re is the man to be found in these parts on whose
fidelity I may rely?"

"You may rely upon me, Prince. I will stand behind your chair, I will wait
upon you at Count Schwarzenberg's feast."

"You, Gabriel Nietzel, you?" asked Frederick William, and his eyes were
fixed upon the painter with a long glance of inquiry. Gabriel Nietzel
sustained this glance, and succeeded in forcing a smile upon his lips.

"I will be your valet at the feast. I will stand behind your chair and
wait upon you."

"Impossible, Gabriel. How could we manage that without insulting the
count?"

"Very simply, your highness. Have the kindness to say that you brought me
with you, in order that I might make for you a painting of the banquet,
and to that end sketch the outlines, and that, to furnish a pretext for my
presence, you have allowed me to appear as your page."

"It is true, that will suit! You have weighed all excellently, Gabriel
Nietzel, and your plan is good."

"And you accept it, gracious sir, do you not, you accept it?"

Frederick William was silent, and his large, deep-blue eyes were again
fixed testingly and questioningly upon the painter's countenance. After a
long pause he slowly laid his hand upon Gabriel's shoulder, and his looks
brightened.

"Gabriel Nietzel," he said solemnly, "I will have confidence in you, I
will assume that God sends you to me to save me; I will _not_ assume that
Count Schwarzenberg sends you to me to ruin me. You shall accompany me to
the feast and stand behind my chair as page."

Gabriel Nietzel only answered by the tears, which in clear streams gushed
from his eyes. "Oh, you weep," cried the Electoral Prince. "Now I see well
that you mean honestly, and that I can trust you, for your tears speak for
you."

Just then the lackey opened the door of the antechamber and announced,
"The commandant of Kuestrin, Colonel von Burgsdorf, wishes to pay his
respects!"

"Let him wait an instant; I will summon him directly."

"Most gracious sir," murmured Nietzel, when the door had again closed,
"dismiss me in the colonel's presence, and immediately, that the spies may
not have it to say that there has been to-day a meeting, of Count
Schwarzenberg's enemies here."

"Are there spies here too, Gabriel?"

"Everywhere, sir, each of your servants is bribed, and you must suspect
them. Dismiss me, sir, dismiss me."

The Electoral Prince went to the door and opened it.

"Colonel von Burgsdorf, come in!"

"Here