"Upon whose authority?"
"In your Majesty"s name."
The King frowned.
"What papers did you receive with your prisoner, Colonel Bernhard?" he said.
"None, your Majesty--except a despatch from your Majesty"s Minister of War, delivered a day or two before the prisoner arrived at Bruhl."
"How did he come? and where did he come from?"
"He came in a close carriage, your Majesty, attended by two officers who left Bruhl the same night and whose names and persons are unknown to me. I do not know where he came from. I only know that they had taken the last relay of horses from Cologne."
"You were not told his offence?"
"I was told nothing, your Majesty, except that Monsieur Maurice was an enemy to the state, and--"
"And what?"
My father"s hand went up to his moustache, as it was wont to do in perplexity.
"I--so please your Majesty, I think there is some foul mystery in it at bottom," he said, bluntly. "There hath been that thing proposed to me that I am ashamed to repeat. I do beseech your Majesty that some investigation...."
His eyes happened for a moment to rest upon the card. He stammered--changed colour--stopped short in his sentence--took off his hat--laid the card upon it--and so handed it to the King.
His Majesty Frederick William the Third of Prussia was, like most of the princes of his house, tanned, soldierly, and fresh-complexioned; but florid as he was, there came a darker flush into his face as he read what Monsieur Maurice had written.
"An attempt upon his life!" he exclaimed. "The thing is not possible."
My father was silent. The king looked at him keenly.
"_Is_ it possible, Colonel Bernhard?" he said.
"I think it may be possible, your Majesty," replied my father in a low voice.
The King frowned.
"Colonel Bernhard," he said, "how can that be? You are responsible for the safety as well as the person of any prisoner committed to your charge."
"So long as the prisoner is left wholly to my charge I can answer for his safety with my head, so please your Majesty," said my father, reddening; "but not when he is provided with a special attendant over whom I have no control."
"What special attendant? Where did he come from? Who sent him?"
"I believe he came from Berlin, your Majesty. He was sent by your Majesty"s Minister of War. His name is Hartmann."
The King stood thinking. His officers had fallen out of earshot, and were talking together in a little knot some four yards behind. I was still standing on the spot to which the King had called me. He looked round, and saw my anxious face.
"What, still there, little one?" he said. "You have not heard what we were saying?"
"Yes," I said; "I heard it."
"The child may have heard, your Majesty," interposed my father, hastily; "but she did not understand. Run home, Gretchen. Make thy obeisance to his Majesty, and run home quickly."
But I had understood every word. I knew that Monsieur Maurice"s life had been in danger. I knew the King was all-powerful. Terrified at my own boldness--terrified at the thought of my father"s anger--trembling--sobbing--scarcely conscious of what I was saying, I fell at the King"s feet, and cried:--
"Save him--save him, Sire! Don"t let them kill poor Monsieur Maurice!
Forgive him--please forgive him, and let him go home again!"
My father seized me by the hand, forced me to rise, and dragged me back more roughly than he had ever touched me in his life.
"I beseech your Majesty"s pardon for the child," he said. "She knows no better."
But the King smiled, and called me back to him.
"Nay, nay," he said, laying his hand upon my head, "do not be vexed with her. So, little one, you and Monsieur Maurice are friends?"
I nodded; for I was still crying, and too frightened at what I had done to be able to speak.
"And you love him dearly?"
"Better than anyone--in the world--except Papa," I faltered, through my tears.
"Not better than your brothers and sisters?"
"I have no brothers and sisters," I replied, my courage coming back again by degrees. "I have no one but Papa, and Monsieur Maurice, and Aunt Martha Baur--and I love Monsieur Maurice a thousand, thousand times more than Aunt Martha Baur!"
There came a merry sparkle into the King"s eyes, and my father turned his face away to conceal a smile.
"But if Monsieur Maurice was free, he would go away and you would never see him again. What would you do then?"
"I--should be very sorry," I faltered; "but"....
"But what?"
"I would rather he went away, and was happy."
The King stooped down and kissed me on the brow.
"That, my little Madchen, is the answer of a true friend," he said, gravely and kindly. "If your Monsieur Maurice deserves to go free, he shall have his liberty. You have our royal word for it. Colonel Bernhard, we will investigate this matter without the delay of an hour."
Saying thus, he turned from me to my father, and, followed by his officers, pa.s.sed on in the direction of the Chateau.
I stood there speechless, his gracious words yet ringing in my ears. He had left me no time for thanks, if even I could have framed any. But he had kissed me--he had promised me that Monsieur Maurice should go free, "if he deserved it!" and who better than I knew how impossible it was that he should not deserve it? It was all true. It was not a dream. I had the King"s royal word for it.
I had the King"s royal word for it--and yet I could hardly believe it!