anger,--retaining the old cards which
uninterruptedly fell from the banker.

'Make the experiment with the king once, to gratify me,' begged Kolbert
in an under tone, 'if only from curiosity. If you lose we shall then be
enabled to ridicule your adviser.'

'Not willingly,' said Arwed. Finally, however, he set the card which
had been recommended.--It won.

'His majesty bears himself bravely,' said Kolbert, laughing; 'the
banker can obtain no advantage over him.'

Megret angrily threw to Arwed his winnings, at the same time fixing his
rolling eyes upon the prophet. A passionate remark appeared to hover
upon his tongue, but he suppressed it and the playing proceeded.

'How stands it now with our expedition against Drontheim?' asked
Kolbert at the close of the game. 'I am surprised that we have had no
well-founded intelligence from thence for so long a time.'

'According to my calculations,' said Posse, 'Armfelt must have already
entered Drontheim. Have you no news from thence, Herr Swedenborg? What
is our army about?'

'They are plundering the copper mines of Roeraas,' answered Swedenborg
coolly.

'That would not be very agreeable to me!' said Posse jestingly, 'The
position is somewhat distant from the capital, and would give the
appearance of a retreat. This time, however, I firmly believe in a
glorious victory for our arms. Do you not, also?'

'Excuse my answering,' said Swedenborg sorrowfully. 'The powerful
elements hate mankind, and they are the stronger!'

The officers looked thoughtfully at each other, and a profound
stillness pervaded the assembly.

'Let the Finlanders protect their own skins,' said Kolbert, finally
breaking the mournful silence. 'We will stick to Frederickshall, which
we have already in our hands. The golden lion battery has been won
after a brilliant engagement. When once the trenches are pushed a
little further, then with a resolute escalade, we shall be there.'

'For God's sake, my dear friend!' said Swedenborg, anxiously, 'rely not
so confidently upon the uncertain fortune of war! Bound to the wild
steed of accident, the goddess of fortune ranges through the world--and
when she stops and looks back upon her bloody and smoking path, she
finds that she has only described a hopeless circle. She stands upon
the point whence she started, and all the life and happiness, which she
has trampled down in her furious course, is offered up in vain.'

'You speak so learnedly that I cannot wh