himself close to the door of the cabinet, for he thereby saved me from an
unpleasant fall."

"I did not command the lackey to station himself in your sleeping
apartment," said the Electress, "and consider it contrary to all rules of
propriety."

She rapidly crossed the study and opened the door just as the lackey was
slinking through the one opposite.

"Frederick, come here!" cried the Electress, and with head sunk and
humbled mien the lackey came a few paces nearer.

"Did I not order you to wait for me in the antechamber, and to forewarn us
of the approach of any one else?" asked the Electress.

"Your highness," replied the lackey humbly, "I followed your grace's
orders exactly, and stood here in the antechamber and kept guard, but
nobody came."

"But this is not the antechamber, you blockhead!" cried the Electress. "It
is there, without! Go out there and wait!"


The lackey made haste to obey the order given him, and the Electress
turned to the Prince. "I beg you, my son, to pardon the man his
stupidity," said she; "but he deserves some indulgence in so far as he has
only been in our service for a short while, and consequently is not well
acquainted with the plan of the palace. My valet fell sick on the journey
from Königsberg here, and we were obliged to leave him behind, which was