to protest that their coming was against her will. The queen
was clad in a long white robe, and her hair hung on her shoulders, being
but loosely bound with a ribbon. Her air showed great agitation, and
without any greeting or notice of the rest she walked quickly across the
room to me.

"The dream, Fritz," she said. "It has come again. Helga persuaded me to
lie down, and I was very tired, so at last I fell asleep. Then it came.
I saw him, Fritz--I saw him as plainly as I see you. They all called him
king, as they did to-day; but they did not cheer. They were quiet, and
looked at him with sad faces. I could not hear what they said; they
spoke in hushed voices. I heard nothing more than 'the king, the king,'
and he seemed to hear not even that. He lay still; he was lying on
something, something covered with hanging stuff, I couldn't see what it
was; yes, quite still. His face was so pale, and he didn't hear them
say 'the king.' Fritz, Fritz, he looked as if he were dead! Where is he?
Where have you let him go?"

She turned from me and her eyes flashed over the rest. "Where is he? Why
aren't you with him?" she demanded, with a sudden change of tone; "why
aren't you round him? You should be between him and danger, ready to
give your lives for his. Indeed, gentlemen, you take your duty lightly."

It might be that there was little reason in her words. There appeared to
be no danger threatening him, and after all he was not our king, much as
we desired to make him such. Yet we did not think of any such matter. We
were abashed before her reproof and took her indignation as deserved.
We hung our heads, and Sapt's shame betrayed itself in the dogged
sullenness of his answer.

"He has chosen to go walking, madam, and to go alone. He ordered us--I
say, he ordered us not to come. Surely we are right to obey him?" The
sarcastic inflection of his voice conveyed his opinion of the queen's
extravagance.

"Obey him? Yes. You couldn't go with him if he forbade you. But you
should follow him; you should keep him in sight."

This much she spoke in proud tones and with a disdainful manner, but
then came a sudden return to her former bearing. She held out her hands
towards me, wailing:

"Fritz, where is he? Is he safe? Find him for me, Fritz; find him."

"I'll find him for you if he's above ground, madam," I cried, for her
appeal touched me to the heart.

"He's no farther off than the gardens," grumbled old Sapt, still
resentful o