o himself; "but we are only in
the beginning of our misfortunes, and worse things are in store for us!"

He was right; worse things were in store for them. Day after day
brought tidings of fresh disasters. The first was, that Erfurt had
capitulated, on the day after the battle of Jena--that the French
occupied it, and that a garrison of four thousand men had surrendered at
discretion. Then came the news that the French, who had not met with the
slightest resistance, and were driving every thing before them, had
crossed the Elbe, and were moving on Potsdam and Berlin. The royal
couple learned at the same time that Count Schulenburg had left Berlin
with the troops without permission, and solely on his own
responsibility, and that he had forgotten in his hurry to remote the
immense quantity of arms from the arsenal. Another day dawned and
brought even more disastrous tidings. The French were reported as
approaching the fortress of Kuestrin by forced marches!

A panic seized the garrison. Most of the officers and privates, and the
whole suite of the king, declared loudly, "Peace only can save us!
Further resistance is vain, and will increase our calamities. Submission
to the conqueror may save what remains." Minister von Haugwitz used this
language, and so did Generals von Koeckeritz and von Zastrow, and so
thought the commander of Kuestrin, though he did not utter his
sentiments.

The king listened to all these supplications and suggestions with grave
and gloomy composure. He did not say a word, but looked sometimes with
an inquiring glance at the pale face of the queen. She understood him,
and whispered with a smile: "Courage, my husband, courage!" And he
nodded to her, and said in a low voice: "I will have courage to the
bitter end! We cannot remain here, for the report that the French are
approaching has been confirmed. Let us go to Graudenz!"

Louisa laid her hand on the king's shoulder, and looked tenderly into
his eyes. "Whither you go, I go," she said, "even though we should be
compelled to escape beyond the sea or into the ice-fields of Siberia; we
will remain together, and so long as I am with you, adversity cannot
break my heart."

Frederick kissed her and then went to make the necessary arrangements
for their departure, to give his final orders to the commander of
Kuestrin, M. von Ingelsheim: "Defend the fortress to the last extremity,
and capitulate under no circumstances whatever."

The queen seemed cal