“He is coming, then, at last?” cried the Elector, breathing again.  “He has finally had the goodness to heed our oft-repeated commands, and condescended to return home?  But this return is, as I feel, likely enough to prepare renewed vexation for me, and in your magnanimity you come to me only to sweeten a little the pill which my son gives me to swallow.  Speak out openly, Adam, and keep back nothing!  What is it?  What has the Electoral Prince done?”

“Oh, your highness, I am convinced that he means nothing bad, and has no design of vexing you.  He naturally rejoices greatly on his return to his future dominions, and consequently enjoys the congratulations of his future subjects, and gladly allows them to receive him with demonstrations of delight.”

“Do they so, his future subjects?” inquired the Elector, and his hands, swollen by gout, grasped convulsively the arms of his easychair.  “Do they welcome him with rejoicings as their future sovereign?”

“Yes, most gracious sir, it is plainly to be seen how closely the people cling to the electoral house of Hohenzollern, and how they sympathize in every fortunate event occurring in that family.  From the moment that the Electoral Prince crossed the boundaries of the Mark, the inhabitants of every village and town have joyfully poured forth to meet him; his journey is a genuine triumphal procession, and the reigning Sovereign of the country could not be received with more honor and delight than is the young Electoral Prince!”

“Me, their reigning Sovereign, me, they did not receive with rejoicings,” exclaimed the Elector, whose face grew crimson with excitement and passion.  “My journey was anything but a triumphal procession, resembling much more a funeral, so quiet and still was everything on my way.  Nowhere did I hear a joyful welcome, nowhere did the people come forth to meet me, and as at Koenigsberg they permitted me to depart without greeting or acclamation, so here at Berlin they allowed me to enter without a sign of welcome or congratulation.  I will now confess to you alone that I was much mortified by this, although I did not complain of it.  I comforted myself by reflecting that the times were bad and depressing, and that in their afflictions the people could not even present a glad, cheerful countenance to the father of their country.  But now it falls to my lot to hear that they can make merry and rejoice, and that they have only saved up the joy in their hearts to bestow it upon the return home of my son and heir.”

“Pardon, your highness, but I believe that we accuse the poor people wrongfully if we imagine that they are now acting thus of their own free motion, when they were so quiet on the arrival of their beloved Sovereign.  No, the poor, unhappy people would have been equally silent at this time if they had not been stirred up to make noisy demonstrations of joy, if they had not been paid for it.  It is otherwise wholly incredible and not to be thought