no other reason for desiring it. The life 
 of a prince is not all sunshine. I shall be at 
 
 213
 
 214 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 the new fountain Very early to-morrow morn- 
 ing." 
 
 "Ah," whispered Don't Care, laughing 
 softly, and shrugging her shoulders in the belief 
 that her charms had at last driven caution from 
 Fritz Henry's breast, and had captured his 
 heart for her own uses and purposes. The 
 small princess was convinced that her charms 
 were omnipotent, and her surprise was not that 
 Henry had yielded to them, but that he had not 
 surrendered at the first onslaught. 
 
 The prospect of the second meeting at the 
 fountain was as welcome to Henry as the first 
 had been repugnant. It would give him an 
 opportunity to set in operation his plan, and 
 to hear Don't Care's warning against Grum- 
 kow, which he felt sure was one to be heeded. 
 
 Soon after the interview with Don't Care, 
 Henry had the great happiness of dancing a 
 cotillion with "Wilhelmina, and, in the brief 
 rests, the greater happiness of exchanging a 
 few words with her. 
 
 When the opportunity came, she said: "In 
 my note, I fear, I did not tell you of my grati- 
 tude for the service you rendered my brother 
 at The Tabagie. I have heard none of the 
 particulars except that Grumkow charged the 
 prince with having spoken treason against
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 215 
 
 the king, and that you told Grumkow he 
 lied. Oh, it must have been grand! I wish 
 I could have seen you. The king is always 
 saying that you do not fear the devil, and 
 I believe he is right, for Grumkow surely is 
 Satan incarnate. Sonnsfeld tells me that you 
 said you had been with the prince in his room 
 all the evening, and that my brother did not 
 use the treasonable words of which Grumkow 
 accused him." 
 
 "The Margrave and I made a combined state- 
 ment, regardless of truth," answered Henry, 
 who supposed the princess knew that their 
 evidence had been furnished to meet the needs 
 of the occasion. Wilhelmina's eyes opened in 
 wonder, and she groped about for a moment, 
 seeking an explanation. Suddenly her face 
 lighted beautifully ; her eyes took on a softened 
 luster, and she said under her breath : 
 
 "Then you told a a falsehood for my 
 brother's sake." 
 
 "For your sake," interrupted Henry. 
 
 Mina glanced quickly at Henry's face, looked 
 as quickly to the floor, and answered : 
 
 "It was a blessed lie. I did not know how 
 great my debt was. I don't know yet. I can't 
 measure it. I can only feel that I thank you. 
 I do thank you, for I believe you saved my
 
 216 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 brother's life. How came you to think of it so 
 quickly?" 
 
 "The Margrave first uttered the black lie," 
 said Henry, laughing softly, "and I confirmed 
 it." 
 
 "No, no," protested the princess. "My 
 brother told Kate that you sprang to your feet 
 before any one else had an opportunity to 
 speak, and denounced Grumkow's statement as 
 a lie. How grand you must have looked! 
 Fritz said he would give his right to the 
 crown to be as tall and to look as grand as 
 you when you bearded Grumkow and my father 
 in their den, and defied them for the sake of one 
 who had not always treated you kindly." 
 
 The princess blushed before she had finished 
 speaking, for her enthusiasm had run away 
 with her tongue. Her eyes, too, said a great 
 deal more than she had intended they should 
 a great deal that filled Henry's heart with joy. 
 He had, however, too much good sense to pre- 
 sume on the girl's hasty words and unguarded 
 glances, so after a long pause, he said: 
 
 "I supposed you knew all that was done 
 and said at The Tabagie. In your kind note, 
 you said my words had sunk deep into your 
 heart. Therfore I thought you knew." 
 
 Henry was angling, though his hook and bait
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBUBG 217 
 
 were cunningly concealed. He accomplished 
 his purpose, for the beautiful girl looked up at 
 his face, instantly dropped her eyes before his 
 gaze, hesitated for a moment, and said in clear, 
 soft tones: 
 
 "I did not mean the words you spoke at The 
 Tabagie. ' ' 
 
 Henry's heart was filled with ecstasy, but he 
 restrained himself and said only: 
 
 "I dare not try to speak my gratitude, but 
 you must know." 
 
 "Yes," said the girl, softly. "My greatest 
 grief is that I ever doubted you." 
 
 They stood in silence for a moment, and were 
 glad when the dancing was resumed, for they 
 could not trust themselves to speak again. 
 
 When the figure was finished, the queen rose 
 and the ball closed, much to the relief of Mina 
 and Henry, who wanted to be alone to indulge 
 in the sweet memories of the evening. 
 
 Henry's joy was almost pain. To have 
 won the girl's love with no possibility of pos- 
 sessing her was like gazing hopelessly into 
 paradise from the other place. He found no 
 relief in calling himself a fool for having re- 
 mained in Berlin, for after all was said, he 
 was still willing to remain, and to suffer any 
 evil if he could be of help to the princess.
 
 218 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 How lie could help her, he did not know, 
 but the mere chance was sufficient to make 
 pain for her sake a joy. In any case, the 
 mischief, as far as he was concerned, was done. 
 The princess had taken her place in his heart, 
 there to remain, and he could not relieve him- 
 self of the burden by trying to run away from 
 it. He could not help thinking of the Mar- 
 grave's love, and pity for Adolph added pain 
 to a stricken conscience whenever thoughts of 
 the simple, kindly soul thrust themselves for- 
 ward and would not be put down. 
 
 Henry revolted against meeting Don't Care 
 in the morning, but he could not afford to lose 
 the opportunity to thwart the king's scheme of 
 marriage with Bayreuth, and dared not fail to 
 learn Don't Care's news of Grumkow, which he 
 believed would come directly from Ramen, who 
 was Grumkow 's sweetheart. Henry's position 
 was unique. On the one hand was the girl he 
 loved but could not marry; and on the other 
 hand was one he despised, but would be com- 
 pelled to accept if he did not succeed in defeat- 
 ing the king's purposes. 
 
 By cajolery or storm, the Princess Charlotte 
 had always had her way with the king. She 
 was the only person who enjoyed that unique 
 privilege, and Henry felt that the Prince of
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 219 
 
 Bayreuth would be safe, at least for a time, if 
 Captain Churchill could capture her fancy by 
 a negative mode of wooing, part flattery, part 
 pretended fear and part indifference. That 
 which Don't Care could not possess was the 
 thing she ardently longed for. The man whom 
 she could not bring to her feet would soon have 
 her at his feet, Henry felt sure. Her love 
 might be a dangerous thing to possess, but it 
 was safer to try for it than to allow negotia- 
 tions to be opened with Bayreuth. Henry's 
 only hope of escape from Don't Care was to 
 prevent the offer of her hand, and one of his 
 plans to bring about that end was to win her 
 wayward fancy as the Handsome Captain. 
 
 His first plan seemed feasible when Don't 
 Care said she would not marry the Hereditary 
 Prince of Bayreuth if he was not handsome and 
 agreeable. But Henry determined to try both 
 plans next morning. Having settled the ques- 
 tion, he tried to go to sleep, and after a weary 
 time, succeeded. 
 
 Mina, too, went to her own room, and while 
 Sonnsfeld was busy with preparations for the 
 night, suddenly covered her face with her hands 
 and broke forth in tears. 
 
 "What is the trouble, liebling?" asked the
 
 220 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 maid, tenderly kissing her mistress. "Tell me 
 why you are so unhappy. ' ' 
 
 "I am not unhappy, Kate," answered the 
 girl, trying to check her tears. "That is, I am 
 both happy and unhappy. Never in all my life 
 have I been so happy, and never have I been so 
 miserable, so hopeless. Oh, Kate, for the first 
 time in my life, I want to die ! I want to die ! ' ' 
 
 "Is it the Handsome Captain, Mina?" asked 
 Kate. 
 
 "Yes," sobbed the girl. "At last, I told 
 him. I could remain silent no longer. With 
 me it was both the torrent and the tide. ' ' 
 
 "Ah, Mina," exclaimed Sonnsfeld, taking 
 the girl in her arms. 
 
 "Yes," returned the princess, sobbing. "I 
 could not help telling him; that is, I could not 
 help speaking so plainly that he could not mis- 
 understand. He did not ask me to speak. He 
 told me long ago, and said that he asked no 
 return, not even one kind word." 
 
 "It is a rare lover, Mina, that asks only the 
 privilege of giving, ' ' said Kate. ' ' But usually, 
 in the end he receives as much as he gives. 
 Nothing brings so great a reward as unselfish 
 love." 
 
 Mina was silent for a moment, then resting 
 her head on Sonnsf eld's breast, whispered:
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBUBG 221 
 
 "I could not hold out against him when he 
 gave so much to my brother and to me, and 
 asked nothing in return; it would have been 
 selfish. So I gave him all I have to give my 
 love, and and I am glad glad. Before this 
 came to me I was unhappy when my father 
 spoke of marriage, but now the double torture 
 of losing the man I love and of marrying the 
 one I cannot love, and at times almost loathe, 
 will kill me, I fear." 
 
 "The English treaty, I hear, is to be abro- 
 gated, ' ' said Kate, * ' and you will be freed from 
 the fear of marriage, at least, for a time." 
 
 "No, I shall not be free," returned the prin- 
 cess. "The English marriage will be aban- 
 doned, but Eamen told the queen this morning 
 that Grumkow said I should be ordered to 
 choose at once between the Margrave of 
 Schwedt and the Duke of Weissenfels." 
 
 "God is good, and He will not permit that 
 great crime to be perpetrated. Do not fear. 
 He will open a door of escape," said Kate. 
 
 "I hope He will," answered Mina, "but He 
 seems to have forgotten me. Wherein can I 
 have sinned so grievously that I deserve my 
 unhappy lot?" 
 
 "You have not sinned, liebling," returned 
 Sonnsfeld, kissing Mina's cheek.
 
 222 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 "I must have sinned/' sobbed Mina, "for in 
 all the world, I am the most unhappy woman." 
 
 " Ach, liebling, it is our lot our lot," said 
 Kate, tears falling gently over her cheeks. "I 
 never see a girl baby that I do not pity the poor 
 little human mite, and wonder in which of a 
 thousand forms unhappiness will come to her. 
 We pay a frightful price for our womanhood, 
 but God is good. He knows best and His will 
 be done." 
 
 The next morning when Henry awakened, he 
 was anxious to see Don't Care, and though he 
 was early at the fountain, he found the beau- 
 tiful little princess waiting for him. 
 
 "You see how shamefully eager I am," she 
 said, holding out her hands to him. 
 
 Henry kissed the tips of her fingers most 
 formally. 
 
 "Ach, not my hands, man, not my hands!" 
 she cried, laughing and stepping close to him. 
 But he failed to understand the invitation, and 
 replied : 
 
 "I see how gracious and how condescending 
 your Highness is in granting me this interview. 
 I can hardly bring myself to believe that the 
 beautiful Princess Charlotte has so greatly 
 honored me. If I did not know my danger, I
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 223 
 
 should indeed be in peril of a broken heart, but 
 forewarned is forearmed, and your Highness 
 need not fear that I shall lose my head." 
 
 "Oh, but I want you to lose not only your 
 head, but your " She touched his breast over 
 his heart, and smiled invitingly. 
 
 4 'My heart may be beyond my control," 
 answered Henry, laughing nervously. (The 
 nervousness was, of course, assumed.) "But 
 unless I also lose my head, my heart's secret, if 
 there should be one, shall remain safe under 
 lock and key, and would not dare intrude itself 
 upon a gracious princess." 
 
 1 ' Your prudence and caution anger me, ' ' said 
 Don't Care, pettishly, "and I half believe they 
 are affected." 
 
 "In that case, I must ask your Highness 's 
 permission to take my leave, ' ' said Henry, bow- 
 ing and taking a step backward. 
 
 "You surely are the most exasperating of 
 men," cried Don't Care, pouting and turning 
 her back on Henry. 
 
 "Of all things, I should most regret to 
 exasperate your Highness. Therefore, I had 
 better go. If I had been wise, I should not 
 have come." 
 
 Thus adroitly leading the princess, yet ever 
 retreating from her, Henry held the situation
 
 224 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 in hand until he found an opportunity to intro- 
 duce the name of the Hereditary Prince of 
 Bayreuth. 
 
 "Oh, tell me all about him," demanded Don't 
 Care. "Is he handsome!" 
 
 "I must not speak of your future husband un- 
 less I can speak flatteringly," responded Henry. 
 
 "Yes, yes, you shall! You shall!" she cried, 
 stamping her foot impatiently and pouting ex- 
 quisitely. * * Tell me, I command you ! Is he a 
 handsome man?" 
 
 "Far from it. He is very tall and was 
 very thin when I knew him some years ago. 
 He resembles the Duke of Weissenfels much, 
 as the Margrave would say." 
 
 "Ach, Gott, I'll have none of him!" cried the 
 little princess. "Tell me more about him. Is 
 he strong?" 
 
 1 1 1 believe he is not, ' ' answered Henry. ' ' He 
 is very tall but his health is poor, and I have 
 been told that his breath is nauseating. His 
 teeth are very bad, and one of his eyes rolls 
 about in his head, independent of the other. 
 But I hear he is very honest, kind of heart, and 
 very pious." 
 
 "Himmel, that is all that's needed!" cried 
 the little princess, averting her face, and hold- 
 ing up her hands as if warding off an evil.
 
 OF OLD BEANDENBUKG 225 
 
 "That is all that is needed. I might have 
 endured his other defects, but the pious man is 
 like the mosquito ; his buzz, buzz, buzz is varied 
 only by an irritating sting when the opportunity 
 conies. No pious husband for me a Turk first, 
 please. When ostentatious piety takes posses- 
 sion of a man, it supplants all other virtues and 
 stimulates all other vices. I'll have none of 
 our friend of Bayreuth, and I'll tell my father 
 and Grumkow as much this day." 
 
 She moved closer to Henry and continued: 
 "Now I'll tell you my news. Grumkow is your 
 enemy and seeks to destroy you. Eamen says 
 you offended him at The Tabagie. There was 
 some trouble about Fritz." 
 
 "Yes, yes, I know," said Henry. "Please 
 tell me all you have heard, and your Highness 
 may be sure I shall be grateful." 
 
 The little princess, leaning affectionately 
 against Henry, continued her story: 
 
 "Grumkow wrote a letter to his lady-love, 
 Ramen, and I accidentally found it. There is 
 nothing like a letter as a weapon of offense and 
 defense. Some one in the Bible said : ' Oh, that 
 mine adversary had written a book !' or a letter, 
 or something. He was wise. I have the letter ; 
 your enemy has written it, and it tells the whole 
 
 15
 
 226 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 story. But you must promise to tell no one 
 that I showed it to you. ' ' 
 
 "I promise. " 
 
 "Well, here it is," said Don't Care, unhook- 
 ing her bodice and bringing forth the letter 
 from her corsage. 
 
 Henry read to himself as follows : 
 
 "Dear Mistress: You doubtless have heard 
 ere this of the manner in which the king's new 
 favorite, a low-bred fellow, offered me insult at 
 The Tabagie, and thwarted my plan to entrap 
 the Little One. Old Stumpy was ready to act. 
 Seckendorf and I had worked the crazy old fool 
 almost to the point of frenzy. He swallowed 
 our story, which I believe was almost if not 
 quite true, hook and bait. If this low fellow 
 that has caught the king's fancy had kept still, 
 a trial for treason would now be in progress, 
 and our august master would be growing more 
 violent hour by hour. 
 
 "We must be rid of this long captain. 
 Therefore, I write to ask you to keep watch on 
 him for any word or act that may discredit him 
 with the king. If he loses the king's favor, we 
 shall find a way to hang him quickly enough. 
 The Little Hussy will soon marry the Fat Fool 
 or the Lean Idiot, I care not which. Then the
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 227 
 
 Old One will hang the Little One. That will 
 arouse the people against Stumpy and his reign 
 will come to an end soon afterwards. The Fat 
 One will be made king, but your friend will be 
 the real king, and you, the fairest of women, 
 shall be the real queen. But first we must rid 
 ourselves of this troublesome captain. I am 
 sure your sharp eyes and quick wit will soon 
 accomplish that small matter by discovering 
 or inventing a charge against him that the king 
 will believe. Bear in mind my oft repeated 
 admonition: burn this letter. 
 
 "With deep affection, 
 
 "Your devoted Grrumkow." 
 
 Henry's sensations on reading the letter were 
 a mixture of horror and joy ; horror because of 
 the black villainy it betrayed; joy because the 
 letter had fallen into his hands, and would fill 
 Don't Care's definition of a weapon of defense 
 so completely as to leave little to be desired, 
 
 "I thank your Highness with all my heart 
 for giving me this," said Henry, folding the 
 letter. "It will be my safeguard, and to you 
 I shall owe the fact that I am both warned 
 and armed. I do indeed thank you for giving 
 it to me." 
 
 "Oh, but I don't give it to you!" cried Don't
 
 228 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 Care, reaching out her hand for the letter. ' ' I 
 did not read it all. I had only time to glance at 
 the first few lines. I saw that they threatened 
 you, so I hid the letter when Bamen approached 
 and brought it to you. I must take it back and 
 put it where I found it. I was glancing through 
 Eamen's boxes, reticules and gowns just to see 
 what I could see, you know of course, Eamen 
 was not present and ran across this letter in 
 the pocket of a sleeve. She was a fool not to 
 burn it. Well, I stole it, and and don't you 
 see I must not give it to you? I must put it 
 back where I got it, or Eamen will miss it ; then 
 look out for trouble ! If there ever was a she- 
 devil, Eamen is one. She would at once sus- 
 pect me. We have wonderful fights. Mina 
 weeps when Eamen attacks her, but I fight. I 
 love to fight, fight, fight. Oh, I must not give 
 it to you. Eamen would kill me." 
 
 "Eamen will not dare to mention the letter. 
 You need have no fear on that score," said 
 Henry. ' ' She will not admit she has ever seen 
 it." 
 
 "Yes, she will mention it," returned the 
 princess. "She's not only a devil; she is also 
 a fool, and would have no better judgment 
 when angry than to make trouble over the loss 
 of her letter. Oh, I must not give it to you!"
 
 OF OLD BKANDENBURG 229 
 
 Henry was sure that if the princess knew the 
 contents of the letter, she would know that 
 Bamen would not dare to make trouble over its 
 loss, nor to admit, even in the most indirect 
 manner, that she had any knowledge of its exist- 
 ence. But he did not want to impart the con- 
 tents to Don't Care, for she might go to her 
 father with the perilous and valuable knowl- 
 edge, and might explode the mine before the 
 time was ripe. Therefore, he determined to 
 try, if possible, to keep the letter without show- 
 ing it to the princess. 
 
 "If your Highness will not do me this great 
 favor one that may be the means of saving 
 my life at so small a cost to yourself, I shall 
 bitterly regret having come to meet you, for I 
 shall know what I have already suspected, 
 that your Highness seeks only to make a fool 
 of me, and shall guide myself accordingly 
 hereafter. ' ' 
 
 Henry's manner clearly expressed a threat. 
 Don't Care hung in the wind for a moment, and 
 asked : 
 
 "Will you come to meet me whenever possible 
 if I give you the letter?" 
 
 "I run a greater risk from your Highness 
 than from Grumkow," he answered, pretending 
 to be in the depths of a great struggle, "and I
 
 230 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 had better return the letter to you and leave 
 Berlin at once." 
 
 He had no intention of returning the letter, 
 but wished to relieve himself of all obligation 
 by leading the little princess to beg him to keep 
 it. His purpose was accomplished quickly, for 
 the princess said impetuously: 
 
 "Please keep it; keep it, and remain in Ber- 
 lin. You shall not go. ' ' 
 
 "I must not remain, your Highness. Take 
 back the letter and I will go, not because I am 
 afraid of Grumkow, but because I fear 
 
 "No, no, I will not take it," returned the 
 princess, pleadingly. "I beg you to keep it, 
 and I want you to promise that you will not 
 leave Berlin. Keep the letter, but tell no one 
 of it. If Bamen is so great a fool as to accuse 
 me of taking it, I will grow angry. I'll tell 
 her she lies, and if she makes further stir in the 
 matter, I'll threaten to find the letter and take 
 it to my father. I fancy that will silence her. 
 Now keep it and stay here in Berlin with me. 
 I'll not marry Bayreuth nor any other man, 
 if you wish me to remain single." 
 
 Henry, still in imaginary throes, spoke as if 
 in desperation: 
 
 "I must leave Berlin, though I promise not 
 to go at once. But I must not remain here
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 231 
 
 with your Highness a moment longer. I can- 
 not trust myself." 
 
 Henry's purpose having been accomplished 
 more completely than he had dared hope for, 
 he hurriedly left the princess in the midst of 
 her entreaties to remain, and went to his room, 
 where he could be alone to think over the 
 marvelous conditions surrounding him.
 
 CHAPTEE XIV 
 
 HENRY MAKES LOVE FOR THE MARGRAVE 
 
 DURING the month following the important 
 interview with Don't Care, Henry was again 
 busy a great part of the time at Spandau and 
 Potsdam, drilling troops. The king's passion 
 for reviewing his army engrossed his thoughts 
 to an extent that bade fair to supplant all other 
 business of state, so he kept his new captain 
 always by his side. 
 
 Since the momentous evening at The Tabagie, 
 Grumkow had refused to speak to Henry, 
 though prior to that stormy scene, the baron 
 had evinced great kindliness for the king's new 
 favorite, hoping, doubtless, to use him. The 
 king, noticing Grumkow 's coldness, called 
 Henry's attention to it. 
 
 "Grumkow seems to hold resentment against 
 you for having called him a liar," said the king, 
 chuckling in amusement; "it's strange that he 
 should be angry over so small a matter." 
 
 Henry made no reply, and after a moment 
 his Majesty remarked: "He is a dangerous 
 
 enemy. ' ' 
 
 232
 
 OF OLD BBANDENBUBG 233 
 
 "I fear no one while I have your Majesty's 
 favor." 
 
 "Yes, yes," responded the king, nervously; 
 "but Grumkow is dangerous. He is apt to 
 hatch lies about you, and his lies are so well 
 constructed, and are always backed by such 
 good evidence that that I am apt to believe 
 them. Yes, by the devil, believe them. I say 
 to myself 'I won't', but in the end I do. I 
 know he is a devil in human form, but he is very 
 adroit, and seems to have little trouble in con- 
 vincing me that he is an arch-angel my guar- 
 dian arch-angel. You once said Grumkow was 
 a fool. You were right, but he is the wisest, 
 shrewdest, most unscrupulous fool on earth. 
 Every king needs a devil in his employ ; there- 
 fore I keep Grumkow." 
 
 ' l Again I say I fear no man while I have your 
 Majesty's favor," said Henry. "A lie may 
 live for a time, but a man who is brave enough 
 to speak the truth without counting the cost 
 will win for all time. When I offend your 
 Majesty by speaking the truth, I shall ask per- 
 mission to leave Berlin." 
 
 "Tut, tut! Don't talk of leaving me," re- 
 sponded the king; "don't fear to speak the 
 truth at all times. If you lie to me, I'll hang 
 you. I may soon have more use for you than
 
 234 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 you now suppose. I'm always willing to trust 
 a brave man. Grumkow is a coward; he is 
 brave only when he feels safe. If he were not 
 useful to me, I should not keep him a day. Be 
 careful. He will ruin you with me if he can. 
 But if we put our heads together, we shall 
 thwart him. I tell you, he 's a dangerous man. ' ' 
 
 Henry quite agreed with the king's estimate 
 of Grumkow, and thinking the time opportune 
 for making friends with the powerful minister, 
 said: 
 
 "I did not say that Baron Grumkow lied. 
 My words referred to his informants. If your 
 Majesty wishes me to explain to the baron, I 
 shall be glad to do so." 
 
