“How did he look?” Bendel described the man in the grey coat!  He was in despair when I told him that this was the very person I wanted.  But it was too late; he had gone without leaving a trace.

A famous artist for whom I sent to ask him whether he could paint me a shadow, told me that he might, but I should be bound to lose it again at the slightest movement.

“How did you manage to lose yours?” he asked.  I had to lie.  “When I was travelling in Russia it froze so firmly to the ground that I could not get it off again.”

“The best thing you can do is not to walk in the sun,” the artist retorted with a piercing look, and walked out.

I confessed my misfortune to Bendel, and the sympathetic lad, after a terrible struggle with his conscience, decided to remain in my service.  From that day he was always with me, ever trying to throw his broad shadow over me to conceal my affliction from the world.  Nevertheless, the fair Fanny, whom I often met in the hours of dusk and evening, and who had begun to show me marked favour, discovered my terrible secret one night, as the moon suddenly rose from behind a cloud, and fainted with terror.

There was nothing left for me but to leave the town.  I sent for horses, took only Bendel and another servant, a rogue named Gauner, with me, and covered thirty miles during the night.  Then we continued our journey across the mountains to a little-frequented watering-place, where I was anxious to seek rest from my troubles.

II.—­A Soul for a Shadow

Bendel preceded me to prepare a house for my reception, and spent money so lavishly that the rumour spread the King of Prussia was coming incognito.  A grand reception was prepared by the townsfolk, with music and flowers and a chorus of maidens in white, led by a girl of wonderful beauty.  And all this in broad sunlight!  I did not move in my carriage, and Bendel tried to explain that there must be a mistake, which made the good folk believe that I wanted to remain incognito.  Bendel handed a diamond tiara to the beautiful maiden, and we drove on amid cheering and firing of guns.

I became known as Count Peter, and when it was found out that the King of Prussia was elsewhere, they all thought I must be some other king.  I gave a grand fete, Bendel taking good care to have such lavish illuminations all round that no one should notice the absence of my shadow.  I had masses of gold coins thrown among the people in the street, and gave Mina, the beautiful girl who headed the chorus at my arrival, all the jewels I had brought with me, for distribution among her friends.  She was the daughter of the verdurer, and I lost no time in making friends with her parents, and succeeded in gaining Mina’s affection.