finished it."

"You would like to eat now?"

"If I might have a little water I would be glad; my throat is very
dry."

The king had water and wine brought for him, and cake also; but
August, though he drank eagerly, could not swallow anything. His
mind was in too great a tumult.

"May I stay with Hirschvogel?--may I stay?" he said, with feverish
agitation.

"Wait a little," said the king, and asked abruptly, "What do you
wish to be when you are a man?"

"A painter. I wish to be what Hirschvogel was--I mean the master
that made MY Hirschvogel."

"I understand," said the king.

Then the two dealers were brought into their sovereign's presence.
They were so terribly alarmed, not being either so innocent or so
ignorant as August was, that they were trembling as though they
were being led to the slaughter, and they were so utterly
astonished too at a child having come all the way from Tyrol in
the stove, as a gentleman of the court had just told them this
child had done, that they could not tell what to say or where to
look, and presented a very foolish aspect indeed.