e renewed vexation for me, and in your magnanimity you come to me
only to sweeten a little the pill which my son gives me to swallow. Speak
out openly, Adam, and keep back nothing! What is it? What has the
Electoral Prince done?"

"Oh, your highness, I am convinced that he means nothing bad, and has no
design of vexing you. He naturally rejoices greatly on his return to his
future dominions, and consequently enjoys the congratulations of his
future subjects, and gladly allows them to receive him with demonstrations
of delight."

"Do they so, his future subjects?" inquired the Elector, and his hands,
swollen by gout, grasped convulsively the arms of his easychair. "Do they
welcome him with rejoicings as their future sovereign?"

"Yes, most gracious sir, it is plainly to be seen how closely the people
cling to the electoral house of Hohenzollern, and how they sympathize in
every fortunate event occurring in that family. From the moment that the
Electoral Prince crossed the boundaries of the Mark, the inhabitants of
every village and town have joyfully poured forth to meet him; his journey
is a genuine triumphal procession, and the reigning Sovereign of the
country could not be received with more honor and delight than is the
young Electoral Prince!"

"Me, their reigning Sovereign, me, they did not receive with rejoicings,"
exclaimed the Elector, whose face grew crimson with excitement and
passion. "My journey was anything but a triumphal procession, resembling
much more a funeral, so quiet and still was everything on my way. Nowhere
did I hear a joyful welcome, nowhere did the people come forth to meet me,
and as at Koenigsberg they permitted me to depart without greeting or
acclamation, so here at Berlin they allowed me to enter without a sign of
welcome or congratulation. I will now confess to you alone that I was much
mortified by this, although I did not complain of it. I comforted myself
by reflecting that the times were bad and depressing, and that in their
afflictions the people could not even present a glad, cheerful countenance
to the father of their country. But now it falls to my lot to hear that
they _can_ make merry and rejoice, and that they have only saved up the
joy in their hearts to bestow it upon the return home of my son and heir."

"Pardon, your highness, but I believe that we accuse the poor people
wrongfully if we imagine that they are now acting thus of their own free
motion, when they were so