 While Henry and the King were talking, 
 Grumkow appeared on a distant part of the 
 parade ground, and the king sent an aide-de- 
 camp to fetch him. When Grumkow came, the 
 king, placing his hand on Henry's shoulder, 
 said: 
 
 "This man tells me he had no thought of 
 intimating that you lied. His denunciation was 
 against those who reported falsely to you." 
 
 "I beg that you will accept my explanation, 
 offered through his Majesty, and that you will 
 allow me to apologize if my words seemed in 
 any way disrespectful to you," said Henry.
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 235 
 
 Grumkow muttered something to the effect 
 that the explanation was satisfactory, asked 
 the king's leave to depart, and rode away. 
 
 "I'm afraid your apology was wasted," said 
 the king, laughing. "Apologies are useless, 
 as a rule, especially with men of Grumkow 's 
 stamp. I tell you, young man, lead and steel 
 are the only antidotes for the poison of a heart 
 filled with hatred." 
 
 Again it seemed that Grumkow 's favor was 
 tottering, but as the king had said, the unscrup- 
 ulous minister was always able to right himself. 
 
 Up to that time, Henry had believed that in 
 all the world there was no heart more com- 
 pletely filled with the poison of hatred than 
 Frederick William's. But the king's words 
 threw new light on his character, and Henry 
 concluded that his Majesty's great faults were 
 owing less to hatred in the heart than to a touch 
 of madness in the brain. Upon that weakness 
 Grumkow played, and was able to impose his 
 own hatreds on the king. Frederick William, 
 though always violent, seemed rational and 
 sane on all subjects save the Crown Prince and 
 Wilhelmina. His treatment of them was a 
 series of unique cruelties, in matters large and 
 small, which could have proceeded from none 
 but a disordered mind.
 
 236 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 One day, while the king and his favorite cap-, 
 tain were on a flying visit to Berlin, his Majesty 
 honored Henry with an invitation to dine at the 
 royal table. It was an honor granted to few 
 and dreaded by every one. The dinner hour 
 was noon. In the king's eyes, punctuality was 
 a cardinal virtue, and to be late was to be 
 damned by his Majesty. Dinner being an- 
 nounced, the king and the queen led the way to 
 the table. When they reached the dining room, 
 Don't Care asked maliciously: 
 
 "Where are Fritz and Mina?" 
 
 "Yes, where are they?" demanded the king, 
 taking his place, and signifying by a gesture 
 that the others were to be seated. Hardly were 
 the queen, Don't Care and Henry in their chairs 
 when the king began mumbling the long grace 
 that invariably preceded meat perhaps it 
 would be more exact to say vegetables at the 
 royal table. 
 
 In the midst of grace, the Crown Prince and 
 Wilhelmina entered the dining room and paused 
 till the prayer was ended. When the king said 
 "Amen", they hastened to their places at the 
 table. Henry rose while they were being 
 seated, but the king growled out: 
 
 "Keep your chair. A decent man need not
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 237 
 
 rise to a hussy and a rascal who are always 
 late, late, late." 
 
 When the prince and the princess were 
 seated, Henry resumed his chair and viewed 
 the table. The dishes were of massive silver 
 and gold, hut there was no table cloth, and the 
 table itself was of cheap wood. Silver and gold 
 could be coined into marks, crowns and pistoles, 
 and in no other palace in Europe was there 
 plate equaling in value that to be found in Ber- 
 lin and Potsdam. Fine wood, linen and other 
 articles to beautify the palace were not coin- 
 able ; consequently the king wasted no money on 
 them, but in silver and gold he was both prodi- 
 gal and miserly. On the table was one large 
 plate of bread, and in front of the king were 
 two massive covers, in which Henry supposed 
 the dinner was stored. His Majesty served all 
 dishes, for the reason that he wished to avoid 
 waste and over-feeding. 
 
 After grace, the king ordered a lackey to 
 remove the cover from one of the dishes in 
 front of his plate, and Henry beheld a small 
 lump of boiled pork. From this the king carved 
 a small piece for the queen, another for Don't 
 Care, a large cut for the guest, and a larger one 
 for Majesty. Then the meat dish was covered, 
 a signal that it was to be removed and the con-
 
 238 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 tents kept for supper. If an ounce of the pork 
 were lacking when served at the evening meal, 
 Frederick William would detect the theft, create 
 a great storm, and if possible, punish the thief. 
 Fritz and Mina sat holding their hands, while 
 the others at table ate the meat. 
 
 When the first course was finished, other 
 plates were brought in, and the second dish, a 
 very large one filled with cabbage, was uncov- 
 ered. The king, who had been mumbling ever 
 since Fritz and Mina had taken their seats, 
 bountifully helped himself, the queen, Don't 
 Care and Henry to cabbage, and placed a small 
 portion on a plate intended for the Crown 
 Prince. By the time his Majesty had served 
 Wilhelmina's plate, anger had gathered in his 
 brain, and before the lackey could take the plate 
 from the table, irate Majesty seized it, rose to 
 his feet and hurled it, cabbage and all, at the 
 prince's head. Fritz dodged the plate and it 
 fell to the floor. Poor Mina restrained her 
 tears and sat motionless, waiting for the tirade 
 of abuse she knew would come. 
 
 "I'll teach you to be late," shouted the king, 
 "you laggard, lazy lazy " 
 
 But the king's wrath was stemmed by seeing 
 Henry rise, take his own plate of cabbage and 
 place it before the princess. While Henry was
 
 OF OLD BBANDENBUBG 239 
 
 resuming his seat, the king scowled angrily, 
 seemed about to explode, changed his mind, 
 laughed, struck the table a blow with his fist 
 and said: 
 
 "Gott! He isn't afraid of anything noth- 
 ing in heaven, earth or hell. Bring another 
 plate." So the dinner proceeded. 
 
 It is difficult to believe that such a scene could 
 have taken place at a court where even a meager 
 civilization prevailed, but it was of almost daily 
 occurrence in the household of Frederick 
 William. 
 
 The life of the Princess Wilhelmina was so 
 full of unhappiness that it is a pleasure to 
 chronicle even a moment of joy. 
 
 After the first visit to Doris Bitter, the prince 
 had promised Henry that another call should 
 be made with Wilhelmina as their companion. 
 The king was pleased when his family paid 
 attention to the citizens of Berlin. He wanted 
 the love of the burghers, and won it by 
 practicing a kindliness shown in no other 
 quarter, Henry had learned this fact, so when 
 Fritz proposed another visit to Bitter's, he 
 suggested : 
 
 "There is no need for secrecy in making the
 
 240 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 visit. Your father, if notified, will be pleased 
 rather than displeased." 
 
 "But I don't want to please him," returned 
 the Crown Prince. 
 
 "Be advised," insisted Henry. "Let me ask 
 the king's permission to accompany you and 
 your sister to Bitter's. To be plain, I do not 
 like to go without it. My request will inform 
 his Majesty of your intended visit, and will 
 remove all danger of arousing his ire. I can 
 say to his Majesty that the prince and the 
 princess, desiring to please their father, wish 
 to make the call if it meets with the king's 
 approval. ' ' 
 
 "Wilhelmina, who was present during this 
 conversation, was happy over the prospect of 
 spending a pleasant evening at Bitter's with 
 Henry. 
 
 "Please be advised, brother," she exclaimed, 
 delightedly; "we shall enjoy the evening a great 
 deal more if we do not have the dread of the 
 king's wrath always present to rob each mo- 
 ment of a part of its pleasure. I beg you, 
 brother, listen to our friend and let him go to 
 the king." 
 
 Fritz consented, and when Henry asked per- 
 mission of the king to go with the prince and
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 241 
 
 the princess, his Majesty not only granted it, 
 but was pleased. 
 
 "I am glad for you to take them among 
 decent common people," he said. "If I can 
 keep you here and can induce that rascally son 
 of mine to listen to you, you may be able to 
 make something of him." 
 
 The Margrave of Schwedt, who passionately 
 loved music, heard of the approaching visit and 
 offered to join the party. 
 
 "I love music, and I can sing," he said, plead- 
 ingly. Fritz and Mina smiled. The Mar- 
 grave turned wistfully to the princess, laughed 
 nervously, and explained: 
 
 "Yes, yes, I can sing some. Perhaps you 
 would not like my singing, but I like it and my 
 mother likes it. My mother and I are fond of 
 music, and I should like very much to go with 
 you to Fraulein Ritter's. I have been told she 
 plays beautifully on the harpsichord, and sings 
 beautifully with with her well, of course 
 she sings with her voice. May I have the great 
 pleasure?" 
 
 "You are at liberty to come with us," said 
 Wilhelmina. 
 
 "I shall be delighted, Margrave," said 
 Henry, "and I am sure the Crown Prince 
 will" 
 
 16
 
 242 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 "Oh, yes, come along if you wish. It will be 
 dull enough, God knows, and you cannot mar 
 it," said the Crown Prince, for whom the lack 
 of secrecy had robbed the adventure of its 
 pleasure. 
 
 So it was arranged, and on the appointed 
 evening the Margrave appeared, elegantly 
 dressed from his standpoint and compara- 
 tively sober. 
 
 "You see how greatly I value the privilege 
 of accompanying you," said Adolph, address- 
 ing the Crown Prince, the princess and Henry. 
 "I'm almost sober. I drank no more than four 
 quarts of beer this afternoon. Saving you 
 three persons, there is not another on earth, 
 except my mother, for whom I would make the 
 sacrifice. ' ' 
 
 Just after dark the friends started on foot 
 for Bitter's house. The Crown Prince and 
 Wilhelmina walked in front, and Henry, with 
 the fat Margrave panting by his side, followed 
 at a short distance. 
 
 "I want to thank you for past favors," said 
 Adolph, breathing heavily; "and I want to 
 bespeak a new lot." 
 
 "I shall be delighted to do you any favor in 
 my power," answered Henry. "I can't recall
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 243 
 
 having had the privilege of favoring you here- 
 tofore." 
 
 "But you have favored me," gasped Adolph, 
 hanging on to Henry's arm, and trying very 
 hard to keep up with his companions. 
 
 A weak heart and the "worst feet in Ger- 
 many" made walking very arduous work for 
 the Margrave. When he recovered his breath 
 he continued: "You have favored me. The 
 beautiful princess says you always speak kindly 
 of me. You have never ridiculed me to her nor 
 to any one ; you never try to make me look as if 
 I were a fool. You always treat me kindly, 
 respectfully, considerately, and you are the only 
 person, except the princess and my mother, that 
 does. Other persons seem to think that because 
 I am grotesque in form and face mein Gott, 
 every way I am a fish or a reptile, having not 
 the feelings and sensations of a human being. 
 The Crown Prince sneers at me, and even since 
 the great service I rendered him at The Ta- 
 bagie, does not try to conceal his contempt. 
 Every one else follows his example, but that 
 little Don't Care is the worst of all. I hate 
 her a little." 
 
 "She has certainly a great deal of mischief 
 and some malice in her heart," said Henry. 
 
 "Yes, she is a little devil," returned Adolph
 
 244 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 emphatically. "In truth, my friend, no one 
 knows me as you and my mother do, and that 
 makes me your slave. I love first the beautiful 
 princess; I love next, you, and then, alas, my 
 mother, who should come first, is third. There 
 is nothing I would not do for you, yet I fear I 
 shall never have an opportunity to prove the 
 truth of my words." 
 
 But the Margrave was mistaken ; a wonderful 
 opportunity came later on. 
 
 "What is the favor you want at my hands?" 
 asked Henry, wishing to stem the torrent of 
 Adolph's affections. 
 
 "It is this," panted Adolph. "I cannot make 
 my love to the beautiful princess. When I try, 
 I fail of speech, though at other times I am as 
 fluent as a mill sluice, and talk easily and 
 much. I want to ask you to try, if possible, 
 to do this thing for me. I want you to arrange 
 to have the princess alone with you for a time, 
 and I want you to say to her for me for me. 
 Please say to her that I love her I adore her ; 
 that all the day is but one dream of her, and 
 that just as long as I am sober I think only of 
 her and see her sweet face in everything of 
 beauty I behold. For me she is the rose, the 
 trees, the soft, green grass ; she is the sun with 
 its brightness and its warmth ; she is the royal
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 245 
 
 moon in her queendom of the night; she is the 
 stars sparkling in the firmament, sending their 
 messages on the wings of light from the utter- 
 most confines of space, and from the very heart 
 of the Infinite God. Ach, my friend ! At times 
 my burden of love is as if the whole earth lay 
 upon my breast. Again, as if on pinions of 
 the seraphim, it wafts me to the steps of the 
 great white throne. I am her knight, I am her 
 slave. Can you remember, or shall I repeat?'* 
 
 "I'll try, if the opportunity comes," an- 
 swered Henry. 
 
 The Margrave was asking a greater favor 
 than he knew, but Henry promised to convey 
 the message to Wilhelmina, intending to keep 
 his word to the letter, and in the spirit as nearly 
 as possible. 
 
 Soon after the visitors arrived, Fritz, with 
 his beloved flute, went with Doris to the harp- 
 sichord, and soon was lost in music. The 
 evening was warm, and of course the Margrave 
 suffered intensely from the heat. Presently 
 he left the room through an open window, 
 and after wandering in the garden for a time, 
 returned. 
 
 During a lull in the music, he turned to Wil- 
 helmina and Henry, saying: 
 
 "There is a beautiful summer-house just by
 
 246 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 the window, where we can hear the music and 
 enjoy the cool air. Will you come with me and 
 sit there?" 
 
 Ah, the adroit Adolph ! Leave him alone to 
 find the way when a lady was to be won by sheer 
 force of intellect. 
 
 Wilhelmina hesitated, but when the Mar- 
 grave insisted, she looked inquiringly at Henry, 
 and seeing approval in his face, rose, saying : 
 
 "I believe it will be cooler there than in the 
 house. My brother and Doris don't seem to 
 need us, and we can hear the music through the 
 open window. Let us go." 
 
 Accordingly, the three went to the summer- 
 house and listened to the music. After a few 
 minutes the Margrave the adroit, the knowing 
 Adolph excused himself, rose and left. 
 
 After a long awkward pause, Henry said: 
 
 "I suppose I ought to tell you that you are 
 here alone with me because of a deep-laid plot 
 on the part of the Margrave." 
 
 "If my being here is the result of a plot, I 
 ought to return to the house at once, ' ' answered 
 Wilhelmina, who quite naturally resented any 
 arrangement between Henry and the Margrave 
 relating to her. 
 
 "You need not be afraid that I shall forget 
 myself. There is no plot in the sense in which
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBUBG 247 
 
 you fear it, but I believe the Margrave's scheme 
 and his unique request for my services will 
 interest you if you wish to remain and hear of 
 them." 
 
 "I'll gladly remain," responded the princess, 
 resuming her seat. "I was startled by what 
 you said, but again I find myself asking for- 
 giveness. That seems to be my chief occupa- 
 tion where you are concerned." 
 
 "There is nothing to forgive, and your High- 
 ness is too kind to me." 
 
 "Please do not speak so formally; we are 
 friends." 
 
 Henry hesitated as if trying to check words 
 that were on his lips, but he failed. 
 
 "To hear you say that we are friends is 
 sweeter to my ears than than But let me 
 tell you about the Margrave's plan." 
 
 "Yes, yes, tell me," said Wilhelmina, evi- 
 dently relieved at the prospect of changing the 
 subject. 
 
 "The Margrave asked me to make love to 
 you on his behalf," said Henry. 
 
 Wilhelmina laughed nervously, and after two 
 or three false starts, succeeded in saying just 
 what she had intended leaving unsaid: 
 
 "The Margrave did not know what he was 
 asking, did he? It certainly is a unique situa-
 
 248 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 tion when a man asks another to make love for 
 him to the lady with whom the other man, him- 
 self, is the other man himself is " 
 
 She had not foreseen the end of what she had 
 set out to say, so she stopped suddenly in con- 
 fusion. Henry did not show that he saw the 
 significance of her unguarded words, but pro- 
 ceeded to do his duty as love's attorney. 
 
 * ' He told me to tell you that for him you were 
 the rose, the trees, the grass. As nearly as I 
 can remember, he said you were also the sun 
 and the stars, bringing to his heart on the 
 wings of light their messages from the confines 
 of infinite space, aye, even from the heart of 
 God. Part of the time the Margrave's love 
 lies on his breast as if it were the whole earth, 
 and again it bears him on the wings of seraphim 
 to the foot of the great white throne. He is 
 your knight your gentle knight your slave. 
 I cannot remember all he said, and I feel almost 
 guilty of bad faith in ridiculing him, for 
 he spoke beautifully, tenderly, passionately. 
 There is no doubt that he loves you with a 
 rare, noble passion. The poor, grotesque Mar- 
 grave is not a fool, and his heart is that of a 
 gentle child. T love him. I would almost give 
 my life if, by doing so, I could bring you to love 
 him. You will soon have to choose between
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBUBG 249 
 
 him and Weissenfels. There is, of course, but 
 one choice Adolph and I wish that you could 
 see him with my eyes and could give him your 
 heart." 
 
 "You might as well wish that I could fly to 
 the sun, and you had far better wish that I 
 were dead," answered Wilhelmina. 
 
 "At times, I almost wish that you could die," 
 returned Henry, "for the unhappiness before 
 you seems more than I can bear. One pang 
 that you will suffer will be a thousand for me, 
 and when I think of it all, I feel that I do not 
 want to live ; but unfortunately one cannot have 
 death simply by wishing for it. My love for 
 you has brought me greater pain than I have 
 ever before known. I could endure my own 
 suffering with fortitude if I knew that you were 
 happy, but to love you as I do, with my whole 
 soul, with every drop of blood in my veins, to 
 hold you dearer than life itself, is 
 
 Henry rose hurriedly, and continued with 
 perceptible effort: "I said I would not again 
 forget myself, but I did. I should have been 
 strong enough to resist for your sake and for 
 my own. I am not to be trusted and I had 
 better leave you." 
 
 He turned to go, but the girl rose, caught his 
 hand, and whispered:
 
 250 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 "Don't go. Eemain with me just this one 
 minute, and and " 
 
 Her sentence was never finished. Henry 
 caught her in his arms, and covered her lips, 
 her eyes, her face with kisses. When he re- 
 leased her, she sat down, hiding her face in her 
 hands. 
 
 "Do not weep," pleaded Henry, drawing her 
 to him. "Do not weep, but take the joy that 
 has been vouchsafed to us. It is all that we 
 shall ever know. This moment and its memory 
 will help to sweeten the rest of our lives. Do 
 not lose one drop from the precious cup it 
 offers. Drink it, my love, and believe me, in 
 all your life to come, its memory will fill your 
 heart with a gladness that no one can take 
 from you." 
 
 "My heart is full of gladness now," answered 
 the girl. * ' There is room for nothing else. My 
 tears are tears of joy, for I love you and I know 
 that you love me. I have often dreamed of 
 a moment like this I suppose every girl has 
 but I never hoped it would come to me. Now 
 I am ready to meet my fate. None but God can 
 rob me of my joy, and I know He would not, for 
 He has sent it to me to give me strength against 
 the misery that is in store for me." 
 
 Henry and Wilhelmina drank from their cup
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 251 
 
 of joy till the music ceased ; then they rose, in- 
 tending to return to the house. As they were 
 leaving the summer-house, Henry clasped the 
 girl in his arms and was kissing her lips, when 
 Adolph, whom they had forgotten, suddenly 
 appeared on the scene. 
 
 "Ach, Gott!" exclaimed the astonished Mar- 
 grave, staring aghast at Henry's all too ardent 
 wooing. "I did not tell you to do that! So 
 this is the way you deliver my message ! This 
 is the way you keep faith with a friend!" 
 
 Henry's surprise completely dammed the cur- 
 rent of his thoughts, and for a moment his 
 mind was a blank. "Wilhelmina's faculties all 
 came swarming to her rescue. 
 
 "Sit by me, Margrave, and I will tell you 
 all," she said, drawing Adolph down beside 
 her. Henry stood, dimly wondering what she 
 was going to do. 
 
 "Your friend, who is indeed your friend, has 
 kept faith with you," she said, taking Adolph 's 
 hand ; ' ' and has complied with your absurd re- 
 quest to the letter. He told me of your love, 
 of which I already knew, and he repeated your 
 beautiful words. Ah, Margrave, there is no 
 one else who can speak so beautifully as you." 
 
 It will be seen that Wilhelmina could use art 
 for her purposes when occasion demanded.
 
 252 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 "Now I am going to give you the highest pos- 
 sible proof of my confidence and esteem," she 
 continued, turning earnestly to Adolph. "This 
 man loves me and I love him, but our love can 
 be only a source of pain to us, for we are as far 
 from each other as if he were on one side of the 
 world and I on the other." 
 
 "Ach, yes, it is too bad," sighed the gentle 
 Margrave, forgetting his own pain in the 
 trouble of his friends. 
 
 "Yes, it is the greatest misfortune that God 
 can send to us, ' ' said Wilhelmina, ' ' but we must 
 endure it, for I can never be his wife. You 
 already know that I shall soon be forced to 
 choose a husband, and that my choice will lie 
 between you and the Duke of Weissenfels. I 
 cannot give you my heart, Margrave; that is 
 beyond my power either to give or to withhold, 
 but when the time comes, I will give you my 
 hand and shall be your wife. Therefore, have 
 pity on me and do not betray my secret." 
 
 "Betray your secret!" exclaimed the Mar- 
 grave, looking at her reproachfully. "You do 
 not know me yet already. Betray your secret ! 
 Your 'request, my beautiful princess, is almost 
 an insult. I know full well that if you love this 
 man, it is because you cannot help it. You 
 would not deliberately bring it on yourself.
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 253 
 
 I know he is my friend. If he loves you, it 
 is because he has not the power to withhold his 
 love. There are others one other, at least 
 who know that terrible truth by heart my 
 heart." 
 
 "I intended to tell you, if I married you,'* 
 continued Wilhelmina; "but now you know it 
 all, and when I am your wife, this man will 
 leave me and I shall never see his face again." 
 
 The girl covered her face with her hands and 
 began to weep. 
 
 "When you are my wife, he shall leave you," 
 said 'the Margrave, speaking gently, almost 
 dreamily. "Aye, when you are my wife, but 
 but that shall never be." After a long pause 
 he continued, dropping his words slowly, softly, 
 almost as one might speak in sleep. "I would 
 die before I would bring unhappiness to you. 
 If you were to marry me, loving another, your 
 heart would ache to the day of your death. No, 
 no, my beautiful princess ; you do not know me." 
 
 "I believe I have not known you," said Wil- 
 helmina, "but I am learning to know you. You 
 are a rare, noble, generous man, a true, brave, 
 gentle knight." 
 
 "I hope you are right," sighed the Margrave 
 "I try hard enough to be, but I will prove my 
 truth to you before I have done. I will go to
 
 254 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 his Majesty to-morrow, before he offers me 
 your hand, and tell him that I will not accept." 
 
 "Then I shall fall to the Duke of Weissen- 
 fels," said Wilhelmina, a new vista of trouble 
 suddenly opening before her. 
 
 "That is true. What shall we do? Lieber 
 Himmel! What a fate for a woman to face 
 Weissenfels or me! Well, I'm better than 
 Weissenfels, and if the worst comes to the 
 worst, I will accept you, and I have it!" cried 
 Adolph, joyfully; "your father will order you 
 to choose between Weissenfels and me. You 
 choose me. We will allow the preparations for 
 the marriage to go on, and at the last moment, 
 I will withdraw. I will say: 'No, no, I refuse 
 to marry this woman.* Then let them wonder. 
 A woman may be forced to marry against her 
 will, but I have never known of a man being 
 compelled to take a wife. That's it!" Adolph 
 was now dancing about in great glee, forgetful 
 of his own troubles "That's it! You choose 
 me. That will rid you of Weissenfels, and 
 then I'll relieve you of myself, and you and 
 you may may remain single. ' ' 
 
 "Will you do that. Margrave? Will you do 
 that for me?" asked Wilhelmina, deeply 
 touched by Adolph 's chivalric offer. 
 
