u to a rendezvous by night is worth more to you, indeed,
than if you could go out against your enemy with an army, for an army
might be vanquished, but in this _billet-doux_ of the Princess each stroke
of her hand becomes a soldier fighting with invincible armor."

"You are right, most gracious father," said Count Adolphus, with a
sinister expression of face. "The day may come when I shall march out
these soldiers against the faithless Princess and her whole house! I hate
her, I hate them all, and my whole heart longs for revenge, and--"

"Your excellency," said a chamberlain, approaching hastily--"your
excellency, a courier from Koenigsberg has just arrived, and is the bearer
of this dispatch from the Elector."

The Stadtholder took the proffered packet, and by a hurried sign dismissed
the chamberlain.

"A courier from Koenigsberg," he said, with a slight shaking of the head,
as he examined the great sealed envelope which he held in his hand. "A
writing from the Electoral Government Office, when Schulenburg was just
with me this very day, the bearer of verbal communications! I do not
understand it!"

"The best plan would be, most revered father, to open the letter!" cried
Count Adolphus briskly. "You will then see what news it contains."

The Stadtholder made no answer, but tore off the cover and drew forth the
inner paper. Slowly he unfolded this, and read.

His son had involuntarily advanced a few steps nearer, and watched his
father's countenance with the impatience of suspense. He saw him turn
pale, his brow darken, and his lips become firmly compressed.

"The letter contains bad news?" he said breathlessly.

"Not merely bad but astonishing news," replied the count, with forced
composure. "The Elector here makes several requirements of me, and not
directly, but through his private secretary Goetz."

"What presumption!" exclaimed his son passionately.

"How can that little Elector dare to forward a writ of chancery to you,
the mighty and influential Stadtholder in the Mark, instead of addressing
his desires and requests to you privately in his own handwriting?"

"It shows at all events a little negligence and want of formality,"
replied his father thoughtfully, "although the Elector may certainly plead
as his excuse the many claims upon his time. For the same reason he only
gave Schulenburg verbal messages for me."

"And may I ask what the Elector demands of your grace? Or is this an
indiscretion on my