y brother's and my own wishes?"

"I did all that was in my power, prince," said the general, sighing.
"Your highness did not wish this war to take place; you desired me, if
the king asked for my advice, to tell him that we were too weak, and
should therefore keep the peace. Well, I said this, not only because you
desired it, but because it was also my own opinion. But the king's will
was unalterable. He has meditated this war for years. Years ago,
with Winterfeldt's aid, he drew all the plans and made every other
arrangement."

"Winterfeldt!" murmured the prince to himself, "yes, Winterfeldt is the
fiend whose whispers have misled the king. We suspected this long ago,
but we had to bear it in silence, for we could not prevent it."

And giving his passionate nature full play, he approached General
Winterfeldt, who was whispering to Marshal Schwerin.

"You can rejoice, general," said the prince, "for now you can take your
private revenge on the Empress of Russia."

Winterfeldt encountered the prince's angry glance with a quiet, cheerful
look.

"Your highness does me too much honor in thinking that a poor soldier,
such as I am, could be at enmity with a royal empress. What could this
Russian empress have done to me, that could call for revenge on my
part?"

"What has she done to you?" said the prince, with a mocking smile. "Two
things, which man finds hardest to forgive! She outwitted you, and took
your riches from you. Ah! general, I fear this war will be in vain,
and that you will not be able to take your wife's jewels from St.
Petersburg, where the empress retains them."

Winterfeldt subdued his anger, and replied: "You have related us a
beautiful fairy tale, prince, a tale from the Arabian Nights, in which
there is a talk of jewels and glorious treasures, only that in this
tale, instead of the usual dragon, an empress guards them. I acknowledge
that I do not understand your highness."

"But I understand you perfectly, general. I know your ambitious and
proud plans. You wish to make your name renowned. General, I consider
you are much in fault as to this war. You were the king's confidant--you
had your spies everywhere, who, for heavy rewards, imparted to you the
news by which you stimulated the king."

"If in your eyes," said Winterfeldt, proudly, "it is wrong to spend
your gold to find out the intrigues of your own, your king's, and your
country's enemies, I acknowledge that I am in fault, and deserve to b