the poor professor, and said:

"It is true, you do not look well, and I cannot force you to go with
me to-day; but allow me to make one remark: if you think to escape the
interview altogether, you are mistaken. The king desires to speak with
you, and it is my duty to bring you to him. If you cannot go to-day, I
must return to-morrow; if you are then still unwell, the day after; and
so on every day, until you accompany me."

"But this is frightful!" cried Gellert, anxiously.

Quintus shrugged his shoulders. "You must decide, sir," he said; "I
give you an hour. At four o'clock I will return and ask if you will go
to-day, or another time."

"Yes; do that, major," said Gellert, breathing more freely. "In the mean
time, I will take my dinner, and then see how it is with my courage.
Conrad! Conrad!" exclaimed Gellert, as Quintus Icilius left him, and his
servant entered the room. "Conrad, did you hear the bad tidings? I must
go to the King of Prussia."

"I heard," said Conrad, "and I do not think it bad tidings, but a great
honor. The king sent for Professor Gottsched a few days since, and
conversed with him a long time. Since then, his entire household act
as if Gottsched were the Almighty Himself, and as if they were all, at
least, archangels. Therefore, I am glad that the king has shown you the
same honor, and that he desires to know you."

"Honor!" murmured Gellert. "This great lord wishes to see the learned
Germans for once, as others visit a menagerie, and look at the monkeys,
and amuse themselves with their wonderful tricks. It is the merest
curiosity which leads such men to desire to behold the tricks and pranks
of a professor. They know nothing of our minds; it satisfies them to
look at us. Conrad, I will not go; I will be ill to-day and every other
day. We will see if this modern Icilius will not yield!"

And the usually gentle and yielding poet paced the room in angry
excitement, his eyes flashing, and his face deeply flushed.

"I will not--I will not go."

"You must go, professor," said Conrad, placing himself immediately
in front of his master, and looking at him half-imploringly,
half-threateningly--"you must go; you will give your old Conrad the
pleasure of being able to say to the impudent servants of Herr Gottsched
that my master has also been to the King of Prussia. You will not do me
the injury of making me serve a master who has not been to see the king,
while Herr Gottsched has been?"

"But, C