ked lovingly at her son who had performed this miracle.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

A FAMILY DINNER.

In the dining-room was William, the younger prince, who hastened to his
parents, and returned the tender salutation of his beautiful mother by
covering her hand with kisses. There were no guests at the royal table;
the king preferred to dine _en famille_, and for several days the queen
had ordered the ladies and gentlemen of the court to dine by themselves,
and only with the royal family when company was not distasteful to her
husband. The king looked with a smile of content at the small table, on
which he noticed only four covers, and, conducting his wife to her seat,
he said, with a grateful glance, "You have anticipated my most secret
wishes, Louisa; I like, above all, to dine alone with my family. Guests
and strange faces always bring etiquette with them, and that renders our
repasts formal and unpleasant. Thanks, Louisa!"

It was a very frugal meal, hardly suitable to a royal dinner-table.
Frederick William and the queen, however, contentedly partook of the
plain, wholesome food; and, gayly chatting, they did not seem to notice
that the dinner was served up in common china dishes, and that the
plates before them were of the same cheap material. Prince William ate
with the appetite of a healthy little boy; the crown prince, however,
who was twelve years old, did not seem to relish his food. He had
disposed of his soup, although he thought it weak and not well flavored,
supposing the other courses would be more to his taste. But when it was
succeeded by roast meat and cabbage, he made a wry face, and handled his
fork very daintily.

"I suppose you do not like cabbage?" asked the king, who had noticed the
reluctant appetite of the crown prince.

"No, your majesty," said the prince, smiling, "there are dishes that I
like better, although I know it to be a very respectable one, with which
the French just now are made acquainted. I will leave the
_shucrout_[37] to them, and console myself in the mean time with
thinking of two things--of the entremets now, and of my birthday
to-morrow."

[Footnote 37: French pronunciation of sour-crout.]

"I suppose you entertain a good many wishes in regard to your birthday?"
asked the king, putting more cabbage on his own plate. "Tell me, Fred,
what is it you wish?"

"Above all, that my gracious father and my dear mother may continue to
love me," said the crown prince, glancin