six months were undoubtedly by far the
wretchedest of Friedrich Wilhelm's life. The poor King, except that he
was not conscious of intending wrong, but much the reverse, walked in
the hollow night of Gehenna, all that while, and was often like to be
driven mad by the turn things had taken.

Here is scene first: Wilhelmina reports his Majesty's arrival that
Sunday afternoon, to the following effect; she was present in the
adventure, and not a spectatress only:--

"The Queen was alone in his Majesty's Apartment, waiting for him as he
approached. At sight of her, in the distance, he called out: 'Your losel
of a Son (VOTRE INDIGNE FILS) has ended at last; you have done with
HIM,' or words to that effect. 'What,' cried the Queen, 'you have had
the barbarity to kill him?' 'Yes, I tell you,--but where is the sealed
Desk?' The Queen went to her own Apartment to fetch it; I ran in to her
there for a moment: she was out of herself, wringing her hands, crying
incessantly, and said without ceasing: 'MON DIEU, MON FILS (O God, my
Son)!' Breath failed me; I fell fainting into the arms of Madame de
Sonsfeld."--The Queen took away the Writing-case; King tore out the
letters, and went off; upon which the Queen came down again to us.

"We learned from some attendant that, at least, my Brother was not
dead. The King now came back. We all ran to kiss his hands; but me he
no sooner noticed than rage and fury took possession of him. He became
black in the face, his eyes sparkling fire, his mouth foaming. 'Infamous
CANAILLE,' said he; 'darest thou show thyself before me? Go, keep thy
scoundrel of a Brother company!' And so saying, he seized me with one
hand, slapping me on the face with the other,'--clenched as a fist
(POING),--'several blows; one of which struck me on the temple, so
that I fell back, and should have split my head against a corner of the
wainscot, had not Madame de Sonsfeld caught me by the head-dress and
broken the fall. I lay on the ground without consciousness. The King,
in a frenzy, was for striking me with his feet; had not the Queen, my
Sisters, and the rest, run between, and those who were present prevented
him. They all ranked themselves round me, which gave Mesdames de Kamecke
and Sonsfeld time to pick me up. They put me in a chair in the embrasure
of a window; threw water on my face to bring me to life: which care I
lamentably reproached them with, death being a thousand times better, in
the pass things had come