 "Indeed, I will do all of that, and if the king
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 255 
 
 insists on your marriage to Weissenfels Gott, 
 I'll do more much! You shall marry neither 
 Weissenfels nor me against your will, ' ' said the 
 Margrave, lifting his face heavenward, and 
 holding up his right hand. "I, Adolph, by the 
 grace of God Margrave of Schwedt and Knight 
 of Brandenburg, do swear it upon my knightly 
 honor and before my God!" 
 
 Presently the three conspirators returned to 
 the house, Mina and Henry each holding an 
 arm of the happy Margrave.
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 ADOLPH IS VEKY SAD 
 
 To what extent the Margrave's adroit plan 
 could be carried out, neither Henry nor Wilhel- 
 mina could know. They believed that in case of 
 the failure of the Schwedtish marriage, the king 
 would fall back on Weissenfels and force the 
 princess to marry that frightful monstros- 
 ity. Marriage with Schwedt or Weissenfels was 
 the keystone of Grumkow 's scheme to obtain 
 control of Prussia, and no man whom he 
 could not use would answer his purposes. 
 The king was a puppet in his hands, and would 
 move in the affair of Wilhelmina's marriage 
 just as Grumkow pulled the strings. 
 
 Henry had often thought of placing the 
 Eamen letter in the king's hands, but felt 
 sure Grumkow would declare it a forgery, and 
 with the help of Eamen 's evidence, would con- 
 vince Frederick William that it was part of a 
 conspiracy to deprive Prussian Majesty of 
 the baron's valuable services. An instance of 
 the sort had occurred in which Grumkow braz- 
 enly faced his own letter in the king's hands, 
 declared it to be a forgery, and succeeded in
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 257 
 
 sending the informer to the Spandau dungeons 
 for life. To try to use Grumkow's letter would 
 be a dangerous move until there was corro- 
 borative evidence so convincing that the king 
 could not refuse to accept it. Henry kept the 
 letter securely, however, hoping to use it to 
 frighten Grumkow and to bring him to terms, 
 rather than to convict him in the king's eyes. 
 
 Henry did not see the Margrave for several 
 days after the interesting interview in Ritter's 
 summer-house, and often found himself won- 
 dering what his attitude would be. But when 
 the two friends met one afternoon in Henry's 
 room, his mind was at once put to rest by 
 Adolph's cordiality. 
 
 "Ach, my friend," cried the Margrave, 
 eagerly holding out both hands; "I have not 
 seen you for so long a time that it rests my 
 poor eyes to look upon you." 
 
 "I thank you, Margrave. I have been in 
 Potsdam, and am here now only on a flying 
 visit. I have been wondering 
 
 " Please drop the 'Margrave'. I am 
 Adolph." 
 
 "Gladly," returned Henry. "I have been 
 wondering what had become of you, and I " 
 
 "Stop," cried Adolph. "I know what else 
 
 17
 
 258 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 you wondered, and I know what you feared, too, 
 my captain. You wondered if I hated you for 
 what happened at Bitter's. Now, the truth, 
 please. Did you not?" 
 
 "I did fear I might lose your friendship," 
 answered Henry, "and I should not have 
 blamed you in any way had you felt unkindly 
 toward me. You cannot understand how it 
 was, Margrave." 
 
 "Adolph," interrupted the Margrave. 
 
 "You cannot understand, Adolph " 
 ("That's better," said the Margrave) " un- 
 derstand how it all came about. It was un- 
 premeditated, and happened without the least 
 intention on the part of either the princess or 
 myself. In truth, it happened against our 
 wills." 
 
 "I am sure it was not because you willed it," 
 replied the Margrave, laying his hand on 
 Henry's arm. "I can well see how it might 
 happen with you, but, Gott mein! How I have 
 to work for those favors, even from a barmaid 
 yes. work and scheme, and lay deep plots, and 
 then on top of all I have to pay yes, I have to 
 pay, by the devil ! Have to pay for a barmaid's 
 kiss! Ach, I told my mother I was a fool to 
 try to win the princess, but I was a greater fool 
 after I came to Berlin to allow the princess's
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 259 
 
 kindness to set my heart fluttering with hope. 
 You know I told you at the inn about my wits. ' ' 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "Well, I was mistaken in them. If I ever 
 had any, they deserted me when I came to Ber- 
 lin. A fool always overrates himself, and and 
 besides, I don't mind telling you I've been too 
 sober." 
 
 "Indeed?" queried Henry, laughing. "I 
 thought you had been well supplied with beer. ' ' 
 
 "That is true," responded Adolph. "But 
 there was a mistake. My mother, who seems to 
 have gone all wrong, kept saying, 'Drink easy, 
 Adolph, drink easy. Till all is arranged, 
 drink easy.' Well, I drank easy, and Himmel! 
 What is the result? You see a mess. But I 
 love her, even if she did lead me wrong." 
 
 Adolph laughed softly, and after a long, 
 meditative pause, continued: 
 
 "But I've made up for lost time since I've 
 learned surely that the princess is not for me. 
 I've been drunk three whole days. Three! 
 The king is so stingy that I can't get the kind 
 of beer I need at the palace, so I even went into 
 the city to the Big Sausage Inn Zur Groszen 
 Wurst, we Germans call it yes, by the devil, I 
 did, and I bought my beer. It is better beer 
 than they give me at the palace. It is good
 
 260 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 beer. You would like it. The king won't let 
 his own brewers make good beer; it is too 
 expensive. You don't know the extent of 
 the favor I did you by drinking your beer at 
 The Tabagie that night of the flare-up. The 
 beer at The Tabagie is the vilest stuff that ever 
 went by a good name." 
 
 The Margrave, though sober, seemed happy, 
 and Henry was glad to know that his Serene 
 Highness was not grieving for the sake of the 
 princess he had lost. At times when Adolph 
 was silent a veil of sadness spread over his 
 face, and Henry caught himself wondering if 
 the happy manner was assumed. Now and 
 then a sigh would rise to Adolph 's lips, deep 
 and long, as if it had come all the way from the 
 bottom of his gentle heart, but the jovial man- 
 ner soon returned, and Henry's fears that the 
 Margrave was acting a part were allayed. 
 Henry was glad to know that Adolph 's heart 
 was not breaking, but was surprised and some- 
 what amused to learn that his love, seemingly 
 so deep and genuine, had so quickly evaporated. 
 
 When Henry congratulated the Margrave on 
 his lucky escape from the pain of unrequited 
 love, the good fellow answered with a laugh, a 
 sigh and a shrug of the shoulders : 
 
 "Ach, what matters it? The thing that pains
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 261 
 
 me most is the thought that I have made a fool 
 of myself in the eyes of you and the princess." 
 
 "In what respect have you made a fool of 
 yourself in our eyes?" asked Henry. 
 
 1 ' First, as I told my mother, I was a fool for 
 imagining that I might win the heart of the 
 princess. That hallucination was partly my 
 mother's fault, though I don't blame her. I 
 would not say, 'She did tempt me'. I am not 
 of the race of Adam. No! My people came 
 from Nod plain, simple folks who knew no 
 Eden and made no trouble where Cain got his 
 wife. No, I do not blame her. Her mistake 
 had its birth in a heart of love, and love sancti- 
 fies everything. She told me that only a woman 
 could know a woman's heart. Ach, der Teufel! 
 The poor old woman meant well, but she doesn't 
 know a woman's heart from a pig's foot. I am 
 beginning to believe that no woman knows an- 
 other woman's heart. Each woman's heart is 
 a new secret in the universe, and remains hid- 
 den till the seal is broken by one man. Then, 
 in many cases, I believe it closes itself against 
 all the rest of the world for all time, though to 
 him it may remain an open book. My first mis- 
 take was made because I did not know all these 
 big, little facts. Against my judgment, I be- 
 lieved my mother."
 
 262 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 "Many a man has fallen into the same 
 errors," suggested Henry. 
 
 "Yes, yes," returned Adolph, "and each 
 man, I suppose, thinks he suffers alone. My 
 second mistake was made in trusting a man 
 who I knew was in love with the woman I loved. 
 That was a grave error. But I fell into it be- 
 cause I was too sober. I had no right to expect 
 fidelity in such a case." 
 
 "Did you know that I loved the princess?" 
 asked Henry. 
 
 "Yes," replied the Margrave. "I knew that 
 you could not help it. No man can who once 
 sees and feels the sweetness of her smile. But 
 I thought you were of low degree I don't 
 understand how I made that mistake, either, 
 and and well, as I have said, I was a fool 
 and that tells it all." He sat blinking, think- 
 ing and whistling softly for a moment, then 
 turned quickly on Henry and spoke almost 
 sharply. "I should not have trusted you. It 
 was a greater test of friendship than I had any 
 right to make." 
 
 "But your doing so lost you nothing," sug- 
 gested Henry. 
 
 "Because I had nothing to lose," returned 
 the Margrave. 
 
 After a long silence, Henry asked: "Why do
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 263 
 
 you say you made a mistake in supposing me 
 to be of low degree ? ' ' 
 
 "Why? Because, being a fairly good judge 
 of human nature, I needed only to open my eyes 
 to learn the truth. " 
 
 "What is the truth, Margrave?" 
 
 "How can I tell?" asked Adolph, shrugging 
 his shoulders. "I am not a wizard. I know 
 what you are, but who you are I cannot know 
 unless you wish to tell me. The puzzling fact 
 is that you were kidnaped. It is hard for me 
 to understand how one of your rank fell into 
 the recruiter's net, and why, being netted, you 
 did not flounce out. But nothing that this mad 
 king does should cause me to wonder. If 
 King George of England were six feet tall, 
 by the devil, I believe our king would have him 
 in his regiment. I'm expecting, one of these 
 fine days, to walk down the parade line and find 
 August of Saxony or Henry of Bayreuth in the 
 ranks. It is said they are both over six feet." 
 
 Another long silence ensued, and Henry said, 
 musingly: "I have half a mind to trust you 
 with my secret to tell you who I am." 
 
 "A man should not trust another when both 
 are in love with the same woman," suggested 
 the Margrave, laughing and shrugging his 
 shoulders. "That, you know, is a lesson I have
 
 264 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 just learned. One naturally longs to impart 
 fresh knowledge. That is why the hen cackles 
 when the astonishing, always new fact that she 
 has laid an egg dawns on her intellect." 
 
 "But you, Margrave, are not as other men 
 are, and I am going to make amends for the 
 fault I could not help by making you my con- 
 fidant, by trusting you to an extent that I 
 would trust no man save my father. I am the 
 Hereditary Prince of Bayreuth." 
 
 "Ach, GottV exclaimed Adolph, blinking for 
 a moment, then going to the window. 
 
 After standing at the window two or three 
 minutes, he came back, stopped in front of 
 Henry and began to laugh. 
 
 "So my jest about August of Saxony may 
 after all come to be a fact. Your rank is equal 
 to that of the King of Poland, though your 
 father's estate is smaller. But why did you 
 come and why do you remain? Ach, I know. 
 The princess. Of course! Of course! Yes!" 
 
 "She was not the cause. There were grave 
 reasons why I left home and became an un- 
 known soldier, but the princess was no part of 
 them, and I would not have you tell her who I 
 am." 
 
 "Ill guard your secret," said Adolph. "It 
 seems almost a marvel that one who talks as
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 265 
 
 much as I do should be able to keep a secret, 
 but to me the confidence of a friend is a sacred 
 thing." 
 
 "I believe you and I believe in you, Mar- 
 grave. Read this letter. In showing it to 
 you, I give you the highest proof of my faith 
 in your discretion and honor." 
 
 Henry brought out Grumkow's letter, and 
 the Margrave read it without speaking. After 
 the third reading, he exclaimed: 
 
 tl Ach, Gott! This is horrible; and I was 
 ready to be their tool. I thank you! I thank 
 you! You should carry this letter to the king 
 forthwith." 
 
 "And go forthwith to Spandau's dungeons, 
 or fall by an assassin's knife?" interrupted 
 Henry. 
 
 "Why?" asked Adolph. 
 
 "Because," said Henry, "Grumkow would 
 say the letter was a forgery. He would swear 
 that he had never seen it before. Ramen would 
 swear that she had never seen it. When it 
 came to the test, Don't Care would swear that 
 she had not given it to me ; and the king would 
 believe them all." 
 
 "You are right," returned the Margrave. 
 
 "Yes, I am right, Margrave, and now you 
 are to learn that there is at least one man
 
 266 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 besides yourself who can at times act from un- 
 selfish, motives. Deeply as I regret it, never- 
 theless it is true that the princess can never be 
 my wife. You are not handsome to look upon, 
 but in many respects your heart is the kindest, 
 gentlest and noblest I have ever known. You 
 must marry this beautiful princess. It is hard 
 for me to give you this advice, but I have 
 thought the situation over carefully, and there 
 is no other course to pursue. You must marry 
 her to save her from a worse fate." 
 
 "Ach! Never! Never!" moaned Adolph. 
 
 "But you, too, must think, and you must take 
 my advice," insisted Henry, grasping the Mar- 
 grave's arm. "You and I, who love this girl, 
 must lose sight of ourselves and think only of 
 her. The king will force her to marry you or 
 Weissenfels. You already know Grumkow's 
 purpose in desiring one or the other marriage. 
 If by any chance his plan ripens, and you be- 
 come King of Prussia, you will not be his tool ; 
 you will be his Nemesis." 
 
 "Or he will be my Brutus," suggested the 
 Margrave, blinking rapidly. 
 
 "But you must not think of yourself. If you 
 are to find your Brutus, let him come when he 
 will. The princess only is to be considered, 
 and you must not forget that if she does not
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 267 
 
 become your wife, she will fall to the lot of 
 Weissenfels." 
 
 The Margrave rose from his chair, straight- 
 ened himself to his greatest height, thrust his 
 hand in the breast of his coat, threw back his 
 head, and answered: 
 
 "You forget that I have made an oath 
 an oath that the princess shall never marry 
 Weissenfels. That oath settles the question." 
 
 "No, it does not," returned Henry. "There 
 is but one way to settle it. You must marry 
 the princess. Go to her now and ask her 
 opinion." 
 
 Adolph's face lighted joyfully as he said: 
 
 "I'll go at once." 
 
 All of this strange advice jumped with 
 Adolph's burning desire, making it easy for 
 him to convince himself that there was but one 
 way to serve the princess; so he went to seek 
 her, feeling alrnpst happy once more. 
 
 It is needless to try to describe Henry's state 
 of mind when the Margrave left him. Adolph's 
 example had been a good one, and the rare 
 flower of unselfishness had bloomed in Henry's 
 heart as a blossom opens in the sun. His un- 
 selfish advice was all the more commendable in 
 view of his suffering. There were, however, 
 two considerations that softened his pain. He
 
 268 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 had learned to know the Margrave and to love 
 him. He knew also that while Wilhelmina 
 respected Adolph and loved his gentleness, 
 there was no passionate longing for him in her 
 heart and never could be. Jealousy, therefore, 
 was not among Henry's sources, of pain. In 
 truth, he was so harassed by his passionate love 
 and sense of loss on the one hand, and by his 
 fear of Weissenfels and an unselfish longing 
 for Mina's happiness on the other, that he was 
 not in a state of mind to reach any satisfying 
 conclusion. 
 
 The moment the Margrave was gone, Henry 
 regretted having sent him. He also regretted 
 having told him that he was the Hereditary 
 Prince of Bayreuth. In showing Grumkow's 
 letter, he feared he had made another mis- 
 take. In short, it seemed, as in the case of the 
 Margrave, that love had robbed him of his 
 judgment, and that he had been falling from 
 one mistake into another as rapidly as possible 
 under the circumstances. 
 
 Henry sat at the window looking down on 
 the garden. After a short time, he saw Wil- 
 helmina walking alone down one of the paths. 
 Presently the Margrave, puffing, blowing and 
 mopping his face, appeared on the scene, fol- 
 lowing the princess as rapidly as his fat legs
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 269 
 
 and heavy feet could carry him. Henry knew 
 that Adolph had gone a-wooing, and pitied 
 the simple-hearted fellow. He more than 
 pitied him; he loved him and wished him 
 success. 
 
 In a few minutes the Margrave came up 
 the path alone, returning from his wooing. His 
 step was heavy; the red handkerchief hung 
 limp in his hand and dragged on the ground 
 regardless of a deluge of perspiration calling 
 loudly to be mopped. From head to foot 
 Adolph showed dejection, hopelessness, misery. 
 He sought Henry immediately. 
 
 "Ach, I knew! I knew!" wailed the Mar- 
 grave, seating himself beside Henry near the 
 window. "I am a fool always a fool when 
 that girl is considered. I grasp at straws; I 
 fly at phantasms; I run wildly after mere 
 shadows, hallucinations, dreams. Ach, friend, 
 pity me." 
 
 Unable to suppress his pent-up emotion, he 
 fell forward with his face on his folded arms, 
 resting on the window shelf, and gave way to 
 a flood of tears. 
 
 "Was ever man so unfortunate as I?" he 
 moaned. "I, who love this perfect woman as 
 woman was never loved before, must refuse her
 
 270 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 whom I would give my life to possess, though 
 I may have her for the taking." 
 
 "You are to be pitied," said Henry, sympa- 
 thetically, "but I, too, have only the sense of 
 doing right to soften my pain. I, who love the 
 princess and who have her love, must see her 
 go to the arms of another man. That, my 
 friend, is the essence of bitterness." 
 
 "True, true," said the Margrave, lifting his 
 head and drying his eyes. "I should be giving 
 sympathy, not seeking it. What do you sup- 
 pose she said?" 
 
 "I can hardly imagine," answered Henry, 
 for the lack of anything else to say. 
 
 "She said ach, it is terrible to think upon 
 she said she would marry me if her father 
 forced her to choose between me and Weissen- 
 fels, but she wept and said she would not be 
 alive one month after the marriage ceremony. 
 Now can I, being a man, marry her! I ask 
 you, can I marry her?" 
 
 "It would almost seem that you cannot," 
 replied Henry. 
 
 "No," said Adolph; "our first plan is better. 
 Let the princess choose me, and at the last mo- 
 ment I shall refuse to marry her. After that, 
 I'll take care of Weissenfels. Leave him to 
 me to me. I have said much."
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 WILHELMINA CONSENTS 
 
 WITHIN a fortnight after the conversation 
 between Adolph and Fritz Henry, the king sent 
 the long-delayed message to England with for- 
 mal notice that all negotiations of marriage 
 in that quarter were broken off. The queen, 
 whose whole married life had been devoted to 
 bringing about the English marriage, was 
 heart-broken, and there was many a stormy 
 scene between her and her husband. The 
 queen's wrath also fell on Wilhelmina's head 
 because she had not insisted on a continua- 
 tion of the marriage negotiations with Eng- 
 land. The princess was helpless. Her wishes 
 or protests would have been a waste of 
 breath, but the queen was angry at every 
 one, and Mina, having been her scapegoat ever 
 since the day she was born a girl instead of a 
 boy, felt the sharp edge of her mother's ill 
 temper. 
 
 "Now, you will have the pleasure of 
 marrying one of two beasts, Schwedt or 
 Weissenfels," said Queen Sophia, upbraid- 
 ing Wilhelmina because of a state of affairs 
 
 271
 
 272 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 for which the princess was in no way respon- 
 sible. "Schwedt or Weissenfels, and I am glad 
 of it glad of it. It is what you deserve for 
 being a poor, spiritless, mean-hearted fool. 
 Your sister Don't Care would have shown her 
 teeth, and would have used them, too, had she 
 been in your place. See what she did when 
 your father and Grumkow suggested marrying 
 her to the lean, lank, poverty-stricken Prince of 
 Bayreuth. She gave your father to under- 
 stand that she would have no pauper skeleton 
 for a husband." 
 
 "Indeed I did," said Don't Care, who was 
 standing near by, laughing at her sister's dis- 
 tress. "I defied Stumpy to his face, and 
 harassed him until he was only too glad to let 
 the matter drop." 
 
 "I wish I could follow your example," said 
 the weeping Wilhelmina, "but I am helpless, 
 and I have grown to care very little what my 
 fate may be." 
 
 "That is where the trouble lies," screamed 
 the queen; "you're so meek, so weak, so limp 
 and listless that your father and Grumkow 
 drive you hither and thither as a sheep dog 
 drives the sheep. I'm tired of quarreling and 
 storming for your sake. I'm going to stop, 
 and you can go to the devil or any place you
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 273 
 
 choose whenever you wish. If you won't lift 
 a hand to save yourself, I'll stop fighting for 
 you.'* 
 
 "But what shall I do? Tell me, mother, 
 what shall I do?" pleaded Mina. 
 
 "Tell your father that you will marry 
 neither Schwedt nor Weissenf els, " returned 
 the queen, impressively. "Tell him that he 
 may kill you, but that you will neither choose 
 nor have either of these men. He has not yet 
 ordered you to make choice, but the command 
 will come within a few days. When it comes, 
 defy the king, and he will have to yield to your 
 will. Then he will reinstate the English 
 negotiations. ' ' 
 
 Although Mina dreaded marriage with the 
 English prince quite as much as with "Weissen- 
 fels or Schwedt, she hoped that the queen was 
 right, for the English negotiations were sure 
 to drag, and their re-opening would at least 
 give her time. She therefore determined to 
 take the queen's advice, and to make a brave 
 stand against the terrible king and the still 
 more terrible Grumkow. 
 
 It came to pass as the queen had prophesied ; 
 at least, it came to pass in part, for within a 
 fortnight the order came to Wilhelmina that 
 she should choose as her husband either 
 
 18
 
 274 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 Johann Adolph, Margrave of Schwedt, or the 
 Duke of Weissenfels. 
 
 During the period intervening between Wil- 
 helmina's conversation with the queen and the 
 day of the king's final order, events happened 
 that made it easy for his Majesty and Grum- 
 kow to force their will upon the princess. 
 
 The Crown Prince, having determined to try 
 to escape from the clutches of his father, told 
 Wilhelmina of his plans. When she endeav- 
 ored to dissuade him, as on a former occasion, 
 he accused her of selfishness and closed the 
 argument by telling her angrily that his going 
 was no affair of hers, and that she need not 
 meddle in what concerned him only. 
 
 The prince, like every other selfish person, 
 failed to appreciate the fact that his acts might 
 seriously affect all who were near him; yet of 
 all persons, he was the most prone to bring 
 trouble to others. In this instance, what he 
 did brought many of his friends into frightful 
 trouble, and helped to make it impossible for 
 his sister to disobey the commands of Grum- 
 kow and the king. 
 
 The prince tried to escape, but was captured. 
 His friends, Keith and Katt, were with him. 
 Keith succeeded in making his way safely out of 
 Brandenburg; Katt was taken with the prince.
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 275 
 
 Both were charged with desertion. The prince 
 was confined in his room, a prisoner, awaiting 
 trial for treason. Katt was sent to Spandan. 
 
 The prince's escapade is no part of this 
 history save in its bearing on Wilhelmina, and 
 the scenes attending it were so horrible that 
 they will be referred to as briefly as possible. 
 
 Grumkow communicated the king's com- 
 mands to Wilhelmina one evening in the queen's 
 parlor. The baron intimated to Wilhelmina 
 that he desired a few words privately with her, 
 and she followed him to a distant part of the 
 room. 
 
 "His gracious Majesty, your affectionate 
 father," began Grumkow ominously, " wishing 
 to see you well settled and happy for life, 
 directs me to say to you that he has selected 
 two worthy men of high rank, the Margrave of 
 Schwedt and the Duke of Weissenfels, and that 
 you may make your choice of a husband be- 
 tween them. Loving you tenderly, he is anxious 
 that you shall be consulted in a matter that 
 touches you so nearly ; therefore, he graciously 
 leaves the choice to you. He expects an answer 
 within a few days at once, if possible." 
 
 Poor Wilhelmina, bearing in mind her 
 mother's command, said: "I choose neither of 
 these gentlemen for my husband. You may
 
 276 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 say to the king that I absolutely refuse, and 
 that there is no possible way in which he can 
 compel me to marry either the Margrave of 
 Schwedt or the Duke of Weissenfels." 
 
