ing against me?"

"There can be but one charge against a person in your high situation--
that of disaffection."

"Disaffection! I who am and have always been so devoted!"

"The most disaffected generally appear the most devoted; Mynheer Krause,
that will not help you."

"My God! then," exclaimed Krause, with animation, "what will, if loyalty
is to be construed into a sign of disaffection?"

"Nothing," replied Ramsay, coolly. "Suspicion in the heart of a king is
never to be effaced, and disaffection may be magnified into high
treason."

"Bless me!" exclaimed Van Krause, crossing his hands on his heart in
utter despair. "My dear Mynheer Ramsay, will you give me your opinion
how I should act?"

"There is no saying how far you may be right in your conjectures,
Mynheer Krause," replied Ramsay: "you may have have been mistaken."

"No, no, he frowned--looked cross--I see his face now."

"Yes, but a little thing will sour the face of royalty; his corn may
have pinched him at the time, he might have had a twinge in the bowels--
his voyage may have affected him."

"He smiled upon others, upon my friend Engelback, very graciously."

This was the very party who had prepared the charges against Krause--his
own very particular friend.

"Did he?" replied Ramsay. "Then, depend upon it, that's the very man
who has belied you."

"What, Engelback? my particular friend?"

"Yes, I should imagine so. Tell me, Mynheer Krause, I trust you have
never entrusted to him the important secrets which I have made you
acquainted with, for if you have, your knowledge of them would be quite
sufficient."

"My knowledge of them! I really cannot understand that. How can my
knowledge of what is going on among the king's friends and counsellors
be a cause of suspicion?"

"Why, Mynheer Krause, because the king is surrounded by many who are
retained from policy and fear of them. If these secrets are made known
contrary to oath, is it not clear that the parties so revealing them
must be no sincere friends of his majesty's, and will it not be
naturally concluded that those who have possession of them are equally
his open or secret enemies?"

"But then, Mynheer Ramsay, by that rule you must be his majesty's
enemy."

"That does not follow, Mynheer Krause; I may obtain the secrets from
those who are not so partial to his majesty as they are to me, but that
does not disprove my loyalty. To expose them would of course render me
liable