er majesty this morning? I can make no exceptions."

"I belong to those who usually surround her majesty," said the
chamberlain; "I have had an eight days' leave of absence; that cannot
make an exception against me."

"Baron von Schonberg, did I not order you to resume your service, and to
follow me?" said the queen; "why do you not enter?"

"Your majesty sees that I am prevented."

"Mercy, your highness, mercy," pleaded the officer, "I know I am
seemingly wanting in reverence toward the holy person of the queen, but
I cannot act otherwise." Maria Josephine looked proud and commanding;
her eyes flashed angrily, and, with a loud voice, she exclaimed:

"I command you to allow my servant to enter! do you hear? command it as
a sovereign!"

The officer stepped back.

"Go in, sir, I have not the courage to withstand this command."

For a moment the queen's pale face crimsoned with joy, but she
suppressed her emotion immediately and motioned the chamberlain, with
proud dignity, to follow.

Schonberg passed the officer, and entered the room.

"At last," sighed Maria Josephine, as the door closed behind him--"at
last this torture is at an end, and I breathe again. Speak, baron--your
news!" Exhausted, she fell upon the sofa, and gazed breathlessly at the
chamberlain.

"Before speaking, with your majesty's permission, I will see if we are
entirely alone--if no one is listening."

He stepped softly around the room, and searched behind the curtains and
furniture; then went to the door, and looked through the key-hole, to
see if any one was without. He saw the officer sitting motionless, at
the other end of the anteroom. Satisfied with this, he was about to open
the other door, but the queen called him back.

"That is unnecessary; no one can be concealed there. Now let me hear
quickly what you have to say."

"I have many things to tell you," said the chamberlain, triumphantly.
"All our undertakings have been most successful. We may hope they will
be crowned with the most desirable results."

"Praise to God and the holy saints!" murmured the queen. "Speak, speak!
tell me all!"

"After I left your majesty, eight days ago, I went first to my estate,
which, as your highness knows, lies near Bautzen, and in the immediate
neighborhood of the King of Prussia's camp. Disguised as a peasant, with
my little flock of sheep, I entered the Prussian camp unchallenged. I
wish your majesty could have had the satisfaction of seein