The curiosity of the two young girls was much excited, and they urged the king to explain his mysterious words.  He informed them that Count Tessin, the Swedish ambassador, would be present at the ball; that he was sent to Berlin to select a wife for the prince royal of Sweden, or, rather, to receive one; the choice, it appeared, had been already made, as the count had asked the king if he might make proposals for the hand of the Princess Amelia, or if she were already promised in marriage.  The king replied that Amelia was bound by no contract, and that proposals from Sweden would be graciously received.

“Be, therefore, lovely and attractive,” said the king, placing his hand caressingly upon the rosy cheek of his little sister; “prove to the count that the intellectual brow of my sweet sister is fitted to wear a crown worthily.”

The queen-mother glanced toward the window into which the Princess Ulrica had hastily withdrawn.

“And will your majesty really consent that the youngest of my daughters shall be first married?”

The king followed the glance of his mother, and saw the frowning brow and trembling lip of his sister.  Frederick feared to increase the mortification of Ulrica, and seemed, therefore, not to observe her withdrawal.

“I think,” said he, “your majesty was not older than Amelia when you married my father; and if the crown prince of Sweden wishes to marry Amelia, I see no reason why we should refuse him.  Happily, we are not Jews, and our laws do not forbid the younger sister to marry first.  To refuse the prince the hand of Amelia, or to offer him the hand of Ulrica, would indicate that we feared the latter might remain unsought.  I think my lovely and talented sister does not deserve to be placed in such a mortifying position, and that her hand will be eagerly sought by other royal wooers.”

“And, for myself, I am not at all anxious to marry,” said Ulrica, throwing her head back proudly, and casting a half-contemptuous, half-pitiful look at Amelia.  “I have no wish to marry.  Truly, I have not seen many happy examples of wedded life in our family.  All my sisters are unhappy, and I see no reason why I should tread the same thorny path.”

The king smiled.  “I see the little Ulrica shares my aversion to wedded life, but we cannot expect, dearest, that all the world should be equally wise.  We will, therefore, allow our foolish sister Amelia to wed, and run away from us.  This marriage will cost her anxiety and sorrow; she must not only place her little feet in the land of reindeers, bears, and eternal snows, but she must also be baptized and adopt a new religion.  Let us thank God, then, that the prince has had the caprice to pass you by and choose Amelia, who, I can see, is resolved to be married.  We will, therefore, leave the foolish child to her fate.”

It was Frederick’s intention, by these light jests, to comfort his sister Ulrica, and give her time to collect herself.  He did not remark that his words had a most painful effect upon his younger sister, and that she became deadly pale as he said she must change her faith in order to become princess royal of Sweden.