Part 10 (1/2)
”Was she alone?” asked the king, bending over to caress Alkmene, who lay at his feet.
”Well,” answered Kretzschmar, grinning, ”I do not know whether she was alone or not. I only know that, as I waited a little on the corner of the street, I saw a gentleman go out, wrapped in a cloak, a tall, broad-shouldered gentleman, whom I--”
”Whom you naturally did not recognize,” said the king, interrupting him; ”it was a dark night, and no moon, so that you could not see.”
”At your service, your majesty, I could see no one; I would only add that the unknown may have been at Mademoiselle Enke's.”
”And he may not have been,” cried the king, harshly. ”What else did you learn?”
”Nothing at all worth speaking about. Only one thing I must say, the lackey Schultz is a prattling fool, and speaks very disrespectfully.”
”Did he talk with you?”
”Yes, your majesty, with me.”
”Then he knows well that it would be welcome. What did he say?”
”He related to me a love-affair with the crown princess of Prussia eleven years since. He plumes himself upon the crown princess having stroked his beard.”
”Be quiet!” commanded the king, harshly. ”If Schultz was drunk, and talked in a crazy manner, how dare you repeat it to me? Let this happen again, and I will dismiss you my service. Remember it, you a.s.s!”
”Pardon me, your majesty, I thought I must relate all that I hear of importance.”
”That was not important, and not worth the trouble of talking about.
If Schultz is such a drunken fellow I did not know it, and he is to be pitied. You can go now; I give you a day to make your farewells to your friends, and to console them with the hope of meeting you again. Put every thing in order that concerns you. If you have debts, pay them.”
”I have no money to pay them, your majesty,” sighed Kretzschmar.
The king stepped to the iron coffer, of which no one possessed the key but himself, and looking within said: ”You cannot have much money to-day, as the drawer which contains the money for the gossips and spies is quite empty, and you have had a good share of it. Five guldens remain for you.”
”Alas! your majesty, it is too little; twenty-five guldens would not pay my debts.”
The king closed the drawer, saying: ”Judas only received twenty s.h.i.+llings for betraying his Master. Twenty-five is quite enough for Kretzschmar for betraying his comrade.”
Kretzschmar slunk away. The king fixed his great eyes upon him until the door closed. ”Man is a miserable race; for gold he would sell his own brother--would sell his own soul, if there could be found a purchaser,”
he murmured. ”Why do you growl, Alkmene, why trouble yourself, mademoiselle? I was not speaking of your honorable race; only of the pitiful race of men. Be quiet, my little dog, be quiet; I love you, and you are my dear little dog,” he said, pressing her caressingly to his breast.
The footman Schultz appeared to announce the equerry Von Schwerin.
”Bid him enter,” nodded the king.
Von Schwerin entered, with a smiling face. ”Have you accomplished what I confided to you?”
With a profound bow Von Schwerin drew a roll of paper from his breast-pocket, and handed it to the king, saying, ”I am so fortunate as to have accomplished your commands.”
”Will Count Schmettau give up the villa at once?”
”Yes, your majesty, the new occupant could take possession to-day, with all the furniture and house arrangements, for seven thousand five hundred dollars. Here is the bill of sale, only the purchaser's name is wanting. I have obeyed your majesty's commands, and acted as if I were the purchaser.”
”Schmettau is not such a stupid fellow as to believe that, for he knows that you cannot keep your money. You say the contract is ready, only the signature of the purchaser is wanting and the money?”