As soon as we rose from table he begged me to begin my story, and for two hours I had the pleasure of keeping this most brilliant company amused.

My readers know the history; its interest lies in the dramatic nature of the details, but it is impossible to communicate the fire of a well-told story to an account in writing.

The Elector’s little bail was very pleasant.  We were all dressed as peasants, and the costumes were taken from a special wardrobe of the prince’s.  It would have been ridiculous to choose any other dresses, as the Elector wore one of the same kind himself.  General Kettler was the best disguised of us all; he looked the rustic to the life.  My mistress was ravishing.  We only danced quadrilles and German dances.  There were only four or five ladies of the highest rank; all the others, who were more or less pretty, were favourites of the prince, all his days a great lover of the fair sex.  Two of these ladies danced the Forlana, and the Elector was much amused in making me dance it also.  I have already said that the Forlana is a Venetian dance, and one of the most energetic kind imaginable.  It is danced by a lady and gentleman opposite to one another, and as the two ladies relieved one another they were almost the death of me.  One has to be strong to dance twelve turns, and after the thirteenth I felt I could do no more, and begged for mercy.

Soon after we danced another dance, where each gentleman kisses a lady.  I was not too shy, and each time I continued to kiss my mistress with considerable ardour, which made the peasant-elector burst with laughter and the peasant-general burst with rage.

In a lull between the dances, this charming and original woman found means to tell me in private that all the Cologne ladies would leave at noon on the next day, and that I would increase my popularity by inviting them all to breakfast at Bruhl.

“Send each one a note with the name of her cavalier, and trust in Count Verita to do everything for the best; you need only tell him that you wish to give an entertainment similar to that given two years ago by the Prince de Deux-Ponts.  Lose no time.  You will have a score of guests; mind you let them know the hour of the repast.  Take care, too, that your invitations are sent round by nine o’clock in the morning.”

All these instructions were uttered with lightning speed, and I, enchanted with the power my mistress thought she possessed over me, thought only of obeying, without reflecting whether I owed her obedience.  Bruhl, breakfast, a score of people like the Prince Deux-Ponts, invitations to the ladies, Count Verita; I knew as much as she could have told me if she had taken an hour.

I left the room in my peasant’s dress, and begged a page to take me to Count Verita, who began to laugh on seeing my attire.  I told my business with the importance of an ambassador, and this made him in a still better humour.