I suspect the heir to my throne, and see in him a secret enemy!
Mistrust has already thrown her shadow upon my soul, and made it
dark and troubled. Ah, there will come a cold and dreary night for
me, when I shall stand alone in the midst of all my glory!"

His head fell upon his breast, and he remained silent and immovable.

"And am I not alone, now?" said he, and in his voice there was a
soft and sorrowful sound. "My brothers are against me, because they
do not understand me; my sisters fear me, and, because this war will
disturb their peace and comfort, will hate me. My mother's heart has
cooled toward me, because I will not be influenced by her; and
Elizabeth Christine, whom the world calls my wife, weeps in solitude
over the heavy chains which bind her. Not one of them loves me!--not
one believes in me, and in my future!"

The king, given up to these melancholy thoughts, did not hear a
knock at his door; it was now repeated, and so loudly, that he could
not but hear it. He hastened to the door and opened it. Winterfeldt
was there, with a sealed paper in his hand, which he gave to the
king, begging him at the same time to excuse this interruption.

"It is the best thing you could have done," said the king, entering
his room, and signing to the general to follow him. "I was in bad
company, with my own sorrowful thoughts, and it is good that you
came to dissipate them."

"This letter will know well how to do that," said Winterfeldt
handing him the packet; "a courier brought it to me from Berlin."