ut the young gentleman, who had no other
sufferings than those resulting from unwonted indulgence in strong drink?

The Electoral Prince had meanwhile arrived with his chamberlain at the
castle. No one came to meet them. All the servants had dispersed hither
and thither, in pursuit of their own business or enjoyments. They knew,
indeed, that Count Schwarzenberg's feast would be continued to a late
hour of the night, and who could imagine that the Electoral Prince would
return home in so unexpected a manner? The castle was deserted, and the
chamberlain must needs summon to his aid the sentinel who was pacing up
and down before the castle, in order to lift the Prince from his carriage
and into the entrance hall. Now he called aloud for help, since the Prince
had become perfectly helpless, and lay senseless upon the stone bench in
the hall.

The porter, who was only asleep in his lodge, rushed out, and old
Dietrich, the valet, also came hurrying down the steps.

They bore the Prince to his own apartments, put him to bed upon his own
couch, and, as the Chamberlain von Goetz saw the old faithful Dietrich
standing beside his young master, sobbing and so full of grief, he kindly
laid his hand upon his shoulder.

"It is nothing of moment, good old man. The Prince has only taken too much
wine, that is all. Be comforted. To-morrow will make all straight again."

Dietrich sorrowfully shook his head. "You are mistaken, Sir Chamberlain;
this is not the effect of wine. The Electoral Prince is much too fine and
noble a gentleman for that; he never drinks more than he can stand. Just
see how pale and wretched he looks. My dear young master is sick, very
sick. They have murdered him, they have killed him, they--"

"Hush, Dietrich, for God's sake, hush!" interposed the chamberlain,
turning pale. "Guard your tongue, that it never again utter such horrible
words; guard your thoughts, that they dare not even think anything so
dreadful."

"It is true, nevertheless," murmured the old man, and, as he bent over the
Electoral Prince and watched him with loving looks, the tears fell hot and
fast from his eyes upon Frederick William's pale face. These tears roused
the latter, restored him to consciousness.

There was yet one man who loved him, who sympathized with him, who wept
when he saw him suffer!

The Electoral Prince opened his eyes, and, on recognizing old Dietrich,
nodded to him and murmured softly, "Dietrich, I am suffering fearf