ht, and no moon, so that you could not see."

"At your service, your majesty, I could see no one; I would only add
that the unknown may have been at Mademoiselle Enke's."

"And he may not have been," cried the king, harshly. "What else did you
learn?"

"Nothing at all worth speaking about. Only one thing I must say, the
lackey Schultz is a prattling fool, and speaks very disrespectfully."

"Did he talk with you?"

"Yes, your majesty, with me."

"Then he knows well that it would be welcome. What did he say?"

"He related to me a love-affair with the crown princess of Prussia
eleven years since. He plumes himself upon the crown princess having
stroked his beard."

"Be quiet!" commanded the king, harshly. "If Schultz was drunk, and
talked in a crazy manner, how dare you repeat it to me? Let this happen
again, and I will dismiss you my service. Remember it, you ass!"

"Pardon me, your majesty, I thought I must relate all that I hear of
importance."

"That was not important, and not worth the trouble of talking about.
If Schultz is such a drunken fellow I did not know it, and he is to be
pitied. You can go now; I give you a day to make your farewells to your
friends, and to console them with the hope of meeting you again. Put
every thing in order that concerns you. If you have debts, pay them."

"I have no money to pay them, your majesty," sighed Kretzschmar.

The king stepped to the iron coffer, of which no one possessed the
key but himself, and looking within said: "You cannot have much money
to-day, as the drawer which contains the money for the gossips and spies
is quite empty, and you have had a good share of it. Five guldens remain
for you."

"Alas! your majesty, it is too little; twenty-five guldens would not pay
my debts."

The king closed the drawer, saying: "Judas only received twenty
shillings for betraying his Master. Twenty-five is quite enough for
Kretzschmar for betraying his comrade."

Kretzschmar slunk away. The king fixed his great eyes upon him until the
door closed. "Man is a miserable race; for gold he would sell his own
brother--would sell his own soul, if there could be found a purchaser,"
he murmured. "Why do you growl, Alkmene, why trouble yourself,
mademoiselle? I was not speaking of your honorable race; only of the
pitiful race of men. Be quiet, my little dog, be quiet; I love you, and
you are my dear little dog," he said, pressing her caressingly to his
breast.

The footman Sc