whom you are more
devoted than to your wife."

"Say, rather, his majesty has twice forced me to marry two unloved
and unknown princesses, when he knew that I already loved this certain
person. Twice I have married, because the command of his king is law to
the crown prince of Prussia. For my love and my sympathy there is no law
but that of my own heart, and this alone have I followed."

"His majesty does not reproach you. The philosopher of Sans-Souci
understands human nature, and he feels indulgent toward your weakness.
He is quite satisfied that you have chosen this person, as friend and
favorite, to console yourself for an unhappy marriage. Her low birth is
a guaranty that she will never mingle in politics, an act which would
be visited with his majesty's highest displeasure. While his majesty
permits you to continue this intimacy, and recognizes the existence of
this woman, he wishes her to be provided for as becomes the mistress of
a crown prince, and not as the grisette of a gentleman. She should have
her own house, and the livery of her lord."

"As if it were my fault that this has not already been arranged!" cried
the prince. "Am I not daily and hourly tormented with poverty, and
scarcely know how to turn, between necessary expenses and urgent
creditors? You know well yourself, your excellency, how stingy and
parsimonious the king is to the crown prince. He scarcely affords me the
means to support my family in a decent, to say nothing of a princely,
manner. How dependent we all are, myself, my wife, and my children upon
the king, whose economy increases, while our wants and expenses also
increase every year! It is sufficiently sad that I cannot reward those
who have proved to me during ten years their fidelity and love, but I
must suffer them to live in dependence and want."

"His majesty understands that, and thinks that as your royal highness
is to go to the field, and will be exposed, as a brave commander, to the
uncertain fate of battle, that you should assure the future of all those
who are dear to you, and arrange a certain competency for them. A good
opportunity now offers to you. Count Schmettau will sell his villa at
Charlottenburg, and it would be agreeable to his majesty that you should
purchase it, and assign it to those dearest to you. In order to give you
as little trouble as possible, his majesty has had the matter already
arranged, through his equerry, Count Schmettau, and the purchase can
b