it was,
but the feeling possessed him.

He went on hurriedly.

The military club house was still brilliantly lighted, but Pranken
passed it by too. He turned back to the hotel. With great satisfaction
he retired to rest without having again seen Sonnenkamp. He wanted to
read a little while in the little book that was quite filled with a
piny odor from the twig which lay in it; the twig was bare, but the
falling leaves were preserved like a relic. But he could not endure the
words of the book, he felt a certain awe of it to-night.

While Pranken was out in the town, Sonnenkamp grew discontented at
being alone. He wanted to be with new people, live men, who could
divert his thoughts. He sent for the Cabinetsrath.

The latter came soon, and Sonnenkamp sat down well pleased by his side,
and asked what it meant that the Prince had not sent his patent, but
chose to give it to him in person.

With much freedom and sarcasm, the Cabinetsrath ironically expressed
his admiration of his gracious master, and described his character. He
said that no one could really understand a ruler who wished to rule
without advice, particularly in the exercise of that prerogative which
had been allowed to remain in his hands without the interference of the
Chamber of Deputies,--the conferring of orders and of nobility.
Sonnenkamp heard with astonishment how the Prince designated everything
as "mine"; my manufacturers, my university, my freemason lodge, my
agriculturalists, my Chamber of Deputies. The Prince had the best will
in the world, but he lived in continual fear of the democrats,
communists and liberals, whom he classed together; he was convinced,
that every one who did not coincide with the government was a walking
barricade from behind which shots might be fired at any moment. He
would like to have everything go well with all men, and he had a very
fine sentiment which a chamberlain had once composed for him, and which
he brought out in moments of elevated feeling. If I knew that all men
would be bettered by it, I would renounce the throne and do away with
the civil-list. But as he was sure that all men would not be bettered
by it, he could remain as he was, in quiet possession of both. He had
two hobbies, the theatre and the welfare of the capital. He liked to
have very wealthy people attracted to the capital, so that a good deal
of money might be made out of them. And he had done a great thing, he
had modified essentially the st