t and
in what hour he had the remarkable dream. His majesty spoke frequently
about it, and all his friends heard of it. But nobody was able to
interpret it. He died without obtaining the solution."

"But you have solved it," said Napoleon, sneeringly. "I am the fallen
star, and you think I have come to fulfil that dream?"

"Sire, I--"

"I shall burn down your palaces and scourge your country," added he,
harshly. "Why did you irritate me? I did not commence the war; since you
desired it, I gave it to you. But tell your friends and the good
citizens of Potsdam that the dream of their king will not be entirely
fulfilled. It may be that I shall be compelled to destroy royal palaces,
but the house of the citizen and the cabin of the peasant will not feel
my wrath, nor will I lay waste your fields. Tell the good denizens of
this city--tell them not to be afraid of me; for never shall I assail
their rights and privileges, nor interfere with their interests. And
now, gentlemen, let us proceed!" He quickly crossed the room, and
entered the adjoining apartment.

"Sire, this is the reception-room of Frederick the Great," said the
castellan, who had followed. "On that table lies the full suit in which
his majesty gave his last audience--his uniform, his order of the Black
Eagle, his hat and sword."

Napoleon hastened to the table, and seized the sword. "Ah, the sword of
Frederick II.," he exclaimed, with sparkling eyes. "He often wielded it
with a victorious hand, and that hat covered a head adorned with the
laurel-wreath of the poet and the great general! These are trophies that
I prefer to all the treasures of Prussia. What a capital present for the
Invalides, especially for those who formed part of the army of Hanover!
They will be delighted, no doubt, when they see in our possession the
sword of him who beat them at Rossbach! And as my dear brother,
Frederick William III., has conferred the order of the Black Eagle on
me, I suppose he will permit me to take this decoration as a souvenir of
the greatest king of the house of Hohenzollern. What about the bell that
is placed beside the hat?"

"Sire," said the castellan, mournfully and hesitatingly, "it is the bell
which the king used during his whole reign to call the gentlemen waiting
in the anteroom, and the footmen at night."

"That bell shall stand henceforward in my cabinet and on my desk," said
Napoleon. "Grand marshal, order all these things to be packed up and to
b