nd and said, "Pardon me for inflicting all
this upon you. I dare not now waste my strength in suffering; it is
sinful, it is selfish, and it is terrible to wish for death. All my
strength belongs to him. I will no longer complain, and will no longer
give up to despair. Oh! if I could only sleep! One can give to another
the sleep of death, but--I will be very quiet; indeed, I will not think
any more."

She leaned back and closed her eyes.

While Bertha appeared to sleep, I told Rolunt of the last interview
with the Prince. He explained matters to me. He said the Prince had
believed that I knew all, and merely feigned ignorance for his sake. It
was no secret that the Prince was beside himself with rage, because the
general commanding had telegraphed the news not only to him, but also
to the Prussian embassy. The latter made no secret of it, and the
Prince saw in this an attempt to obtain popularity and favor at his
expense. He hated the ambassador, as a legalized superintendent over
him, who left him daily conscious that he no longer possessed his
former sovereignty.

It was fortunate that the Professor had prepared us; for--I cannot give
the name of our halting place--we suddenly came to a stop. We had to
wait an entire day, and it was only a day's journey to where the
Colonel lay.

Rolunt tried negotiations here and there; he had become hoarse from
much talking. At last he came to us with a cheerful countenance. A
shrewd, energetic man, he had succeeded in obtaining a wagon, and we
travelled through the country. During the entire night we drove over
torn-up roads. In the distance we saw burning villages. How many
hundreds of peaceful homes were there destroyed. We turned our eyes
from the sight. We went through villages riddled with shot and shell,
and through others, in which here and there a light shone, and where we
halted to feed the horses, we were observed with ugly, threatening
glances. But the country was safe; for it was everywhere occupied by
detachments of our troops.

We reached the village where the Colonel was reported to be lying. We
inquired here and there, but found him not: he must be in the next
village. Thither we now journeyed.

We met an artillery corps, and had to move into a field and await its
passing. This took a terribly long while. They mocked us and cried at
us in sport as they passed, and we were almost beside ourselves with
impatience. And still we sat there protected from the driz