The silence was not broken between Berlin and Potsdam, through which place the Chevalier passed as His Majesty was reviewing his guards there, and the regiments of Bulow, Zitwitz, and Henkel de Donnersmark.  As the Chevalier passed His Majesty, the King raised his hat and said, ’Qu’il ne descende pas:  je lui souhaite un bon voyage.’  The Chevalier de Balibari acknowledged this courtesy by a profound bow.

They had not got far beyond Potsdam, when boom! the alarm cannon began to roar.

‘It is a deserter,’ said the officer.

‘Is it possible?’ said the Chevalier, and sank back into his carriage again.

Hearing the sound of the guns, the common people came out along the road with fowling-pieces and pitchforks, in hopes to catch the truant.  The gendarmes seemed very anxious to be on the look-out for him too.  The price of a deserter was fifty crowns to those who brought him in.

‘Confess, sir,’ said the Chevalier to the police officer in the carriage with him, ’that you long to be rid of me, from whom you can get nothing, and to be on the look-out for the deserter who may bring you in fifty crowns?  Why not tell the postilion to push on?  You may land me at the frontier and get back to your hunt all the sooner.’  The officer told the postillion to get on; but the way seemed intolerably long to the Chevalier.  Once or twice he thought he heard the noise of horse galloping behind:  his own horses did not seem to go two miles an hour; but they did go.  The black and white barriers came in view at last, hard by Bruck, and opposite them the green and yellow of Saxony.  The Saxon custom-house officers came out.

‘I have no luggage,’ said the Chevalier.

‘The gentleman has nothing contraband,’ said the Prussian officers, grinning, and took their leave of their prisoner with much respect.

The Chevalier de Balibari gave them a Frederic apiece.

‘Gentlemen,’ said he, ’I wish you a good day.  Will you please to go to the house whence we set out this morning, and tell my man there to send on my baggage to the “Three Kings” at Dresden?’

Then ordering fresh horses, the Chevalier set off on his journey for that capital.  I need not tell you that I was the Chevalier.

’From the Chevalier de Balibari to Redmond Barry, Esquire, Gentilhomme Anglais, a l’Hotel des 3 Couronnes, a Dresde en Saxe.

’Nephew Redmond,—­This comes to you by a sure hand, no other than Mr. Lumpit of the English Mission, who is acquainted, as all Berlin will be directly, with our wonderful story.  They only know half as yet; they only know that a deserter went off in my clothes, and all are in admiration of your cleverness and valour.