 Grumkow remained silent for a moment, then 
 responded, smilingly: 
 
 "To return such an answer to your loving 
 father would be not only ungrateful, but would 
 be disobedience to your parent, and you know 
 the Scriptures speak most emphatically against 
 that sin." 
 
 "It is true," answered Wilhelmina. "The 
 Scriptures command us to obey our parents, 
 but in my case it is impossible. I have two 
 parents, a father and a mother. My father 
 commands me to marry one of these men. My 
 mother commands me to marry neither. Which 
 one of my parents shall I obey? Remember, 
 Baron Grumkow, the Scriptures say, 'Honor 
 thy father and thy mother'." 
 
 "Your argument is strong and most ingen- 
 ious, my dear princess," answered the smiling 
 Grumkow, "but the Scriptures also say, 'Wives, 
 be in subjection to your own husbands'. If 
 your mother disobeys your father's commands, 
 she is guilty of a grievous sin, and if you obey 
 her, you partake of her guilt." 
 
 Wilhelmina was lost for a moment, but soon
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 277 
 
 retorted: ''Father has put no command upon 
 the queen, and as long as she is not disobeying 
 him, I cannot keep the scriptural injunction 
 to obey my parents when their commands 
 conflict." 
 
 Grumkow laughed, showing his teeth as 
 when a dog snarls: "Your Highness is a 
 rare logician, and for the present, you are 
 right. But we will see that the queen receives 
 her command, and I advise you to make your 
 choice, or the king will make it for you. Yes; 
 he will save you from the sin of disobeying 
 scriptural injunction by giving his commands 
 to the queen at once." 
 
 "In that case I shall disobey both the Scrip- 
 tures and my father," answered the princess. 
 
 * ' There will be many ways of inducing you to 
 obey both," said Grumkow, again showing his 
 teeth, and walking away with a true, satanic 
 smile on his lips. 
 
 When Grumkow left, Wilhelmina was sum- 
 moned to the queen's side and closely ques- 
 tioned concerning the conversation. She told 
 her mother all that was said, and for once 
 Queen Sophia approved her daughter's con- 
 duct, and spoke kindly to her. 
 
 Within an hour Grumkow reappeared and 
 addressed the queen:
 
 278 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 "The king commands me to say to your 
 Majesty that your stubborn disobedience pains 
 him grievously. That your Majesty should so 
 far forget your duty to your husband, your 
 king- and your God as openly to defy the 
 king's commands is a matter of wonder and 
 grief to his Majesty. Although he is loath to 
 compel obedience by force, he feels that it is 
 his duty to say to your Majesty that if the 
 Princess Wilhelmina remains obdurate and 
 does not, within three days after to-morrow 
 noon, make choice of a husband as already indi- 
 cated, his Majesty will choose for her. If she 
 still refuses to marry the man of his choice, 
 she shall be locked up in Spandau Castle with 
 the Duke of Weissenfels, and when she comes 
 out she will be glad enough to marry any man 
 who will have her." 
 
 The queen was almost prostrated, and could 
 answer only: 
 
 "Tell the king he will cause my death if he 
 carries out his threat." 
 
 "Tell the king for me," said Wilhelmina, 
 speaking softly but firmly, "that he may carry 
 out his threat, but that I will not choose either 
 of these men for my husband, nor will I marry 
 either of them if he makes the choice for me." 
 
 "Within three days you will be glad enough
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 279 
 
 to choose. You and the queen will be on your 
 knees to his Majesty, begging the privilege to 
 obey," answered Grumkow, bowing, smiling 
 and withdrawing. 
 
 The events of the next two days were too 
 horrible to be given save in briefest outline. 
 
 Doris Ritter, than whom there was no purer, 
 truer maiden, was dragged naked at a cart's 
 tail through the streets of Berlin, and unmer- 
 cifully flogged, for no other reason than that 
 she was a friend of the Crown Prince and Wil- 
 helmina. Katt was beheaded in front of the 
 Crown Prince's window, and Fritz was forced 
 to witness the execution. 
 
 Henry was on duty at Spandau during all 
 this period, and knew nothing of Grumkow 's 
 horrible deeds. Wilhelmina and the queen 
 knew of them, and were in despair. They tried 
 to see the king, to beg him to spare Katt's 
 life, but Grumkow was careful to prevent their 
 meeting with his Majesty. 
 
 After Katt's death, Grumkow appeared be- 
 fore the queen and Wilhelmina. The two poor 
 women were almost prostrated and could not 
 even protest. Grumkow lost no time in cere- 
 mony, but spoke briefly and to the point: 
 
 1 'His Majesty commands me to say that the 
 friends of the princess, beginning with Mile.
 
 280 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 Sonnsfeld, will be served as Doris Bitter was 
 treated, and that the court martial now sit- 
 ting in judgment on the Crown Prince will 
 inflict on his Eoyal Highness the fate suffered 
 by Katt unless the Princess Wilhelmina, be- 
 fore to-morrow night, makes choice of a hus- 
 band as directed by her kind and gracious 
 father. Furthermore, if the choice is not made, 
 the king will, after to-morrow night, command 
 the princess to marry the Duke of Weissenfels, 
 and if the punishment inflicted on her brother 
 and her friends does not subdue her stubborn 
 will, she shall go to Spandau with his Grace, 
 the duke, as I have already intimated." 
 
 "I will marry the Margrave of Schwedt!" 
 cried Wilhelmina. Then Grumkow smiled, 
 bowed and took his leave. 
 
 The same evening the Margrave approached 
 the princess in the queen's parlor, to thank her 
 publicly for having chosen him. He bowed 
 low, took her proffered hand, and lifted it to 
 his lips. 
 
 "I thank your Highness for the honor you 
 have done me. My life shall be devoted to 
 your happiness. " 
 
 Don't Care, who was standing near by, 
 shrugged her shoulders, laughed under her 
 breath, and whispered to her neighbor. Eamen :
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 281 
 
 "I am sure that ought to make Mina happy. 
 She will at least not lack for fat meat." 
 
 The Margrave and Mina distinctly heard 
 Don't Care's remark, and it spurred Mina to 
 speak, though she was almost dumb with grief. 
 
 "I thank you, Margrave, and I feel sure you 
 will be kinder to me than others who should love 
 me, but who seem to take joy from my sorrow." 
 
 "Do not treat me kindly," whispered the 
 Margrave, when he found himself alone with 
 the princess. "Grumkow is watching and will 
 suspect there is a plan to thwart his purpose if 
 he finds you less unhappy than you should be. 
 Turn your back and appear to disdain me. ' ' 
 
 The princess hesitated to humiliate the Mar- 
 grave. 
 
 "I should dislike to ill treat you before the 
 court," she said. 
 
 "Ach, don't consider me," he answered, 
 smiling. "The whole court knows why you 
 chose me, and every one despises me for being 
 a party to the crime. Let them think what they 
 will; I care not. They will soon change their 
 minds." 
 
 He bowed and withdrew. As he turned, he 
 collided with the long Duke of Weissenfels, who 
 said: 
 
 "Out of my way, you twice fat hog!"
 
 282 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 All who were near saw the duke's scowl, and 
 many persons heard his words. 
 
 "Ach, it hurts him," cried Adolph, laughing 
 triumphantly and shrugging his shoulders. 
 "He did not receive the golden apple. There 
 may be another Trojan War." 
 
 The Margrave's words were heard by every 
 one in the room, including the duke, and al- 
 though Adolph spoke jestingly, he was terribly 
 in earnest. For some time there had been 
 enmity between the two, and the Margrave 
 hoped to widen the breach. He succeeded so 
 well that the duke, who was proud of his repu- 
 tation as a duelist, was heard on several 
 occasions to threaten "the fat fellow" with 
 extinction in several horrible forms, the least 
 frightful of which was running his sword 
 through the Margrave's heart. The duke's 
 threats all reached the Margrave's ears, but they 
 did not frighten him. On the other hand, they 
 filled his heart with joy, and he was careful 
 that they should be made known to the king. 
 
 The next evening at The Tabagie, after the 
 king had risen and while the Margrave's nerves 
 were fortified by a large amount of beer, the 
 duke, who could not at all compete with Adolph 
 in the matter of beer drinking, however superior
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 283 
 
 lie may have been as a duelist, took occasion to 
 annoy the Margrave in many petty ways. The 
 adroit Adolph offered Weissenfels every oppor- 
 tunity to show his ill temper, and after his 
 Grace had exhibited his bad feeling in such a 
 manner that the king could not help seeing it, 
 the Margrave approached his Majesty, who 
 graciously lent his ear to his future son-in-law. 
 
 "Your Majesty may have noticed," said 
 Adolph, with great earnestness, "that his Grace 
 of Weissenfels is taking every occasion to put 
 insufferable insult upon me." 
 
 "Yes, I have noticed that his looks are sour, 
 and that he seems to take delight in trying to 
 insult you," answered the king, laughing and 
 waving his hand to indicate that it was of no 
 consequence. 
 
 "My immediate business with your Majesty 
 is this," said the Margrave, standing at his 
 tallest and swelling prodigiously in the breast. 
 "I wish to ask your Majesty's permission to 
 slap the duke's face face, your Majesty and 
 when he attempts to run from me, it is my in- 
 tention, always with your Majesty's permission, 
 to kick him." 
 
 As already intimated, Adolph had been 
 drinking. 
 
 "You have my permission to do both," said
 
 284 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 the king, laughing and resting his hand kindly 
 on the Margrave's shoulder. "But he may not 
 run. He has threatened to run you through, 
 and you know he is a very devil with a sword. ' ' 
 
 The Margrave's intentions had been good, 
 and his determination had been real, but they 
 had been formed hastily and without due con- 
 sideration. The king's suggestion that the 
 duke might not run away, but that he might 
 draw his sword, sicklied o'er the native hue 
 of Adolph's resolution with the pale cast of 
 thought. Following the pale cast of thought 
 came a wish that Henry were present to aid 
 and abet him in his undertaking, and to see him 
 in a valiant role. After the wish had taken 
 form, prudence whispered to the Margrave that 
 it would be wise to postpone chastising the duke 
 till Henry was present for the twofold pur- 
 pose of giving help should it be needed, and of 
 glorying in Adolph's triumph when achieved. 
 Therefore, he did not go directly to Weissen- 
 fels, but waited for the duke to continue his 
 insulting conduct. 
 
 After Weissenfels had left, Adolph sought 
 the king to tell him that the enemy, doubtless 
 having heard of his danger, had fled. 
 
 The king laughed and said: "Your oppor- 
 tunity will come again, Margrave, and when it
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 285 
 
 does, I hope you will not fail to improve it. 
 But beware of the duke; he is a bad, vicious 
 man, a good swordsman, and in case of an en- 
 counter, will kill you if he can." 
 
 The king's words saved the Margrave a deal 
 of trouble later on, for Adolph was not a 
 coward, as you will agree if you follow this 
 history to its end. 
 
 Next morning the Margrave drove to Span- 
 dau Castle. Henry had been there for nearly 
 a month, drilling new recruits, preparatory to 
 trouble with Hannover, which the king was 
 expecting because of a dispute with his brother- 
 in-law over a few loads of hay. 
 
 Adolph hastened to Fritz Henry's room, and 
 fell weeping on his friend's neck. 
 
 " Ach, Gott!" moaned the Margrave. "Ber- 
 lin is but another hell, and Grumkow is the arch- 
 fiend. Have you heard ? ' ' 
 
 "I have heard nothing for nearly a month," 
 answered Henry. "The king permits no news 
 to travel from Berlin to Spandau. He says it 
 disturbs his soldiers. I have heard it whis- 
 pered among the officers that the Crown Prince 
 tried to run away, and that his plans were dis- 
 covered and defeated by Grumkow and the 
 king. But it has been only a whispered rumor
 
 286 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 in Spandau, and the whispering has been in 
 very low tones, you may be sure." 
 
 "Ach, lieber Himmel!" wailed the Margrave, 
 pacing the floor excitedly, but trying hard to 
 speak calmly: "You have not heard that 
 Doris Eitter was whipped at the cart's tail 
 whipped naked through the streets of Berlin?" 
 
 Henry, who had been sitting in the deep 
 embrasure of the window, sprang to his feet, 
 exclaiming : 
 
 "Margrave, you are insane! You are mad! 
 Why should any one wish to whip that pure, 
 inoffensive girl? It is impossible! You must 
 be wrong ! ' ' 
 
 "It is true," sighed the Margrave, "but that 
 is not the worst. Katt was beheaded before 
 the window of the Crown Prince, who was 
 forced to witness the execution. Grumkow 
 told the queen and the princess that the fate of 
 Doris Bitter would fall on Mile. Sonnsfeld and 
 on all of Wilhelmina's friends, and that Katt's 
 fate would be meted out to the Crown Prince, 
 if the princess did not at once choose Weissen- 
 fels or me; so she chose me. Our public be- 
 trothal will take place the day after to-morrow. 
 Ach, Gott, I pity her ! From the bottom of my 
 heart, I pity her. My life is nothing to me if 
 by casting it away I can save her. The man
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 287 
 
 who cares nothing for his life is to be feared, 
 for he is thrice strong. I may be able to help 
 her." 
 
 "I pray God you may be!" cried Henry, 
 hardly capable, as yet, of grasping the terrible 
 situation. 
 
 "Grumkow also said that in case these 
 calamities failed to bring the princess to a 
 sense of her duty, the kind and gracious father 
 would send her here with Weissenfels, and 
 would leave her till she would be glad to marry 
 any man." 
 
 "The king and Grumkow are not men; they 
 are fiends!" cried Henry. "But tell me of 
 the Crown Prince. Is he free?" 
 
 "No, he is imprisoned in his rooms, and is 
 kept on bread and water. The court martial 
 suspended the sentence of death, awaiting the 
 action of Wilhelmina. If I did not feel that I 
 am her only hope, I should kill myself I should 
 kill myself aye, now, this minute at once. I 
 never before knew that in all the world there 
 was so much evil as is contained in the heart 
 of this one man, Grumkow. Surely God has 
 permitted the devil to become incarnate." 
 
 "But how can you help her?" asked Henry. 
 "It looks as if God only can do that now unless 
 you marry her."
 
 288 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 "How generous and noble you are," said the 
 Margrave, kissing Henry's cheek before he 
 could draw away. "It is no wonder she loves 
 you. The man who loves a woman, and for the 
 sake of her happiness wishes her to marry 
 another, surely is unselfish almost beyond the 
 limits of the human heart." 
 
 "You are that, Margrave," said Henry. 
 "But tell me how you can help her." 
 
 "I do not know, but I want you to come to 
 the betrothal ceremony day after to-morrow, 
 at two o'clock. It will take place in the Mir- 
 rored Chamber. Then perhaps you will see 
 how I shall help the princess perhaps. I do 
 not know myself; I do not know my strength; 
 I do not know my courage. I am brave when I 
 talk about danger, but ach! I fear I am a cow- 
 ard when I meet it. Meantime, I want you to 
 give me a copy of Grumkow's letter to Bamen." 
 
 "Again I insist that Grumkow would pro- 
 nounce the letter a forgery, even if you should 
 show the original to the king. But the copy- 
 he would laugh at it. ' ' 
 
 "I'm not so great a fool as to show the 
 original to any one. That must remain hidden 
 where no one but you can find it. I shall have 
 use only for the copy, and I will not show it to 
 the king unless I must."
 
 OF OLD BBANDENBURG 289 
 
 "You shall have the copy as soon as we reach 
 Berlin," said Henry. "I have the letter with 
 me, but I have neither pen nor paper, and if I 
 had both, we ought not to try to copy it here. 
 I will at once obtain " permission to go to 
 Berlin." 
 
 Henry asked leave of absence, and found an 
 order from the king directing him to return 
 to Berlin for the purpose of attending the 
 betrothal ceremony, and to assist in reviewing 
 the regiment in honor of the occasion. 
 
 On reaching Berlin, Henry asked permission 
 of the king to visit the Crown Prince, who was 
 confined in his apartments in the attic of the 
 palace. The king seemed glad to see his new 
 favorite, and answered: 
 
 "Yes, yes, for the love of God! Give the 
 rascal a little of your brains, for he is the most 
 perverse fool unhung." 
 
 Henry hastened to the Crown Prince's gar- 
 ret prison, having received from the king the 
 word that would enable him to pass the guard. 
 
 "Ah, my friend," cried the prince. "You 
 deserted us in our time of trouble. Where 
 have you been?" 
 
 "I've been at Spandau, and heard only yes- 
 terday evening of your troubles. Poor Katt! 
 I once heard him prophesy that he would be 
 
 19
 
 290 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 hanged or beheaded. I'm glad Keith escaped." 
 "I, too, am glad, but I wish I could have 
 taken Katt's place," returned the prince, drear- 
 ily. "If ever a man was tired of life, I am." 
 
 "You have your sister, your people and your 
 friends to care for, and you must live to be 
 king. Then you can make up to them what 
 they have suffered for your sake. I should 
 suppose that no small part of the satisfaction 
 you would take in royal power would be to 
 retaliate on those who have used you and your 
 friends so cruelly." 
 
 "I fear that by the time I am king I shall 
 have grown to be like my father, and if that 
 comes to pass, I shall turn against the friends 
 who have helped me, and shall fawn upon the 
 enemies who would ruin me. What a frightful 
 curse it is when a man must stare the sins of 
 his father in the face and know that they will 
 some day be his own; that he will inherit them 
 along with his father's nose and scowl, his bad 
 heart and his crown. The passage of Scrip- 
 ture which says the iniquity of the father is 
 visited on the children should read: 'The sins 
 of the father are vested in the son when the son 
 becomes old enough to inherit them.' A man 
 may try to escape them, but the oak will be like 
 the tree from which its acorn fell. For the
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 291 
 
 sake of my friends and my people, but above 
 all, for my own sake, I wish I could have taken 
 Katt's place." 
 
 The little prince had the rarest of all wisdom, 
 knowledge of self. His foresight proved true, 
 for Frederick the Great was but a sane copy 
 of his father, modified by Voltaire and 
 cynicism. 
 
 "Katt's death should teach your Highness 
 a great lesson, ' ' said Henry. 
 
 "It has taught me much, as Adolph would 
 say," answered little Fritz. "It has taught 
 me that my father can be won and influenced 
 only by the use of the most barefaced treach- 
 ery, lying and fraud. If one defies him, yet 
 seems to flatter his whims, he may be made 
 useful. Grumkow does it; why shall not I? I 
 shall become a canting, pious charlatan. I 
 shall seek to deceive my father in every way in 
 my power. I shall be false to him; I shall lie 
 to him. Then I may defy him and he will 
 respect me." 
 
 "All that you say is true and possible," 
 answered Henry. 
 
 "Yes," responded the little prince. "I 
 thought it all out last night. From this day 
 forth, I'll be a canting hypocrite, a knave, and
 
 292 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 I shall soon become very dear to the heart of 
 my father." 
 
 After an hour spent with the prince, Henry 
 left, and on his way down the attic gallery, had 
 the wonderful good fortune to meet Wilhelmina. 
 
 "Come with me," she whispered eagerly, as 
 she caught him by the hand and led him to an 
 alcove in a gable window. 
 
 The scene between them on the windowseat 
 need not be given, except that part which re- 
 lates to the remarkable proposition made by 
 Henry. 
 
 "If we could escape," said he, "we might 
 hide ourselves away from all the world and be 
 happy." 
 
 Much to Henry's surprise the princess re- 
 plied: "I will go with you any day, any hour. 
 I will trust you even in so desperate a venture. 
 You know best. If you believe we can hide 
 ourselves away from the world, I am willing to 
 accept your judgment and will go with you. 
 If we are caught, the king can but kill us." 
 
 Mina's words brought great joy to Henry's 
 heart. For a moment his longing warped his 
 judgment, and he began to suggest plans of 
 escape. A little consideration, however, soon 
 convinced him that he and the princess could 
 not by any possible chance reach the boundary
 
 OF OLD BBANDENBURG 293 
 
 lines of Brandenburg, and that an attempt to 
 run away with her would soon bring disaster 
 on her, his father and himself. 
 
 Henry did not explain to Wilhelmina the 
 difficulties and dangers as they presented them- 
 selves to him, but wishing that she might snatch 
 a moment's happiness from the midst of wretch- 
 edness, allowed her to hope and dream. Twice 
 he was on the point of telling her that he was 
 the Hereditary Prince of Bayreuth, but he 
 feared to raise false hopes in her heart, and 
 refrained because he knew that as the Heredi- 
 tary Prince of Bayreuth, he stood no better 
 chance of winning her for his wife than he did 
 as a captain of Prussian Grenadiers. The im- 
 pulse to tell her was fleeting, for he had almost 
 forgotten that he was really the Hereditary 
 Prince of Bayreuth, and his identity was almost 
 lost in the captain of Grenadiers. His father, 
 too, seemed dim to him. 
 
 It is true that, at this time, Henry had been 
 in Berlin less than six months, but a month is 
 as long as the events it contains, and the months 
 Henry had spent at the Prussian court had 
 been full to overflowing. First, of course, came 
 the great event his love for Wilhelmina. That 
 in turn was followed by the still greater and far 
 more startling discovery that she loved him.
 
 294 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 Then came the frightful realization that he had 
 won and lost the only thing in life that was 
 really worth having the woman he loved, that 
 loved him.
 
 THE BETROTHAL CEREMONY 
 
 THE really brave man is one who, clearly see- 
 ing a danger, can ''screw his courage to the 
 sticking-place" and face it. One who carefully 
 considers all risks and determines to take them 
 regardless of consequences is one of whom it 
 is well to beware. Of such quality was the 
 Margrave's courage when he had any at all. 
 
 Adolph had promised Henry and the princess 
 that he would refuse Wilhelmina's hand and 
 would see to it that she was not troubled by 
 Weissenfels. How he intended to approach the 
 stormy king with his refusal, neither Henry nor 
 Mina could conjecture. They doubted his 
 courage to carry the project through, and 
 feared that in the end he would quail before 
 Grumkow, bow to irate Prussian Majesty, and 
 notwithstanding a host of good intentions, 
 would succumb at the last moment to violence 
 and threats. His mother, too, they feared, 
 would stand by the king, and urge and berate 
 her son beyond the point of endurance. They 
 knew that he had always been putty in her 
 vigorous hands. They also knew that her 
 
 295
 
 296 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 heart was set on the marriage, and that she had 
 brought Adolph to Berlin at Grumkow's re- 
 quest, for that and for no other purpose. But 
 their greatest fear was of "Weissenfels, in case 
 the Margrave really developed the courage and 
 strength necessary to refuse Wilhelmina's 
 hand, and to beat down the onslaught of her 
 father and his mother. 
 
 If the Margrave refused, there seemed no 
 way to avoid the worst of all calamities mar- 
 riage with Weissenfels and how the gentle 
 Adolph hoped to avert that evil was a mystery 
 neither Henry nor Wilhelmina could solve. 
 They had so little faith in his ability to 
 carry out the latter half of his promise 
 that they had never even asked him to ex- 
 plain his plan, and as the day of betrothal 
 approached, they began to fear rather than to 
 desire Adolph 's defiance of the king. The 
 Margrave was so infinitely the less of two 
 evils that Mina and Henry had almost con- 
 cluded to cling to the ills they had rather than 
 fly to those of which they already knew too 
 much. 
 
 For several days before the time set for the 
 betrothal ceremony, the Margrave had tried 
 repeatedly to speak his mind to the king, but 
 had not succeeded. Thrice he had endeavored
 
 OF OLD BBANDENBUKG 297 
 
 to fortify his soul with beer, but each effort had 
 failed. Either he did not take enough to give 
 him courage, or he took so much that he went 
 to sleep and did not waken until he again needed 
 fortifying. 
 
 The Margravine of Schwedt, suspecting her 
 son's intentions, spoke to him on the subject. 
 
