appealed to, Frederick thought it wise at once to prepare his
father for the truth. He told him that until that evening he had
imagined that he possessed every prospect of obtaining the prize, and
then he repeated all that he had overheard Dumiger asserting. In the
bitterness of his spirit he inveighed against him as a personal enemy,
and as he spoke vehemently and earnestly, his father's eyes glistened
with vengeance and pleasure, for he saw that the dignity of the father
had passed into his son; he had never seen the youth so excited, he
now felt that he was worthy of the old time-honored race.

"Ah," he said, "Dumiger again; and his scheme and plan seem well
founded. However, neither the man nor his production will find great
favor in the council while I have influence there; he may exaggerate
his merits."

"I think not," said Frederick. "But there is one way to get rid of
his competition," said Frederick, laying his hand on the hilt of his
sword.

"No, no, young man; take your hand from your sword: I will have no
brawling, no bloodshed, like those common burghers, whose sons are
even now rustling through the market-place. But wait a little; night
gives counsel. I think I have a way far more practical and less
hazardous than that which you propose--leave the matter in my hands,
Frederick. I am glad to find you have some spirit, that it has not
all been dissipated on that foolish girl; there is always hope in man
where there is energy. What I feared was that you might become a mere
dreamer, and struggle through an idle, vaporing existence: now I hold
that you are worthy of your name, although the conviction has reached
me in an unpleasant form. But leave this to me, all will be right; you
have only one thing to do, to send Hoffman to me to-morrow morning."

"Hoffman the silversmith, who lives at the corner near the senate
house?" asked Frederick.

"Precisely," replied the Count, and soon his firm unbroken step was
heard ringing in the distance.

Frederick went out on the balcony to meditate on what possible steps
his father proposed taking to overrule the opposition of Dumiger.
With all his frivolity and dissipation he was greatly ambitious, and
most anxious to sustain a reputation he had long enjoyed of having it
in his power to command success in any pursuit to which he chose to
direct his attention--that Alcibiades and Admirable Crichton character
which is the principal source of failure to many men in life