t
is necessary, above all things, that we act according to the king's
commands. Farewell, Wilhelmine, I must set off at once. Kretzschmar is
no doubt at the corner of the street to see whether I, as an obedient
servant of his master, leave here. If I do it, he will take the news to
Sans-Souci, and perhaps the king will be contented. Farewell, I go at
once to the palace, to start from there for Potsdam."

"Farewell, my beloved one! May God in heaven and the king upon earth be
merciful to us! I will force myself to composure and humility. What I
suffer is for you! This shall be my consolation. If we never meet again,
Frederick William, I know you will not forget how much I have loved
you!"

CHAPTER VI. THE PARADE.

Since early morning a gay, warlike life had reigned at Potsdam and
the neighborhood of Sans-Souci. From every side splendid regiments
approached, with proud and stately bearing, in glittering uniforms, to
take in perfect order the places assigned to them. With flying banners,
drums beating, and shrill blasts of trumpets, they came marching on
to the great parade--the last, for the king was about to leave for the
field. Thousands of spectators poured forth, notwithstanding the early
hour, from Potsdam; and from Berlin even they came in crowds, to take
a last look of the soldiers--of their king, who was still the hero at
sixty-nine--the "Alto Fritz," whom they adored--though they felt the
rigor of his government. It was a magnificent spectacle, indeed--this
immense square, filled with regiments, their helmets, swords, and gold
embroideries glittering in the May sun. Officers, mounted on richly
caparisoned steeds, drew up in the centre, or galloped along the front
of the lines, censuring with a thundering invective any deviation or
irregularity. In the rear of the troops stood the equipages of the
distinguished spectators on the one side, while on the other the people
in compact masses swayed to and fro, gayly passing judgment upon the
different regiments and their generals. The people--that means all
those who were not rich enough to have a carriage, or sufficiently
distinguished to claim a place upon the tribune reserved for noble
ladies and gentlemen--here they stood, the educated and uneducated,
shoemaker and tailor, savant and artist--a motley mixture! Two gentlemen
of the high citizen class apparently were among the crowd. They were
dressed in the favorite style, which, since the "Sorrows of Werth