EVERSMANN.

So that she may obey orders.

QUEEN.

Miserable lackey! [Goes out.]

PRINCE (aside).

Will he go now?

KING (outside).

Eversmann!

EVERSMANN.

Your Majesty!

KING.

Now go to my daughter too, the Princess Wilhelmine—­

[WILHELMINE opens her door softly.]

EVERSMANN.

To Her Royal Highness—­

KING.

And tell her to have a care—­this Laharpe—­is a rascal.

WILHELMINE (aside).

Laharpe?

PRINCE (aside).

What’s that?

KING.

Laharpe is a rascal, I say.

EVERSMANN.

A rascal.

KING.

And tell my daughter that I will teach a lesson to the Crown Prince for sending these French vagabonds here, who pretend to be teachers of the language and are merely ordinary, good-for-nothing wigmakers.

WILHELMINE.

How disgusting!

[She goes out.]

PRINCE (aside).

Wigmakers?

KING (still outside).

And now get back to the books!

EVERSMANN.

At once, Your Majesty.

KING.

Eversmann—­one thing more, Eversmann!

EVERSMANN.

Your Majesty?

KING.

If you should see the Prince Hereditary of Baireuth—­

PRINCE (aside).

It’s my turn now.

KING.

That French windbag who’s been hanging about Berlin since yesterday—­

PRINCE (aside).

Pleasing description!

EVERSMANN.

I’ll tell him Your Majesty will not receive him.

PRINCE (aside).

Rascal!

KING.

No, Eversmann, tell him I have something very important to say to him—­something very confidential.

PRINCE (aside).

Confidential?  To me?

KING.

Concerning an important and pressing matter.

EVERSMANN.

Oh, yes, I know.

KING.

You know, sirrah?  What do you know?  You know nothing at all.

EVERSMANN.

I thought—­one might guess—­

KING.

Guess?  What right have you to guess?  You’re not to guess at all.  Understand?  Idiot!  Shoulder arms, march! [As he goes off a short roll of drums is heard.]

PRINCE (crosses quickly to EVERSMANN).

What do you know?  What do you think it is that the King has to say to me?

EVERSMANN.

Oh, Your Highness is still here?

PRINCE.

The King wishes to speak to me.  Do you know why?  Tell me what you think.

EVERSMANN.

If Your Highness promises not to betray me—­I think it concerns a certain affair—­between Prussia and Austria.