long ago, but we had to bear it in silence, for we could not prevent
it."

And giving his passionate nature full play, he approached General
Winterfeldt, who was whispering to Marshal Schwerin.

"You can rejoice, general," said the prince, "for now you can take
your private revenge on the Empress of Russia."

Winterfeldt encountered the prince's angry glance with a quiet,
cheerful look.

"Your highness does me too much honor in thinking that a poor
soldier, such as I am, could be at enmity with a royal empress. What
could this Russian empress have done to me, that could call for
revenge on my part?"

"What has she done to you?" said the prince, with a mocking smile.
"Two things, which man finds hardest to forgive! She outwitted you,
and took your riches from you. Ah! general, I fear this war will be
in vain, and that you will not be able to take your wife's jewels
from St. Petersburg, where the empress retains them."

Winterfeldt subdued his anger, and replied: "You have related us a
beautiful fairy tale, prince, a tale from the Arabian Nights, in
which there is a talk of jewels and glorious treasures, only that in
this tale, instead of the usual dragon, an empress guards them. I
acknowledge that I do not understand your highness."

"But I understand you perfectly, general. I know your ambitious and