“How is that? explain that to us,” cried a hundred voices in a breath.

“Well, it is very simple.  Has not the king recently renewed the law which forbids, under pain of heavy punishment, the princes of the blood to borrow money?  Is not this law printed in our journals, and made public in our collections of laws?”

“Yes, yes! so it is,” said many voices simultaneously.

“Well, certainly, our exalted sovereign, who loves his royal brothers so warmly, would not have cast shame upon their honor.  Certainly he would not have wished to humiliate them, and has not done so.  The king, as you must now plainly perceive, has acted toward Baron Pollnitz precisely as he has done to his brothers.”

“And that is, without doubt, a great honor for him,” cried many voices.  No one guessed the name of the speaker who was so fortunately at hand to defend the honor of the master of ceremonies.  A general murmur of applause was heard, and even the public crier stood still and listened to the eloquent unknown speaker, and forgot for a while to hurry off to the next street-corner and proclaim the royal mandate.

“Besides, this law is ‘sans consequence,’ as we are accustomed to say,” said Pollnitz.  “Who would not, in spite of the law, lend our princes gold if they had need of it?  And who has right to take offence if the state refuses to pay the debts which the princes make as private persons?  The baron occupies precisely the same position.  The king, who has honored the newly returned baron with two highly important trusts, master of ceremonies and master of the robes, will frighten his rather lavish old friend from making debts.  He chooses, therefore, the same means by which he seeks to restrain his royal brothers, and forbids all persons to lend gold to Pollnitz:  as he cannot well place this edict in the laws of the land, he is obliged to make it known by the drummer.  And now,” said the speaker, who saw plainly the favorable impression which his little oration had made—­ “and now, best of friends, I pray you to make way and allow me to pass through the crowd; I must go at once to the palace to thank his majesty for the special grace and distinction which he has showered upon me to-day.  I, myself, am Baron Pollnitz!”

An outcry of amazement burst from the lips of hundreds, and all who stood near Pollnitz stepped aside reverentially, in order to give place to the distinguished gentleman who was treated by the king exactly as if he were a prince of the blood.  Pollnitz stepped with a friendly smile through the narrow way thus opened for him, and greeted, with his cool, impertinent manner those who respectfully stood back.