orrow every thing
will be in order."

"It must be done to-day--done immediately," cried the king. "In a
few hours the injury must be healed, and my apparel fully restored to
health."

"But, sire," whispered Deesen, "how can that be possible? Your majesty
has but one pair, and you must take them off, in order that they may be
mended."

"Well, I will take them off," said the king; "go and seek the tailor. I
will undress and go to bed till this important operation is performed.
Go at once!"

While the king was undressing, he heard Deesen's stentorian voice,
calling out lustily through the streets--"A tailor! a tailor! is there a
tailor amongst the soldiers?"

The king was scarcely covered up in bed before Deesen entered, with a
joyous face.

"Sire, I have found a soldier who can do the work; he is not a tailor,
but he swears he can sew and patch, and he undertakes to dress the
wounds."

"And yet, it is said that a higher power rules the world," murmured
the king, when he was again alone; "accident--accident decides all
questions. If there had been no tailor amongst the soldiers, the King
of Prussia could not have received the ambassador of Tartary to-day, and
the negotiations might have been broken off."

At this moment the door opened, and Le Catt entered, followed by a
servant with the Russian flags and the carpet. When he saw the king in
bed, he started back, and asked anxiously "if his majesty had been taken
suddenly unwell?"

"No," said Frederick, "I am only making my toilet."

"Your toilet, sire?"

"Yes, Le Catt, did you see a soldier at the door?"

"Yes, sire."

"What was he doing?"

"He seemed to be sewing."

"He is sewing, and he is to-day my first gentleman of the bedchamber; he
is dressing me. Ah! in the presence of this humble patcher, I remember
that a wise man said, 'A king is but a man to his valet de chambre.' But
do not allow my presence to prevent you from building my throne; I will
rest here comfortably, and look on."

While the king lay in bed waiting, the soldier who had undertaken the
job, sat on a bench before the door. He bent his head zealously over
his work, and did not once look up to his comrade who stood near him,
leaning against a large oak, gazing rigidly and unweariedly at him. But
in this steady and indefatigable glance, there seemed to be a strange,
attractive power, which the soldier could not resist. He raised his
head involuntarily for a moment, and the sweet and