 "I hope, Adolph, you will not be so great a 
 fool as to refuse the happiness and the good 
 fortune the king offers you." 
 
 " Ach, Gott, mother!" answered the Mar- 
 grave, burying his face in his hands. ' ' A man 
 who will accept a woman against her will de- 
 serves to spend an eternity in hell." 
 
 "But the princess seems willing, though I 
 admit she's not enthusiastic," suggested the 
 Margravine. 
 
 "Not entirely," interrupted Adolph. 
 
 ' ' But if you refuse her, she will suffer a worse 
 fate Weissenfels. If you are so great a fool 
 as to refuse the hand of the princess, I'll dis- 
 own you." 
 
 "If Weissenfels were out of the question, 
 and you advised me to accept the princess's 
 hand, I should disown you and find another 
 mother. Yesj by the devil, that's what I'd 
 do. Now, mother, listen to me. I have for 
 many years listened to you, and, to please you,
 
 298 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 have at times taken your advice when I knew 
 you were wrong. Now, hear what I have to 
 say. I love you beyond all persons save one in 
 the world, but I am Johann Adolph, Margrave 
 of Schwedt. My state is my state; my people 
 are my people ; I am myself ; you are of the past 
 and your day is done. In this matter I shall 
 take the course I believe to be right, whatever 
 that may turn out to be, and if you throw one 
 straw in my way, well, as I said, you may look 
 for another son, and I shall try to find another 
 mother, or do without one altogether." 
 
 "You surprise and shock me," said the Mar- 
 gravine, timidly, recognizing that Adolph had 
 come to his strength. 
 
 "I so intended," replied Adolph, "and al- 
 though I would not cause you one moment of 
 pain if I could avoid it, I wish to impress on 
 your mind the fact that I do not want your ad- 
 vice in this affair, and that if you would keep 
 my love, you will not interfere unless I ask you 
 to help me in carrying out my purposes, what- 
 ever they may prove to be." 
 
 Thereupon the Margrave walked out of the 
 room, a braver, taller, stronger man than he 
 had ever been in all his life before. 
 
 There is a leavening quality in courage that 
 seems, like yeast, to propagate itself. A little
 
 OF OLD BEANDENBTJEa 299 
 
 leaven had come to Adolph through his defiance 
 of his mother, of whom he had always stood in 
 great fear; would it leaven the whole loaf? 
 
 The betrothal ceremony was to take place in 
 the afternoon. On the morning of the eventful 
 day, the great questions to be solved by the 
 Margrave were, first: what dress he should 
 wear, and second : should he get himself drunk. 
 The first question was settled after a long con- 
 sultation with Henry and the Margravine. 
 She was very joyful in the belief that as mat- 
 ters had progressed thus far, they would con- 
 tinue happily to the end. 
 
 The serious consideration by the Margrave 
 of the question of dress seemed to indicate that 
 he intended abandoning his resolution to refuse 
 Wilhelmina's hand, and had determined to al- 
 low events to take their course, as decreed by 
 fate, and as outlined by Grumkow and the 
 king. At least, it showed conclusively that, up 
 to that time, he had failed to summon the 
 courage to confront the king's ire. 
 
 The second question, that of getting himself 
 drunk, on the other hand, seemed to indicate 
 that he wished to fortify his soul for an 
 attack on Majesty at the last moment. Henry 
 had begun to hope that the Margrave 's cour- 
 age would fail him, for immediately back of
 
 300 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 his refusal to marry the princess stood the 
 horrible specter, Weissenfels. 
 
 The mother advised beer, that beverage 
 being, in her opinion, a sovereign cure for every 
 ill. Although the time was full of trouble and 
 grief for Henry, the serious, almost prayerful 
 consideration of these two questions by the 
 Margrave and the Margravine was so ludicrous 
 that he could not help feeling the humor of the 
 situation. When the Margravine advised beer, 
 Adolph turned an inquiring face toward Henry, 
 as if to ask: "What do you say, drunk or 
 sober!" 
 
 Henry answered the mute appeal: "If you 
 drink too much beer, Margrave, you will go to 
 sleep. If you don't drink enough, it will do 
 you no good." 
 
 " Ach, the captain is right," cried the excited 
 Margravine. Turning to Henry, she contin- 
 ued, as if the Margrave were not present: "If 
 the beer does not make him drunk, it makes him 
 look silly. When he is drunk and asleep, cap- 
 tain, he is beautiful. His face is as calm and 
 as sweet as a child's. Ach, mein liebling!" 
 tenderly cried the old mother, embracing her 
 son and lovingly placing her cheek against 
 his, "when you are asleep, you remind me of 
 your babyhood."
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 301 
 
 "Yes," said the Margrave, nodding to Henry 
 and confirming his mother 's words as seriously 
 as if he had often seen himself asleep. 
 
 So it was arranged that the Margrave should 
 take only a sip of beer say two quarts, or such 
 a matter just before starting to the ceremony. 
 Then Henry, heavy at heart, left mother and 
 son to complete the arrangements as agreed 
 between them. 
 
 At two o'clock the Mirrored Hall was filled 
 with ladies and gentlemen of the court. Sev- 
 eral dignitaries and noble personages were 
 present from near-by principalities, though 
 there had not been time, owing to the king's 
 haste, to send many invitations outside of 
 Brandenburg. 
 
 The king, disdaining a throne, sat in a large 
 chair on a dais of one step, and the queen sat 
 in a smaller chair beside him. Her Majesty's 
 eyes were red with weeping when she took her 
 place beside the king. Soon again tears began 
 to stream down her face, and she, poor woman, 
 was so nearly prostrated that she could make 
 no effort to stay them. 
 
 Beside the queen stood Don't Care, looking 
 happy and very much amused. Next to Don't 
 Care sat the Margravine of Schwedt sound 
 asleep. At the king's left stood the Crown
 
 302 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 Prince, on whose young face was a mask that 
 no one could read. Beside the Crown Prince 
 was Grumkow, clothed in true, satanic red. 
 Back in the room, near the outer door leading 
 to the garden, was Fritz Henry, and what his 
 face told could have been easily read. 
 
 The room was filled, save a small space in 
 front of the royal dais, with beautifully gowned 
 ladies and men in gorgeous uniform. All were 
 standing, and when the queen began to weep, 
 most of the ladies followed her example, for 
 they knew they were present to witness a 
 tragedy. 
 
 After a long, painful silence, broken only by 
 the half suppressed sobs of women, and a cough 
 now and then from a sympathetic man, the 
 crowd parted and left an aisle leading from a 
 side door to the open space in front of the royal 
 dais. Then followed another long, sob-laden 
 period of silence, while the Margrave of 
 Schwedt and pale Wilhelmina walked down the 
 human aisle and took their places facing the 
 king. When Henry saw them enter, he felt 
 that Wilhelmina 's fate was sealed. 
 
 When the princess and the Margrave had 
 taken their places before the king, the little 
 minister our friend of The Tabagie stepped
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 303 
 
 before them and offered a long prayer. After 
 the prayer, he addressed Adolph, saying: 
 
 "Do you, Johann Adolph, Margrave of 
 Schwedt, now plight your faith to this woman, 
 whom you hold by the hand, and do you prom- 
 ise, in God's good time, to enter into the holy 
 bonds of matrimony with her!" 
 
 The Margrave, very pale, dropped the prin- 
 cess's hand, stood trembling for a moment, and 
 said: 
 
 "Before God, I do not." 
 
 A buzz of astonishment ran through the room, 
 and Grumkow stepped toward the king with a 
 mixed look of terror, surprise and disgust in 
 his face. His Majesty, hardly understanding 
 what the Margrave had said, leaned forward in 
 his chair and asked of the little minister : 
 
 "What does he say? What does he say?" 
 
 The moment intervening between the Mar- 
 grave's brave response and the king's question 
 had given Adolph time to summon his courage. 
 He had need of it all, and it came to him 
 quickly. He did not wait for the minister to 
 answer the king's question, but cried out 
 excitedly : 
 
 "No, Frederick William, King of Prussia 
 and Brandenburg! I do not promise to plight 
 my faith to the Princess Wilhelmina, though
 
 304 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 to do so would bring happiness to my life such 
 as I have never known. No man who is half a 
 man would accept a woman's hand against her 
 will. I should have notified your Majesty ere 
 this of my intention, but I was so weak, so 
 cowardly, so craven that I could not bring my- 
 self to face the terrors of your wrath. Now that 
 I am brave, I am able to thank your Majesty 
 for the great honor you have done me, and to 
 tell you that I will not be a party to your 
 cruelty, nor will I aid and abet that arch-vil- 
 lain, Baron Grumkow, in his fiendish designs 
 against the Princess "Wllhelmina, and his 
 treasonable purposes against your Majesty. 
 I repeat : his treasonable purposes against your 
 Majesty." 
 
 Grumkow started angrily toward Adolph, 
 but the Margrave, now thoroughly aroused and 
 excited almost to the point of frenzy, met the 
 baron half way : 
 
 "You would make me King of Prussia!" he 
 cried. "I know your purposes, and I give you 
 fair warning as my enemy, beware, beware!" 
 
 The Margrave held up the palm of his hand 
 to Grumkow and stood for a full minute a very 
 statue of warning. 
 
 Grumkow drew back from Adolph, convinced
 
 1%- 
 

 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 305 
 
 that there was more meaning in his words than 
 appeared on the surface. 
 
 Voltaire has said that fear follows guilt 
 and is its punishment. Grumkow was usually 
 brave in his evil deeds, but the weight of vil- 
 lainy he carried on his conscience would have 
 made a coward of any man. Following rapidly 
 in the train of the Margrave 's words, there 
 came to Grumkow a consciousness of their 
 truth, and the baron's one thought was that his 
 fine plots had been discovered. So when the 
 king rose angrily, intending to assault the Mar- 
 grave, Grumkow stepped to his side, whispered 
 a word in the royal ear, and Majesty stood 
 still for a moment, looking as if he were about 
 to explode. 
 
 "If you were not so great a fool, I would 
 cane you," said his Majesty. "You shall take 
 the girl for your wife, or I'll have you flayed 
 alive!" 
 
 The Margravine, who had been awakened by 
 the king's loud talking, caught his Majesty's 
 threat of personal violence to her son, and 
 immediately hurried to the rescue. By the 
 time she had reached a position in front of the 
 dais, she had fully gathered her wrath, and 
 though naturally of a kind and jovial disposi- 
 tion, her wrath, when once gathered, was a 
 20
 
 306 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 thing to be respected, and if possible avoided, 
 even by kings. 
 
 "You would flay my son alive?" she 
 screamed, addressing the king. "If you harm 
 but one hair of his head, you you cruel tyrant, 
 you abject old fool if you harm but one hair 
 of his head, my uncle of Austria and my cousin 
 of England will take your miserable little king- 
 dom from you, and will tear your gouty limbs 
 from your body. Flay my son, would you? 
 Dare but to lay your hand on him, and I'll 
 scratch " Thereupon the Margravine stepped 
 on the dais with evident intent to put her threat 
 into execution. The king sought refuge behind 
 his chair. Grumkow started to interfere, but 
 the furious Margravine soon ran him to cover. 
 The queen kept her chair, hardly conscious of 
 what was happening. Don't Care was laugh- 
 ing heartily, and a smile of unmistakable pleas- 
 ure illumined the face of the Crown Prince. 
 
 When the king was safely ensconced behind 
 his chair, the Margravine again opened fire at 
 long range : 
 
 "You would flay my son alive? Achl Boast- 
 ful words butter no parsnips, and your brave 
 threats do not frighten me. My son and I are 
 safe from your cruelty, your tyranny and your 
 madness. I tell you, Frederick William, there
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBUKG 307 
 
 are two men at this court, sent here by Austria, 
 who are false both to you and to their master. 
 Their treason is known to every one in Branden- 
 burg save you, who have most need to know it. 
 Aye, their treason is known, and they may hang 
 one of these fine days, and achieve the only 
 good of which they are capable, by furnishing 
 an example to other traitors!" 
 
 Several pairs of knees shook with fear when 
 their owners heard the Margravine's words, 
 and Grumkow, already frightened by Adolph's 
 ominous threat, almost felt the hangman's 
 noose about his neck, and trembled with fear 
 such as he had never known before. Anxious to 
 silence the old woman at any cost, Grumkow 
 approached the king, and his Majesty, smother- 
 ing his rage, carefully watched the Margravine 
 until she had stepped backward off the dais, 
 then resumed his chair. 
 
 "No one asked you for your daughter's 
 hand!" continued the enraged Margravine, 
 now screaming at the top of her voice. ' * Grum- 
 kow sent for us to come to Berlin, and you have 
 never consulted the wishes of either my son or 
 myself. You ordered your daughter to marry 
 my son. Her disinclination is apparent to all, 
 and the Margrave of Schwedt is too much of a 
 man and too fine a gentleman to accept the hand
 
 308 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 of a princess against her will. We refuse; 
 we spurn your offer. We will not marry your 
 daughter. If you had a hundred daughters, 
 we would not marry them. You you Ach, 
 Gott, I must scratch you!" 
 
 The king, showing symptoms of alarm, 
 started to rise from his chair to seek safety 
 behind it, but the Margravine did not carry out 
 her threat. She closed her address to the king 
 by repeating: 
 
 "Do not forget that my uncle of Austria and 
 my cousin of England long for an excuse to 
 take your miserable little kingdom from you, 
 and to tear your wretched old body limb from 
 limb ! You know that my words are far from 
 empty, and I defy you to lay a hand on my son, 
 the Margrave of Schwedt!" 
 
 "She has said much," remarked Adolph, 
 speaking softly to himself, and blinking with a 
 rapidity never before achieved. 
 
 The brave old Margravine bowed low to the 
 king and hobbled back to her chair, where she 
 sat down, almost out of breath, but with a sweet, 
 triumphant sense of victory that brought joy 
 to her heart and peace to her soul. 
 
 While the Margravine was fanning herself, 
 the weeping, almost hysterical queen stepped 
 down from the dais and embraced the brave old
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 309 
 
 woman, much to the disgust of Grumkow and 
 the king, and greatly to the delight of every 
 other person in the hall. Don't Care thought 
 the whole scene was better than a play, and 
 doubtless she was right. 
 
 While the old lady was expressing her mind 
 to Frederick William, Sonnsf eld and one of the 
 queen's ladies had led Wilhelmina from the 
 frighful scene to an adjoining room. 
 
 Confusion reigned in the Mirrored Chamber. 
 Women were whispering and weeping hyster- 
 ically; men were talking, loudly approving the 
 Margrave's manly act, and to Grumkow 's ears 
 the uproar was like the ominous rumbling of 
 an avenging host. 
 
 "Bravo, Margrave!" "Vive le Schwedt!" 
 "Noble Adolph!" with an occasional "Down 
 with Grumkow!" came from different parts of 
 the room, carrying terror to Grumkow 's heart, 
 and adding valor to the Margrave's ever in- 
 creasing stock of courage. 
 
 "Vive le Schwedt!" were the sweetest sounds 
 that had ever fallen on Adolph 's ears, and they 
 so wrought upon him that he feared neither 
 man nor devil. Virtue certainly was its own 
 rich reward for the Margrave. 
 
 The cries from the room had increased rather 
 than diminished the king's anger, so after a
 
 310 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 whispered conversation with Grumkow, he 
 spoke as if addressing the assembled company : 
 
 " Bring the Duke of Weissenfels bring 
 Weissenfels! I'll not have my will thwarted 
 by an old woman and a fat fool ! ' ' 
 
 The king, having addressed no one in par- 
 ticular, no one offered to fetch his Grace of 
 Weissenfels, so his Majesty again cried out: 
 
 1 'Bring the Duke of Weissenfels, I say! Do 
 you hear me? Bring the Duke of Weissenfels !" 
 
 Still no one offered to go, so the Margrave, 
 who had grown calm, smiled, shrugged his 
 shoulders, bent low before the king, and said 
 with mock humility : 
 
 ' l With your Majesty's kind permission, I 
 will bring the duke." 
 
 "Go, go!" cried the king. "Don't stand 
 there like a fool gaping at me!" 
 
 Adolph turned toward the outer door, and 
 when he saw Henry, cried joyfully: 
 
 "Come with me ! Come with me ! Of all the 
 men in the world, I want you most! Come, 
 come! You shall see! You may help." 
 
 Lackeys opened the door, and the hatless 
 Margrave, followed by Henry, strode across 
 the garden to the wing of the palace in which 
 the Duke of Weissenfels was lodged. His 
 Grace had refused to be present at the ceremony
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 311 
 
 of betrothal, and, with two congenial spirits, 
 had remained in his room, nursing his chagrin, 
 and cuddling his wrath against Adolph. 
 
 The Margrave hurriedly climbed the narrow 
 flight of stairs leading to the duke's room and 
 entered, closely followed by Henry. Without 
 a word of warning, he walked up to the duke, 
 who was sitting at a table. The Margrave was 
 going to speak, but Weissenfels forestalled 
 him: 
 
 "You think you have won," cried his Grace, 
 fiercely. "Sacrement! you shall never live to 
 enjoy your bride! You beast! You hog! You 
 poltroon!" 
 
 The duke struck the Margrave with his cane, 
 and began to rise threateningly. Adolph re- 
 turned the blow, striking "Weissenfels in the 
 face with the palm of his hand. Thereupon 
 the duke and his friends snatched their swords 
 from the rack, and prepared to attack the in- 
 truder. Henry quickly drew his sword and 
 stepped between the Margrave and his foes. 
 
 "One at a time, gentlemen; one at a time!" 
 said Henry, easily keeping the duke at bay with 
 his sword point. 
 
 "Yes, one at a time and at this time!" cried 
 the excited Margrave, again striking the duke, 
 and drawing his sword. "And this one first!"
 
 312 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 By that time the duke was beside himself 
 with anger, and thirsting for blood, was striv- 
 ing to attack the Margrave. Henry held the 
 Margrave back, while the duke's friends led 
 his Grace to the opposite side of the room. 
 Each of the principals was trembling with rage, 
 and the duke was blaspheming in a manner to 
 congeal a Christian's blood. In an unlucky 
 moment the duke's friends relaxed their hold, 
 and he rushed across the room with drawn 
 sword, evidently intending to kill the Margrave. 
 Weissenfels made a lunge that would have 
 ended Adolph's days had not Henry parried 
 the thrust. The duke kept up his attack, but 
 Henry's skill with the sword was so superior 
 that his Grace was beaten backward toward his 
 friends. Again the duke came forward, but 
 his anger so blinded him that he was almost 
 powerless against Henry, who could have killed 
 him easily. Again the duke fell back. By the 
 time Weissenfels was beginning his second 
 retreat, the Margrave, who had recovered his 
 self-possession, laughed and cried out: 
 
 li Ach, let him come! Let him come! He 
 wants to die!" 
 
 With a nimbleness not to be expected, Adolph 
 followed up his receding foe. Like a flash of 
 light, his sword shot forward, and so great was
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBUBG 313 
 
 the weight behind it that its point protruded 
 from the duke's back. The duke fell forward 
 toward the Margrave, who thrust him back, and 
 his Grace of Weissenfels fell to the floor dead, 
 with the Margrave's sword standing in his 
 body. 
 
 Adolph had kept his word; Wilhelmina was 
 free. 
 
 The Margrave was as cool as if he had been 
 doing nothing more exciting than drinking a 
 few quarts of beer. 
 
 "Permit me," said he, bowing politely and 
 addressing the duke's friends, who had sought 
 refuge from the raging lion of Schwedt in the 
 farthest corner of the room. "Permit me. My 
 sword, I fear, would inconvenience his Grace 
 when they go to bury him." 
 
 The Margrave smiled broadly, drew his 
 sword from the duke's body, calmly wiped it 
 on the table cover, and again addressing the 
 men in the corner, asked: 
 
 "Do either or both of you gentlemen feel 
 aggrieved ? ' ' 
 
 Ah, the Margrave had come to his own. 
 From a gentle lamb he had grown to be a 
 devastating lion. His grotesqueness of form 
 and face had all disappeared, and he stood 
 awaiting a reply, a beautiful example of what
 
 314 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 high courage and exalted emotions will do for 
 a man physically, mentally and morally. 
 
 One of the men in the corner stepped for- 
 ward, saying to Henry: 
 
 "I have no grievance against his Highness 
 of Schwedt. I regret the duke's uncalled-for 
 attack. He has paid the penalty. He has been 
 threatening to kill the Margrave before the 
 wedding. We have tried to show him his error, 
 and now he has suffered its consequences. The 
 Margrave of Schwedt was in no way to blame. 
 His Grace of Weissenfels was the unprovoked 
 aggressor.'* 
 
 Henry felt that the moment had arrived for 
 arranging evidence that would protect the Mar- 
 grave against the charge of murder, should one 
 be made, so he said: 
 
 "A few minutes since, the Margrave of 
 Schwedt refused the hand of the princess, and 
 at the king's command, came to notify the 
 Duke of "Weissenfels that his Majesty wished 
 his Grace to take the Margrave's place." 
 
 Adolph, who was standing like a triumphant 
 gladiator, resting his sword-point on the floor, 
 looked up at Henry's face in wonder and was 
 about to speak, but Henry silenced him by a 
 motion of the hand. 
 
 A minute or two of awkward silence followed,
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 315 
 
 during which the Margrave felt a re-action from 
 his excitement. Then he spoke dreamily, 
 absent-mindedly, as if he were only half con- 
 scious of his words. 
 
 "What this man needs," said Adolph, touch- 
 ing the duke's body with his foot, "is a coffin. 
 You must not fail to have it made long enough. 
 In the language of Henry of France, I might 
 say, ' God ! How long he is ! ' I am I am very 
 sorry very sorry that I had to do it." 
 
 The Margrave relaxed his heroic pose; his 
 sword dropped to the floor ; he covered his face 
 with his hands; his flesh quivered spasmodic- 
 ally, and tears trickled between his fingers. 
 
 Henry took up the sword, grasped Adolph 's 
 arm, led him from the room, and they went 
 down the narrow flight of steps to the garden. 
 
 When they were well away from the building, 
 Henry said: 
 
 ' ' My dear friend, you have kept your word to 
 the letter. But you must be ruled by me. You 
 must hear what I have to say and you must 
 remember it. You did not attack the duke; 
 you went to him with the king's message, and 
 he attacked you ; you did not intend to kill him ; 
 you " 
 
 "Oh, yes, I did," answered Adolph, sobbing; 
 "I did intend to kill him. Murder has been in
 
 316 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 my heart ever since the evening in Eitter's 
 summer-house. I did not intend it as it hap- 
 pened. I expected to insult him and hoped to 
 force him to come with me to the garden, 
 where I would have killed him, though I ex- 
 pected to give my life for the privilege of 
 doing it." 
 
 "That may all be true," said Henry, "but 
 no one knows of your intention or its reason. 
 The duke's two friends who were present dur- 
 ing the fight, acknowledge that Weissenfels was 
 the aggressor. They and I will vouch for the 
 fact that you killed him in self-defense. Our 
 evidence will save you a great deal of trouble, 
 and will serve to lighten the burden of sorrow 
 in the heart of the princess. She would die of 
 remorse if she knew that you had deliberately 
 murdered the Duke of Weissenfels to save her. 
 She would blame herself for his death. She 
 may suspect your real motive, but if she believes 
 that you killed him in defense of your own life, 
 and if she learns that he was the aggressor, she 
 will be glad that it was the duke and not you 
 that died." 
 
 "But I went there to kill him," protested 
 Adolph. 
 
 "Yes, yes," continued Henry; "I know you 
 did, but the duke would have killed you if he
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBUBG 317 
 
 could, and you killed him in self-defense. What 
 your original intentions were are no part of 
 what really happened, and no one will ever 
 know of them unless you want to crow like a 
 rooster, out of pure vanity, and wish to add to 
 the burden of unhappiness the princess already 
 bears/' 
 
 "Ach, Gott, no," sighed Adolph. "I some- 
 times tickle my vanity by indulging the fancy 
 that I am not the fool people think I am, but 
 when it comes to the test, I always find that I 
 am more than a fool ; I am an idiot. You are 
 right. The course you advise is the only one 
 that will not add to Wilhelmina's unhappiness. 
 She is to be considered, and she only. Why 
 did I not at once see the wisdom of your sug- 
 gestion? But it is not too late." 
 
