arged his company and I was compelled to take
service with a secretary in the post office. But when my new master's
wife demanded that I should climb up behind her carriage, as her
footman, I took to wandering again. I begged my way to Schwerin and a
learned man of the law made me his clerk. The post office and the
courtroom were just two new sorts of theatre for me. The addresses on
the letters excited my imagination, the lawsuits gave my brain exercise.
The desire to create, upon the stage, true pictures of human greatness
and human degradation, to depict vice and virtue in reality's own
colors, still inspired me, but I saw no opportunity to satisfy it. Then,
in a reckless moment, when I had sought to drown my melancholy in drink,
fate threw me into the hands of the Prussian recruiting officers. I was
dazzled by the handful of silver they offered me; for its sake I
bartered away my golden freedom. Since that day I carry the musket. The
noisy drums drown the longing that awakens a thousand times a day, the
longing for an Art that still calls me as to a sacred mission; the
uniform smothers the impulse to create human nobility; and in these
drilled, unnatural motions of my limbs, my free will and my sense
of personal dignity will perish at last. From such a fate there is no
release for the poor bought soldier--no release but death.

WILHELMINE (_aside, sadly_).

It is a picture of my own sorrow.

SONNSFELD.

That is all very well, but you really should be glad that now you are
_something_--as you were nothing before and had not learned any trade.

ECKHOF.

I learned little from books but much from life. I understand something
of music.

SONNSFELD.

Of music? Ah, then you can entertain this poor imprisoned Princess. Your
Highness, where is the Crown Prince's flute?

ECKHOF.

I play the violin.

SONNSFELD.

We have a violin, too. We have the Crown Prince's entire orchestra
hidden here. [_She goes to the cupboard and brings out a violin._] Here,
now play something for us and we will dance.

WILHELMINE.

What are you thinking of? With the Queen's room over there? And the King
may surprise us at any moment from the other side.

SONNSFELD.

Just a little _Francaise_ shall be a rehearsal for the torchlight dance
at your wedding.

WILHELMINE.

You know the King's aversion toward music and dancing.

SONNSFELD.

Here, Eckhof, take the violin-and now begin.

ECKHOF (_looks about timidly_).

But if I