astened to avail themselves of the
commanding "adieu," and quit the royal presence. Without, the carriage
was ready to reconvey them to the new palace. They were so exhausted
that neither of them uttered a word, the last injunctions of the king
ringing in their ears.

Silently they alighted upon arriving, but as the footman came out to
meet them they asked, simultaneously, if his royal highness had dined.

"His highness is not here, having departed immediately after the two
gentlemen, and is not yet returned," he answered.

"You may serve us something to eat as quickly as possible in the
little dining-room. Let it be ready in a quarter of an hour," commanded
Bischofswerder.

"Now that we are alone, what do you think of this affair?" asked
Woellner.

"I cannot vouchsafe a reply until I have eaten a pheasant's wing, and
drunken my champagne," replied Bischofswerder.

He kept his word, preserving a solemn silence until a good half of the
bird had disappeared, and many glasses of iced champagne.

Then Bischofswerder leaned back in his comfortable armchair with
infinite ease, whilst his friend occupied himself with the most pious
zeal with the pheasant, rejoicing at this revelation of the Invisibles.
Bischofswerder let him enjoy it, and ordered the footman to serve the
dessert and withdraw.

"Now I am prepared to reply to you, my dear friend, that we are alone. I
believe the king would have sent us to Spandau at once if we had opposed
his free-thinking opinions."

"I am convinced of it," sighed Woellner, eyeing the remains of the bird
with a melancholy glance. "We shall have much to endure for the holy
cause which we serve."

"That is to say, we will have much to suffer if we, in fanatical
indiscretion, do not submit to circumstances," said Bischofswerder.

"You cannot traduce the sublime Fathers!" cried Woellner;--"for the
body's security, we cannot endanger the salvation of our souls, and,
like Peter, deny our master."

"No, my much-loved and noble friend. But we must be wise as serpents,
and our duty to the holy order is to preserve its useful tools that they
may not be lost. You will agree with me in this?"

"Indeed, I do admit it," replied Wollner, pathetically.

"Further, you will acknowledge that we are very useful, and I might say
indispensable tools of the Sublime Order of the Rosicrucians and the
Invisible Fathers of the Order of Jesus? It is our task to secure an
abiding-place to the proscribed a