The old man, notwithstanding his desire for peace, threw back his head at this interrogatory, and answered with all the old acerbity: 

“I believed your highness had no time for folly now.”

“You made a mistake then.  We lead the wildest kind of a life in the army, and when I go home again—­”

“Your highness has promised to marry,” finished the steward in such an impressive manner that the officers all shouted.  Egon joined in, but something was wanting in his merriment, and in his answer too.

“Yes, yes, I’ve promised that, sure enough, but I have many matters to settle in the meantime, I’ll keep my word in ten years, or perhaps in twenty—­perhaps never!”

Stadinger listened to his highness’s words—­not for worlds would he have obeyed the order to call him Herr lieutenant—­and his face darkened.

“I almost thought as much, for when your highness really does plan for the future your plans don’t last twenty-four hours.  Your blessed father married, and I married, and all men marry, and it’s the only way to cure you of your foolishness, and—­”

“Now gentlemen, the sermon’s coming,” laughed Egon good-naturedly.  He was not far wrong, for Stadinger spoke his mind as usual, and to the point too, so that before he finished the officers felt he had the best of it against the prince.  After half an hour’s chatter, Willibald and Eugen Stahlberg rose to go.  As they bade good-night to the prince he said: 

“You push on to-morrow, I hear?”

“Yes, we march to R——­ at daybreak to meet Major General von Falkenried and his brigade.  We’ll be some days on the way, I fancy, for the whole of this region is infested with the enemy, and our next move will depend upon theirs,” answered Willibald.

“Then tell the general, Will, that I’ll be there at latest in a week,” said Eugen.  “It’s pretty bad to have to stay behind on account of a scratch that’s not worth talking about.  In another week I’ll be all right.  I don’t care what the doctor says, and I hope to join my regiment before you take R——.”

“We’ll have to be active now,” said Egon, “for resistance doesn’t continue long where General von Falkenried commands.  He’s always first with his men and has been victorious beyond belief.  It seems as if no difficulties were too great for him to surmount.”

“He seems to stand at the head,” answered Lieutenant Walldorf.  “He may take R——­ while we are lying here idle; perhaps he has taken it already.  No news can reach us with the enemy between.”

He rose to accompany his departing comrades a short distance, while the prince remained behind by the fire.  He folded his arms and looked vacantly at the burning logs, but the expression of his face was not in accord with the gaiety he had exhibited before his friends.  It was dark and gloomy, and all light and happiness seemed gone out of it.  He had forgotten Stadinger’s presence until the latter gave a little cough, then he turned and said: