urmured, after reading the other letters
and laying them aside. He then rang hastily, and bade the servant send
Baron Pollnitz to him as soon as he appeared in the audience-chamber.

A few minutes later the door opened, and the old, wrinkled, sweetly
smiling face of the undaunted courtier appeared.

"Approach," said the king, advancing a few steps to meet him. "Do you
bring me his submission? Does my brother Henry acknowledge that it is
vain to defy my power?"

Pollnitz shrugged his shoulders. "Sire," he said, sighing, "his highness
will not understand that a prince must have no heart. He still continues
in his disobedience, and declares that no man should marry a woman
without loving her; that he would be contemptible and cowardly to allow
himself to be forced to do what should be the free choice of his own
heart."

Pollnitz had spoken with downcast eyes and respectful countenance; he
appeared not to notice that the king reddened and his eyes burned with
anger.

"Ah! my brother dared to say that?" cried the king. "He has the Utopian
thought to believe that he can defy my wishes. Tell him he is mistaken;
he must submit to me as I had to submit to my father."

"He gives that as an example why he will not yield. He believes a forced
marriage can never be a happy one; that your majesty had not only made
yourself unhappy by your marriage, but also your queen, and that there
was not a lady in the land who would exchange places with your wife."

The king glanced piercingly at Pollnitz. "Do you know it would have been
better had you forgotten a few of my wise brother's words?"

"Your majesty commanded me to tell you faithfully every word the prince
said."

"And you are too much a man of truth and obedience, too little of a
courtier, not to be frank and faithful. Is it not so? Ah! vraiment, I
know you, and I know very well that you are playing a double game. But I
warn you not to follow the promptings of your wicked heart. I desire
my brother to marry, do you hear? I will it, and you, the grand
chamberlain, Baron Pollnitz, shall feel my anger if he does not
consent."

"And if he does?" said Pollnitz, in his laughing, shameless manner; "if
I persuade the prince to submit to your wishes, what recompense shall I
receive?"

"On the day of their betrothal, I will raise your income five hundred
crowns, and pay your debts."

"Ah, sire, in what a pitiable dilemma you are placing me! Your majesty
wishes Prince Henry to e