 "So we'll tell the story of the duke's death 
 as it happened," said Henry, "and no one save 
 you and I shall ever know that you in- 
 tended to kill him when you left the Mirrored 
 Chamber. ' ' 
 
 "Your advice is good," sighed Adolph. 
 "Please hasten to the king with the news. I'll 
 go to my room. I'm almost as dead as Weis- 
 senfels. You know my heart is very weak. 
 Please come to me soon, my friend of friends. 
 I need you."
 
 318 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 The Margrave entered the palace by a small 
 door leading to a privy stairway, and when he 
 reached his room, fell half conscious on his 
 bed. 
 
 Fritz Henry hurried to the Mirrored Cham- 
 ber, where he found the king waiting sullenly 
 for Weissenfels. The queen was weeping. 
 Grumkow, standing near the king, was in deep 
 thought, his face expressing an intensity of 
 fear that could have come only from a stricken 
 conscience. Great excitement prevailed among 
 the guests, but when Henry went to the king, 
 a deathlike silence fell upon the room, broken 
 only by the queen's sobs. 
 
 "Will your Majesty grant me a word pri- 
 vately?" he asked. 
 
 The king assented, and Henry told him that 
 the Margrave had gone to the Duke of Weissen- 
 fels to deliver his Majesty's message; that the 
 duke had made a murderous attack upon the 
 Margrave, who, to save his own life, had been 
 compelled to kill him. 
 
 The king's slow brain did not fully compre- 
 hend what Henry said, and after a moment's 
 silence, his Majesty spoke in a loud voice that 
 could be heard all over the room : 
 
 "Schwedt has killed Weissenfels, say you?" 
 
 The queen screamed and fainted. The Mar-
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 319 
 
 gravine of Schwedt sprang to her feet, crying 
 out excitedly: 
 
 "Mein Gott, ach, mein Gott! What is it 
 all?" 
 
 Several women in the audience fainted. Men 
 crowded about the royal dais and pandemonium 
 itself set in. Grumkow sprang to the king's 
 side. His Majesty turned his attention to the 
 queen for a moment, but when she recovered 
 sufficiently to be taken from the room, he 
 stepped down from the dais and went to Fritz 
 Henry. 
 
 "Let us get away from this howling mob," 
 growled the king, addressing Henry and 
 Grumkow. 
 
 His Majesty started to leave the room, indi- 
 cating that Henry should follow. Many of the 
 guests crowded about the king, eager to learn 
 the particulars of what had happened, but he 
 cursed them and drove them off with his cane. 
 
 When the king, Grumkow and Henry reached 
 a private room, His Majesty turned to Henry, 
 saying : 
 
 "Now tell me all about it, and don't lie, as 
 you value your life." 
 
 Henry drew away from the king, bent low 
 before him, and answered: 
 
 "If your Majesty fears that I shall lie to you,
 
 320 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 I advise you to find some one else to tell you of 
 the unfortunate affair, and I beg that I may 
 have your permission to withdraw." 
 
 "He isn't afraid of the devil," mumbled the 
 king. "I did not say that you would lie. I 
 said you must not lie. Go on, in God's name, 
 and tell me the truth, whatever it may be. Go 
 on, and do not fear to speak the truth." 
 
 Henry then told the king the full particulars 
 of all that had happened in the duke's room, 
 and referred his Majesty to the duke's friends 
 for confirmation of the story. 
 
 t( Ach, well, I'm glad he's dead," sighed the 
 king. "I have always hated him. He was an 
 infidel, and I'm glad he's out of my way." 
 
 With this remark his Majesty left the room, 
 and was never again heard to speak the name 
 of the Duke of Weissenfels.
 
 CHAPTEE XVIII 
 
 AFTER THE BATTLE 
 
 THE refusal of the Margrave to marry the 
 princess, and the death of Weissenfels, left Wil- 
 helmina without a suitor, and at once raised 
 the queen's hopes of reviving the English mar- 
 riage project. That, of course, was the one 
 alliance Grumkow wished to avoid, so on the 
 evening of the eventful betrothal day, the 
 baron's soul was wrapped in gloom. Either 
 Schwedt or Weissenfels would have been the 
 keystone to the arch of his plans, but the events 
 of one day had taken them both from him. In 
 addition to his loss, the words and threats of 
 the Margrave and the Margravine rang omi- 
 nously in his ears, falling like the knell of doom 
 upon his soul. It was a sad day for Grumkow, 
 and the night was sleepless. To avoid the Eng- 
 lish union, the princess must be married, and 
 if possible, her husband must be a man whom 
 Grumkow could use. Where was there such a 
 man? That was one of the questions which 
 shrouded Grumkow 's soul in gloom. 
 
 On leaving the king, Henry hurried to the 
 room of the Margrave, and found that valiant 
 
 21 821
 
 322 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 warrior sound asleep as the result of many hur- 
 ried libations of beer, taken with true intent to 
 drown his care. Being unable to rouse the 
 Margrave, he went to see the Crown Prince, 
 who had been taken back to his garret prison, 
 and there Henry narrated the details of the 
 fight. 
 
 "Who would have thought that the fat fool 
 had it in him ? ' ' asked Fritz, gazing meditatively 
 out the window. 
 
 "I do not think he is a fool," said Henry. 
 "I think he is one of the finest characters I 
 have ever known, and I am glad to call him 
 my friend." 
 
 "He has been Mina's friend," said the 
 prince, suddenly awakening to the impor- 
 tance of the situation. "Do you know, I am 
 just beginning to see the quality and the quan- 
 tity of the Margrave's extraordinary day's 
 work. He has completely upset all of Grum- 
 kow's plans, and has liberated Wilhelmina, at 
 least for a time. Brave Margrave! Noble 
 Margrave! He must be insane!" 
 
 "I think no man was ever more sane than 
 the Margrave has been throughout the whole 
 affair," said Henry. "He was greatly excited, 
 as you could see, in the Mirrored Chamber, but 
 he was sane, and after he killed the duke, was
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 323 
 
 so cool that he laughed when he drew his sword 
 from the body, and apologized for relieving 
 him of the inconvenient weapon." 
 
 "Tell him to look to his safety," said the 
 Crown Prince. "Grumkow will not easily for- 
 give the injury, and revenge, though it may be 
 delayed, will be sure." 
 
 "I fear you are right," returned Henry, 
 "and I also fear that Adolph will be an easy 
 mark. He is apt to fall into any net Grumkow 
 may spread for him. His only protection lies 
 in the fact that he is related to the Emperor 
 of Austria, Grumkow 's real master; therefore 
 the baron's revenge cannot be taken openly. 
 I believe the king is greatly relieved at the out- 
 come of affairs. His order to the princess to 
 marry Schwedt or Weissenfels, I am sure, was 
 wholly the result of Grumkow 's intolerable 
 influence. Sometimes I cannot help believing 
 that the king is under Grumkow 's spell, and is 
 not a free agent when that arch-fiend prac- 
 tises on his weakness and manipulates his 
 prejudices." 
 
 "I have known that to be true for a long 
 time," said the Crown Prince. "If it is not 
 true, my father is a greater fiend than Grum- 
 kow. Sometimes I am sorry for my father, 
 for I frequently catch glimpses of real love in
 
 324 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 his heart for Mina and for me. Grumkow is 
 at the bottom of all of our trouble, and if 
 Schwedt would only kill him, I should fall on 
 my face before Adolph, and place his heavy 
 foot upon my neck. ' ' 
 
 Henry would have given any price for a 
 word with the princess, but he knew he could 
 not have it. His good fortune did, however, 
 lead him to Mile. Sonnsfeld as he was leaving 
 the prince's garret. She was hastening to the 
 prince with a message from Wilhelmina, telling 
 him of the turn affairs had taken. Fritz Henry 
 stopped the maid, and eagerly asked news of 
 her mistress. 
 
 "She is in bed and ill," answered Sonnsfeld, 
 "but she will soon be well. The cloud has 
 passed for a time, and I hope she may now have 
 a few days of rest." 
 
 "I should like to send word to her a letter, 
 if if possible," said Henry, hesitating to speak 
 plainly to Sonnsfeld. 
 
 "You need not fear to speak your mind to 
 me," said Kate. "I know all. The princess 
 told me. To convince you that I know, I can, 
 if you wish, tell you about the garden house 
 at Bitter's. I will gladly take a letter for 
 you."
 
 OF OLD BBANDENBUBG 325 
 
 Henry's impulse to kiss the girl was re- 
 strained only by motives of policy. 
 
 "If you will meet me just after dark at the 
 privy stairway leading from the apartments of 
 the princess, I shall be glad to take your mes- 
 sage, and I may have one for you, ' ' said Sonns- 
 feld, glancing up at Henry's face. "I feel sure 
 it will be as great a pleasure to my mis- 
 tress to give as to receive, for she has spoken 
 of you many times to-day." 
 
 The girl hurried away, and Henry went to 
 the Margrave's room, hoping that sleep would 
 have dissipated at least a part of the fumes of 
 the beer. When he succeeded in arousing 
 Adolph, there was a moment of blear-eyed con- 
 fusion, followed by a semi-comatose, somewhat 
 cloudy period of cavernous yawns, which in 
 turn was succeeded by the dawning sun of in- 
 telligence. The sun, when once it began to rise, 
 rapidly climbed up the horizon of the Mar- 
 grave's mind, achieved the noon of clear con- 
 ception, and Adolph was awake. His excite- 
 ment had all passed away, and the humorous 
 side of life again presented itself to his view. 
 The wonted smile, which many persons called 
 a grin, spread itself over his face. He rubbed 
 his eyes, rose, looked regretfully at his shoes, 
 knowing that the arduous task of getting them
 
 326 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 on his feet was before him, sighed, sat down 
 on the edge of his bed, looked up at Henry, and 
 said: 
 
 "Ach, Gottl I have done much.'* 
 
 "Very much," assented Henry. 
 
 There was a long pause. 
 
 "Wha wha what did Stumpy say?" asked 
 Adolph, speaking through a yawn. 
 
 "I told him all about the fight," answered 
 Henry. "He said, 'I'm glad he is dead. I al- 
 ways hated him', and with that he turned on 
 his heel and walked away. But I thought 
 Grumkow would drop dead of an apoplexy. If 
 he had done so, the day would have been the 
 most glorious in Prussian history." 
 
 "Ach, the devil can't die," responded the 
 Margrave, still giving vent to an occasional 
 yawn, "and Grumkow is the devil in propria 
 persona." 
 
 "I quite agree with you," said Henry. 
 
 While the Margrave was struggling to put 
 on his unruly shoes, he said : 
 
 "Tell me of the princess." There was a 
 moaning cadence in his voice; he dropped his 
 shoe to the floor, covered his face with his 
 hands and fell back on the bed. He was the 
 picture of woe, though a moment before he had 
 been laughing.
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 327 
 
 "Sonnsfeld tells me her mistress is ill," said 
 Henry, "but assures me that she will soon be 
 well. To be relieved suddenly of the burden 
 she has borne for several months is enough to 
 prostrate her, but joy never kills, and she will 
 soon recover from the shock." 
 
 The Margrave did not answer, but lay 
 moaning on the bed. After a long silence, 
 Henry said: 
 
 "She has great cause to be thankful to you, 
 Margrave. You kept your promise when it 
 did not seem possible for you to accomplish 
 anything. What a tremendous scene you 
 raised when you defied the king ! Adolph, you 
 are the bravest man I ever knew." 
 
 "It was not bravery that prompted me," 
 said Adolph, rising again and sitting on the 
 edge of his bed. ' ' It was desperation. I dared 
 not take the princess for myself, and I would 
 have died a thousand deaths before leaving her 
 to Weissenfels. You see it was fear, not brav- 
 ery, that drove me on. From this time forth, 
 I suppose I shall be expected to live up to the 
 standard of what I did to-day." 
 
 He breathed a sigh, placed his hand on his 
 heart as if in pain, and continued. " Ach, that 
 would be hard work, and I hope my friends 
 will not expect it of me. It would be too hard
 
 328 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 for me. I like my comfort, my mother and my 
 beer. Love and courage are not for Adolph. 
 He flew to-day ; he soared high, but for the rest 
 of his life he'll walk or sit. Adolph is tired." 
 
 The Margrave again became silent for a 
 moment. Still sitting on the edge of the bed, 
 he sighed deeply, shook his head mournfully, 
 and spoke, as if to himself: 
 
 "Why did I ever leave my dear, restful 
 Schwedt? My mother coaxed me, shamed me 
 and misled me. True, she did it out of love for 
 me, but she was wrong, and there's no good ex- 
 cuse for being wrong. Love is not for me. Ach, 
 Gottl Think of my condition, my friend," 
 he said, turning to Henry. "Imagine, if you 
 can, a man starving for food, yearning for 
 even one little morsel to stay his gnawing. 
 That of itself would be hard enough; but 
 if he takes his place at a beautiful table, cov- 
 ered with delicious food, from which he may, 
 if he will, satisfy his cravings, but for reasons 
 self-imposed, will not take a morsel, then then 
 he has made a mistake. He should have chosen 
 hell. He would have been more comfortable 
 there. ' ' 
 
 Again the Margrave threw himself on the bed 
 and covered his face with his hands. 
 
 Henry waited until he rose again, then taking
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 329 
 
 him by the hand, led him to a chair at the win- 
 dow, and sat down near him. 
 
 7 \ 
 
 ' ' Grumkow will not forgive you for what you 
 have done, and his revenge will be sure if you 
 do not leave Berlin, or take steps to avert the 
 consequences of his hatred," said Henry. 
 
 "I am sure you are right, and and I want a 
 copy of the letter you showed me. That will 
 be the only step I need take. I shall have the 
 devil in my power. It will be the first time in 
 the history of the world that man has ever 
 shackled the devil. Come, come, let me have 
 the copy. Here are paper, quill and ink. Fetch 
 me the letter and I will copy it." 
 
 "I fear " began Henry, but the Margrave 
 interrupted him. 
 
 1 'Fetch it, I say. Gott, man! Can't you 
 trust me, even after to-day?" 
 
 "I'll bring the letter at once," answered 
 Henry, leaving the Margrave's room. 
 
 When Henry returned, Adolph put on his 
 large spectacles and began laboriously copying 
 the letter. Fully half an hour was required, 
 but when the copy was finished, it was like 
 copperplate, so perfect was the penmanship. 
 Meantime, Henry sat at the window, looking 
 down upon the garden, thinking of the Mar-
 
 330 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 grave 's metaphor of the hungry man who would 
 not eat. 
 
 Longing fathers hope, and hope is the mother 
 of dreams. But Henry's dreams were shat- 
 tered all too quickly by the Margrave, who 
 came to his side with a joyful laugh and a 
 dancing step, exclaiming: 
 
 "Now, I have the devil in fetters. I do not 
 fear him. Let us compare. I will read my 
 copy and you read the original." 
 
 The Margrave read the copy, which proved 
 to be correct. 
 
 "Aeh, there are the devil's shackles," he 
 cried joyfully, as he folded the paper and placed 
 it carefully in a pocket of his waistcoat. ' ' The 
 devil may not know for some time, perhaps for 
 many days, that he is shackled. But would you 
 not give a good round sum to see him squirm 
 and struggle, and belch forth fire and sulphur- 
 ous smoke when he feels the irons tightening 
 about him?" 
 
 ' ' I hope you do not expect to crush Grumkow 
 by showing this letter to the king," said Henry. 
 
 "I do not," answered the Margrave, swag- 
 gering about the room in the pride of his 
 strength. "If I fire my gun by showing the 
 letter to the king, and by mischance fail to kill 
 the devil, his satanic majesty would be loose
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 331 
 
 again, and Adolph of Schwedt would become 
 his imp. No, no; I'm no such fool. A loaded 
 gun is a fearsome thing. Wait till my oppor- 
 tunity comes; then watch for satanic convo- 
 lutions such as the world has not hitherto 
 witnessed." 
 
 As soon as darkness had fallen, Fritz Henry 
 hurried to the garden, when, after a short time, 
 he had the great* pleasure of seeing Sonnsfeld 
 emerge from the stairway door. She gave him 
 a letter, received one in return, and soon after- 
 wards two hearts were happy despite the fact 
 that they had no right to be other than miser- 
 able. 
 
 The next day Henry and the Crown Prince 
 accompanied the king to Spandau Castle, where 
 they remained two or three weeks without 
 hearing news from Berlin. 
 
 Wilhelmina's marriage, the Margrave's bold 
 refusal and Weissenfels' death all seemed to 
 have been dismissed from the king's mind. 
 Trouble was brewing with King George over a 
 few loads of hay that had been stolen by Prus- 
 sian subjects from a disputed tract of ground 
 lying between Brandenburg and Hannover. 
 King Frederick William's entire attention was 
 given to drilling recruits, preparatory to war 
 if it should come.
 
 332 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 Meanwhile affairs at court were moving along 
 with a smoothness which would have been lack- 
 ing had the king been at home. Wilhelmina 
 soon recovered her health, and with Fritz 
 Henry's letter hidden lovingly in her bosom, 
 was happier than she had been for many a day. 
 
 When Sonnsfeld delivered the letter, she 
 said: 
 
 ' ' He was so handsome that I had half a mind 
 to tell him he might send a kiss to you by me. ' ' 
 
 "I should be glad to have one," answered 
 Mina, laughing, "but he would not have sent it 
 by you." 
 
 "Why!" 
 
 "Because, to send me a kiss by you, he must 
 first kiss you, and he would not do that." 
 
 "Am I not pretty enough to tempt him?" 
 asked the wise Sonnsfeld, knowing full well that 
 she was decidedly pretty. 
 
 "Yes, Kate," answered Mina, "you are very 
 pretty with your big blue eyes, your red cheeks 
 and redder lips, but no one is pretty enough to 
 tempt him. However, I don't want you to be 
 trying." 
 
 "You're a jealous person," retorted Sonns- 
 feld. 
 
 "I fear I am," replied the princess. "But 
 I do want to keep all of his love while I may.
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 333 
 
 It will be the one bright spot in my whole life. 
 Kate, did you ever dream of what life would be 
 as the wife of the man you loved, who loved 
 you?" 
 
 "Yes, Mina," responded Sonnsfeld, breath- 
 ing a low sigh. "Save for my dreams about 
 you, I have no other occupation. " 
 
 "You have no lover?'* asked Wilhelmina, 
 looking quickly up at Kate's face. "So why do 
 you dream?" 
 
 "I dream for the same reason that every 
 other girl dreams. Why did you dream before 
 you met the Handsome Captain?" 
 
 "I did not dream that is, I did not dream 
 so much as now." 
 
 "Ah, well, my sweet Mina, dream while you 
 can. You may live all your life through hoping 
 for a reality that will exceed your dreams in 
 happiness, but if you find it, you will be luckier 
 than most women. What men get out of life 
 that is better than dreams, I do not know. 
 Dreams are not for them. I fancy the angels 
 sent dreams into the world for woman's 
 especial benefit, to compensate her for enduring 
 life's terrible realities. I wonder who the 
 Handsome Captain is?" 
 
 "He is an Englishman of rank," answered 
 Wilhelmina, * * though I do not know his degree,
 
 334 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 and confess I have not given the subject a 
 thought." 
 
 "How did you learn that he is an English- 
 man?" asked Kate. 
 
 "I knew it when I first heard him speak 
 English," replied Wilhelmina. "His name is 
 English, and Don't Care said that father told 
 her he was English. The Margrave also says 
 he learned it from what the captain said. 
 What has hecome of the Margrave? I have 
 not seen him since the momentous day. I never 
 knew as rare a character so thoroughly dis- 
 guised, but as his' wife I should have died." 
 
 "A woman may endure a great deal without 
 dying," said Kate. "At times God seems to 
 be stingy of death in dealing with us." 
 
 "I wonder who will be the next candidate for 
 my hand," queried Wilhelmina. 
 
 "Since Don't Care won't have the Hereditary 
 Prince of Bayreuth, the king may thrust him 
 upon you," suggested Kate. 
 
 "They say he, too, is a most repulsive man," 
 replied Wilhelmina. "I wish I could defy the 
 king, and disobey him and wheedle him as 
 Don't Care does." 
 
 "A person must be born coarse of grain and 
 selfish of heart to be a successful bully," 
 answered Kate.
 
 OF OLD BKANDENBUEG 335 
 
 " Whatever is required, I wish I had," re- 
 turned Wilhelmina. " Don't Care refused to 
 consider the Hereditary Prince of Bayreuth, 
 and the matter was dropped. How, suppose 
 you, did she learn about him?" 
 
 After a moment's hesitancy, Sonnsfeld re- 
 plied : 
 
 "She got her information from the Hand- 
 some Captain. She said he told her that the 
 Prince of Bayreuth was very repulsive in per- 
 son, but she laughed and said she feared the 
 Handsome Captain was jealous and was trying 
 to prejudice her against his rival. She also 
 said she did not care ; that she did not want the 
 Hereditary Prince, nor any man unless she 
 could get the Handsome Captain, who, she 
 avowed, was dying of love for her. The Mar- 
 grave confirmed the captain's report of the 
 Hereditary Prince, and from that time forth, 
 Don't Care would hear no more of the pro- 
 jected marriage with Bayreuth." 
 
 "It does seem," said Wilhelmina, sadly, 
 "that when God gives a man high rank, he 
 withholds all other good qualities." 
 
 "Your brother is an exception," suggested 
 Sonnsfeld. 
 
 "Yes, he is an exception. He seems to me to
 
 336 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 be perfect in every way," agreed Wilhelmina, 
 readily. "The poor Margrave 's defects are 
 all physical, but " 
 
 "We will not talk about the Margrave," in- 
 terrupted Sonnsfeld. "Let us talk about the 
 Handsome Captain, and then we will go to 
 sleep." And Kate's program was carried out.
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 
 ADOLPH SHACKLES THE DEVIL 
 
 WHILE Henry and the prince were at Span- 
 dan Castle, affairs at court were readjusting 
 themselves to the new conditions. The king, 
 who made periodical visits to Berlin, treated 
 the Margrave as usual, for he liked him not- 
 withstanding his contempt for him which was 
 profound and unconcealed. He seemed to have 
 forgotten the Margrave's part in the affairs 
 of the day of disappointment. Perhaps, if 
 Adolph had been of more importance in 
 royal eyes, Frederick William would have 
 resented his contumacy, but the king was able to 
 control his violence when he knew it was to his 
 advantage, and may have made the Margrave's 
 insignificance an excuse for forgiving him. 
 
 To injure Adolph and to offend the Margra- 
 vine of Schwedt, Prussian Majesty felt sure 
 would be giving England and Austria their 
 much desired pretext. Therefore state policy 
 and indifference to so contemptible a person 
 as Adolph prompted the king to overlook his 
 great affront, and to treat him as if nothing 
 unusual had happened. 
 
 22 387
 
 338 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 It was easily shown by the evidence of the 
 duke's companions that the killing of Weissen- 
 fels had been in self-defense, and as his Grace's 
 relatives felt deeply obliged to Adolph, the 
 matter was dropped. So the good folks from 
 Schwedt remained in the palace, tolerated if 
 not honored guests. 
 
 Soon after the eventful day, the Margravine 
 suggested to her son the advisability of return- 
 ing to the quiet precincts of Schwedt, but 
 Adolph stoutly refused to move. 
 
 "You would have me come," he answered, 
 "and being here, I intend to remain till I am 
 quite ready to go." 
 
 Grumkow refused to speak to Adolph save 
 to insult him whenever an opportunity pre- 
 sented, and it was evident to every one that the 
 king's apathetic view of the Margrave's great 
 work did not pervade the heart of the baron. 
 
