absent any night, without leave from the
Commandant; which, however, and the various similar restrictions, are
more formal than real. An amiable Crown-Prince, no soul in Custrin but
would run by night or by day to serve him. He drives and rides about, in
that green peaty country, on Domain business, on visits, on permissible
amusement, pretty much at his own modest discretion. A green flat
region, made of peat and sand; human industry needing to be always busy
on it: raised causeways with incessant bridges, black sedgy ditch on
this hand and that; many meres, muddy pools, stagnant or flowing waters
everywhere; big muddy Oder, of yellowish-drab color, coming from the
south, big black Warta (Warthe) from the Polish fens in the east, the
black and yellow refusing to mingle for some miles. Nothing of the
picturesque in this country; but a good deal of the useful, of the
improvable by economic science; and more of fine productions in it, too,
of the floral, and still more interesting sorts, than you would suspect
at first sight. Friedrich's worst pinch was his dreadful straitness of
income; checking one's noble tendencies on every hand: but the gentry
of the district privately subscribed gifts for him (SE COTISIRENT,
says Wilhelmina); and one way and other he contrived to make ends meet.
Munchow, his President in the Kammer, next to whom sits Friedrich,
"King's place standing always ready but empty there," is heartily his
friend; the Munchows are diligent in getting up balls, rural gayeties,
for him; so the Hilles,--nay Hille, severe Finance Tutor, has a Mamsell
Hille whom it is pleasant to dance with; [Preuss, i. 59.] nor indeed
is she the only fascinating specimen, or flower of loveliness, in those
peaty regions, as we shall see. On the whole, his Royal Highness,
after the first paroxysms of Royal suspicion are over, and forgiveness
beginning to seem possible to the Royal mind, has a supportable time of
it; and possesses his soul in patience, in activity and hope.

Unpermitted things, once for all, he must avoid to do: perhaps he will
gradually discover that many of them were foolish things better not
done. He walks warily; to this all things continually admonish. We trace
in him some real desire to be wise, to do and learn what is useful if
he can here. But the grand problem, which is reality itself to him,
is always, To regain favor with Papa. And this, Papa being what he is,
gives a twist to all other problems the young