affixed her name also to this contract, and here in this document
you will see that these three powers have sworn to attack Prussia at
the same moment, and that for this conquest, each one of the named
courts was to furnish sixty thousand men."

While the generals were engaged in reading these papers, the king
leaned back in his arm-chair, gazing keenly at Retzow and Schwerin.
He smiled gayly as he saw Schwerin pressing his lips tightly
together, and trying in vain to suppress a cry of rage, and Retzow
clinching his fists vehemently.

When the papers had been read, and Schwerin was preparing to speak,
the king, with his head thrown proudly back, and gazing earnestly at
his listeners, interrupted him, saying:

"Now, sirs, perhaps you see the dangers by which we are surrounded.
Under the circumstances, I owe it to myself, to my honor, and to the
security of my land, to attack Austria and Saxony, and so to nip
their abominable designs in me bud, before their allies are ready to
give them any assistance. I am prepared, and the only question to be
answered before setting our army in motion, is where to commence the
attack to our advantage? For the deciding of this question, I have
called you together. I have finished and now, Marshal Schwerin, it
is your turn."

The old gray warrior arose. It may be that he was convinced by the
powerful proofs and words of the king, or that knowing that his will
was law it were vain to oppose him, but he was now as strongly for
war as the king or Winterfeldt.