 Thus much for the situation in the palace 
 touching Adolph. He seemed to be safe, but 
 the cunning of the devil is of a subtle, danger- 
 ous quality, and is deceitful in appearances. 
 
 When the queen recovered from the shock of 
 the scene in the Mirrored Hall, she was a very 
 happy woman. With Schwedt and Weissen- 
 fels out of the way, the beloved English pro-
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 339 
 
 ject stood a chance of revival, and her Majesty, 
 much to Grumkow 's annoyance, lost no time 
 in beginning the resuscitating process. The 
 king, who was anxious to avoid war with Eng- 
 land, was almost convinced by the queen that 
 the renewal of marriage negotiations would be 
 the best way of pacifying King George. He 
 listened with considerable patience to his wife, 
 though he took no steps toward reopening the 
 English negotiations. Grumkow was able to 
 see to that. 
 
 Wilhelmina's marriage once more became a 
 living issue, and was discussed in The Tabagie 
 one evening, the king having come over from 
 Spandau for that purpose. Grumkow dwelt 
 eloquently on the wrongs Prussia had suffered 
 at the hands of England. He spoke with tears 
 of the insufferable insults that had been put 
 upon "our gracious, just, our wise and gentle 
 king by the English tyrant, who would trample 
 Prussia under his despotic heel." Grumkow's 
 eloquence easily brought the king back to his 
 old-time frenzy, and though his Majesty did 
 not explicitly declare that nothing would be 
 done in relation to the English marriage, he 
 showed very clearly that his distaste for the 
 project and his hatred for King George still 
 existed.
 
 340 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 The specter of the English marriage fright- 
 ened Grumkow, since that alliance would effect- 
 ually put an end to the fine schemes for his own 
 aggrandizement, and would disgrace him with 
 his real master, the Emperor of Austria. 
 
 To prevent it, Grumkow must find another 
 husband for Wilhelmina. Schwedt and Weis- 
 senfels being out of the way, there was no man 
 at hand who would serve his purpose better 
 than August of Saxony. So in desperation, 
 and out of sheer, poison-hearted hatred for the 
 beautiful princess, this incarnation of Satan 
 proposed King August, the moral leper of 
 Christendom, for Mina's husband. Adolph 
 was present at The Tabagie when Grumkow 's 
 suggestion was put forward, and again he was 
 in trouble. Having grown careless of conse- 
 quences, he ran to the head of the table where 
 Grumkow was standing beside the king's chair. 
 He interrupted the baron by shaking his fist 
 under his nose, and after that aggressive move- 
 ment, turned to the king, exclaiming: 
 
 "Why do you not kill your daughter? She 
 had a thousand times better be dead than mar- 
 ried to the man this this arch-fiend suggests." 
 
 Brave Margrave! Noble Margrave! There 
 was not in all Brandenburg and Prussia an-
 
 341 
 
 other man who would have dared speak those 
 words unless it were the Handsome Captain. 
 
 "Take this man away and put him to bed!'* 
 growled the king. 
 
 Two Tabagians led the Margrave from the 
 room, while he shouted anathema against 
 Grumkow. 
 
 After the Margrave's expulsion from The 
 Tabagie, he was not put to bed, but was per- 
 mitted to go his way alone, so he went im- 
 mediately to the queen's boudoir. When a lady 
 in waiting met him at the door, he sent word to 
 her Majesty that he wished to speak to her on a 
 subject of great importance, and was at once 
 admitted. Standing before the queen, hat in 
 hand, and almost breathless, Adolph began to 
 explain his mission. 
 
 "I have just been put out of The Tabagie," 
 he exclaimed, excitedly, "and have hastened 
 to tell your Majesty that Grumkow has sug- 
 gested the King of Poland for your daughter's 
 husband. ' ' 
 
 "Which daughter?" exclaimed Don't Care, 
 who was seated at the harpsichord. 
 
 "The Princess Wilhelmina," responded 
 Adolph. 
 
 "Oh!" said Don't Care, turning again to the
 
 342 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 harpsichord, and running her fingers carelessly 
 over the keys. 
 
 * * Stop that noise ! ' ' cried the queen. * ' Where 
 is your sister?" 
 
 "I'm sure I don't know," answered Don't 
 Care, without turning her face toward the 
 queen. "She is in bed, I suppose. Shall I 
 carry the welcome news to her 1 ' ' 
 
 "No," said the queen sharply. "Keep still. 
 Now, you you ' ' waving her hand toward the 
 Margrave, "go on, go on." 
 
 "Madam, I have told you all there is to tell," 
 answered Adolph, blinking and standing on one 
 foot ,to rest the other. "Grunikow proposes 
 King August; your husband seems to take 
 kindly to the proposition, and curses England 
 and the English marriage. That is all. I have 
 said much. ' ' 
 
 "It is, indeed, much," answered the queen. 
 "What can we do?" 
 
 "If your Majesty will allow me to speak, I, 
 who am of so little moment in your eyes, may 
 be able to make a suggestion which may be 
 worth hearing." 
 
 "In God's name, speak," answered the 
 queen. "What you have to say may be worth 
 listening to. I haven't anything else to do just 
 now. Go on."
 
 OF OLD BEANDENBUEG 343 
 
 "If your Majesty insists on trying to revive 
 the English marriage " 
 
 1 'For the love of God!" cried the queen. 
 "Is this fool, too, going to try to talk me out 
 of it?" 
 
 "Shall I proceed?" asked the Margrave, 
 with a flash of anger. 
 
 "Yes, yes, go on," returned the queen, 
 impatiently. 
 
 "If your Majesty insists at this time on put- 
 ting forward the English marriage, you will 
 surely precipitate the union with Saxony. You 
 have already learned the brutal strength of 
 Grumkow's hand. What now would be the fate 
 of the princess if I had failed to come to her 
 rescue? King August will not refuse her hand 
 as I did, and I may not be able to kill his 
 Majesty of Poland. Listen to the advice of 
 one who has proved himself your friend. Drop 
 the English project at once if you would not 
 bring ruin on yourself and on the princess, and 
 try to find for your daughter a husband more 
 suitable than King August." 
 
 Don't Care rose from the harpsichord, and 
 ran laughing to the queen. 
 
 "Let me present to my sister my prince the 
 Hereditary Prince of Bayreuth," said the little
 
 344 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 princess, who seemed to look upon the situation 
 as a rare jest. 
 
 Much to Don't Care's surprise, the Margrave 
 cried joyfully: ''That is the very thing, your 
 Majesty. It is a wise suggestion. The Prince 
 of Bayreuth is a fine gentleman. ' ' 
 
 1 'Oh, is he?" exclaimed Don't Care. "You 
 told me he was not. Perhaps I don't want to 
 give him up." 
 
 The Margrave saw his mistake, and silently 
 thanked the princess for interrupting him. 
 
 "Will your Highness kindly permit me to 
 finish?" he said, lifting a protesting palm to 
 Don't Care. "I was about to say that the 
 Hereditary Prince of Bayreuth is a fine gentle- 
 man compared with the King of Poland. He 
 is not handsome, and perhaps he is not to a 
 lady's taste, but he is a deeply pious man, very 
 honest and very just." 
 
 "Do you know him?" asked the queen. 
 
 "Yes, your Majesty," returned Adolph. 
 
 "Tell me of him," commanded the queen. 
 
 Adolph paused a moment to refresh his 
 halting memory: "He is tall, well educated, 
 very pious, very honest and very poor. As 
 I have said, his personal appearance is 
 well, he is better off in that respect than I; 
 God knows, better off than I much."
 
 OF OLD BEANDENBURG 345 
 
 "We'll think of what you have said," re- 
 turned the queen. "It will interfere with 
 Grumkow's plan, at least, for a time. Good- 
 night, and thank you. Your intentions are 
 good, and your advice may be may be even 
 better. I am sorry I spoke sharply to you." 
 
 Adolph left the queen and went to his room. 
 There he lay down on his bed, heavy of heart, 
 and tried to go to sleep. Finding sleep im- 
 possible, he rose and left the palace by a 
 postern to which he had the key. After 
 wandering about for an hour, he sought his 
 favorite tavern, "The Big Sausage," drank 
 several quarts of good, rich beer, and soon was 
 sleeping like a child. 
 
 Owing to Grumkow's watchfulness, the queen 
 was unable to see the king for several days after 
 the interview with Adolph, but when she saw 
 his Majesty, she told him that she had heard 
 of Grumkow's kind suggestion touching the 
 Saxony alliance. She also told him her mind 
 on the subject. The king listened for a time 
 and broke forth in storm. 
 
 "I'm tired of hearing the English marriage 
 drummed into my ears, and I tell you I'll not 
 endure it another day. You are so great a fool 
 that you will never drop it till the girl is mar- 
 ried. She shall marry at once August or a
 
 346 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 lackey. It is all one to me, so that I get her 
 married and stop your maddening harangue 
 about the English marriage. England, never! 
 Any one else very well. But make the choice 
 at once, for married she shall be immediately. 
 If you do not choose a husband for her who is 
 satisfactory to me, August of Saxony shall 
 have her. If she refuses she already knows 
 what her fate will be, and she knows what will 
 befall her brother and her friends." 
 
 The king left, and Wilhelmina, who was 
 present during the interview, was once more in 
 despair. 
 
 Presently Don't Care laughed and called 
 to Wilhelmina across the room: "Take my 
 prince, Mina. I'll go single all my life rather 
 than have my sister marry King August." 
 Don't Care's cruelty was by no means the least 
 of Mina's troubles. 
 
 There seemed nothing better to do than to 
 accept the offer, so within a few days the 
 queen and Wilhelmina notified his Majesty 
 that the princess would marry the Hereditary 
 Prince of Bayreuth if their choice met with the 
 king's approval. 
 
 When the subject was brought up in The 
 Tabagie, Grumkow did not approve, conse- 
 quently the king was averse, so word was sent
 
 OF OLD BKANDENBUKG 347 
 
 to the queen and the princess, notifying them 
 that another choice must be made. 
 
 The next evening before supper, the Mar- 
 grave, who had heard the verdict at The 
 Tabagie, presented himself at the door of 
 Grumkow 's house, and asked to see him. Ad- 
 mittance was refused until word was sent in by 
 Adolph that he bore a message from the queen. 
 Then he was ushered into the baron's presence, 
 and bravely entered upon his dangerous and 
 desperate undertaking. 
 
 "The queen and the Princess Wilhelmina 
 wish me to say that their choice has fallen on 
 the Prince of Bayreuth, and that the princess 
 will marry none other." 
 
 "They know the consequences," growled 
 Grumkow ; * ' and if that is all you came to say, 
 be gone!" 
 
 "I have more to say much," answered 
 Adolph, breathing heavily, and suppressing 
 his anger. "Please read this copy of a letter 
 written by you some time ago to Madame 
 Kamen." 
 
 Grumkow sprang to his feet at the mention 
 of Eamen's name, but quickly resumed his 
 chair, and by a great effort composed himself. 
 He took the paper from Adolph, read it and 
 handed it back with the remark :
 
 348 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 "I know nothing of the letter. It is not in 
 my handwriting. ' ' 
 
 "I hope you do not suppose I would be so 
 great a fool as to entrust you with the orig- 
 inal," asked Adolph, smiling and folding the 
 paper. ''The original is not in Berlin. It is 
 in the hands of a powerful man, a prince, 
 whose word the king will accept unhesitatingly. 
 If his Majesty does not approve the queen's 
 choice of the Hereditary Prince of Bayreuth, 
 or if by any chance evil befalls me, my friend, 
 who holds the original of this letter, will pre- 
 sent it to the king. ' ' 
 
 "I don't care when the letter is given to the 
 king," said Grumkow, with all the coolness of 
 innocence. "It was not written by me, and I 
 shall pay no attention to it nor to your threats. 
 Others have tried the same game with Grum- 
 kow, and they are now living in underground 
 dungeons in Spandau Castle. I have a mind 
 to have you kicked from my house." 
 
 The Margrave had regained his self-posses- 
 sion, and was as calm as the baron. 
 
 "If you lay a hand on me, Baron Grumkow, 
 I swear before God that the original of this 
 letter will be placed before the king, and will be 
 published to the people of Brandenburg and 
 Prussia. It will be corroborated by evidence
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 349 
 
 t 
 that cannot be doubted, evidence that will 
 
 hang you and a score of your confederates, in- 
 cluding your mistress, Madame Ramen. I am 
 not speaking idly. Your plots are known to 
 many persons in Brandenburg, and you are 
 living over a mine." 
 
 "Your ravings disgust me! Go!" shouted 
 Grumkow, rising and pacing the room nerv- 
 ously. 
 
 The Margrave, following closely at the 
 baron's heels, continued: 
 
 "If by to-morrow night at ten o'clock, the 
 king has not given his consent to the marriage 
 of the Princess Wilhelmina and the Hereditary 
 Prince of Bayreuth, the original of this letter, 
 and the evidence to corroborate it, will be sent 
 broadcast over the entire land, and you will be 
 unable to reach the borders of Brandenburg in 
 time to save your life. Death hangs over you, 
 Baron Grumkow, and after death, the bottom- 
 less pit of hell. You may, if you wish, assassi- 
 nate me, but you will gain nothing, for I am no 
 part of the evidence against you. I simply hold 
 your enemies in check for the purpose of gain- 
 ing my point. If you assassinate me, you pre- 
 cipitate your troubles, for in all the world there 
 will be no one that can save you. The original 
 of the letter and the evidence to support it will
 
 350 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 * 
 
 be used to hang you. Take my advice, Baron 
 Grumkow; if you hear of my death, lose no time 
 in getting out of Brandenburg. You know that 
 you wrote the original letter. I need not try 
 to convince you that I also know it. How 
 it came to the hands that now hold it need not 
 trouble you. By to-morrow night I shall expect 
 a favorable answer from the king. Au revoir, 
 Baron. ' ' 
 
 When the Margrave started to the door, 
 Grumkow called him back, but he would not 
 return. With head erect, and heart throb- 
 bing with pride, he walked from the house to 
 Zur Groszen Wurst, where he proceeded with 
 earnest deliberation to get himself very drunk. 
 He succeeded much. 
 
 The next morning the Margrave was out of 
 bed early, bright and alert as any boy. He 
 ordered a great dish of big sausage with cab- 
 bage and garlic fried in vinegar and oil, that 
 being the inn's chef d'oeuvre, and thus 
 strengthened, sallied forth for the day. 
 
 In the evening he attended The Tabagie, 
 where the proposition of the queen to offer 
 Wilhelmina's hand to the Hereditary Prince of 
 Bayreuth was to be discussed. 
 
 Before the session began, Grumkow ap- 
 proached Adolph very civilly, and in the gra-
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 351 
 
 cious manner of which he was master, invited 
 him to a conference apart from the other mem- 
 bers. 
 
 "My dear Margrave," said Grumkow, affec- 
 tionately placing his hand on Adolph's arm, 
 "you have been deceived by some designing 
 person, who has tried to induce you to believe 
 that the letter you saw and copied was written 
 by me. I am sure you are honest in your 
 belief, but my dear Margrave, pause a moment 
 and think. Do you suppose I could be so great 
 a fool as to write that letter I" 
 
 "Every man is a fool in spots," answered 
 Adolph, throwing out his chest and proudly 
 lifting his head as he delivered himself of the 
 truism. 
 
 "But I am not a fool in that spot," insisted 
 the baron, smiling kindly. 
 
 "Ach, don't argue with me," Adolph an- 
 swered, impatiently; "I know the letter is 
 yours, and " 
 
 "Speak softly," interrupted Grumkow. 
 "Speak softly; these fools may hear you." 
 
 "I know the letter is yours," said Adolph, 
 ignoring Grumkow 's request, and speaking 
 in a loud voice. "I know it is yours and 
 you know that I know it. I am waiting to 
 learn what the king does. If he fails to act
 
 352 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 to-night in accordance with my suggestion to 
 you, my one word of advice is: beware. The 
 person to whom you wrote the letter has long 
 been receiving money from your enemies, and 
 is a traitor to you. She will swear to you that 
 she is true, of course, and you will believe her, 
 as you have done many times before when she 
 was false and laughed at your credulity. I'll 
 show you your fool-spot, Baron. Those who 
 are false to others never understand that others 
 may be false to them. There is always, Baron, 
 a blind self-conceit that goes with deep-rooted 
 villainy. Beware of delay. I have said 
 much." 
 
 Grumkow still smiled, and after trying in 
 vain to induce the Margrave to admit that the 
 letter might possibly be a forgery, took another 
 course. 
 
 "I am sure the king will agree to the mar- 
 riage with the Hereditary Prince of Bayreuth, 
 but I doubt if he can be brought to do so to- 
 night. Now, my dear Margrave," continued 
 Grumkow, almost begging for the favor he was 
 asking, "give us till the day after to-morrow 
 at noon. ' ' 
 
 "Granted," said the Margrave, with a con- 
 descending, magnanimous air. 
 
 "And my dear Margrave, although the let-
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 353 
 
 ter of which you have spoken is an infamous 
 forgery, it might make trouble for me, there- 
 fore I would place this condition to the king's 
 consent ; the letter must be delivered to me to- 
 morrow. ' ' 
 
 "Baron, I do not thank you for the compli- 
 ment to my intelligence," answered Adolph, 
 looking up at Grumkow reproachfully. "On 
 the day the princess leaves the court, the wife 
 of the Hereditary Prince of Bayreuth, you 
 shall have the letter. Meantime you must trust 
 me, but if you do not want to trust me, well 
 and good. Take your own course. I shall 
 attend the little fete at which you are hanged 
 with a great deal of joy, and in the evening, will 
 celebrate the event with much beer much." 
 
 Then Grumkow insisted that the letter should 
 be delivered when the king's consent was ob- 
 tained, but the Margrave laughed at him, and 
 he was forced to be content with the promise 
 our knight had given. The adroit Margrave 
 had in truth shackled the devil. 
 
 When the Parliament was seated, and after 
 the Tabagians had smoked the first pipe, Grum- 
 kow rose. Addressing the king and the mem- 
 bers, he urged in the name of domestic peace 
 and national policy that the king's friends ad- 
 vise his Majesty to accede to the queen's 
 
 23
 
 354 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 wishes, and to send a commission forthwith to 
 Bayreuth, offering the hand of the Princess 
 Wilhelmina to the Hereditary Prince. Grum- 
 kow's speech was the keynote, and other mem- 
 bers of The Tabagie supported his proposition, 
 while the king listened. Seckendorf favored the 
 project, and when the little minister succeeded, 
 after many futile efforts, in getting the floor, 
 the good man said: 
 
 1 'I was loath, your Majesty, to obey your 
 recent commands to officiate at the betrothal 
 of the beautiful princess to that mountain of 
 bestial and ungodly flesh, the Margrave of 
 Schwedt, and I am truly glad " 
 
 At this point in the little minister's speech, 
 Adolph, who was standing behind him, touched 
 him on the shoulder and said : 
 
 "The Margrave of Schwedt did what you 
 would have left undone, you canting little hypo- 
 crite. He refused the hand of the princess 
 because her heart did not go with it." 
 
 The little minister had not seen Adolph 
 standing behind him, and the Margrave 's words 
 so startled him that he turned in terror, fearing 
 that he might suffer the fate of "Weissenfels. 
 He stared blankly for a moment, and then sat 
 down without uttering another word. Adolph 
 was becoming a terror.
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 355 
 
 Since the eventful day of the interrupted be- 
 trothal, Adolph had risen hour by hour in the 
 opinion of all who knew him, and when he 
 checked the little minister in his uncalled-for 
 attack, the members of the Parliament ap- 
 plauded with loud acclaim: "Bravo, Schwedt!" 
 "Bold Margrave!" "Vive le Schwedt! 11 and 
 Adolph swelled mightily in the chest. 
 
 After a moment's silence, he bowed and 
 said in answer to the plaudits of his friends : 
 
 "I thank you much."
 
 CHAPTER XX 
 
 THE STRANGE MAN FROM SCHWEDT 
 
 No definite action was taken that night at 
 The Tabagie, though Grumkow tried very hard 
 to bring it about. There could be no doubt 
 about his sincerity ; he was intensely in earnest. 
 Perhaps his deep anxiety was part of the cause 
 of his failure. But King Frederick William 
 was stubborn and did not speak three words 
 during the entire session. The meeting was 
 broken up early, and, in a surly mood, the king 
 went to the queen's boudoir. 
 
 The next day was eventless, as far as the 
 Margrave and Grumkow knew. During the 
 afternoon of the second day, Grumkow, who 
 had been diligently seeking Adolph, found him 
 at Zur Groszen Wurst, and begged for an ex- 
 tension of time. The Margrave, who was com- 
 fortably drunk, replied sternly: 
 
 "Not another hour. This day at six o'clock 
 the curtain falls on the career of Baron Grum- 
 kow unless by that time the king's consent to 
 the marriage has been given." 
 
 Grumkow begged and argued for nearly an 
 hour, during which time the Margrave was 
 
 256
 
 OF OLD BKANDENBURG 357 
 
 growing more drowsy every moment. The per- 
 sistent baron did not cease his importunities, 
 but pleaded until he saw that the clock had 
 struck three for the worthy potentate of 
 Schwedt, and that Adolph was asleep. Grum- 
 kow tried to arouse him, but failed. 
 
 No one else was in the room, so first making 
 sure that the Margrave could not be aroused, 
 Grumkow locked the door and stood for a mo- 
 ment watching the fallen hero. Murder was 
 the thing he longed to do, but recalling Adolph 's 
 warning, he felt sure that the letter and the 
 evidence against him would at once be placed 
 before the king if harm befell the sleeping man. 
 
 While watching the Margrave, Grumkow con- 
 ceived the happy thought that the troublesome 
 letter might be on his enemy's person, so he 
 determined to investigate. In one of the Mar- 
 grave's pockets, Grumkow found three pen- 
 knives; in another pocket were several affec- 
 tionate letters from the Margravine, some of 
 which seemed, to the baron's excited imagina- 
 tion, to confirm all that Adolph had said about 
 the letter and the supporting evidence. He 
 also found Wilhelmina's note to Fritz Henry. 
 It was in a little pocket over Adolph 's heart. 
 In another pocket he found an apple and a few 
 dried figs, and last, but not least, in a deep
 
 358 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 pocket of the Margrave's coat tail, the prime 
 minister of Frederick William found two huge, 
 treasonable looking link of sausage. Disgusted 
 and disappointed, Grumkow threw the sausage 
 to the floor, left the Margrave and set out to 
 find the king, whom he had failed to see during 
 the day. 
 
 When Grumkow found his Majesty, he at 
 once broached the subject nearest his heart, and 
 begged the king to give his consent to the Bay- 
 reuth marriage. 
 
 "I sent Braum, Grote and Meyer to Bayreuth 
 early yesterday morning to arrange the treaty 
 with the Margrave," said the king. "It isn't 
 necessary to make the fact public till we know 
 the result of the embassy." 
 
 Grumkow breathed a sigh of relief, and 
 wished most heartily that the Margrave of 
 Schwedt were sober. He hurried back to Zur 
 Groszen Wurst and took his place beside 
 Adolph, determined to impart the glad intelli- 
 gence just as soon as the Margrave was able to 
 receive it. 
 
 The happy moment did not come until near 
 the hour of eight, and Grumkow could almost 
 feel the headsman's axe against his neck. When 
 the Margrave's drowsy eyes began to open, the 
 baron felt like dancing for joy.
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBUKG 359 
 
 "Is it too late? Is it too late?" he asked. 
 "Is the person holding the letter going to the 
 king? It is now eight o'clock. Is it too late? 
 My dear, sweet Margrave, is it too late?" 
 
 Considerable time was required by the Mar- 
 grave in opening his eyes and his mind. His 
 mouth was opened many time in cavernous 
 yawns, but it seemed to the baron that intelli- 
 gence would never return to his despised enemy. 
 At length the Margrave became receptive, and 
 answered the baron's oft-repeated question by 
 asking another: 
 
 "Has the king consented?" 
 
