Frederick the Great and His Family [343]
gratitude, and ringing his bell he summoned Deesen, who kept his purse, in order to give the man a gold piece. But Deesen did not appear, and the second chamberlain announced in an embarrassed manner that lie was not in the palace. The king commanded him to give the man the promised gold piece and then to return to him.
"Where is Deesen?" asked the king, as the chamberlain returned.
"Sire, I do not know," he stammered, his eyes sinking beneath the piercing glance of the king.
"You do know!" said the king, gravely. "Deesen has positive orders from me to remain in the anteroom, because I might need him. If he dares to disobey my orders, he must have a powerful reason, and you know it. Out with it! I will know it."
"If your majesty commands, I must speak," said the chamberlain, sighing. "Your majesty will not permit us to be married, but we were made with hearts, and we sometimes fall in love."
"Deesen is in love, then?" said the king.
"Yes, your majesty, he loves a beautiful girl in Potsdam, whose name is Maria Siegert. And although he cannot marry her, she has consented to be his beloved. And as to-day was the great report day, Deesen thought that your majesty would not need him, and that he had time to go to Potsdam to visit his sweetheart. He seems to have been delayed. That is the reason, your majesty, that Deesen is not in the anteroom."
"Very well," said the king; "as soon as Deesen returns he must come to my library. I forbid you, however, to repeat one word of this conversation."
"Ah, your majesty, I am well pleased that I need not do it, for Deesen is very passionate, and if he learns that I have betrayed his secret he is capable of giving me a box on the ear."
"Which would, perhaps, be very wholesome for you," said the king, as he turned toward his library.
A quarter of an hour later, Deesen entered the library with a heated, anxious face.
The king, who was reading his beloved Lucretius while he paced the floor, turned his great, piercing eyes with a questioning expression on the anxious face of his attendant. "I called for you, and you did not come," said the king.
"I beg your majesty to pardon me," stammered Deesen.
"Where were you?"
"I was in my room writing a letter, sire."
"Ah, a letter. You were no doubt writing to that beautiful barmaid at the hotel of the Black Raven at Amsterdam, who declined the attentions of the servant of the brothers Zoller."
This reference to the journey to Amsterdam showed Deesen that the king was not very angry. He dared, therefore, to raise his eyes to those of the king, and to look pleadingly at him.
"Sit down." said the king, pointing to the writing-table. "I called you because I wished to dictate a letter for you to write. Sit down and take a pen."
Deesen seated himself at the table, and the king began walking up and down as before, his hands and book behind him.
"Are you ready?" asked the king.
"I am ready, sire," returned Deesen, dipping his pen into the ink. "Write then," commanded the king, as he placed himself immediately in front of Deesen--"write, then, first the heading: 'My beloved--'"
Deesen started, and glanced inquiringly at the king. Frederick looked earnestly at him, and repeated, "'My beloved--'"
Deesen uttered a sigh, and wrote.
"Have you written that?" asked the king.
"Yes, sire, I have it--'My beloved.'"
"Well, then, proceed. 'My beloved, that old bear, the king--' Write," said the king, interrupting himself as he saw that Deesen grew pale and trembled, and could scarcely hold the pen--"write without hesitation, or expect a severe punishment."
"Will your majesty have the kindness to dictate? I am ready to write every thing," said Deesen, as he wiped his brow.
"Now then, quickly," ordered the king, and he dictated?'That old bear, the king, counts every hour against me that I spend so charmingly with you. That my absence may be shorter in the future, and less observed by the old scold, I wish you to rent a room near here in the suburbs of Brandenburg, where we can meet more conveniently
"Where is Deesen?" asked the king, as the chamberlain returned.
"Sire, I do not know," he stammered, his eyes sinking beneath the piercing glance of the king.
"You do know!" said the king, gravely. "Deesen has positive orders from me to remain in the anteroom, because I might need him. If he dares to disobey my orders, he must have a powerful reason, and you know it. Out with it! I will know it."
"If your majesty commands, I must speak," said the chamberlain, sighing. "Your majesty will not permit us to be married, but we were made with hearts, and we sometimes fall in love."
"Deesen is in love, then?" said the king.
"Yes, your majesty, he loves a beautiful girl in Potsdam, whose name is Maria Siegert. And although he cannot marry her, she has consented to be his beloved. And as to-day was the great report day, Deesen thought that your majesty would not need him, and that he had time to go to Potsdam to visit his sweetheart. He seems to have been delayed. That is the reason, your majesty, that Deesen is not in the anteroom."
"Very well," said the king; "as soon as Deesen returns he must come to my library. I forbid you, however, to repeat one word of this conversation."
"Ah, your majesty, I am well pleased that I need not do it, for Deesen is very passionate, and if he learns that I have betrayed his secret he is capable of giving me a box on the ear."
"Which would, perhaps, be very wholesome for you," said the king, as he turned toward his library.
A quarter of an hour later, Deesen entered the library with a heated, anxious face.
The king, who was reading his beloved Lucretius while he paced the floor, turned his great, piercing eyes with a questioning expression on the anxious face of his attendant. "I called for you, and you did not come," said the king.
"I beg your majesty to pardon me," stammered Deesen.
"Where were you?"
"I was in my room writing a letter, sire."
"Ah, a letter. You were no doubt writing to that beautiful barmaid at the hotel of the Black Raven at Amsterdam, who declined the attentions of the servant of the brothers Zoller."
This reference to the journey to Amsterdam showed Deesen that the king was not very angry. He dared, therefore, to raise his eyes to those of the king, and to look pleadingly at him.
"Sit down." said the king, pointing to the writing-table. "I called you because I wished to dictate a letter for you to write. Sit down and take a pen."
Deesen seated himself at the table, and the king began walking up and down as before, his hands and book behind him.
"Are you ready?" asked the king.
"I am ready, sire," returned Deesen, dipping his pen into the ink. "Write then," commanded the king, as he placed himself immediately in front of Deesen--"write, then, first the heading: 'My beloved--'"
Deesen started, and glanced inquiringly at the king. Frederick looked earnestly at him, and repeated, "'My beloved--'"
Deesen uttered a sigh, and wrote.
"Have you written that?" asked the king.
"Yes, sire, I have it--'My beloved.'"
"Well, then, proceed. 'My beloved, that old bear, the king--' Write," said the king, interrupting himself as he saw that Deesen grew pale and trembled, and could scarcely hold the pen--"write without hesitation, or expect a severe punishment."
"Will your majesty have the kindness to dictate? I am ready to write every thing," said Deesen, as he wiped his brow.
"Now then, quickly," ordered the king, and he dictated?'That old bear, the king, counts every hour against me that I spend so charmingly with you. That my absence may be shorter in the future, and less observed by the old scold, I wish you to rent a room near here in the suburbs of Brandenburg, where we can meet more conveniently