admire the manner in which he has defended himself. Moreover,
the brutality with which the Confederates and Austrians, wherever
their armies penetrated Saxony, treated the Protestants, made one
regard him as the champion of Protestantism.

"He was wrong in forcing the Saxons to take service with him in his
army, after their surrender at Pirna; and the taxes and exactions
have, for the last three years, weighed heavily on Saxony, but I
cannot blame him for that. It was needful that he should have money
to carry on the war, and as Saxony had brought it on herself, I
could not blame him that he bore heavily upon her.

"Then, too, Thirza has, for the last two or three years, become a
perfect enthusiast for the Prussians. Whether it was the king's
gracious manner to herself, or from some other cause, I cannot say;
but she has certainly become an ultra-Prussian.

"And now lunch must be ready, and you look as if you wanted it,
Drummond; and I am sure Thirza does. She was too excited to eat
supper, when we got here last night; and as for her breakfast, it
was altogether untouched."

"No doubt you think, Drummond," Count Eulenfurst said, when he
called the next morning, "that you have done your duty fairly to
Prussia."

"How do you mean, count?" Fergus replied, somewhat puzzled by the
question.

"I mean that you have served five campaigns, you have been twice
made a prisoner, you were wounded at Zorndorf, you nearly died of
fever last winter, now you have lost your arm at Torgau; so I think
that you have fully done your duty to the king under whom you took
service, and could now retire with a thoroughly clear conscience.

"My own idea is that the war has quite spent its strength. France
is practically bankrupt. Austria and Russia must be as tired of the
war as Prussia, and this last defeat of their hopes cannot but
discourage the two empresses greatly. I hear, from my friends in
Vienna, that in the capital and all the large cities they are
becoming absolutely disgusted with the war; and though it may go on
for a while, I believe that its fury is spent.

"At any rate, I think you have earned a right to think of yourself,
as well as others. You certainly have nothing to gain by staying
longer in the service."

"I was thinking the same, last night, count. Certainly one man,
more or less, will make no difference to Frederick; but I thought
that, unless you spoke of it, I should let matters go on as they
are, except that