John has been ever mindful of his duty to the Emperor."

"I must and shall be ever called a good Imperialist," cried the count
warmly, "and prefer the Emperor's to the Elector's service.[20] Bethlen
Gabor, Prince of Hungary, has well said that the Elector and I are upon
one ship, and that my fortune depends upon the Elector's fortune; but he
shall be proved to have been in error, and we prefer making our voyage in
our own little bark to take passage in the Electoral ship."

"Yes, father, that shall we!" cried the young count joyfully. "You sit at
the helm and give management and direction to the boat. For my part, I
shall so hoist and unfurl the sails that we catch the breeze and bound
swiftly forward!"

"Do so, my son, and always heed the wind as it blows across from the
apartments of the Electress and her princesses, as well as from the robber
nests and dens of the squires and waylayers of the Mark, and from the
fortresses and garrisons. We, too, my son, voyage together in the same
boat; I am the pilot, you unfurl the sails, and upon our flag in
mysterious and invisible colors is inscribed this device: Good
Imperialists, good Catholics!"

"Yes, good Imperialists and good Catholics," replied the young count
energetically. "But, dearest father, let us add besides, quite softly,
good Schwarzenbergians!"

"Yes, my son, that will we. For, in addition to those great and holy
interests, to keep one's own interests a little in view is manly and
justifiable. My heavens! life would have been perfectly hateful and
abominable in this dirty, cheerless Berlin if we had not seen above us a