“Oh, sire, I shall only truly belong to you in love and gratitude, when you permit me to be happy and wed the maiden I so fondly love.”

“I will have no married private secretary, nor will I have a married secretary of state,” said the king, with a dark frown.  “Say not another word, Fredersdorf; put these thoughts away from you!  My God, there are so many other things on which you could have set your heart! why must it be ever on a woman?”

“Because I love her passionately, your majesty.”

“Ah, bah! do you not love other things with which you can console yourself?  You are a scholar and an alchemist.  Well, then, read Horace; exercise yourself in the art of making gold, and forget this Mademoiselle Daum, who, be it said, in confidence between us, has no other fascination than that she is rich.  As to her wealth, that can have but little charm for you, who, without doubt, will soon have control of all the treasures of the world.  By God’s help, or the devil’s, you will very soon, I suppose, discover the secret of making gold.”

“He has, indeed, heard my conversation with Joseph,” said Fredersdorf to himself, and ashamed and confused, he cast his eyes down before the laughing glance of the king.

“Read your Horace diligently,” said Frederick—­“you know he is also my favorite author; you shall learn one of his beautiful songs by heart, and repeat it to me.”

The king walked up and down the room, and cast, from time to time, a piercing glance at Fredersdorf.  He then repeated from Horace these two lines: 

     “’Torment not your heart
       With the rich offering of a bleeding lamb.’”

“I see well,” said Fredersdorf, completely confused, “I see well that your majesty knows—­”

“That it is high time,” said the king, interrupting him, “to go to Berlin; you do well to remind me of it.  Order my carriage—­I will be off at once.”

CHAPTER V.

How the princess Ulrica became queen of Sweden.

Princess Ulrica, the eldest of the two unmarried sisters of the king, paced her room with passionate steps.  The king had just made the queen-mother a visit, and had commanded that his two sisters should be present at the interview.

Frederick was gay and talkative.  He told them that the Signora Barbarina had arrived, and would appear that evening at the castle theatre.  He invited his mother and the two princesses to be present.  He requested them to make tasteful and becoming toilets, and to be bright and amiable at the ball and supper after the theatre.  The king implored them both to be gay:  the one, in order to show that she was neither angry nor jealous; the other, that she was proud and happy.