then from to-day I dispense with your services, and Jocelyn shall take
your place."

"Forgive me, your Electoral Highness, but Jocelyn is in confinement. The
master of the wardrobe had him put in the guardhouse three days ago."

"Wherefore then--what has Jocelyn done that the master of the wardrobe
should have him put into prison?"

"He was obstinate, your highness. The paymaster has not distributed to us
our wages for two months, so that none of us has a groschen in his pocket.
When we reached Berlin, three days ago, Jocelyn found his old mother
miserably sick and well-nigh starved, for the Imperialists have thoroughly
pillaged Berlin, and robbed the old woman of her last possession. She had
nothing to eat, and still less could she afford to send for a doctor and
buy medicines. So, in his desperation, Jocelyn went to the paymaster and
begged of him his month's wages, but was told that he could have nothing
now, because the journey from Prussia here had cost so much money that all
the coffers were empty; but that in the course of eight days the paymaster
might be in funds again, and that then we should all have what was due us.
But, on account of his old mother, Jocelyn could not wait, and so in
desperation went off and sold his new livery coat to an old-clothes man,
and carried the money to his mother. And for that reason, your Electoral
Grace, poor Jocelyn now sits in the guardhouse."

The Elector had turned away, and gazed from the window down into the
pleasure garden, the branches of whose green trees nearly touched the
windows of the apartment. He could no longer meet the glance of the lackey
Conrad; he would not have him witness his mortification and the painful
twitchings of his mouth. But after a while he turned again to old Conrad,