ome new pattern of field-gun
which his sharp eyes had espied with the artillery.

Eberhard Ludwig looked at the Landhofmeisterin in genuine distress. He
had warned her of the Prussian King's rough manners, but this was more
than he had expected. Her Excellency's face was inscrutable.

'I should advise your Highness to follow that most kingly personage. Keep
him in view, Serenissimus, or he may steal a tall man or so for his
grenadiers from among your favourite guards. It is one of his graceful
habits, I am told,' she said coldly.

The Erbprinz had flushed deeply when the martial king ignored the
Landhofmeisterin. The Erbprincessin's face, on the contrary, had
lightened considerably. It was delightful to see the Graevenitz put down
for once! They drove home through the meadows, past the blossoming
orchards, and never had the Landhofmeisterin been more charming; even the
Erbprincessin could not forbear a smile at her witty sayings, and the
Erbprinz laughed gaily. The Prussian King rode past the coach, glaring at
its occupants with his protuberant eyes, and the Landhofmeisterin
adroitly launched a witticism just as his Majesty was passing, in order
that he should suffer the mortification of hearing and seeing their
merriment half an hour after his unmannerly slight. Her ruse succeeded
admirably, and she had the pleasure of observing the King's
brick-coloured face flush to purple with anger.

The Duke and his guest remained together all the morning, His Highness
showing the King each detail of the palace. In the orangery they came
across two remarkably tall garden boys, and Friedrich Wilhelm immediately
offered Eberhard Ludwig three hundred thalers apiece for them. Now, they
happened to be her Excellency's own gardeners, and to be proficient in
the art of cultivating roses, so Serenissimus prayed the King to let him
find other giants for him; these, he said, were not his to offer.

'Whose then? Whose then? What the devil! Why, the houndsdirts must belong
to you! Whose can they be? If they are my little cousin's I will soon
make her see I will have them,' the Prussian monarch shouted.

'They belong to her Excellency the Landhofmeisterin, sire.'

'What, that woman? Ha! you took her to Moempelgard, I hear! Ridiculous
things, women--want the lash, the whip. Do you hear, old comrade?--every
woman wants the lash. Look at my daughter now--absurd hussy! will not
marry. I ought to lash her, but she hides behind her mother's pe