of their victory at Hochkirch!"

The people surrounded the castle shouting and triumphing. The courier
had entered to give to the queen the joyful news. Soon the royal
messengers were flying into every corner of the city to summon the
ministers and officers of state to the castle. On foot, on horseback,
in carriages, they hastened on, and the people received them with joyful
shouts. "The king is victorious; the Russians are defeated!"

And now a door opened on a balcony, and Minister Herzberg stepped out.
He waved his hat joyfully high in the air. The people returned this
greeting with a roar like an exulting lion. He waved his hand, and the
lion ceased to roar--there was death-like silence. He then told them
that the king had offered battle to the Russians, yesterday, not far
from Frankfort. The Russian army was greatly superior in numbers; they
received the Prussians with a fearful, deadly fire! Unrestrainable,
regardless of cannon-balls, or of death, the Prussians rushed on,
stormed all the strongholds, and drove the Russian militia with fearful
slaughter back to the graveyard of Kunersdorf. At five o'clock the king
sent off the courier and the victory was assured.

"The victory was assured!" reechoed the mighty voice of the people. With
warm and kindly eyes they looked upon each other. Proud, glad, happy,
men who did not know each other, who had never met, now felt that they
were brothers, the sons of one fatherland, and they clasped hands, and
shouted their congratulations.

Suddenly, at the end of the street, another horseman appeared. He drew
nearer and nearer. It is a second courier, a second message of our king
to his family and his Berliners.

The people looked at him distrustfully, anxiously. What means this
second courier? What news does he bring?

His countenance gay, his brow clear, with a flashing smile he greets the
people. He brings news of victory--complete, assured victory.

Like the first courier, he dashed on to the castle, to give his
dispatches to the queen and the ministers. The people were drunk with
joy. The equipages of the nobles rolled by. Every one whose rank gave
him the privilege wished to offer his personal congratulations to the
queen.

And now in the Konigstrasse was seen a venerable procession. The
magistrates of Berlin--in front the burgomasters with their long
periwigs and golden chains, behind them the worthy city council--all
hastened to the castle to offer congratulatio