Frederick the Great and His Court | Page 8

am standing by the door with my crutch,
and I command them to come singly into my presence."
The servant hurried out to the gentlemen, who, as the door was opened,
perceived the king standing in a threatening attitude near the door, with
his crutch raised in his hand.
"What is the matter? Why is the king so furious? What orders do you
bring us from his majesty?" asked the gentlemen anxiously and
hurriedly.
The servant assumed a terrified expression, and said:
"His majesty is outrageous to-day. Woe unto him over whom the cloud
bursts. He commanded me to say that each of you must enter the room
alone. Go now, for Heaven's sake, and do not keep the king waiting!"
The gentlemen glanced into each other's pale and hesitating
countenances. They had all seen the threatening appearance of the king,
as he stood by the door with his raised crutch, and no one wished to be
the first to pass under the yoke.
"Your grace has the precedence," said the grand chamberlain, bowing

to the Duke of Holstein.
"No," he replied, "you are well aware his majesty does not regard
etiquette, and would be most indignant if we paid any attention to it.
Go first yourself, my dear friend."
"Not I, your grace, I would not dare to take precedence of you all. If
you decline the honor, it is due to General Schwerin. He should lead on
the battle."
"There is no question of a battle," said General Schwerin, "but a most
probable beating, and Baron von Pollnitz understands that better than I
do."
"Gentlemen," said the servant, "his majesty will become impatient, and
then woe unto all of us."
"But, my God," said Count von Goltz, "who will dare go forward?"
"I will," said Councillor Eckert; "I owe every thing to his majesty,
therefore I will place my back or even my life at his service."
He approached the door with a firm step, and opened it quickly.
The others saw the flashing eyes of the king, as he raised his stick still
higher. They saw Eckert enter, with his head bowed down and then the
door was closed, and nothing more was heard.
"Against which of us is the anger of the king directed?" faltered
Pollnitz.
"Against one and all," said the servant, with a most malicious
expression.
"Who will go now?" the gentlemen asked each other, and, after a long
struggle, the grand chamberlain, Von Pollnitz, concluded to take the
bitter step. Once more, as the door opened, the king was seen waiting,
crutch in hand, but the door closed, and nothing more was seen. Four
times was this scene repeated; four times was the king seen in this
threatening attitude. But as General Schwerin, the last of the six
gentlemen, entered the room, the king no longer stood near the door,
but lay in his armchair, laughing until the tears stood in his eyes, and
Baron von Pollnitz stood before him, giving a most humorous account
of the scene which had just taken place in the ante-room, imitating the
voices of the different gentlemen, and relating their conversation.
"You all believed in my rage," said the king, almost breathless with
laughing. "The joke succeeded to perfection. Yours, also, Schwerin. Do
you at last know what it is to be afraid, you who never experienced the

feeling on the field of battle?"
"Yes, sire, a shot is a small thing in comparison with the flashing of
your eye. When the cannon thunders my heart is joyful, but it is very
heavy under the thunder of your voice. I do not fear death, but I do fear
the anger and displeasure of my sovereign."
"Oh, you are a brave fellow," said the king, warmly giving the general
his hand. "And now, gentlemen, away with all constraint and etiquette.
We will suppose the king to be at the ball. I am only your companion,
Frederick William, and will now proceed to the opening of the Tobacco
Club."
He once more lighted his pipe, and threw himself into one of the chairs,
which were placed round the table; the other gentlemen followed his
example, and the Tobacco Club was now in session.

CHAPTER III
.
THE TOBACCO CLUB.
There was a short interval of silence. Each one busied himself with pipe
and tobacco. The dense clouds of smoke which rolled from the lips of
all had soon enveloped the room with a veil of bluish vapor, from the
midst of which the tallow candle emitted a faint, sickly light.
The king ordered the man in waiting to light several additional candles.
"To-day our Tobacco Club must also present a festive appearance, that
the contrast between it and the ball may not be too great. Tell me,
Pollnitz, how are