 "Yes," eagerly returned Grrumkow. "An 
 embassy started for Bayreuth yesterday morn- 
 ing to arrange the treaty, but I did not learn of 
 it until this evening. Is it too late?" 
 
 On hearing the baron's news, light came to 
 the Margrave's mind in a great flood, and in- 
 stantly he was wide awake. He rose slowly to 
 his feet, pressed his hand over his heart, and 
 murmured as if in prayer: 
 
 "Du lieber Gott! Help me; help me!" In 
 a moment he turned to Grrumkow, saying: "If 
 what you have told me is true, it is not too late ; 
 at least, I think it is not too late. I feel sure I 
 shall be able to communicate with my friend, 
 and if I can "
 
 360 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 " Waste not a moment! Go, go, my dear 
 Margrave, my sweet Margrave, go!" said 
 Grumkow, almost beside himself with fear. "I 
 have the king's word. The embassy has gone 
 to Bayreuth and the marriage shall be cele- 
 brated. I swear it! Before God, I swear it 
 shall be celebrated!" 
 
 "In that case, I am sure it is not too late," 
 sighed Adolph. "I'll go at once, but if you try 
 to follow me, I go not a step. ' ' 
 
 "In God's name, go!" cried Grumkow. "I 
 will remain here." 
 
 In stooping to the floor to take up his hat, 
 the Margrave noticed two large links of sausage 
 lying beside his chair. He stared vacantly at 
 them for a moment, felt his coat pockets, 
 and turned to Grumkow, saying drowsily, re- 
 proachfully, contemptuously : 
 
 "Did you find anything you wanted in my 
 pockets I ' ' 
 
 Grumkow protested, but Adolph, pointing to 
 the sausage, insisted: "There is the evidence 
 against you ; you stole my sausage. I hope you 
 don't think I am so great a fool as to get myself 
 drunk with money in my pocket, when I am 
 expecting Baron Grumkow to visit me. You 
 found only a few pennies. Bid you take them f 
 Perhaps you expected to find the letter, but I
 
 OF OLD BBANDENBUBG 361 
 
 can hardly believe that you would pay me the 
 poor compliment of supposing that I would keep 
 the letter about me where you could steal it. ' ' 
 
 Grumkow would have enjoyed murdering the 
 Margrave, but he dared not, so he smiled, kept 
 his anger well hidden in his heart, and said: 
 
 * ' I pray you, Margrave, go at once. That is 
 a good fellow. Lose not a moment's time." 
 
 Adolph hurried to his room in the palace, 
 rearranged his toilet, and sought the queen, 
 who confirmed Grumkow 's words. Then he 
 went back to his room and went to bed. 
 
 While in the queen's parlor, Adolph had seen 
 the Princess Wilhelmina, and she had gra- 
 ciously given him her hand to kiss. Her smile 
 was to Adolph what the light of heaven is to a 
 wandering soul, but leaving it was like going 
 into outer darkness. 
 
 Amid all the Margrave's suffering, there was 
 one gleam of joy, pure, sweet and genuine. It 
 radiated from the ever luminous thought that 
 she whom he loved would be happy, and that her 
 happiness would all have come through him. 
 But as usual with him nowadays, he lay moan- 
 ing until sleep came to his relief, for the heart 
 of a child throbbed in the breast of this strange 
 man from Schwedt. 
 
 The next morning, very early, Adolph started
 
 362 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 in a carriage he could not ride horseback for 
 Spandau Castle to carry the glad news to Fritz 
 Henry. Owing to the bad condition of the roads 
 he did not reach Spandau till nightfall, when he 
 sought out his friend and told him of the hap- 
 piness in store for him. Henry could not leave 
 the castle till morning, so the friends sat up all 
 night, and the Margrave recited in detail the 
 marvelous events of the past week. At first 
 Henry thought that Adolph's mind had been 
 touched by a gentle frenzy, but he was soon 
 convinced that the honest fellow was speaking 
 the truth, and his joy was so great that for a 
 time it was almost benumbing. 
 
 The next day, Henry obtained leave of ab- 
 sence and started on horseback for Berlin, the 
 Margrave following in a carriage. Henry was 
 delayed on the road, and did not reach the 
 palace until an hour before dark. He found 
 Sonnsfeld and told her that affairs of the 
 greatest importance made it necessary for him 
 to see the princess as soon as possible. He 
 supposed the Margrave had told Wilhelmina 
 that he was the Hereditary Prince of Bayreuth, 
 but he was not sure, so he intended to make 
 certain by telling her himself. On reaching 
 Berlin, he expected to tell her also that he was 
 returning to Bayreuth to complete arrange-
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 363 
 
 ments for their marriage. He did not, how- 
 ever, intend to impart either piece of informa- 
 tion to any one else. 
 
 He said to Kate: "I will go to the doorway 
 at the foot of the stairs, and hope the princess 
 will come to me at the earliest possible moment 
 after dark." 
 
 Henry had been waiting perhaps half an hour 
 when the princess came from the door and ran 
 to his arms. Under such conditions, persons 
 are apt to forget what they had most desired 
 to say, and that is just what happened to Henry. 
 After a few moments of incoherent ecstasy, he 
 said: 
 
 "So the marriage is really arranged! It is 
 almost too good to be true." 
 
 Wilhelmina was not prepared for such enthu- 
 siasm on Henry's part over her prospective 
 marriage, but she supposed his joy was of a 
 negative quality, growing out of the fact that 
 she was not to marry August of Saxony. The 
 Hereditary Prince of Bayreuth was so much 
 the less of two evils that she supposed Henry 
 rejoiced because of her escape from the greater. 
 Still, his very evident happiness seemed an 
 excess of joy and hurt her. 
 
 Henry continued his congratulations, mingled 
 with fervid love, and forgot that perhaps the
 
 364 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 princess did not know lie was the Hereditary 
 Prince of Bayreuth. In the urgent press of 
 more important matters, he failed to tell her, 
 and she, taking alarm from approaching foot- 
 steps, hurriedly reentered the palace without 
 learning that interesting fact. Henry had also 
 neglected telling her that he was going at once 
 to Bayreuth, and the omissions did not occur 
 to him until he saw his father nearly three days 
 later. 
 
 Henry forgot another important matter, too, 
 when he left Berlin that evening, accompanied 
 by a private in the Grenadier Regiment, and 
 taking with him two of the king's horses. He 
 failed to ask the king's permission, but his for- 
 getfulness was natural under the circumstances. 
 
 The day six or seven months before on 
 which Henry was captured by Prussian recruit- 
 ing officers might prove to be, after all, the 
 luckiest of his life. 
 
 The ride from Berlin to Bayreuth was a hard 
 one because of rains and intolerable roads, but 
 Henry was happy and regretted only one fact 
 that he could not fly. He was anxious to 
 reach Bayreuth before Frederick William's 
 ambassadors left, but he failed by nearly a day. 
 
 The Margrave of Bayreuth was filled with 
 joy and surprise when his son ran into the
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 365 
 
 castle and embraced him. Henry had already 
 learned that the Prussian ambassadors had 
 returned to Berlin. 
 
 " Ah, father, it is almost too good to be true," 
 said Henry, holding his father at arm's length. 
 "You will not believe my story. Sit here in 
 the windowseat, and listen while I tell you. ' ' 
 
 The Margrave and his son took their seats in 
 the window, and Henry began his story. 
 
 * 'After I left here I was captured by brigands, 
 who turned out to be Frederick William's re- 
 cruiting officers. I did not know who my cap- 
 tors were until I stopped at a tavern near Ber- 
 lin and was told by the Margrave of Schwedt. 
 When I reached Berlin, I was undecided what 
 course to pursue until I saw the Princess Wil- 
 helmina; then I fell in love with her at once, 
 and of course, determined to remain. Strange 
 as it may seem to you, and marvelous as it still 
 is to me, she returned my love. We had no 
 hope of ever belonging to each other; but I'll 
 tell you the whole story when I have more 
 time." 
 
 "Did you know of the king's intentions be- 
 fore you left Berlin?" asked the Margrave. 
 
 "Yes," returned Henry. "I learned it three 
 days ago, and started for home at the earliest
 
 366 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 possible moment after the embassy left Berlin. 
 I had hoped to get here before they left." 
 
 "Why did not the king speak directly to 
 you?" asked the father. 
 
 "Why? Because because " answered 
 Henry, confusedly; "why, he didn't know who 
 I was. I enlisted in the regiment under an 
 assumed name, and no one at the court of Ber- 
 lin knew that I was your son." 
 
 "Did the princess know who 
 
 Henry lifted his hand to interrupt his father : 
 ' l Surely I am the greatest living fool, ' ' said he, 
 dropping his words slowly, and pausing in 
 amazement at his own stupidity. "I rode to 
 Berlin from Spandau for the purpose of telling 
 her, but when I saw her I was so insane with 
 joy that I forgot my purpose in the rush of of 
 other things. What will she think?" After a 
 long, meditative pause, he continued: "But the 
 Margrave of Schwedt will have told her before 
 this, and I need not worry over my neglect. 
 What did you say to the ambassadors?" 
 
 "I accepted the king's offer upon the con- 
 dition that I could find you. I told them I 
 had heard nothing from you since you left home 
 several months ago, but I assured them I 
 should find you at once, and that the marriage 
 should take place just as soon as possible after
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 367 
 
 your return. I knew you would gladly con- 
 sent. " 
 
 "Ah, father, you cannot know how gladly I 
 do consent. She is the most beautiful, the 
 purest, truest, gentlest girl on earth. I tell 
 you, father, there is not her like this side of 
 heaven. J ' 
 
 "I believe a great deal of what you say is 
 true," returned the Margrave, smiling. 
 
 ' ' It is all true, ' ' insisted Henry, indignantly. 
 
 "I am sure it is," said the Margrave, "and 
 I am glad that you think it is. But we are los- 
 ing time. I must write a letter to the king, tell- 
 ing him you have returned, and accepting his 
 offer unconditionally." 
 
 Henry was quite of his father 's opinion. The 
 letter was soon written and placed in the hands 
 of a fleet messenger, who would have no diffi- 
 culty in overtaking the ambassadors before 
 they reached Berlin. 
 
 The ambassadors had expressed the king's 
 desire that the betrothal should take place at 
 once, even if the ceremony must he performed 
 with a proxy for the Hereditary Prince. There- 
 fore, the letter contained instructions to the 
 Margrave's ambassador, who was returning 
 with the Brandenburgers, to act as Henry's 
 proxy in the betrothal ceremony if the king
 
 368 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 desired it to take place before Henry's arrival 
 at Berlin. The letter also stated that Henry 
 would reach Berlin one week from the date of 
 writing. 
 
 Grumkow was anxious to get possession of 
 Adolph's dangerous letter, so when the ambas- 
 sadors arrived at Berlin, he urged the king to 
 hasten the nuptials. The protests of the queen 
 and Wilhelmina were of no avail, and the day 
 of the Hereditary Prince's expected arrival was 
 set for the betrothal, to be followed a few days 
 later by the marriage ceremony. 
 
 Captain Churchill's sudden departure without 
 leave had created trouble in two quarters. The 
 king's wrath knew no bounds. Death in a 
 hundred forms was too good for such a traitor- 
 ous villain. To desert his own post was bad 
 enough, but to take with him one of his Ma- 
 jesty's tallest Grenadiers, Johann Yaupts, who 
 stood six feet eight, was theft, robbery, treason 
 every crime in the calendar. It was worse 
 than murder, and the villain should be hunted 
 throughout all Europe, and crucified, yes, by 
 the devil, crucified. 
 
 Wilhelmina was sure that evil had befallen 
 her lover, but at times a fear that he had proved 
 faithless flashed across her mind, and brought 
 an ache to her Heart. The latter hypothesis
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 369 
 
 seemed to be strengthened by Henry's exhibi- 
 tion of joy over her prospective marriage. 
 
 Don't Care explained the handsome captain's 
 desertion by intimating that he had pressed his 
 suit on her to a point where she had grown tired 
 of his importunity, and that he had run away 
 in despair. That theory of the case did not 
 appeal to Wilhelmina and it disgusted Sonns- 
 feld. In truth, Mina's faith in Henry always 
 triumphed and drove doubt from her heart, 
 leaving her with the cold fear that an untoward 
 fate had befallen her lover. She tried to see 
 the Margrave, but he and his mother had left 
 the court to visit a friend living a few miles 
 from Berlin, whose beer was so good that it 
 was famous throughout all Brandenburg. 
 
 Poor Adolph, despite the fact that the beer 
 was good, told his mother that the days spent 
 away from Berlin were days of grief and sor- 
 row, yearning and pain. 
 
 "Ach, Mutter liebling, why did you not leave 
 me at Schwedt? I was happy there, but now I 
 shall never know a joyful moment in all the 
 days of my life. I believed you when you said 
 she would grow to love me, and after we reached 
 Berlin, I believed you when you told me that 
 you knew from her kindness she was learning 
 the sweet lesson. I believed you, though I 
 
 24
 
 370 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 knew in my heart you were wrong. I believed 
 you because I longed to believe, but I was a fool. 
 You remember that day at Schwedt you told me 
 I was a fool? Good! You were right." 
 
 "Don't upbraid me, liebling," pleaded the 
 loving old mother; "I thought I was right, and 
 God knows I have no wish in all my heart save 
 a longing, a yearning, a bleeding for your hap- 
 piness. Ach, my dear son, you are all in the 
 world to me. Don't hate me, or I'll die I'll 
 die!" 
 
 ' ' Mother, mother ! ' ' cried the Margrave, hur- 
 rying to her chair and kneeling by her side. 
 "I do not upbraid you. I could not hate you. 
 You are all that I have on earth. I love you, 
 my mother, oh, I love you, and if it were not 
 for you, I should want to die. ' ' 
 
 He wound his arm about her neck, rested his 
 head on her loving breast, and lifting her hand 
 to his lips, kissed her fingers affectionately. 
 
 She stroked his hair, saying, "Do not grieve; 
 do not grieve, or you will break my heart." 
 
 "I will not grieve," answered the Margrave, 
 kissing his mother, rising to his feet, and whist- 
 ling to hide his pain, because it pained her. 
 
 Two o 'clock of the day the Hereditary Prince 
 of Bayreuth was expected to arrive was set for
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 371 
 
 the betrothal ceremony. Gloom and sadness 
 pervaded the entire court, for it was known to 
 all that Wilhelmina was grieving because she 
 was to be forced to plight her troth to a man she 
 had never seen, and of whom she had heard 
 none but unfavorable accounts. The queen was 
 almost heartbroken, because the coming be- 
 trothal was the death-knell to her hopes of an 
 English marriage. 
 
 The Hereditary Prince had been expected to 
 arrive in the morning, but his failure to appear 
 did not stop preparations for the betrothal 
 ceremony. In case he did not arrive, the 
 special envoy from Bayreuth would act as his 
 proxy. 
 
 Again the Mirrored Chamber was crowded 
 with the nobility of Brandenburg, awaiting the 
 betrothal of the Princess Wilhelmina. The 
 hour for the ceremony arrived. The king, the 
 queen, the Crown Prince and Don't Care were 
 ranged as on the former occasion. The bril- 
 liantly dressed audience stood in silence. Still 
 the Hereditary Prince did not arrive. 
 
 A few minutes before two o'clock, the king 
 began to show signs of irritation. 
 
 ' ' Let the ceremony proceed with the proxy, ' ' 
 ordered his Majesty. "The roads are so bad 
 that our fine gentleman may have stuck in the
 
 mud. Doubtless he has tried to come like a 
 woman, in a carriage, and has been unable to 
 get through on time. Let the ceremony pro- 
 ceed, I say. Go on ! " 
 
 As on the former occasion, the princess came 
 down the aisle, but this time she was walking 
 in the dark to plight her troth to a man she had 
 never seen. She at least knew the worst that 
 could befall her when she had expected to marry 
 the Margrave of Schwedt, but now it was like 
 plunging into an abyss, and she was almost 
 dumb with fear and grief. 
 
 Henry might have saved the princess this 
 pain by telling her that he was the Hereditary 
 Prince of Bayreuth, but perhaps it was well that 
 he did not, for had she betrayed her happiness, 
 the king and the queen might have changed 
 their minds, or Don't Care might have con- 
 cluded to take back her prince, and all would 
 have been lost. There seemed to be a belief on 
 the part of Mina's parents that the gratifica- 
 tion of her desires, under any circumstances, 
 would be an injury to her, an affront to their 
 dignity, and a blow to parental authority in 
 general. 
 
 The side door opened and the unhappy prin- 
 cess was moving down the aisle on the arm of 
 the prince's proxy, when the front door opened,
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBUKG 373 
 
 and Fritz Henry who had stopped at a tavern 
 to make a hasty change of clothing entered, 
 clad in the gorgeous uniform of his father's 
 court. 
 
 Some one announced: "The Hereditary 
 Prince of Bayreuth ! ' ' 
 
 At once there came from all parts of the 
 room the cry : ' ' The Hereditary Prince of Bay- 
 reuth! His Highness has arrived!" 
 
 Wilhelmina and the proxy bridegroom 
 reached the open space in front of the king just 
 as the cry resounded through the hall. Those 
 who saw Henry and recognized him began to 
 murmur their delight, for he was liked at court, 
 and a whisper of the love between him and the 
 princess had in some manner got abroad. He 
 hurried to the front, knelt before their Majes- 
 ties, and said: 
 
 "I almost killed my horses trying to get here 
 on time, but I am here, though a little late, and 
 make my homage to your gracious Majesties." 
 
 Don't Care looked at Henry in astonishment, 
 quickly turning to disgust, but did not speak. 
 
 "What does this mean?" demanded the king, 
 rising angrily and approaching Henry in a 
 threatening manner. His Majesty had not fully 
 understood the announcement of the Prince's 
 arrival ; at least, he had not connected him with
 
 374 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 his deserting captain now kneeling before the 
 dais. 
 
 The king shook his fist in Henry's face, ex- 
 claiming angrily: "You deserted from my 
 regiment, and you took one of my tallest troop- 
 ers. You stole two of my horses, and now you 
 come back and apologize for being late. What 
 does it mean f Answer me ! ' ' 
 
 "I have brought back your trooper and your 
 horses," returned Henry, "and I have also 
 brought, as a present from my father, ten men, 
 two of whom are taller than Johann Yaupts. 
 These troopers all have better horses than those 
 I took away, and I have returned to enlist, first 
 in the service of the princess, and after her, in 
 the service of your Majesties for life." 
 
 With this he turned to Wilhelmina, whose 
 surprise had almost deprived her of the power 
 of thought, and taking her hand, lifted it to his 
 lips. 
 
 "Explain!" cried the king, half in anger, half 
 in doubt. "What does this mean? Who are 
 you?" 
 
 "He is the Hereditary Prince of Bayreuth!" 
 cried Adolph of Schwedt, elbowing his way 
 through the crowd, and bowing before the king. 
 "Yes, he is Henry, the Hereditary Prince of 
 Bayreuth. I present him to your Majesties."
 
 OF OLD BRANDENBURG 375 
 
 Then turning to the assembled company, he 
 shouted: "Vive le Bayreuth! Vive le Bay- 
 reuth!" 
 
 At once the refrain was taken up, and the 
 happy cry resounded through the room for 
 several minutes. 
 
 When silence reigned again, Henry said to 
 the king: "I supposed your Majesty knew who 
 I was. I felt sure the Margrave of Schwedt had 
 told you. In my happiness I forgot to do so 
 when I left. The Margrave is right. I am the 
 Hereditary Prince of Bayreuth." 
 
 The king looked at Henry for a moment, and 
 turning to his chair sat down, as a shout of joy 
 sprang from the assembled company, like the 
 tones of a single mighty voice. 
 
 When all was quiet again, the king, still grop- 
 ing about in the haze of surprise, seemed 
 able to catch sure hold of but one fact, and to it 
 he gave utterance : 
 
 "Ach, Gott, he isn't afraid of the devil!" 
 
 His Majesty, still groping in the mist, soon 
 caught another fact, and it at once became 
 articulate. He spoke in a whisper to the little 
 minister he of The Tabagie saying: 
 
 "Go on with the ceremony, you fool ! Go 
 through with it quickly. I want to see the new 
 recruits!"
 
 376 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 So these twain, who loved, were betrothed, 
 and in their joy, forgot all about the friend who 
 had made their happiness possible. Surely the 
 history of the world shows no more unselfish 
 love than that which dwelt in the heart of 
 Johann Adolph, Margrave of Schwedt and 
 Knight of Brandenburg. 
 
 And now the story is nearly told. 
 
 Don't Care avoided Henry for several days 
 after the ceremony, but at last came up to him, 
 and said: 
 
 "So he's tall and thin, and his eye rolls, and 
 he is pious? Bah! I don't care. Wilhelmina 
 is welcome to you. It is all true and more. I 
 don't care." 
 
 When invitations were sent out for the mar- 
 riage ceremony, the princess and Henry wrote 
 a joint letter to the Margrave, who had returned 
 to his mother and the good beer in the country, 
 inviting him to be the guest of honor during the 
 marriage festivities. He replied in a joyous 
 letter, and returned at once to the palace, where 
 he seemed to be the happiest of a very happy 
 throng. He would not mar Wilhelmina 's hap- 
 piness by allowing her to think that he was 
 miserable, and succeeded so well in deceiving 
 her that one evening she said to Henry :
 
 377 
 
 "I am glad our friend, the Margrave, has 
 forgotten what he thought was his love for me." 
 
 "I, too, am glad," answered Henry, though 
 he was not so sure that the Margrave had for- 
 gotten. 
 
 At length the wedding day came. The cere- 
 mony was performed and the wedding break- 
 fast was eaten amid great joy, with the Mar- 
 grave as the central figure at the royal table. 
 Ah, it was a rare day for Adolph ! He was the 
 hero of the occasion and far outshone the bride- 
 groom. 
 
 When the bride and the bridegroom separated 
 to prepare for the journey to Bayreuth, the 
 princess whispered to the Margrave: 
 
 "We shall expect to see you at the carriage, 
 and saving my mother, you shall have the last 
 farewell. But now I give you this miniature of 
 myself as a token of my gratitude and love. ' ' 
 
 The Margrave hurried to his room the old 
 garret he had formerly occupied and seated 
 himself at the window. Leaning his elbows on 
 the window bench, he sat gazing down on the 
 garden. With aching heart he watched the 
 marble steps in front of the great doors, from 
 which the carriage would soon depart, bearing 
 away from him forever the woman he loved. 
 
 There he sat through two long hours, hardly 
 conscious that time was passing, so slowly did
 
 378 A GENTLE KNIGHT 
 
 the minutes drag. Wilhelmina's miniature was 
 in his hand and frequently was on his lips, but 
 he gazed down ever at the great doors, hardly 
 knowing that he suffered, so great was his pain. 
 
 At length the carriage drove to the marble 
 steps; the great doors opened and the princess 
 came forth, radiant with joy that Adolph had 
 purchased for her at a cost to him of more 
 than life itself. 
 
 " Where is the Margrave of Schwedt?" she 
 asked. 
 
 "He is not here," answered Sonnsfeld. 
 
 ' ' Fetch him ! Fetch him ! ' ' cried the princess. 
 "I cannot leave without saying farewell to 
 him." 
 
 Messengers were sent out, but he could not 
 be found, so the princess drove off, happy as 
 the birds at dawn, without saying good-bye to 
 poor, broken-hearted Adolph. He had not 
 dared trust himself to say farewell, but watched 
 her through streaming tears, as the postillion 
 cracked his whip and bore her out of his life 
 forever. 
 
 "Ach, Gott! Ach, Gott!" he cried from the 
 depths of his anguish; then as the carriage 
 drew out of sight his head fell forward on his 
 bended elbows, and he sobbed till his troubles 
 were over, for Adolph 's heart was broken; the 
 Margrave of Schwedt was dead.
 
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