ed his narrative, and tears dropped
from her downcast eyes. Silence reigned in the vast hall, and all faces
were turned to the queen. She raised her eyes slowly, and directed them
toward Iffland with an expression of indescribable kindness. "I thank
you," said Louisa; "you stood faithfully by your queen at a time when
many were deserting her. You have been a faithful knight of mine, and
the king, therefore, wants you to retain always the title of knight. He
permits me to give you to-day another decoration instead of the bouquet
you wore on your breast a year ago. In the name of his majesty I have to
present to you the insignia of the order of the Red Eagle."

A pallor overspread. Iffland's countenance, while he received the order
which the queen handed to him. "O queen," he said, deeply affected,
"such an honor to me, the actor! I thank your majesty in the name of all
my colleagues, from whom you have removed at this moment the interdict
excluding them from the honors and dignities of other men."

The queen smiled. "It is true," she said, "I believe you are the first
actor who ever received an order in Prussia. And are you not indeed the
first actor? However, you owe us still the conclusion of your narrative.
You described to us the scene at the theatre, but not the disagreeable
consequences of the occurrence."

"Ah! your majesty," exclaimed Iffland, smiling, "the consequences were
easy to bear after the sublime moment which I had witnessed. I was
imprisoned for forty-eight hours at the French guard-house, where they
put me on a diet of bread and water. That was all."

"I thank you for suffering so cheerfully for me," said the queen,
dismissing Iffland with a pleasant nod. "Would I were able to reward all
those who have suffered for us, and endured persecution in love and
patience, and to return days of joy for days of sorrow!"

Iffland, who looked proud and happy, stepped back among the members of
his committee, and Louisa continued her walk, uttering words of
gratitude and acknowledgment, and charming all by her winning and withal
queenly bearing.

After the reception was over, she returned to her apartments. The smile
disappeared from her lips, and her countenance assumed a melancholy
expression. She motioned to her two ladies of honor to leave her, and
remained alone with her confidante, Madame von Berg. "Oh, Caroline,"
sighed the queen, "I can bear it no longer. My heart succumbs under
these tortures. They ca