“His Imperial Majesty knows, too, that I have never yet ceased to be the faithful and devoted servant of the Emperor,” cried Schwarzenberg, at the same time drawing a simple chair to the side of the count’s fauteuil, and seating himself upon it.  “His Imperial Majesty knows, I hope, that first and above all other things I place my duty to the Emperor, and that I have no higher aim than to subserve the interests of his Imperial Majesty.”

“Yes, the Emperor, our most gracious Sovereign, knows that,” said Count Lesle feelingly.  “He does not for a moment doubt the fidelity and attachment of the Stadtholder in the Mark, who has always been mindful that the Elector is only the Emperor’s vassal, and the Emperor the real lord of the whole German Empire.”

“And to maintain this relation intact, yes, that is what I have made the greatest task of my life,” cried Schwarzenberg, with animation.  “It is a task, in truth, not easy to be accomplished, for the Emperor’s supreme Government has many enemies here at the electoral court, and very many there are here who maintain that Brandenburg should free herself entirely from imperial vassalage, and that the Elector should be sole lord within his own domains.  But now, dearest lord high chamberlain and count, tell me wherefore you have come here so unexpectedly, and what news do you bring from Regensburg?”

“Very serious and very subtle news I bring with me, count,” replied Count Lesle, “and of such a tender, delicate nature that we could not willingly entrust it to paper, even in cipher, but could only transmit it from my lips to your ear, and thence to the locked-up recesses of your breast.  Therefore I have come to you, and need hardly say that not a breath of our conversation is to escape, and that nobody must know of my having been here.  The question is about the Electoral Prince of Brandenburg—­that young man who has already tarried more than three years in the Netherlands, and is imbibing there the hated poison of insubordination and passion for freedom.  It is high time that the Electoral Prince were recalled.”

“Recalled!” cried Count Schwarzenberg, starting up amazed.  “But, Count Lesle, you do not know the Electoral Prince.  You do not know the danger that would accrue now if this restless, ambitious, and fiery young man were to return home.  My enemies and the secret opponents of the Emperor here desire nothing more ardently than just this very thing, and the Rochows and Schoenungs and all the reformers have already brought matters to such a pass that the Elector himself presses most urgently for his son’s return home, and has even peremptorily required it of him.  It is a plot of all the Swedish wellwishers, all the anti-imperialists of this court, believe me.  They wish to place the Electoral Prince at their head, and hope by this means to bring it about that the weak and vacillating Elector shall secede from the Emperor and ally himself with the Swedes.  They teased and goaded the Elector, until he even sent his Chamberlain von Schlieben to The Hague in order to fetch the Prince, and the latter has but to-day returned from his vain expedition.”